Vocal reverb techniques

Today I finished off the acoustic version of My New Meaning.

To see/hear where I left things yesterday check out my last post.

Overview

• Adding reverb to vocals

• Reverb automation

• Exporting audio files for mix and mastering

Here's the before and afters of today's session:

Logic Pro tracks view - before

Logic Pro tracks view - after

Logic Pro mixer view - before

Logic Pro mixer view - after

Using Reverb in Acoustic Vocal Tracks

For this track, I kept vocal processing simple, using vocal reverb techniques to enhance intimacy. I worked with 7 vocal tracks—1 lead, 2 doubles, and 4 backing vocals—adjusting reverb for each. I used Logic Pro’s Chromaverb plugin, choosing the “Orchestra Hall” preset to create a sense of performing in a large hall.

These are the settings I chose for the lead:

Lead vocal reverb settings

Then I used this as a basis for the reverb for the doubles and the BVs (backing vocals).

For the doubles I reduced the distance and the decay as I didn't want there to be too much muddiness.

Then for the BVs I increased the distance and the decay as they are singing different parts so it shouldn't interfere as much with the lead vocal.

Backing vocal reverb settings

Double vocals reverb settings

Vocal reverb automation

Something that I find makes a huge difference through a track is automation. . I focus usually on reverb automation and panning automation - purely because I have the most fun with these elements and I feel it makes a big impact.

I use reverb automation to create a developing sense of space throughout the song. There are some sections that I want to feel really intimate, and there are others that I want to feel huge. And the reverb basically controls all of this.

I generally pick the levels for the reverbs for each of the tracks first and then go in and listen to all the vocals acapella and zoom in to specific sections of the song that I feel want to 'grow' or 'shrink'.

I do the most automation on the lead vocal As you can see there are some pretty drastic changes.

Lead vocal reverb automation

And then keep things a little more subtle for the rest of the tracks. But usually it follows a simiar pattern as the one I established in the lead vocal.

So here is what the vocals sound like before and after all of that:

My New Meaning (Vocals before reverb)

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My New Meaning (vocals after reverb)

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And with the accompaniment:

My New Meaning (Acoustic - 2nd verse)

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Exporting files for mix and master

Now that I've finished the actual track I need to get it ready to export all the files so I can send it to my mixing engineer.

This entails tidying up the project.

I basically just make sure I delete all unused tracks and plugins.

Then I name all of the tracks as clearly as possible so the mixing engineer will easily be able to identify all of the elements.

I also needed to add the sends (where the reverbs live) as seperate tracks so the mixing engineer has more control. This means they aren't connected to the vocal track itself.

Then I export both wet and dry files. Different mixing engineers will like their files differently but as a rule they like both wet and dry. The wet will be used normally unless there is something going on and then having the dry file available can make things much smooth to do their own processing.

This is a pretty quick process - as long as your project is nice and tidy Logic makes it's easy to export and you can select whether you want to bypass effect plugins.

Then I just import my exported tracks into a new project to double check they exported correctly before sending them off to the mixing engineer.

Exported files