A reverb effect, or reverb, is an
audio effect applied to a sound signal to simulate
reverberation
In acoustics, reverberation (commonly shortened to reverb) is a persistence of sound after it is produced. It is often created when a sound is reflection (physics), reflected on surfaces, causing multiple reflections that build up and then de ...
.
It may be created through physical means, such as
echo chambers, or electronically through
audio signal processing
Audio signal processing is a subfield of signal processing that is concerned with the electronic manipulation of audio signals. Audio signals are electronic representations of sound waves—longitudinal waves which travel through air, consisting ...
. The American producer
Bill Putnam is credited for the first artistic use of artificial reverb in music, on the 1947 song "
Peg o' My Heart" by the
Harmonicats.
Plate reverb uses electromechanical
transducer
A transducer is a device that Energy transformation, converts energy from one form to another. Usually a transducer converts a signal in one form of energy to a signal in another.
Transducers are often employed at the boundaries of automation, M ...
s to create vibrations in large plates of
sheet metal
Sheet metal is metal formed into thin, flat pieces, usually by an industrial process.
Thicknesses can vary significantly; extremely thin sheets are considered foil (metal), foil or Metal leaf, leaf, and pieces thicker than 6 mm (0.25  ...
. Spring reverb, created with a series of mounted springs, is popular in
surf music
Surf music (also known as surf rock, surf pop, or surf guitar) is a genre of rock music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Southern California. It was especially popular from 1958 to 1964 in two major forms. The first is inst ...
and
dub reggae. Shimmer reverb, which
alters the pitch of the reverberated sound, is often used in
ambient music
Ambient music is a genre of music that emphasizes Musical tone, tone and atmosphere over traditional Musical form, musical structure or rhythm. Often "peaceful" sounding and lacking Musical composition, composition, beat, and/or structured melod ...
. Convolution reverb uses
impulse responses to record the reverberation of physical spaces and recreate them digitally.
Gated reverb became a staple of 1980s pop music, used by drummers including
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later became the lead singer of the rock band Genesis (band), Genesis and had a successful solo career, ac ...
.
Varieties
Echo chambers
The first reverb effects, introduced in the 1930s, were created by playing recordings through loudspeakers in reverberating spaces and recording the sound.
The American producer
Bill Putnam is credited for the first artistic use of artificial reverb in music, on the 1947 song "
Peg o' My Heart" by the
Harmonicats. Putnam placed a microphone and loudspeaker in the studio bathroom to create an echo chamber, adding an "eerie dimension".
Plate reverb

A plate reverb system uses an electromechanical
transducer
A transducer is a device that Energy transformation, converts energy from one form to another. Usually a transducer converts a signal in one form of energy to a signal in another.
Transducers are often employed at the boundaries of automation, M ...
, similar to the driver in a loudspeaker, to create vibrations in a large plate of
sheet metal
Sheet metal is metal formed into thin, flat pieces, usually by an industrial process.
Thicknesses can vary significantly; extremely thin sheets are considered foil (metal), foil or Metal leaf, leaf, and pieces thicker than 6 mm (0.25  ...
. The plate's motion is picked up by one or more
contact microphones whose output is an audio signal that may be added to the original "dry" signal.
Plate reverb was introduced in the late 1950s by
Elektromesstechnik
Elektromesstechnik (EMT) is a manufacturer of phonograph turntables and professional audio equipment, including a well-regarded line of artificial reverberation devices beginning with the EMT 140 plate reverb. The company was founded by Wilhelm F ...
with the
EMT 140.
Spring reverb

Spring reverbs, introduced by
Bell Labs
Nokia Bell Labs, commonly referred to as ''Bell Labs'', is an American industrial research and development company owned by Finnish technology company Nokia. With headquarters located in Murray Hill, New Jersey, Murray Hill, New Jersey, the compa ...
, use a set of springs mounted inside a box.
They work similarly to plate reverb, with a transducer and
pickup placed at either end of the spring.
They were popular in the 1960s, and were first used by the Hammond company to add reverb to
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert, first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding #Drawbars, drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, sound was created ...
s.
They became popular with guitarists, including
surf musicians such as
Dick Dale
Richard Anthony Monsour (May 4, 1937 – March 16, 2019), known professionally as Dick Dale, was an American Rock music, rock guitarist. He was a pioneer of surf music, drawing on Middle Eastern music scale (music), scales and experimenting wit ...
,
as they could easily be built into
guitar amplifier
A guitar amplifier (or amp) is an electronic amplifier, electronic device or system that strengthens the electrical signal from a Pickup (music technology), pickup on an electric guitar, bass guitar, or acoustic guitar so that it can produce so ...
s.
They were also used by
dub reggae musicians such as
King Tubby
Osbourne Ruddock (28 January 1941 – 6 February 1989), better known as King Tubby, was a Jamaican sound engineer who influenced the development of dub music in the 1960s and 1970s.
Tubby's studio work, in which as a mixing engineer he achiev ...
.
The American engineer
Laurens Hammond
Laurens Hammond (January 11, 1895 – July 1, 1973) was an American engineer and inventor. His inventions include the Hammond organ, the Hammond Clock Company, Hammond clock, and the world's first polyphonic musical synthesizer, the Novachor ...
of the Hammond company was granted a patent on a spring reverb system in 1939.
Digital reverb

Digital reverb units simulate reverb by using multiple
delay lines with fading trails, giving the impression of sound bouncing off surfaces. Some digital effects allow users to independently adjust early and late reflections.
Digital reverb was introduced in 1976 by EMT with the EMT 250,
and became popular in the 1980s.
Gated reverb
Gated reverb combines reverb with a
noise gate
A noise gate or simply gate is an electronic device or software that is used to control the amplitude, volume of an audio signal. Comparable to a limiter, which attenuates signals ''above'' a threshold, such as loud attacks from the start of mu ...
, creating a "large" sound with a short tail.
It was pioneered by the English recording engineer
Hugh Padgham and the drummer
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later became the lead singer of the rock band Genesis (band), Genesis and had a successful solo career, ac ...
, and became a staple of 1980s pop music.
Convolution reverb
Convolution uses
impulse responses to record the reverberation of physical spaces and recreate them digitally.
The first real-time convolution reverb processor, the DRE S777, was announced by
Sony
is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at Sony City in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The Sony Group encompasses various businesses, including Sony Corporation (electronics), Sony Semiconductor Solutions (i ...
in 1999.
Convolution reverb is often used in film production, with sound engineers recording impulse responses of sets and locations so sounds can be added in post-production with realistic reverberation.
Shimmer reverb
Shimmer reverb
alters the pitch of the reverberated sound, an effect often used in
ambient music
Ambient music is a genre of music that emphasizes Musical tone, tone and atmosphere over traditional Musical form, musical structure or rhythm. Often "peaceful" sounding and lacking Musical composition, composition, beat, and/or structured melod ...
.
References
Audio effects
{{Music technology