How to EQ Reverb 101
Intro: How to EQ reverb bus?
Most of the time, reverb isn’t added as an insert on a track. Instead, it’s placed on an aux channel, allowing you to send the desired amount from any track to the reverb.
This gives you the obvious benefit of controlling how much reverb each track gets. You can also process the reverb separately from the dry tracks in almost any way you like. Your reverbs deserve the same attention to detail as your instruments and vocals. For more tips on how to EQ reverb in your song, check out the article below!
Clearing Low End in a Reverb Bus
Hopefully, you’re already aware of how useful low and high-pass filters can be. You’ve probably been using these techniques in your mixes to keep the low-end and other unwanted frequencies under control.
The same idea applies to reverb: using an EQ to high-pass (roll off) the low end of your reverb helps keep the mix open and clear. By removing unnecessary low frequencies from the reverb, you avoid build-up and muddiness as you add more reverb to different channels.
EQ can be a powerful tool for shaping your reverb to fit your track. Too much low end in your reverb returns can lead to a muddy mix with reduced clarity in the mids. Most of the time, you won’t lose anything important by cutting a good amount of low end from the reverb itself. You can also try rolling off some of the high end to make the reverb sound warmer and less harsh or sibilant.
You don’t want those low frequencies rumbling around in your reverb. Keep it light and airy, but remember there’s a fine line—you don’t want sharp, sibilant highs causing spikes in your reverb either. Low-cut filters help make sure only the sweet spot of your source signal hits the reverb.
When EQing your vocal reverb bus, I usually drop around 1 kHz by about 2 dB with a wide bell. This helps keep the vocal sounding present and upfront. EQing your reverb this way creates more space for the vocal in the mix.
Nearly every reverb plugin includes an EQ section, which lets you cut out any frequencies you don’t need. Adding reverb is easy, but controlling it properly takes a little more effort.
Go ahead and cut out everything in your reverb below 450 Hz, rolling off upwards from about 500 Hz, give or take. Using send channels is helpful not just for shaping your sound, but also for making the mixing process easier, as this article demonstrates.
Clearing High End in a Reverb Bus
Just like with low end, high frequencies can also cause problems with reverb. If you stack reverbs on multiple elements that contain a lot of high frequencies, you might notice your track starts to sound too wet and overly bright. This is often the main reason for that issue.
To fix this, use the high-cut knob on your reverb’s EQ to trim down the upper frequencies directly from the reverb. This will create a more intimate reverb effect and help push the sound back in the mix. By cutting these frequencies, you gain control over the reverb’s brightness and prevent it from taking over the track.
A safe place to start cutting is above 7kHz, but this really depends on the source material. Use your judgment to decide where to set the EQ, aiming for a reverb that’s controlled and present in the mix, but not obvious—yet noticeable by its absence when muted.
The goal is for your reverb to fill in the empty spaces of the signal, enhancing the sound without interfering with it—just complementing it.
Boosting Reverb Frequencies
So far, we’ve talked about cutting out reverb frequencies that we don’t need. Now let’s focus on the frequencies we can boost to make the reverb stand out more, if necessary.
These boost-worthy frequencies are usually found in the midrange. Our approach is to enhance the reverb frequencies that are harmonically related to the root frequency of the signal itself. By doing this, you avoid adding presence to areas that are already crowded and instead boost the frequencies that make the reverb sound fuller and more complete.
Now, let’s move on to the next important topic you need to understand when mixing these types of effects.
Using FX/AUX Tracks for Reverb
What an amazing feature! We absolutely love this, and whoever came up with this approach deserves high praise. In other words, this is parallel processing of the reverb, which opens up entirely new horizons when you’re mixing effects.
When you use an FX or AUX track, you get a dedicated channel or fader just for the effect. This means the effect now has its own inserts and sends, so you can add extra processing as needed. Most of the time, when your chosen reverb plugin doesn’t have an EQ section, this is the best way to add more processing to it.
Another great advantage of having a dedicated fader for the reverb is that you have complete control over its volume. Everything is managed on this FX track, so it doesn’t directly affect your main signal.
With the fader, you can blend this parallel-processed signal back with the original and adjust it to taste. This process won’t impact the quality or state of your original signal—it simply runs alongside it in parallel.
How to Add FX Channel in Cubase
When you place an EQ after the reverb in your signal chain, you’re targeting only the frequencies of the reverb itself. This is just the beginning, though—there are many other ways to shape your reverb. For now, we’ll focus on the basics of cutting or boosting frequencies at this stage.
Creative EQ
This is something you’ll use to add character to the reverb. By using analog-emulated EQ plugins or hardware gear, this is likely what you’ll be aiming for. The reverb itself can also benefit from this process—not just the original tracks and elements in your song.
Boosting the sweet spot, or any area you feel is lacking in the reverb, is a crucial step in shaping your reverb sound. So, don’t overlook it. Instead, address it and make the necessary adjustments.
Saturation
By adding saturation, you give your reverb some extra warmth and presence, making it stand out more in the mix. Much like additive analog EQ, saturation works mainly on the harmonics of the signal. This means it enhances the sound in a pleasing way without messing up what you already have.
It’s important to gauge how much of this effect to use, but if you stick to a smooth and subtle approach, it’s hard to overdo it.
Distortion
When you add distortion, you’ll be taking your reverb processing in a more aggressive direction. This isn’t an unusual or strange technique. If you feel your reverb could use some distortion, don’t hesitate to try it!
Distortion not only brings in some intense saturation, but it also adds upper frequencies. Using fuzz or overdrive can inject grit into your reverb, making it stand out and become more noticeable in your mix. If that’s the effect you’re after, this is definitely the way to go.
