This course: Audio Production Level 2 – Reverb & Delay is not just another 'tips and tricks' course (although you will also find those here too!)

Instead of giving you pre-determined settings for Reverb and Delay, you learn how the different types of Reverbs and Delay work, and will be able to set up your own ones from scratch, thereby creating any space and/or effect that you want to create, to suit your audio.

You are given all the audio tracks used in the demonstrations, and you are also given all the links for the free, legal plugins that I use, in the Course Resources that you can download yourself, making it easy for you to follow every lesson step-by-step.

REVERB & DELAY, LEVEL 2

A Lesson-by-Lesson Breakdown of Everything you will Learn on this Course

Section 1: Algorithmic Reverb

Here under "Resources" you will find a zip file which contains ALL the resources you will need for the entire course, including diagrams, WAVs and links to the legal free Plugins used

Lecture 1 Introduction to Algorithmic Reverb

An overview of what you will learn in this section of the course, a look at the reverb plugins you will be learning about, the pros and cons of simple and complicated Algorithmic Reverbs, and how to use both types with confidence and understanding.

Lecture 2 Reverb Parameters

The controls found on an algorithmic reverb, a diagram explaining the reverb stages, a detailed explanation of each control on the plugin, setting up the plugin to a flat setting, how to create a preset, demonstrating the different controls.

Lecture 3 Reverb in Action

A demonstration of the Reverb in action on the vocal, reverb giving a sense of space, changing the size of the space, the level of the late reflections, increasing the reverb tail, thickening the reverb using diffuse and early send controls and choosing between the two options, checking the guitar to see if the reverb works with the guitar as well as the vocal, adding modulation and adjusting spin to create movement, checking back with the vocal too, listening back to both the guitar and vocal and adding in the reverb with these settings.

Lecture 4 Space Lite Parameters

Continuing to look at Algorithmic Reverbs using Space Lite, a free version of a paid-for plugin, a thorough look around and just a quick demonstration of all the controls on the plugin (as there are so many different controls, and the next video will have in-depth demonstrations), and the differences between the free and paid-for versions.

Lecture 5 Space Lite in Action

Two demonstrations, first using a fairly fast vocal, setting up the Space Lite plugin for a starting point, setting up your own preset, going through all the functions, switching between Reverb on and off to hear the difference and sitting it into the whole mix. Demonstrating a different Space Lite Mode on a slower vocal, using different settings to make the Reverb stand out, switching between Reverb on and off.

Section 2: Convolution Reverbs

Lecture 6 Introduction

How Convolution Reverbs work, what they're called, how they're produced, what effect it has, audio examples of Impulse Responses, the different ways used to produce Impulse Responses, listening to 3 different spaces and the Impulse Responses produced for each space, and the different effects they have on a snare drum hit.

Lecture 7 Convology Plugin Overview 1

Reminder to download the resources for this lesson, an overview of the Impulse Response section on the Convology XT plugin, how to make your own presets, how to access the 14 Impulse Responses used in this course, what the numbers refer to on each Impulse Response.

Lecture 8 Convology Plugin Overview 2

The controls available to us on Convology XT and what they are doing, what Impulse Responses are, and what we are doing to them, and how they differ from Algorhythmic Reverbs, overview of the left-hand side controls of Convology, listening how the 'start' control affects the Impulse Response, seeing and listening to what the Attack and Release buttons do to the Impulse Response, and what the Hold button does, the Frequency section, what it does and how it works, The IR settings section, what it does and how it works, the Scale section, listening to how these controls work and how they affect the audio, the Master section and what all the buttons mean.

Lecture 9 Convology Plugin in Action

Choosing the Impulse Response for each part of each piece of music, examples of Convolution Reverbs using the drumkit, adapting and refining the plugin, to the full mix with and without the Reverb, back to the vocal track and experimenting which Reverb sounds best, listening to the mix with and without the Reverb, using one Reverb to make it sound like it's recorded in the same space at the same time, trying out several different convolution reverbs to see which sounds best, adjusting the decay and adding it to all the tracks.

Lecture 10 Reverb and Beyond

Different hardware equipment to get Impulse Responses, Convology plugin categories, listening to some examples with a drumkit, listening to guitar cabinet Impulse Responses with a guitar track, listening to bass cabinet Impulse Responses with a bass track.

Section 3: Delay

Lecture 11 Introduction to the Delay Section

Demonstration of a typical example of the use of Delay, how you're going to learn to accentuate the rhythm of your song, how you'll create syncopation within your song using Delays, you'll learn how make your songs sound bigger and more expansive, how a Delay plugin works, looking at the adjustable parameters that are typically found on a Delay plugin.

Lecture 12 Introduction to how Delay works

How a Delay plugin works using a diagram, looking at the Valhalla plugin, what the various controls do, and how to set it up for a single repeat and several repeats, and what the clear button does.

Lecture 13 Synchronised Delays Part 1

Delays that are synchronised to beats per minute (BPM) and how it works, how to synchronise repeats (delays) to each bar of music, listening to 1/4 beat, 1/8 beat, 1/16 beat and 1/32 beat on a single beat, listening to different synchronised delays on a vocal and on a whole mix

Lecture 14 Synchronised Delays Part 2

Looking at the plugin and the different rhythmic delays available, listening to the different delay rhythms on a hi hat and then on a keyboard within a mix.

Lecture 15 Short Delays

Working in miliseconds on vocals and hearing the change it makes, ADT and what it does, adjusting the EQ, Slapback Delay and where it occurs, using your ears to get the best/desired effect, using short Delays to achieve Stereo Widening

Section 4: Special Plugins

Lecture 16 Special Plugins 1 – Baby Comeback by Baby Audio

Looking at all the different controls, and at what makes this plugin different from other ones, and the huge effectiveness of 'ducking'

Lecture 17 Special Plugins 2 – Supermassive Reverb

Revisiting the Valhalla Supermassive plugin and looking at the Reverb settings rather than the Delay settings, looking at three of the many Mode settings and what can be achieved, how to save your own presets

Section 5: Delay & Reverb Tips and Tricks

Lecture 19 Creating Delayed Backing Vocals

How to achieve delayed backing vocals using one word from the Lead Vocal, utilising a short delay and panning, then blending the new backing vocals in with the Lead Vocal creating a great way to emphasise key words in a song

Lecture 20 Compression with Reverb

How to create a great sounding Reverb with Compression added to the Reverb track, listening to the dry track, the track with Reverb and the track with both Reverb and Compression, looking at Space Lite Reverb and setting up a large Reverb, setting up the Compressor in the right order, comparing the Reverb with and without the Compression

Lecture 21 Delay and Reverb used together

Listening to the effect we're aiming for, listening to the Delay on its own, listening to Reverb on its own, listening to the effect when Delay and Reverb used together, how the effect creates a mood, how to create this effect, the order of the plugins, setting up the plugins and trying out different settings