Compression techniques for reverb

In this article, we will look at a compressor technique on a send & return track.

During the mixing process,
there may be instances when you want to apply a stronger reverb signal.

However, if you simply raise the send amount, it can become a bit too much.
This is a problem many of us have faced before.

As some fixes to this problem –

• try different reverbs
• use with delay
• clean up low end with EQ
• check your individual track balance
• check your volume automation

we have covered these topics in other articles,
but there is another interesting technique that you can try out.

That is to「apply compression to your reverberated sounds」.
The difference in volume in your reverb signal will lessen, and create a clearer and present reverb sound.

Lets take a look.

Reverb technique – Tutorial video

Video key point – Compression setup

This technique is very simple.
Just apply a compressor to the send & return reverb track.

Using send & return tracks by DAW

• 1 – Set the Ratio high to emphasize the compression
• 2 – Set so the gain reduction is deep（here we set it to -6db）
• 3 – Set the Attack fast to quickly compress the sound
• 4 – Set the Release fast to let the tail of the reverb be emphasized
• 5 – Raise back up the volume lost in「2」

This will prevent large volume differences in the reverb,
and even without a gain meter, you will hear a significant difference.

Please try it out in your next project!