De-esser
Much like reductive or subtractive EQ, a de-esser is designed to remove unwanted frequencies. However, instead of making static EQ cuts, a de-esser only reacts when the selected frequencies pass a set threshold or become unpleasant in the sound.
For example, if you notice occasional spikes around 6.5kHz, a de-esser will catch and control those every time they occur, rather than applying a constant cut. A dynamic EQ can also be used for this purpose, but a de-esser is a great option as well.
Other processing
For parallel processing, there are plenty of creative ways to work with your reverb. You can apply compression to the reverb—both serial and multiband compression can give you interesting results.
You also have control over the width of your reverb. Using stereo spreader plugins can make the effect stand out more on the sides of your mix.
Adding effects like tremolo, chorus, phaser, or flanger to your reverb FX channel opens up even more possibilities. Tremolo introduces movement to the reverb, chorus and phaser can add width and make the effect more noticeable, while a flanger brings a trippy quality.
Experimenting with these effects often leads to unique results, so if you have some free time, try practicing different ways to process your reverb!
Another technique is mid/side processing, which lets you treat the center and sides of your mix separately. You can also use rider plugins to control dynamics, and layer even more time-based effects for extra creative mixing. The possibilities are endless if you know what sound you want to achieve!
Sidechaining the Reverb
Reverb often makes a mix sound muddy, yet it still doesn’t feel loud enough during breaks in the music. Instead of immediately changing the reverb sound or diving into detailed automation, try using a ducker on the reverb signal first.
Place a compressor (or a gate with negative attenuation capability) after the reverb, and set it to react to its external side-chain input, rather than to the reverb channel itself. Send the dry signal—such as a lead vocal—to the compressor’s side-chain input.
Now, the reverb will fade when the vocal is present and swell up during the pauses between phrases. Use the compressor’s attack and release controls to adjust how quickly the reverb comes up between lines, and how swiftly it gets pushed down again when the vocal returns. Set these times by ear to taste.
If you use a multiband compressor, you can target specific frequencies to duck when the vocal is active. For example, if the core of your vocal sits around 750Hz, create a band in the multiband compressor from 700Hz to 800Hz. Sidechain only this band to the vocals, so every time the vocal plays, just this frequency range will be ducked.
This approach delivers even more controlled and blended reverb on the vocals, keeping the frequency balance smooth and almost unnoticeable. The goal is to keep this process sounding natural, so it feels like the reverb was part of the original vocal recording—even though we know it wasn’t.
Mixing the Reverb
Nothing is more important to your song than the instruments themselves. That’s why your reverb shouldn’t get in the way. It needs to sit in the background, filling in the frequency gaps left open by the instruments.
Reverb should also be quieter in sections where other elements need to remain clear and focused. You have plenty of ways to achieve this. A great starting point is to use a high-pass filter or a steep low-end roll-off with your parametric EQ.
You don’t always have to add a separate EQ—many reverb plugins have their own built-in EQ controls. For example, H-Reverb comes with a full EQ module and a dynamics control section. This means you can create the entire reverb effect described above using just one plugin.
The pre-delay setting helps your mix by making the beginnings of phrases more intelligible and noticeable. Adding an EQ to your reverb bus is what brings full clarity to your mix. This is crucial, yet often overlooked by beginners who aren’t even using sends. You can also apply presets to your bus, just like with any other track in your mixer.
Never just slap a reverb directly onto your synth and leave it. Reverb plugins can sometimes introduce unwanted low-end “junk” into your mix. If you blend your reverb in carefully and add filters or extra effects to it, you’ll end up with a much clearer and more spacious sound.
Using Reverb EQ Presets
Using presets is something we all do from time to time, especially when we want an outside perspective on our processing choices. The only real mistake is leaving the presets exactly as they are.
After applying a preset, take the time to adjust the parameters to fit your own taste and needs. Leaving everything untouched can actually hold you back. Even if you think a particular preset is perfect, try exploring other options too.
For example, many EQs offer a “telephone EQ” preset, but you’ll still need to tweak it to suit your specific song.
The Great “Abbey Road” Reverb Trick
This is a pretty common technique, and it’s a great way to add depth to your vocals without drowning the rest of the mix in reverb! We can’t talk about EQing reverb without mentioning this one.
When you add reverb to a vocal, you might think it sounds like too much, so you end up turning it down until it’s barely audible. Then you might compress it to try and bring it back up, or use other tricks just to hear it more clearly. Really, you’re searching for a balance that gives the vocal some space without making it sound washed out.
What the engineers at Abbey Road figured out was to use high and low pass filters. So, take an EQ on your reverb return and add high pass and low pass filters after the reverb. Abbey Road engineers usually started around 600 Hz for the low cut and 10 kHz for the high cut, but you should experiment to find what works best for your mix.
You’ll notice that the muddiness caused by the low end disappears right away. For vocal reverb, you could even bring the high cut down to around 7 kHz, or lower if you want.
You can go further by reducing some of the harshness in the mids. Try dipping a little around 2 kHz, and you’ll notice the reverb sounds even sweeter. It’s a simple but powerful trick. You can also automate the high or low cut points to add some interesting movement, especially during transitions or bridges. Don’t be afraid to experiment!
Conclusion
We just want to say that we get really excited whenever we use reverb—especially when it’s time to process it. This is where we can truly express our creativity during the mixing process and add our own unique touch to the project.
Did you find this article helpful? We believe we covered all the key points for EQing reverb. If you think we missed anything, please leave us a comment. We’d be happy to review your suggestions and add them to our content.
