Areverb effect, orreverb, is anaudio effect applied to simulatereverberation.[1] It may be created through physical means, such asecho chambers, or electronically throughaudio signal processing. The American producerBill Putnam is credited for the first artistic use of artificial reverb in music, on the 1947 song "Peg o' My Heart" by theHarmonicats.[1]
Spring reverb, created with a series of mounted springs, is popular insurf music anddub reggae.Plate reverb uses electromechanicaltransducers to create vibrations in large plates ofsheet metal.Convolution reverb usesimpulse responses to record the reverberation of physical spaces and recreate them digitally.Gated reverb became a staple of 1980s pop music, used by drummers includingPhil Collins.Shimmer reverb, whichalters the pitch of the reverberated sound, is often used inambient music.
The first reverb effects, introduced in the 1930s, were created by playing recordings through loudspeakers in reverberating spaces and recording the sound.[2] The American producerBill Putnam is credited for the first artistic use of artificial reverb in music, on the 1947 song "Peg o' My Heart" by theHarmonicats. Putnam placed a microphone and loudspeaker in the studio bathroom to create an echo chamber, adding an "eerie dimension".[1]
Spring reverbs, introduced byBell Labs, use a set of springs mounted inside a box.[1] They work similarly to plate reverb, with a transducer andpickup placed at either end of the spring.[2]
The American engineerLaurens Hammond of the Hammond company was granted a patent on a spring reverb system in 1939.[3][4] Used by the Hammond company to add reverb toHammond organs,[1] circa 1941, early Hammond reverb units stood four feet tall.[5] In 1959, the Hammond necklace reverb was about 13 inches wide, 1 inch deep and 14 inches tall.[5] In 1960, the Hammond Type 4 reverb unit was no bigger than a brief case.[5] Hammond moved reverb unit production to Hammond-owned Gibbs Manufacturing, then moved again to another Hammond unit, Accutronics,[5] and developed smaller reverb units: the 2-spring Type 1 and the 3-spring Type 8.[5] The Accutronics AccuVerb is an all-tube preamp stereo dual spring reverb unit, with versatile controls.[5]
They became popular with guitarists, includingsurf musicians such asDick Dale,[1] as they could easily be built intoguitar amplifiers.[1] They were also used bydub reggae musicians such asKing Tubby.[1]
A plate reverb system uses an electromechanicaltransducer, similar to the driver in a loudspeaker, to create vibrations in a large plate ofsheet metal. The plate's motion is picked up by one or morecontact microphones whose output is an audio signal that may be added to the original "dry" signal.[6] Plate reverb was introduced in the late 1950s byElektromesstechnik with theEMT 140.[6][2]
Digital reverb units simulate reverb by using multipledelay lines with fading trails, giving the impression of sound bouncing off surfaces. Some digital effects allow users to independently adjust early and late reflections.[2] Digital reverb was introduced in 1976 by EMT with the EMT 250,[2] and became popular in the 1980s.[1]
Gated reverb combines reverb with anoise gate, creating a "large" sound with a short tail.[7] It was pioneered by the English recording engineerHugh Padgham and the drummerPhil Collins, and became a staple of 1980s pop music.[7]
Convolution usesimpulse responses to record the reverberation of physical spaces and recreate them digitally.[1][8] The first real-time convolution reverb processor, the DRE S777, was announced bySony in 1999.[2] Convolution reverb is often used in film production, with sound engineers recording impulse responses of sets and locations so sounds can be added in post-production with realistic reverberation.[9]
Shimmer reverbalters the pitch of the reverberated sound, an effect often used inambient music.[10]
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