Make Your Own Custom Reverbs with Live 11's Hybrid Reverb - Free Bathroom Reverb
Ableton Live 11 comes with a new reverb effect, Hybrid Reverb. Hybrid Reverb allows you to combine both convolution and algorithm reverbs. It’s a powerful effect, capable of endless reverb varieties.
Ableton Live 11’s Hybrid Reverb
Capture the Reverb of Any Real World Space!
Convolution reverbs allow you to add your own samples of room reverbs, known as Impulse Responses or IRs. I’ve made plenty of them by simply recording a hand clap in the places with natural reverbs I enjoy. Once you have those recordings, you can simply drop them onto Hybrid Reverb’s interface.
In the video below, I demonstrate how you can drop your own IRs on to Hybrid Reverb and recreate the sound of any room.
One of the examples I use is a recording of a toilet seat slamming shut in a large tiled public bathroom. It creates a really long and interesting reverb. This is often why people enjoy singing in the shower. By dropping that sample onto Hybrid Reverb, I can now run any sound I like through that bathroom’s natural reverb. In the video, I run one of my VHS DRUMS presets through the bathroom reverb.
I’ve built this reverb into an Ableton Live Audio Effect Rack, and I’m giving it to you for free! Use this huge reverb on any sound in your productions. It’s much better than dragging your recording gear into a local public bathroom!
Convolution Reverb for Max for Live
Don’t Have Live 11 Yet but Still Want Bathroom Reverb?
If you aren’t using the Live 11 Beta yet, you won’t be able to use the Bathroom Reverb Hybrid Reverb preset. But you could download the Free Live Pack, open the Samples folder and drop the bathroom reverb sample on Convolution Reverb. Convolution Reverb is a free Max for Live reverb first appearing in Live 9. It comes with a large collection of Impulse Responses (you can use those IRs in Hybrid Reverb too), emulating a massive range of real world environments.
Diego Stocco’s Rhythmic Convolutions
Now that you know how to recreate the reverb of any room, experiment with dropping all kinds of samples into Hybrid Reverb.
In the video, I use Diego Stocco’s amazing collection of Impulse Response, Rhythmic Convolutions. In Rhythmic Convolutions, Diego has created a ton of interesting samples, using his trademark sound design methods, that can be used to misuse any convolution reverb, including Hybrid Reverb.
Diego was on the Music Production Podcast #81. He discussed his unique way of working and shares practical tips and techniques you can use to take your sound design to the next level.