5 Minutes To A Better Mix: Reverb Pre-Delay On Snare - Part 16 of 31

Wow, we’re halfway through this month of mixing madness. I hope you’ve been enjoying it thus far. I know I have! Today’s tip involves taking advantage of your reverb’s pre-delay setting to get a fat, big sounding snare drum without washing it in reverb decay.

It’s All Smoke And Mirrors

Good mixing is as much about tricking the ear as it is being honest and revealing. Using things like reverb effects in a mix are a trick, they convince the listener that something like a snare drum is in a bigger space than it actually is. But if you go too overboard, your trick can fall apart and people can tell that it isn’t real. I find that using the pre-delay setting on my reverbs gives me more control in the mix and can sound more realistic!