Reverb
Category: Space | Scope: Section-level
Simulates the acoustic space around the instrument — from a small room to a large hall — and lets you shape that space the way a producer would: how big it is, how long it rings, how bright it stays, and where it sits in the stereo field.
The decay tail (the picture at the top)
The reverb opens with a picture of its own decay tail: a tall dry hit on the left, a short gap, then a fading cloud of reflections under a decay curve. You shape the tail directly by dragging its two handles:
- Left handle = Pre-delay — slide it right to open a gap between the original sound and the reverb.
- Right handle = Decay — slide it right for a longer tail, left for a shorter one.
The cloud fills out as you raise Size and cools/dims as you raise Damping, so the picture always reflects what you'll hear.
Macros
| Macro | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Knob (0–100 %) | How large the simulated space is — sets reflection spacing and density |
| Decay | Tail handle (0.2–12 s) | How long the tail rings, independent of Size |
| Pre-delay | Tail handle (0–500 ms) | Gap between the dry sound and the start of the reverb |
| Damping | Knob (0–100 %) | How quickly the high frequencies fade — bright vs. dark tail |
| Modulation | Knob (0–100 %) | Gentle movement in the tail — adds shimmer and breaks up metallic ringing |
| Low Cut | Knob (20–1000 Hz) | High-pass on the reverb only — clears mud out of the low end |
| Width | Knob (0–100 %) | Stereo spread of the tail — mono, normal, or wide |
| Mix | Slider (0–100 %) | Balance between dry and reverberant signal |
| Ducker | Knob (0–100 %) | Pulls the tail down while the dry sound is loud, so reverb blooms in the gaps |
| Sync | Toggle (Free / Sync) | Switches Pre-delay and Decay to tempo-locked note values |
Presets
Bedroom, Studio, Hall, Cathedral, Plate, Cave.
How the settings work together
Size vs. Decay. These used to be one control; now they're separate, which is where a lot of the magic is. Size is the room — small size gives tight, closely-spaced reflections (a bedroom); large size gives a smooth, diffuse wash (a cathedral). Decay is how long it rings. A small room with a long decay sounds like a tiled bathroom; a huge hall with a short decay sounds like a quick, cinematic swell. Set the room with Size, then dial the length with Decay.
Pre-delay keeps the dry sound clear. A short gap (20–40 ms) separates the attack of a vocal or lead from its reverb, so the words or notes stay intelligible while still sitting in a big space. With no pre-delay the reverb sits right on top of the sound, which is great for glue but can wash out detail.
Damping is the difference between a bright marble hall and a dark, soft room with curtains and carpet. More damping = darker, more natural tail. Less damping = a bright, lush, plate-like sheen. Pull damping up if the reverb sounds harsh or hissy.
Low Cut is the single most useful "clean-up" control. Reverb on bass-heavy material muddies the mix fast; raising Low Cut removes the boom from the tail while keeping the air. On a full mix bus, a Low Cut around 200–300 Hz keeps the low end tight.
Modulation adds slow movement so the tail never sounds static or metallic — subtle on its own, gorgeous on pads and plates.
Width spreads the tail across the stereo field. Narrow it toward mono for focused, mono-compatible reverb; widen it for a big, enveloping wash on pads and choruses.
Ducker keeps the mix clear without turning the reverb down. While the dry sound is playing it holds the tail back, then lets it bloom in the gaps between notes or words. Great on busy vocals and lead lines.
Mix as a section-level control is one of the simplest ways to add energy to an arrangement. A dry verse feels intimate and close; opening the mix on a chorus makes everything feel bigger.
Sync — reverb in time with the song
Turn on Sync and the Pre-delay and Decay handles snap to musical note values (1/16, 1/8, 1/4, … up to 1½ bars) instead of milliseconds and seconds. The tail length then follows the project tempo — change the BPM and the reverb re-times itself. A decay of "1/4" gives a tail that dies away right on the next beat; a pre-delay of "1/8" places the reverb a swung step behind the note. This is how you get rhythmic, pulsing reverb that locks to the groove rather than floating free.
When to use it
Almost everything benefits from a touch of reverb. Keep verses drier for intimacy, then open up the Mix (or Decay) on choruses for a bigger sound. Reach for Low Cut the moment a mix feels muddy, Pre-delay when a vocal or lead loses clarity, and Sync when you want the space to move with the song.