Reverb and delay can make a track sound huge — but if you’re not careful, they can also turn your mix
into a muddy mess. Here are five proven tricks to add depth and space to your productions without
losing clarity.
1. Use Pre-Delay for Clarity
Adding pre-delay (10–40ms) separates the dry vocal from the reverb, keeping words clear while adding
space.
2. EQ Your Reverb Returns
High-pass around 200 Hz and low-pass above 8–10 kHz on reverb returns to avoid boominess and
harshness.
3. Short vs. Long Tails Strategically
Use short reverbs for instruments that need presence, and longer tails only for select elements like
pads or FX.
4. Tempo-Sync Your Delays
Set delay times to match your song’s BPM (e.g., quarter or eighth notes). This locks echoes into the
groove.
5. Layer Subtle FX for Width
Blend small amounts of different reverbs or delays panned left and right to create width without washing
out the mix.Take Your Mixes Further with The Decibel Crew
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