reverb
REE-verb
/ˈriːvɜːb/
An acoustic effect created when sound waves bounce off hard surfaces in a physical space, creating a dense wash of closely spaced echoes that gradually decay.
Reverb simulates the natural acoustics of a room, hall, or cathedral, giving dry electronic sounds a sense of physical space and depth.
The story behind the word. Derived from the Latin 'reverberare,' meaning 'to beat back.' In acoustics, it describes how sound waves physically beat back and forth against the walls of a room before dying out.
Word relationships
- reverberation: Reverberation is the full, formal scientific term, while reverb is the standard shorthand used in the music industry.
- dryness: Dryness refers to an audio signal with absolutely no acoustic reflections or effects applied.
Commonly confused with
- delay: Delay creates distinct, repeating echoes (tap... tap... tap), while reverb creates a continuous, smooth wash of sound (shhhhhh).
Word family
- reverberate (verb): To echo or resound repeatedly.
Collocations
- hall reverb
- gated reverb
- reverb decay time
Example sentences
- "Adding a touch of plate reverb to the lead vocals made them sound like they were recorded in a lush, empty cathedral." An audio engineer describing a vocal mix.
- "If you apply too much reverb to the bass drum, the low frequencies will become muddy and lose their punch." A sound design tutorial.
Memory hook
Reverb makes a sound reverse and vibrate back off the walls of a giant room. Reverb creates space for the sound to breathe.
When not to use
Do not confuse with 'delay' or 'echo,' which produce distinct, discrete repetitions of a sound rather than a continuous, smooth wash.
Fun facts
- In the 1980s, 'gated reverb'—a technique where a massive reverb tail on a snare drum is suddenly cut off by a noise gate—became the defining drum sound of the decade, popularized by Phil Collins.
Related words
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