External Reverb for Monitoring that is NOT recorded

[Recording Odyssey]

G'Day Guys,

This is my first post, I thought I would wait until I had something worthy and I think I have.

Recently I was working in professional studio and I was salivating over the fact that through a professional desk they can have reverb for monitoring so the singer can hear it but the reverb is not recorded so different reverb can be added later. I know this can be done within PT by setting a very low buffer and not using low latency monitoring but for me this causes too many errors, specially if I have a lot of tracks.

After a lot of pondering I came up with a solution that not only gives me reverb for the singer that is not recorded, but has no latency and I can use my external compressor prior to the 002R.

Here is how to do it:

In Pro Tools setup a secondary mix for headphones with the outputs on Analog 3 & 4 (Watch PT101 to see how to do this)

Plug 3 & 4 into inputs on any outboard mixer. (You know, the one you have at the bottom of the cupboard that you have not used since getting pro tools)

Plug you Microphone into the same mixer.

Patch a lead from Aux Send to one of the analog inputs on 002, this signal is dry as it is a send so anything you do with the mixer now will not show in this signal path except for inserts.

Setup a reverb as an Aux send.

Insert a compressor on the mic channel

The signal will now have compression for the mic which will come in through the mixer and out via the aux send to the 002.

The singer will monitor via the headphone jack of the outboard mixer where you can mix in the recorded sound from PT as well as his level and add reverb from the aux.

Now, the reason you set up a separate headphone mix is so you can mute the vocals on the mix going out to the mixer, the singer will get his monitoring from the mixer.

You as the engineer will still be able to monitor his mix via the main mix through your monitors or headphones.

The mixer I use has a cheesy reverb built into it (Phonic MU1202X) which is fine for this purpose.

The thing I like most is being able to use my excellent compressor prior to recording to tame the peaks and add some tube.

Hope this was of some use to you all

Andrew Brierley
Home Recording Odyssey Podcast
www.homestudio.com.au

[peppertree]

On the 003 I have finally shed the mixer I used for just this purpose by taking advantage of the superior monitoring facilities. I simply take my hardware reverb unit (currently a TC M300, but I'm looking at the Lex MX500 when it ships) and send analog outs 1-2 to it via low latency monitoring. I run its inputs into the Aux Ins and dial in the right "mix" of verb directly on the M300. When I want to monitor with reverb, I simply press the Aux in button and voila.

I had fun filling up all the room the mixer used to eat up!

Plus, I could always print that reverb by simply pressing the Aux In-7/8 button. And I can set a reverb-free headphone mix via the 3/4-HP2 button. Who needs a central station thing?

[albee1952]

You can also create a mono aux track next to your vocal track. On the aux track, insert a mono-stereo verb plugin and set the input to the same input as your vocal track. Turn the aux track fader up to taste.

[GJS747]

Hi Peppertree,

I'm a real beginner at PTLE, but my singer girlfriend loves reverb monitoring, but hates the latency that goes with it.

I also have a 003 (rack) and a TC M300. I'd appreciate it if you could give more detail as to how you set up your system.

Apologies to Recording Odyssey if I'm stepping on your thread.

Thanks, Geoff.

[RokVox]

Yes Peppertree,

And how do you have the TC M300 set up, in Serial or Parallel?

Thanks!

Apologies to Recording Odyssey as well for stepping on your thread.