# Setting up Reverb for Hollywood Strings/Brass



## inmusi (Jan 8, 2015)

So I recently picked up HS and HB Gold (as well as Spaces) I have to say I really do love the tone of both libraries, the sound is outstanding.

I also own B2 reverb, which is also great.

I'm looking for specific advice on how to best approach setting up reverb for both these libraries with the reverbs I have (I realize this can be a subjective topic, but I'm really just trying to learn as much as I can) I assume many people who own HS or HB also have experience with Spaces, but I'm also hoping there are some who use B2 as well.

Should I only be using one instance of reverb for each orchestral section? Or should I give each orchestral section their own reverb and then add an additional hall reverb tail to try and make them sit well together? Are there particular presets that work especially well for these libraries?

Any insights into what you believe works for you is greatly appreciated, I love experimenting with my sound but I always value the input of others.

Thanks!


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## trumpoz (Jan 8, 2015)

I find myself generally using the SoCal Hall for orchestral sections, as that particular hall has impulses for each section. 

I also like Dortmund Hall, Northwest Hall. I generally put an algo reverb on the master, or even one of the darker plate reverbs in Spaces, or one of the Bricasti M7 Impulses from Samplicity.


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## shapeshifter00 (Jan 8, 2015)

Setting up some busses for Brass, Strings, Winds etc. and use the Southern California setting for each as an insert on the bus could be a good try, cut the low end with the eq in spaces and perhaps the high end to around 5-7khz could be a good starting point. Other then that I think that the Northwestern Hall (if im not wrong) is supposed to be the same hall used to record the EW instruments.


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## EastWest Lurker (Jan 9, 2015)

shapeshifter00 @ Thu Jan 08 said:


> Setting up some busses for Brass, Strings, Winds etc. and use the Southern California setting for each as an insert on the bus could be a good try, cut the low end with the eq in spaces and perhaps the high end to around 5-7khz could be a good starting point. Other then that I think that the Northwestern Hall (if im not wrong) is supposed to be the same hall used to record the EW instruments.



The Northwestern Hall is where EWQLSO was recorded, but not the Hollywood Series. Those were recorded at EW's studios, formerly Cello.

As fo the verbs, I set the output of the instruments to go to busses for that section e.g. high brass, mid bras, low brass and then have a send from those to another buss with a common reverb for that family of instruments.

Be careful with the EQ. A little goes a long way and I have heard more pieces ruined IMHO by too much EQ ing. The Hollywood Series was beautifully recorded by Shawn Murphy and requires very little.


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## inmusi (Jan 9, 2015)

Thanks for the input so far 

I'm still wondering about:

1) Does it make sense to use a (closer sounding?) reverb for each orchestral section, and then send each section to more of a hall reverb? Is this how reverb is usually set up? 

2) If I understand correctly, B2 reverb has both early reflection/tail reverb built in, so there's no need to try and set up mutltiple differences of reverb to try and create a ER/LR effect using B2. Is this correct?


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## Waywyn (Jan 9, 2015)

inmusi @ Fri Jan 09 said:


> Thanks for the input so far
> 
> I'm still wondering about:
> 
> ...



The provokative answer first: Why don't you just try out things and fool around with settings? What would be the gain from people throwing things at you and you wouldn't like the result?! 


Okay, here are some more helpful things 
1. This is how I would REALLY try out. Set up just three groups for strings and then again two or three groups for the final orchestra. On each of the strings busses put a reverb. Use e.g. string group 1 for a closer reverb, then group 2 for a thicker/lusher or whatever reverb and proceed with this kind of thinking for group 3!

Then route each of the string busses to the final orchestra group. Again, set a very long plate hall to this bus. On bus two maybe try with a very long orchestral hall but just set with 10% wet ratio etc. ...

After a while you will a solution which sounds really good to your ears!
THEN when you start working with these settings you will realize soon that it does NOT fit for all projects, styles and needs! You will start this experiment again and again and again and again and again and again ... BUT after a while your ears are trained enough to decide from situation to situation on what you need and THIS is the point you want to reach!!

Think Kung-Fu. There is no move or hit for this or that situation. Your mind and your body has to learn to adapt to each situation indivually.

Proceed like this and you will be able to quickly know what plugins and settings you will need for which instruments for whatever style! It takes a while but it is well worth it!


2. Ask yourself, play back each of the library and listen if you like the predelay signal or not? Disregarding this, set up a reverb and adjust the predelay settings. To not get irritated by the actual reverb you can also set up a delay and change the delay time from 10 to 20 to 100 or whatever ms!

Also be aware that the Hollywood series has been recorded not in a hall but in a studio so as much as there is beautiful ambience or reverberation is going on, it may not fit your needs for project X while it may fit for project Y.

So to make it short, trial and error will give you the best results by boositng not just your knowledge but also your own custom sound!


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## EastWest Lurker (Jan 9, 2015)

Waywyn @ Fri Jan 09 said:


> inmusi @ Fri Jan 09 said:
> 
> 
> > Also be aware that the Hollywood series has been recorded not in a hall but in a studio so as much as there is beautiful ambience or reverberation is going on, it may not fit your needs for project X while it may fit for project Y.



