---
title: "The Types of Reverb (with Examples!)"

description: 'Spring reverb! Chamber! Nonlinear! Plate! Let''s talk through the different styles of reverb, how they effect audio, and some of the uses for these varied expressions of "room sound." Want to hear my reverbs? Check out'

status: complete

date: 2023-08-08

kind: solo

guestSlugs: []

listenUrl: "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lovemusicmore/episodes/The-Types-of-Reverb-with-Examples-e27s685"
appleUrl: "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-types-of-reverb-with-examples/id1567355195?i=1000623798517&uo=4"
spotifyUrl: "https://open.spotify.com/episode/6mFa212ZLACArESG3pGtVU"

topicsDiscussed:
  - "Reverb"
  - "Delay"
  - "Flutter Echo"

hostNote: |
  Reverb is all of the tiny delays that happen when a sound source slaps up against a surface. That's it, everything else is engineering history and creative choice built on top of that physical fact.
  
  I run through each major type with actual examples: chamber (a physical room designed specifically to record into), plate (a large suspended metal sheet that vibrates and blurs, genuinely bizarre to look at in person), spring (which sounds exactly like surfing, no other way to describe it), and the nonlinear digital stuff that breaks the rules intentionally and gave the 80s its particular gated-drum signature. I also get into impulse response reverb, which can capture the actual acoustics of a real space and replay them on anything.
  
  By the end you have a working vocabulary for reverb types and the judgment to use each one as a choice rather than a default, understanding not just what they sound like, but what problem each one was originally invented to solve.

selectedMoments:
  - label: "What is reverb?"
    startSec: 0
    note: "I introduce the concept of reverb and how different environments affect sound."
  - label: "Understanding Flutter Echo"
    startSec: 95
    note: "An explanation of flutter echo, its creation, and why it is often avoided in sound production."
  - label: "Reverb and Recording Styles"
    startSec: 181
    note: "I discuss how the reverb effect became prominent in the 70s and its use in contemporary recordings."
  - label: "Chamber Reverb Explained"
    startSec: 318
    note: "I talk about chamber reverb, its purpose, and how it is traditionally achieved."
  - label: "Plate Reverb Overview"
    startSec: 678
    note: "A description of plate reverb, how it works, and its iconic use in records."
  - label: "Non-linear Digital Reverb"
    startSec: 813
    note: "I survey non-linear digital reverb and the creative possibilities it offers."
  - label: "Spring Reverb Characteristics"
    startSec: 859
    note: "My take on spring reverb and its distinctive sound, particularly in surf rock."
  - label: "Impulse Response Reverb"
    startSec: 947
    note: "I introduce impulse response reverb and how it can simulate complex environments."

excerptQuotes:
  - text: "Reverb is all of the tiny delays that happen when a sound source slaps up against a surface."
    startSec: 86
    reviewed: true
  - text: "It creates this thing called a flutter echo...it's a facsimile of it based on the computer."
    startSec: 97
    reviewed: true
  - text: "That was a virtual version of it. Not nearly as harsh as it is in real life."
    startSec: 136
    reviewed: true
  - text: "Most of the time, it's to create dimensionality in the box."
    startSec: 225
    reviewed: true
  - text: "That's Capital Chambers, an audio plugin by Universal Audio; it's also an actual physical place that they modeled."
    startSec: 320
    reviewed: true
  - text: "Plate reverbs are super, I got to see some of these things in real life...they sound really cool, they're very bizarre."
    startSec: 674
    reviewed: true
  - text: "You can do that for outboard gear...it's going to have more mojo because it's running through physical things..."
    startSec: 1082
    reviewed: true

faq:
  - question: "What is reverb and why is it important in music production?"
    answer: "Reverb, or reverberation, is crucial in music production as it creates a sense of space and depth in recordings, mimicking how sound interacts in various environments."
  - question: "What are the different types of reverb used in music?"
    answer: "The main types include chamber, plate, spring, digital, non-linear, and impulse response reverb, each offering unique characteristics and effects in sound."
  - question: "How does chamber reverb differ from digital reverb?"
    answer: "Chamber reverb uses a physical space to create echoes and reflections, while digital reverb simulates these effects through algorithms."

transcriptPublished: false

draft: false
---