Universal Audio UAD Plug-Ins ver.7.5 User Manual
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UAD Powered Plug-Ins Manual
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Chapter 9: DreamVerb
• The EQ is often most useful for a simple Lf or Hf roll-off/boost, or to notch out
bothersome frequencies for particular sources. For full mix ambience/mas-
tering presets, use the EQ to cut most of all LF input, which yields added am-
bience without mucking up the mix. This is a powerful EQ, so experiment!
• Try different diffusion settings for your preset (the slider on the right of the Re-
verberation panel). Diffusion radically alters the reverberation sound and is
source dependent. Higher diffusion values yield a fuller sound, good for
percussive sounds; lower diffusion values yield a less dense sound, good for
vocals, synths, etcetera.
• When monitoring your preset, try switching from Dry solo, Wet solo, and a
useful mix. Solo the reflections and reverberation, and disable/enable EQ.
Try different sources and mixes. Reach for the headphones every now and
then. In general just keep things moving, as ear fatigue can be particularly
deceiving with reverb sounds.
• The Positioning panel is generally only needed for automation. Ignore these
settings for preset design unless going for a panning effect or monitoring
real-world use.
• Often when you've got a really great preset designed, all it takes are a few
subtle changes to make a number of other great presets.
Tips for designing a natural environment sound:
• Make timing proportional. As the size of the simulated environment in-
creases, the length of the pre-delay for the EF, LF, and LF tail should increase
proportionally. Typically, ER and LF pre-delay should be not too far apart,
with LF starting shortly after ER.
• Place the ER timing preceding/leading into the LF
• ER amplitude naturally decays. Slope the amplitude down from left to right.
• Use ER filtering, as this improves the reverb sound in almost all situations.
• Try a gradual Lf or Hf roll-off (or boost) with the EQ section. The left and
right-most EQ bands are shelf filters, which are perfect for this job. The ad-
jacent bands can be used to shape the roll-off.
• Try natural materials and air densities before the unnatural custom or in-
verse materials and air densities.
• Try adding onset (slope) to the LF, as many environments naturally have an
LF onset.
For additional info:
• Read