please comment about how you handle REVERB

[dr4sight]

I'm relatively new to making recordings with my DGX-650 and realize the effects offered by that instrument probably vary from what you may have on your PSR, Genos, or Tyros.

But that being said I was hoping some people could offer input on the subject of reverb.

I know that the pat answer that most will give is "You have to try different things and use what sounds best to you."   Let's say that that's a given.

Even still I wonder whether there are things you always do when you want to add reverb to your recordings.

Would you be more inclined to use a program like Audacity to add the reverb or is it better to alter the settings on your keyboard?   (My guess is the latter)

The DGX-650 offers over 30 reverb "types".  Types 1 to 10 are various sized HALLS.   11-23 are various sized ROOMS.   24-27 are various sized STAGES, and 28-31 are "plates".   My piano is in a medium sized living room but I have no idea which of all these reverb types figure to be the one to use.

Further reverb controls are available in the MAIN VOICE setting,  DUAL VOICE,  and SPLIT VOICES.   I also don't know which of these to be varying.

For my skill level I wish there were just four or so preset reverb types.  I'd imagine that would be enough to meet my needs.

What I read online and in searching this forum is a lot of discussion about reverb in vocals but I don't record with vocals so wonder whether I should be fiddling around with reverb at all.

Again, if you use reverb in your recordings I'd be most interested in things you find yourself doing most often to get the most of that effect.

Thanks,

Larry

[panos]

Hi Larry,

What is the reverb effect is explained on the videos below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaYkSQrI_Ek
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAG545JjoB4

Most of us I think we wouldn't add reverb in anyway to one recording as a whole.
In our keyboards we have a reverb value for every single sound that comes out of the keyboard whether it is a right/ left voice or a part of a style.

Too much reverb makes the sound kind of unnatural and personally I am using a little bigger amount of it on more "synthi" sounds which are unnatural sounds by.... default.
So if you play for example electronic music, reverb helps for more rich sounds.

But you have to keep in mind that while there also other types of effects which tell the sound how to behave, you have to leave "room" for them also.
Effects like release,delay or sustain etc.   
If you put big values to all these kinds of effects to a single sound, you will end up with a strong but yet unpleasant sound because the effects are "fighting" each other and make the sound to ....forget to fade way to let the next sound come in.

If you are playing jazz music or  rock music(popular rock not hard rock or heavy metal) you need to add as little reverb as possible because you want the recording to sound as natural as possible.
Like the sound on an empty space like an open stadium where the sound doesn't return back to your ears.

E.g the lesser reverb a drumkit has the more natural it sounds in general I guess.
I don't think anyone likes to hear a single drum sound that keeps going back and forth into his ears because soon after the next drum sound will take place.
Or in a concert grand piano sound we should add some amount of reverb because it suppose to play in an big music hall that creates a natural reverb.
But if we play "The entertainer" I don't think there is not much room for a reverb in a saloon in the wild west played on an upright piano with full of people talking,laughing and maybe fighting .

In my opinion add the amount of the reverb and every other effect in every single sound that you can.
Never use reverb or any other effect to a whole recording
A little reverb makes a little richer and fuller the sound but too much of it doesn't make it any nicer, rather than the opposite.
Don't you mind about the many choices that you have of types of reverb.
There isn't any "golden" rule to use those types accordingly.
Just choose one for the sound you want and fits to the song you want to play at that moment.
And remember that the reverb caused by a room or a hall is something that those who are gigging are trying to avoid as hell.
Or at least those musicians who haven't damaged their ears yet

[Toril S]

Excellent advice Panos! I fully agree.

[dr4sight]

That is very helpful.  Thank you for that cogent explanation.

In my attempts so far I have been adding reverb to the whole recording and now I can see why that really hasn't created a net positive effect.

Larry

[travlin-easy]

The only additional reverb I add, using the keyboard, is done live for vocals. You really do not need to add reverb using any external source or program - the keyboard does it all very well. Now, for vocals, I just add a touch of reverb, and remove the echo, mainly because the echo does not sound natural. The reverb, however, adds a lot of depth to your vocals.

Hope this helps,

Gary