How to EQ your reverb

#AudiotentTip 110. Reverb EQ Tip.

Finding the right reverb for your mix could be challenging. However, there is much more we could do to achieve a professional, modern, 3d soundscape. I would like to share one of my favourite creative techniques to get interesting colour out of your reverb.

EQ the reverb opposite to the sound source.
Most of the individual sounds we work with have a distinct focus area as well as 'frequency pockets'. The idea is to cut the reverb where we have excess frequencies and boost it in the 'pockets'.

Lets apply some reverb. We will use Valhalla Vintage Verb for this example. Lets select a Dirty Plate algorithm and keep the decay fairly long at around 4 seconds. 

Next, we add an eq to our reverb return. The first cut is around 1.1K, this is where our source sound has an excess in frequencies. Then we make a boost around 4.4K to fill our 'frequency pocket' with reverb.

The nasal frequencies have been reduced and we can feel the reverb is more upfront. This adds a lot of separation from the source sound. In some cases, it's not exactly what we want. However, when applied right, we can get interesting 3d effects and make the sound become alive.

Try this technique on snares to re-shift their focus. Percussion loops are another great source, EQ the reverb out of the way, so the transients could be heard clearer.