# Mono vs Stereo Reverb



## roknardin (Oct 14, 2016)

Hey guys. So I'm interested in where do you use mono reverb and what are it's advantages.


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## wst3 (Oct 14, 2016)

ok, so I admit, when I read the topic my very first reaction was "no way do I EVER want to go back to mono reverb!"

And then I thought about it a bit more...

Once upon a time, admittedly more than a year ago, my only reverb was a MicMix Masterroom XL-121 spring reverb - and I made recordings using that for a couple years before I built my own stereo reverb from half a dozen springs and a couple tapped delay lines. And then Yamaha released the SPX-90 I and I was all in. Or was it the Rev-7, can't recall which came first, I ended up with both, as well as a couple others.

Most plates are mono in and out - that doesn't stop folks from using them<G>!

Reverb chambers can be used as mono or stereo, and the ones that we all talk about were generally use in mono!

So the short answer is yes, people do still use mono reverb. The why probably depends on more on the person using it than any specific technical feature.

To be fair, I still have an SPX-900 and an ART 01A in the rack (both mono in, pseudo-stereo out), along with the XL-121 (mono in and out) and (to be fair) a Lexicon PCM-90. The PCM-90 gets a fair workout, the others don't, but when they are just right for the job they are, well, just right for the job. I would wager that there is nothing that the SPX-90 can do that any number of plugins can't do as well. Same might apply to the DR-01A? So now you know my biases<G>...

You asked about stereo vs. mono reverb... what's the source? Stereo or Mono? How is the reverb configured (mono in and out, dual mono in and out, mono in stereo out, etc)?

You can still move an instrument front and back with a mono reverb if the track itself is mono. Beyond that you can create a general sense of space with a mono reverb if you sum your stereo to mono.

What you can't do is preserve a left-to-right placement with a single mono reverb. And really you'd have a difficult time doing it with two mono reverbs. that just wasn't their forte.

So why would I use one...

Mostly, I think, I'd use them because I like the sound of them, and the mono does't really come into play.

BUT, I used only mono reverb for a long time, so I'm going to have to ponder this a bit more...


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## givemenoughrope (Oct 14, 2016)

^What about printing the left and right channels through a mono reverb? I have a furman spring reverb that I use for guitar and mono synths but it might be cool to try on a stereo source, say a stereo synth like the Mopho or a polysynth, or even a group of guitars.


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## willf_music (Dec 18, 2016)

My only mono reverb is my spring reverb and tbh it has limitations. That being said, there are not many things quite like it. You can get stereo spring reverbs (and stereo plate reverbs if you have enough space) but I am satisfied with a lot of what is out there for reverb plugins.

The plugins I use for my overall mix in order to keep a consistent acoustic environment. My spring reverb is what I use on my modular system in order to prolong signals or just add a different timbre.


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## ryst (Dec 19, 2016)

roknardin said:


> Hey guys. So I'm interested in where do you use mono reverb and what are it's advantages.



I use mono verbs if I want something to be localized and sounding like it's coming from a very specific place and have a unique "space". The good with about mono verbs is you can pan them anywhere and I rarely have them panned center. I will do this with stereo verbs too by panning the send into a stereo verb wherever I want it. But mono verbs, at least for me, are for when I want a unique space to send something to that's different from where I might send the rest of the tracks (if I'm mixing film music), like a stereo room or hall, for example.


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