Just the opposite is true IMHO. Because the Hollywood Series is so much more dry as it was recorded in a studio than if it were in a hall, it is the ones recorded in halls that more merit the statement _"as much as there is beautiful ambience or reverberation is going on, it may not fit your needs for project X while it may fit for project Y."_


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## shapeshifter00 (Jan 9, 2015)

EastWest Lurker @ Fri Jan 09 said:


> shapeshifter00 @ Thu Jan 08 said:
> 
> 
> > Setting up some busses for Brass, Strings, Winds etc. and use the Southern California setting for each as an insert on the bus could be a good try, cut the low end with the eq in spaces and perhaps the high end to around 5-7khz could be a good starting point. Other then that I think that the Northwestern Hall (if im not wrong) is supposed to be the same hall used to record the EW instruments.
> ...



Ah yeah, it was EQWLSO, my mistake. The EQ in spaces only affects the reverb and not the instrument itself doesn't it? I read somewhere that that cutting high frequencies on a reverb simulates a bit of the high frequence absorption by air in the large spaces like a concert hall, but I'm no expert on the subject so I guess it always depends on the sound you want. I always cut a bit of low end to prevent low frequency buildup by the reverb.


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## EastWest Lurker (Jan 9, 2015)

Don't believe everything that you read 

But if it sounds good to you, then it IS good.


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## inmusi (Jan 9, 2015)

Waywyn @ Fri Jan 09 said:


> The provokative answer first: Why don't you just try out things and fool around with settings? What would be the gain from people throwing things at you and you wouldn't like the result?!



I have been of course, but I figured it couldn't hurt to ask and that I would likely learn something in the process, which I have  Thanks for your detailed response, I would also some day like to be a kung fu reverb master!


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## Sean Beeson (Jan 9, 2015)

The more I use the hollywood series, the less I do to it haha. If you can find the right balance with your mockups and composing, as Jay said, a smidge of EQ and a tad of reverb goes a long way.

Right now I am using the ACME Store B 1.2 FR for my ERs, and then just algo reverb on my master. It changes though depending on what kind of score I am doing and what kind of density I want/need.

I do EQ the highs of the strings (or well V1, V2, and VA) a bit, as well as the brass a tad, and the winds too before sending through spaces.


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## Mahlon (Jan 9, 2015)

inmusi @ Fri Jan 09 said:


> Thanks for the input so far
> 
> I'm still wondering about:
> 
> ...



inmsui,

I'm not using B2, but Spaces, but I'll tell you what I've done so far with HS and HB. But before I do, make sure to check out Blakus' video which has a good bit on how he uses B2 in his setup. Think it's maybe 10 minutes in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSVdel5YabI

I've set up what you've mentioned, and that is a "usual" way to do reverb, but not the only way. So, I've got the outputs for HB going to a Brass Bus in Cubase (could be High Brass, or Low Brass, or Medium; just depends on how much control you want. In this case I have all brass just going to one bus). On the Brass Buss is an insert of Spaces Acme .8 sec. This is so I can get a little more room feel in the brass before the signal gets sent to a tail. (Honestly, though,, HB may not need much attention because they are recorded in EastWest studio which has a good-sounding space already). Anyway, that reverb would be what you would call a reverb for the early reflections, or to set the instrument in place on a stage or in a room.

Next, the output of the Brass Bus will go to another bus out called Orchestral Out. This will be the last stop for all samples that are placed conventionally on or in a soundstage. It has an instance of Spaces inserted (Berlin Church) with a fairly long reverb time. It decays slowly. This is the tail reverb. By turning this reverb down to 15 percent or so, you can still have this tail, but it's not overwhelming and blending everything into oblivion. But some instruments, like Percussion or maybe very wet instruments, I would treat differently because I'm probably relying on the mic positions from those library to create depth.

I'm not sure if it's totally necessary to split the ER and Tail reverbs for HB, but that is certainly one and a normal way of doing it. For B2, watch what Blake does in his video -- which is similar, btw, to what I'm describing. Breaking the reverbs up into ER and Tail may give you more control.

Sorry so wordy, maybe even confusing :oops: I'm just saying the same thing everyone else is pretty much. I've done it other ways, too, though.

Since I don't like too much reverb, I keep it a little on the meager side, especially the tail.

Mahlon


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## Mahlon (Jan 9, 2015)

Sean Beeson @ Fri Jan 09 said:


> The more I use the hollywood series, the less I do to it haha. If you can find the right balance with your mockups and composing, as Jay said, a smidge of EQ and a tad of reverb goes a long way.
> 
> Right now I am using the ACME Store B 1.2 FR for my ERs, and then just algo reverb on my master. It changes though depending on what kind of score I am doing and what kind of density I want/need.
> 
> I do EQ the highs of the strings (or well V1, V2, and VA) a bit, as well as the brass a tad, and the winds too before sending through spaces.



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What he said. More eloquent and succinct.

Mahlon


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