Muffled Orchestra Sound

[Extravaganza]

Hey,

I've got GPO and JABB for a few days now, and these are really a dream come true for me, but i've got a question.

Every time i use the Ambience Reverb, it muffles out the sound instead of just adding a reverb. Maybe the reason for this is because Ambience really makes it sound like the orchestra is sitting in a Concert Hall but i don't like the muffled sound.

Now i've read that by sliding the Dry slider up, the orchestra moves to the forefront but when i do that, the volume of the orchestra gets louder too! Don't get me wrong, the reverb of the Ambience plugin is beautiful, but i just don't like the muffled sound! How can i solve this?

Thanks for your help!

Extravaganza

[Tom Hopkins]

You don't say which host software you are using (sequencer or notation.) If you are using a sequencer it is best if you setup a standard Aux send for reverb and place Ambience in that part of the signal chain. Move the dry slider all the way to the left; leave the wet slider at 0db. Adjust the amount of reverb with the send control on your track.

If you use just the Ambience plugin for handling the wet/dry ratio then leave the dry control at "0db" and adjust the amount of reverb by lowering the wet slider. That will avoid significant changes in volume while letting you adjust the amount of reverb to taste.

Tom

[Extravaganza]

Thanks for your help, Tom!

Sorry i didn't say which sequencer i'm using. Well, i used Sonar 6 but it's too complex for me. Before i used Sonar 6 i used FL Studio which i'm using again right now because the workflow of that program is just perfect for me!

I'm gonna try your tips right now!

Ok.. there's no difference with using a Aux Send and a normal Fx Send. But i just tried using different reverb settings for different sections of the orchestra.

So for instance, i have much reverb for the Percussion section in the back, and few reverb for the Strings section in the front. The Brass and Woodwind sections are in between. It sounds great and realistic this way. It also fixes the muffled sound by a large degree.

Thanks anyway, Tom!

[rbowser-]

Extrava--Sounds like you're understanding now how to use sends to apply different amounts of reverb to various instruments, as Tom was trying to explain. I think perhaps before you were running the entire orchestra through one setting of 100% reverb.

Are you now doing as Tom was saying, with the reverb in the bus, 100% reverb, with your track sends determing how much is sent for each instrument or group?

I was struck by your description of the effect you were first getting--that the sound was "muffled."--From what you were saying it does sound like you had it set up incorrectly, but with an over-load of reverb, you get a washed out sound as if the musicians are miles away playing at the bottom of the grand canyon. Notes aren't distinct and it sounds very distant, but the sound doesn't get muffled. That term is usually used to describe a sound with the high frequencies too muted, as if a blanket is over the speakers.

It made me wonder if there was some other undiagnosed problem in your set up--? Hmmm. Let us know how you're doing.

Randy B.
(rbowser)

[Extravaganza]

Hey rbowser-

Muffled maybe was a bit of a wrong term, but the overall sound missed clarity. It was especially evident in the strings section.

But as you can hear at my Sign from Outer Space piece, all sounds great now and i didn't know sending different amounts of reverb at the various sections of the orchestra made such huge difference.

All this explains i need to learn a lot about effective audio mixing. It certainly isn't about throwing a simple reverb on your track and that's it. You really need to tweak the sound as i figured out that last couple of weeks.