Reverb Parameters; Decay; Damping - Hi & Lo; Reverb Density - Alesis 2 Reference Manual

Chapter 3 - Overview

Reverb Parameters

Most of the reverb effects in the QuadraVerb 2 operate under the same set of control
parameters, which are listed and described in this section. However, reverbs which
use more DSP provide parameters which take advantage of their extra processing
power; parameters which are not found in the other, smaller reverb algorithms. For
example, Reverberation Swirl is a parameter found in the Room 2 and Hall 2 types, but
not in Plate 1. And the Nonlinear reverb type does not provide gating options, since it
is already a "gated reverb" algorithm. Here are the reverb parameters:

Decay

The Reverb Decay determines how long the Reverb will sound before it dies away.
When using the Reverse Reverb type, Reverb Decay controls the Reverse Time.
Damping – Hi & Lo
These two parameters allow the Decay Time to be set separately for both the low and
high frequencies of the Reverb. This means that you have control over the tonal
shape of the Reverb itself, being able to make the high frequencies die faster if the
effect is too bright, and being able to make the lows die faster if the effect is too
boomy. This allows you to simulate different surfaces of a room or hall, with softer
surfaces absorbing more high frequencies and smaller rooms having faster low
frequency decay.

Reverb Density

Usually, in natural acoustic spaces, some time elapses between the first reflection and
all other reflections that make up the reverb sound. If you listen to only the reverb with
Density set to 1, you will hear the source sound repeat (the first reflection), a short bit
of silence, then the onset of the rest of the reverb. Increasing the Density shortens
the time between the first reflection and the remaining reverb reflections. At the
maximum setting of 99, the reverb will seem to "explode" since the first reflection will
no longer be perceived as a separate echo. This parameter is very useful with
percussive sounds, since an isolated first reflection may sound like an additional
percussive "hit".

Diffusion

Diffusion determines the "thickness" of the reverb sound by altering the time that
occurs between reverberant reflections. With lower diffusion settings, you may be
able to actually hear the individual echoes that make up the overall reverb sound. With
higher diffusion settings, the echoes increase in number and blend together.
Greater diffusion works better with percussive sounds, whereas less amounts of
diffusion work well with vocals and other sustained sounds.
42
DENSITY OF 0
L
E
V
E
L
TIME
1st reflection further apart.
DENSITY OF 99
L
E
V
E
L
TIME
1st reflection closer togethe
QuadraVerb 2 Reference Manual
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