Eventide Reverb 2016

Recording Equipment

The following article, Wave Phase and Cancellation - Part 2, covers the physical causees, acoustic impact and solutions to the phenomenon of audio wave phase cancellation.

Wave Phase and Cancellation - Part 2

continued from Part 1

So it is with sound – two very similar (or identical) waveshapes, perhaps from two mics covering the same source, or two identical copies of a sound played together in a digital editor (DAW), can collide unhappily when mixed together, resulting in a wide range of possible effects, from a weakening of the bass tones in the sound, to subtle, or extreme, tonal shifts, as the monitoring is switched between stereo and mono, right up to a radical loss of virtually the entire program sound of the affected tracks, even though each individual waveshape is recorded at a high level. If this happens, and what goes missing is your main rhythm guitar track, or something equally important, the results could be disastrous to your mix. Since any problems caused by acoustic phase won’t show up clearly, unless the signals are actually mixed together, the rule is: Always check your stereo mixes in mono, to show up any unknown troubles.

There are, of course, ways to deal with the problems created by phase issues before they happen, such as the X-Y pair mic technique. Another quick rule-of-thumb for using two mics is the 3:1 Rule, useful when the conditions require that the mics are spaced apart (a spaced pair), rather than close together (a coincident pair), as is the case with the X-Y. Here, place the first mic facing the sound source, at a mid-distance (say, 2 feet/60 cm), and then, place the second mic not less than three times this distance from the other one, or in this case, about six feet, or 180 cm, apart from it, at the same distance from the source as the first mic is. By doing this, there will likely be enough difference between the program content reaching each mic, that any phase issues will hopefully be minimized as a result. While this is not necessarily a perfect quick-fix, and mono checking must still be done, and adjustments made, for optimum results, it is a good starting point to work from. With a bit of effort, a professional-quality stereo recording can be achieved, with coherent phase, and a wonderfully wide, spatial aspect to the sound. If, after a few tries, the adjustment part of this is frustrating you, I suggest placing the mics so that they face outwards, away from each other a bit (even as much as 90 degrees), so that the aspects of each side of the source that each mic captures will be truly unique, giving even better phase consistency in mono.

Just to make a point about mono checks, while many folks rationalize that music nowadays is almost always heard in stereo, and that "their" mix will "never" be played in mono, they are fooling themselves. Most AM radio, some FM stations, many hotel, commercial and institutional applications, and most live-sound systems will take whatever is input, and send it out in mono, so if your mix is not mono compatible, you may get an unpleasant and public surprise, more often than you'd like.

Go back to Part 1 of this article

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Eventide Reverb 2016

The Eventide Reverb 2016 by Princeton Digital recreates the legendary reverbs from Eventide's SP2016 - Stereo Room, Room Reverb and High Density Plate - and contains 3 new algorithms that provide updated variations on each of the original reverbs. It features two channels of 24 bit audio I/O. With dedicated function knobs and an intuitive user-interface, the 2016 is designed for easy operation - live or in the studio.

Turn the Preset knob to select any of the 99 stored programs. Press Preset to load the selected program.

Adjust the EQ - Low knob to cut or boost the low frequency portion of the reverb. Press and turn to select the roll-off frequency.

Position adjusts the arrival time, energy, frequency response and diffusion of the early reflections to give the impression of being close to the source (Front), far away (Rear), or anywhere in between.

Decay (RT-60) sets the time (in seconds) for a full amplitude signal to decay by 60 dB. (The maximum varies with the selected algorithm).

Predelay introduces a stereo delay (0-999 ms) before the reverb effect. Press while turning for coarse adjustment.

Mix adjusts the wet/dry ratio from completely dry to 100% effect. Use in conjunction with some Predelay.

EQ - High is used to cut the high frequency portion of the reverb. Press and turn to select the roll-off frequency.

The Reverb 2016 offers 99 available preset locations, organized with the presets generally progressing from small to large spaces within each bank. Want to build your own custom reverb? No problem...

Press Algorithm repeatedly to cycle selection of one of 6 basic reverb effects. Colored LEDs indicate your selection of Stereo (red), Room (yellow), Plate (green), or one of the 3 New (blue) effects: New Stereo, New Room, or New Plate. Adjust the Diffusion control to alter the character of your space - from the sharp reflections of flat, hard surfaces (Low) to the diffused reflections from rough, irregular ones (High). Tweak the rest of the parameters to perfection, and save the preset.... it's so simple, even a novice can master it in minutes.

The Reverb 2016 has S/PDIF Digital Input/Outputs, Balanced Analog Inputs, and Balanced Analog Outputs, in both XLR and TRS configurations. The 2016 can be MIDI controlled, parameter by parameter, too, making it a super-flexible and functional rig for both live and studio automation and remote control.

Contact Rock Shop Pro Audio for information and pricing on the Eventide Reverb 2016 and Eventide products.

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Wave Phase and Cancellation - Part 2

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