Manual

14 VSS3 NATIVE User Manual
6. Constructing a Reverb Preset
The relationship of early reections and the reverb tail is very important in this
algorithm. Adjusting the balance between the Early Gain and the Reverb Gain
parameters is one of the easier ways to make a HUGE dierence in the sound of
your reverb!
When you start building your preset you should try this:
• • First turn the Reverb Gain all the way down and also turn the Dry
Gain a little down (or all the way down if you are in a send/return
conguration). In a send/return conguration, push up the return level.
You should now hear early reections, a little of the dry signal and no
Reverb tail.
• • Then begin changing the Early Type and Early Size parameters until you
select a room shape that compliments the program material.
• • Re-adjust the wet/dry balance until it is pleasing, then bring up the
Reverb Gain until the tail of the reverb becomes audible. Add just
enough tail to make it work together.
• • Adjust the Decay time accordingly.
• • On some presets, you may choose to have very little early reections,
or none at all. Certain “ambience” style presets might have little or no
“tail.” This is up to you.
The VSS3 NATIVE was designed to have the smoothest reverb tail ever developed,
but it is the early reections that dene the “personality” of the room, so try and
experiment with this relationship! By using these parameters correctly, you can
create a BIG sound without having a mix swimming in reverb wash.
Note: When using small room sizes and short decay times on percussive signals,
the Reverb Gain and Early Gain must have a level dierence of approximately 4 dB
in order to prevent a slap eect.
Getting the most out of the Early Reection
Patterns
Early reections dene the actual feel of the room, where the reverb tail is
the less dened “bowl” of reections that follows. The major part of the early
reection patterns of the VSS3 NATIVE are simulations of existing rooms and
are based on a large number of reections (40-100), which have been processed
through an advanced algorithm.
There are a number of dierent types and sizes covering a lot of dierent
acoustic spaces that you need for music and post production. As the patterns are
simulations of real rooms, the delay times of the rst reections are sonic and
spatially “connected” to the direct signal. Using Pre Delay together with early
reections should therefore be considered very carefully, as the acoustic space
created by the pattern tends to “collapse” if too much Pre Delay is added. If you
want the well-known “slap back” reverb eect, you should use Reverb Delay on
the reverb tail instead, and reduce the level of the early reections.
Finding the right Early Type and Early Size
• • Select Early Type and Early Size on the Early page
• • Turn the Reverb Gain to -100 dB
• • Turn the Early Gain to 0 dB
• • Select an appropriate size. (Note that some sizes of the dierent types
may overlap, e.g. Church Small is bigger than Concert Hall medium etc.)
• • Switch between the dierent types until it matches the signal and the
illusion that you wish to create.
Generally, it is advisable to use small room sizes for drums and percussion;
medium sizes for piano, guitar & horns, and large sizes for vocals & strings. Large
Church and Venue simulate very big rooms and can therefore be used to create
an “echo like” eect if turned up loud. Many of the patterns can be used as a
“Doubling” eect if the reverb tail is not added.
Using the Early Colour parameter on the Early
Reections page
Once you have selected the desired type and size you can use the Early Colour
controls to lter the early reections. The Early Colour parameter is an advanced
Hi Cut function. Please note that in most real rooms the reections are generally
much softer than the direct signal.
Often it is advisable to use the Early Colour parameter in the range between -4 to
-9, to make the early reections blend properly with the direct signal rather than
competing with it.
We hope that you will enjoy working with the VSS3 NATIVE !