Reversing Files

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Reversing Files

Reversing sounds is a common technique for creating new and interesting sound effects. Common sounds such as dog barks, water splashes, and even speech can be reversed to create some interesting effects. Reverse reverb is a classic example of this type of effect.

Following is a step-by-step guide for creating reverse reverb for a group of sound elements. In this example, the reverse reverb is not continuous and happens only once, preceding the group of sounds you have chosen .

1. Choose the sound or group of sounds for which you want to create reverse reverb.

2. Pick a point in the timeline at which you want the reverse reverb to end. This point will probably be just before the original sounds begin. The reverse reverb will lead up to this point. Create a marker there. This point will be used as a reference point for placing the reverse reverb when it is done. Figure 7.2 shows the selection of three regions on three separate tracks. The marker has been created just before the first of these three regions . Once the reverse reverb has been created, it will be placed just before this marker so that it culminates right at that point.

   Figure 7.2. In preparation for creating reverse reverb, three regions have been selected and a marker has been placed at the beginning of the first.

   

   
   

3. In the Mix window, create a Send on each track that contains audio you wish to affect and assign them to the same buses. I will use bus 1 and 2 for this example, as shown in Figure 7.3.

   Figure 7.3. Creating Sends going to buses 1 and 2.

   

   
   

4. Create a stereo Aux track in the mixer and assign buses 1 and 2 to its inputs, as shown in Figure 7.4.

   Figure 7.4. Creating an Aux track with buses 1 and 2 as its inputs.

   

   
   

5. Instantiate your favorite reverb plug-in in one of the inserts of the Aux track.

6. Make sure the Sends on the three tracks are turned up. Listen to how the reverb sounds and adjust any parameters to taste. With reverse reverb, it is much harder to hear the low-level fade of reverb when it is reversed. Setting a longer reverb time than you think is necessary will allow you to have some editing control after the reverb is reversed.

7. It might be necessary to automate the Sends or edit the audio around this point so that any unwanted sounds are not reverberated. You want to be able to record the reverb tail without having any additional sounds coming into the reverb plug-in causing unwanted reverb. Figure 7.5 shows the automation playlist for the Send after automating it to send only the first bit of audio to the reverb aux. Typically with reverse reverb, only the very first transient sound should be used to create the reverb tail. If using dialog, the first word should be the only thing sent to the reverb.

   Figure 7.5. A Send automation playlist showing the volume automation sending only a small portion of the audio to buses 1 and 2.

   

   
   

8. Assign the output of the reverb Aux track to another set of buses, such as buses 3 and 4, as seen in Figure 7.6.

   Figure 7.6. Assigning the Aux track to another set of buses for recording the reverb into another track.

   

   
   

9. Create a new stereo audio track and assign buses 3 and 4 to its inputs, as shown in Figure 7.7.

   Figure 7.7. Creating a stereo audio track for recording the reverb.

   

   
   

10. Record-enable the track.

11. Start recording the reverb from a point just before the first region, as seen in Figure 7.8. Make sure you record the entire reverb tail. Record until a few seconds after the meters have stopped registering a level. If you automated the Sends well, you should hear one clear reverb tail as it is recorded.

    Figure 7.8. The recording of reverb into a stereo audio track.

    

    
    

12. Choose Audiosuite > Reverse to open the Reverse plug-in.

13. Enable the uUse in Playlist button.

14. Select the region of reverb you just recorded and hit the process button. The waveform should be similar to Figure 7.9.

    Figure 7.9. The reversed reverb's waveform.

    

    
    

15. Move the reversed reverb region so that the ending boundary lines up with the marker you created in Step 2.

16. The finished edit should look something like Figure 7.10. Play the section and see how it turned out. You may have to nudge the reverb around to get the timing right. After hearing the reversed reverb in context, you might want to adjust some parameters of the reverb and record it again.

    Figure 7.10. The finished reversed reverb edit with the reverb leading up to the marker.

    

    
    

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