Reverb in Mastering Chain

[jimwilbourne]

Hey guys.
I'm curious as to what kind of reverbs you guys would suggest I use if I do a small bit of mastering reverb.

in addition, which part of the mastering chain should I add it in?
pre or post Compression/EQ/Limit/Multiband Compression/etc. ?

I never actually used any sort of mastering reverb and I understand that you don't always need to put it in. I'm just curious about proper applications. everything I've read seems to be rather vague on the issue.

any guidance from those who do this?

 

[tempe]

I usually put it post compression and EQ, being the last thing before the limiter.

 

[pipaguapique]

I've never used any reverb in mastering. im interested to see why you use it, and how.

 

[Seth Munson]

I've never used any reverb in mastering. im interested to see why you use it, and how.

this

 

[narcossintese]

Ozone mastering suite has a reverb module. The manual is somewhat a "mastering basics" guide, so you can check how to use reverb on the master bus there (the PDF manual is free). It´s very subtle, kind of a glue thing.

I don´t use it.

 

[tempe]

Its only ever meant to be very very subtle, I just like using a nice room reverb and maybe having a 5% wet blend if that. Just kind of glues shit together a little more. Its definitely better to get it right in the mix though. So a lot of people (and myself) here are mastering their own stuff, its not something that you have to resort to often, since you have the mix there to go back to if needed.

 

[DanLights]

Never used but as far as I know it´s supposed to be a little bit of glue cause it hints the idea that the whole album was recorded in the same room, just gives a bit more of a "live" feel

 

[Raptor7]

Guys it really depends on the kind of metal he does. I mean for fast machinegun deathcore it has no use, but when it comes to more melodic or atmospferic doom/death sort of it has all the use. More on that, reverb is known as a warming and glue effect used in an amount that suits the production and the music.

Basically I would put it before the one in the end of the chain, be it maximizer, etc. But I don't know much else about mastering only what I've tested here and there.

 

[jimwilbourne]

Raptor got it right. My productuon style is much more atmospheric than most some metal calls for.
And again, I've never used it before in a master and I spend a lot of time stringing together reverb in the mix to give the desired atmosphere.

I'll definitly look into the ozone manual. I actually bought it but haven't used it on any of my mixed yet.

 

[greyskull]

nope.
never

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

Never use it, but that's only because everything usually has a little on it anyway (well, except the guitars and bass).

 

[nwright]

The only time I've ever used it is on stuff that I didn't mix myself (i.e. a stereo wav I was asked to master). I definitely think it can help super dry mixes from a variety of genres, even fast metal. Most of the time I've used it, the mixes were dry, and that dryness kept the mix "unglued". Usually I use just the verb in Ozone 4, and mix it at most 6-7%, 90% of the time it's probably less than 5, and it's set to a general roomy/studio verb, not a hall or plate.

 

[DaveBlack]

I have a specific go to room verb that I like on the master bus and I mix through that like you would a compressor. Eventhough it's very subtle, it gives it depth and makes everything more cohesive.

Different strokes for different folks.

 

[Sonic75]

If you need some glue or depth (for example for dry mix) it can be the ticket.
Of course if you master your material, obtain the effect in the mix.

 

[waltz mastering]

Reverb is not a common effect that you will find in any mastering chain. I think it's use is "very" rare in mastering and the only reason it is brought up is because it is included in multi-plugs and their marketing. 2 cents.

 

[timislegend]

Reverb is not a common effect that you will find in any mastering chain. I think it's use is "very" rare in mastering and the only reason it is brought up is because it is included in multi-plugs and their marketing. 2 cents.

this...


although, i will say i have seen it used quite a bit in m/s mastering and/or restoration.

however i don't think it sounds good in typical mastered recordings.

 

[SentencedToBurn]

Reverb is not a common effect that you will find in any mastering chain. I think it's use is "very" rare in mastering and the only reason it is brought up is because it is included in multi-plugs and their marketing. 2 cents.

Would you say this is your opinion on metal masters, or masters of all genres?what about country or jazz or singer-songwriter kind of stuff?

 

[Kazrog]

Once I was given a mix that was so dry, I was tempted to throw reverb on the master buss for the entire record, with a very audible blend. It sounded 100 times better that way, actually. But the band said no, they really wanted things super dry. The style of music was avant garde, Primus meets Zappa.

 

[waltz mastering]

Would you say this is your opinion on metal masters, or masters of all genres?what about country or jazz or singer-songwriter kind of stuff?

Pretty much everything...especially metal. Once in a while, if a fade is to abrupt, maybe just a hair automated on the end of a fade to extend it a few msec. maybe on an acoustic song, but having the topic come up before on ME forums..it's pretty rare over the whole track. ...just an opinion and consensus.

 

[Fox Mulder]

If it sounds good, go ahead and use it. Otherwise don't.