# How to eq reverb return (send fx) in Cubase?



## dagovitsj (Apr 16, 2011)

I'm working on my mixing skills and want to eq the reverb return from a send in Cubase 5. But after reading the manual about this topic, I'm interested in how you Cubase-users out there do this?

*Here is the setting:*
I have loaded EMT 140 (UAD-1) in the send FX rack. And I want to use this reverb both for guitars and backing vocals, but with different eq settings for the reverb return for each track. Is this possible?

I know that I can eq the 140 by inserting a eq after the 140 in the send rack, but that's not a solution, when I want to eq the reverb return *differently* for the guitar and the vocals. 

I know I can solve this problem by loading two instances of 140, but that's "cheating" when my goal is to save some CPU. 

Can you help me out here?

PS: I watched a video about reverb where Daniel James demonstrated how he eq the reverb inside the plugin itself http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uVD8NP5QKE&feature=player_embedded, but that's not solving the problem, as long as I want the 140 to be shared for different instruments. 

Best


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## RiffWraith (Apr 16, 2011)

dagovitsj @ Sat Apr 16 said:


> And I want to use this reverb both for guitars and backing vocals, but with different eq settings for the reverb return for each track. Is this possible?



Afraid not. The only way you can get away with this is if the vox and the guitars _never_ play at the same moment. Otherwise, you are going to have to solve this problem by loading two instances of 140.

Cheers.


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## dagovitsj (Apr 16, 2011)

Thanks for answering RiffWraith!

So basically what you are saying is that if I route the dry signal from my guitar track into the EMT 140 (send fx) and at the same time have a vocal track routed into the same EMT 140 - and they are playing at the same time, the reverb return is blended with both the guitar and the vocal track?

*So if I have understood this correctly:* 
Each instrument or same type of instruments should share the same reverb - meaning that if I want the guitars to be somewhere in the middle and my backing vocals somewhere further back in the mix, I should load two instances of EMT140. 

Then I have to and eq the signal of the guitar return (reverberated track) so that I take off some of the high frequencies (= pushes the track backwards) and for the backing tracks eq out even more of the high frequencies to push it even further back?

*And the way I eq the reverberated return is: *
1) on the reverb itself

2) or by placing an eq after the EMT 140 in the Send Fx rack? Cause if I send the dry signal post aux send, there are no way to insert an eq on the channel track in Cubase. That gives an oportunity to use an eq with a special flavour if I want that.

Is that correct?

So the main point using eq on the reverberated return is to define a certain place in the mix which I want to place one or several instruments? Right? And if I don't eq the reverb return to define certain places (front, middle, back), my mix will suffer from lack of spatiality? Right?

I just want to comprehend this topic, cause I will like to get better mixes - not just turning knobs and hoping my ears will guide me...


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## dagovitsj (Apr 17, 2011)

Thanks JT3_Jon!
Yes I thought about the same after posting here (took a drive).

But after re-reading about layering the book "Internal mixing" by Fridemann Tischmeyer (highly recommended) I have concluded that my "economic" approach is somewhat ridiculous. I have enough power in my PC to run 5-7 different FX sends, so I think that would be enough to create spatiality in my mix.

But thanks for answering and thinking about my question!


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## RiffWraith (Apr 17, 2011)

_So basically what you are saying is that if I route the dry signal from my guitar track into the EMT 140 (send fx) and at the same time have a vocal track routed into the same EMT 140 - and they are playing at the same time, the reverb return is blended with both the guitar and the vocal track? _

Yes. 

_Each instrument or same type of instruments should share the same reverb - meaning that if I want the guitars to be somewhere in the middle and my backing vocals somewhere further back in the mix, I should load two instances of EMT140_. 

Yes.

_Then I have to and eq the signal of the guitar return (reverberated track) so that I take off some of the high frequencies (= pushes the track backwards) and for the backing tracks eq out even more of the high frequencies to push it even further back? _

Umm, not quite understanding, but if you eq the guitar return (reverberated track), you are also eq'ing the backing track's return. It's the same return.

_*And the way I eq the reverberated return is:* 
1) on the reverb itself 

2) or by placing an eq after the EMT 140 in the Send Fx rack?

1) Yes

2) the Send fx rack of what - the fx ch? Or the audio ch?

Cause if I send the dry signal post aux send, there are no way to insert an eq on the channel track in Cubase._

Not understanding that either. You can in fact add eq whenever you want. It's where in the signal path you add it that dictates what gets the eq and what doesn't.

_So the main point using eq on the reverberated return is to define a certain place in the mix which I want to place one or several instruments? Right? _

No. Adding eq to reverb is not going to place that reverb to the back, front, left, right. It is true that instruments and sounds that are further back tend to have less high end, but dont think that cutting some highs from the reverb is going to move the instrument and/or the reverb to the back. It won't.

Cheers.


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## dagovitsj (Apr 19, 2011)

Hi!
I realize that after reading more about this subject and reading your post, RiffWraith, I see that some parts of my post was rather confusing...!

I had misunderstood some parts of how the signal flows inside Cubase; of course I can eq the reverb return in the FX channel itself, either by inserting an eq or use the built in eq. 

Me:
"So the main point using eq on the reverberated return is to define a certain place in the mix which I want to place one or several instruments? Right?"

*You answered:*
No. Adding eq to reverb is not going to place that reverb to the back, front, left, right. It is true that instruments and sounds that are further back tend to have less high end, but dont think that cutting some highs from the reverb is going to move the instrument and/or the reverb to the back. It won't.

Me: agree! I have to use several FX channels with different reverbs (and delay) on them defining small, middle, large rooms etc. Eq-ing the reverb is not the main thing here, but it's wise to shape the reverb return with eq to get rid of mud etc.

Cheers


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