SAMPLED

Mixing and mastering · updated 2026-08-16

REVERB

Simulated space. Pre-delay places the source in the room, decay time sets how big the room is.

A Solid State Logic Matrix mixing console with channel strips, faders and pan pots — the desk layout behind the gain, EQ and balance terms in this section.
Mixing and mastering — A Solid State Logic Matrix mixing console with channel strips, faders and pan pots — the desk layout behind the gain, EQ and balance terms in this section.

Photo: Solid State Logic (SSL) Matrix Mixing Console at Audio Mix House, Studio C (opens in a new tab) by Audio Mix House (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons — CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab)

Key takeaways

  • Simulated space.
  • Pre-delay places the source in the room, decay time sets how big the room is.
  • Pre-delay separates the source from its tail so words stay intelligible, decay time sets the size, and damping controls how quickly high frequencies die away.
  • 20–40 ms of pre-delay on a lead vocal keeps consonants clear while still placing the voice in a space.
  • Watch out: adding reverb as an insert on every channel.

Quick checklist

  • Can you define reverb in one sentence without looking?
  • Can you point at reverb in a real session, mix or contract?
  • Have you tried the practical move above at least once?
  • Would you catch the common mistake before it costs you a take?
  • Have you opened one of the primary sources below rather than a forum thread?

REVERB IN DEPTH

Reverb simulates the reflections of a space. Pre-delay separates the source from its tail so words stay intelligible, decay time sets the size, and damping controls how quickly high frequencies die away. Sending several tracks to one reverb bus is what makes them sound like they were recorded in the same room.

How it works in practice

20–40 ms of pre-delay on a lead vocal keeps consonants clear while still placing the voice in a space.

The mistake people make

Adding reverb as an insert on every channel. You get many unrelated rooms, more low-mid wash and no sense of a shared space.

WHERE REVERB SITS

Reverb belongs to mixing and mastering in the Sampled music glossary. The processing vocabulary, plus the loudness standards streaming services actually measure you against.

TERMS THAT DEPEND ON REVERB

  • Guitar pedal (stompbox)

    A floor-mounted effect between instrument and amp — overdrive, delay, reverb, modulation. Order matters: dirt early, time-based effects late.

TEST YOURSELF

0/3 answered · 0 correct

3 quick questions on reverb. Answers are marked instantly — nothing is sent anywhere.

  1. 1. Which statement best describes reverb?

  2. 2. What is the mistake people most often make with reverb?

  3. 3. In practice, which of these applies to reverb?

Ready for the full thing? Take the 25-question terminology test and get a certificate with your name and score.

SOURCES AND CITATIONS

Free, primary references for reverb — standards bodies, manufacturers, government offices and university course material. Each one lists the line of this entry it backs up.

  • AES technical library (opens in a new tab)

    Professional standards body · Audio Engineering Society

    “Simulated space.”— the claim this source supports

    Why it counts: AES writes and reviews the engineering standards and peer-reviewed papers this terminology comes from.

  • Valhalla DSP — reverb writing (opens in a new tab)

    Primary reference · valhalladsp.com

    “Pre-delay places the source in the room, decay time sets how big the room is.”— the claim this source supports

    Why it counts: Published by the organisation responsible for the thing being defined, so it is a first-hand source rather than a summary of one.

RELATED TERMS IN MIXING AND MASTERING

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