I'm trying to figure out good reverb settings for Armenian Duduk
I'm using 2 condenser cigar mics and recording with Ableton live
no other instruments in the mix, only a background drone
Thanks

 

Spoiler: Source: Grok KI

The Armenian duduk, with its warm, haunting tone, benefits from reverb that enhances its natural resonance without overpowering its delicate timbre. Since you’re using two condenser cigar mics (likely small-diaphragm condensers, great for capturing the duduk’s detail) and recording in Ableton Live with only a background drone, the goal is to create a spacious, organic sound that complements the duduk’s expressive quality. Here’s a tailored approach to reverb settings:

General Considerations

• Reverb Type: A plate or hall reverb works well for the duduk’s woody, soulful sound. Plate reverb adds warmth and smoothness, while a hall reverb can evoke a larger, more ambient space, ideal for the duduk’s meditative vibe. Avoid overly bright or metallic reverbs like spring or overly synthetic ones.
• Mic Setup: Since you’re using two cigar mics, I assume you’re capturing a stereo image (e.g., XY or spaced pair). Ensure the reverb preserves the stereo field for a natural, immersive sound.
• Mix Context: With only a background drone, the duduk is the focal point, so the reverb should enhance its presence without drowning it. The drone can sit in a similar or slightly drier reverb space to maintain cohesion.

Recommended Reverb Settings in Ableton Live
Using Ableton’s Reverb plugin (or a third-party plugin like Valhalla VintageVerb or FabFilter Pro-R if available), try these starting points and adjust to taste:

1. Reverb Type:
   • Select Plate or Medium Hall in Ableton’s Reverb plugin. Plate is great for warmth, while Medium Hall adds a natural, open space.
   • If using Valhalla VintageVerb, try the Concert Hall or Plate mode with a slightly darker tone (reduce the “Bright” parameter).
2. Pre-Delay:
   • Set to 10–20 ms. A short pre-delay keeps the duduk’s initial attack clear, preventing the reverb from smearing the notes. Adjust slightly longer (20–30 ms) for a more spacious feel if the recording space is very dry.
3. Decay Time:
   • Set to 1.5–3 seconds. A moderate decay complements the duduk’s sustained notes without overwhelming the melody. Shorter decays (1.5–2 s) work for faster passages, while longer decays (2.5–3 s) suit slower, expressive phrases.
4. Wet/Dry Mix:
   • Start at 15–30% wet. The duduk should remain upfront, with reverb adding ambiance rather than dominating. If the drone is subtle, keep its reverb wet mix slightly lower (10–20%) to let the duduk shine.
5. Room Size:
   • In Ableton’s Reverb, set Size to 0.4–0.7 (medium room or small hall). Too large a size can make the sound too diffuse, losing the duduk’s intimacy.
6. High-Frequency Damping:
   • Roll off high frequencies to emulate a warm, wooden space. Set Hi Cut (or equivalent) around 4–6 kHz with a gentle slope. This prevents the reverb from sounding too bright or harsh, complementing the duduk’s mellow tone.
   • In Valhalla, adjust the High Cut to 5–7 kHz or use a darker preset like “Dark Room.”
7. Low-Frequency Damping:
   • Reduce low-end reverb to avoid muddiness, especially since the duduk and drone may occupy similar frequency ranges. Set Lo Cut around 100–200 Hz in Ableton’s Reverb or similar in other plugins.
8. Stereo Width:
   • Keep the reverb Stereo setting at 100–120 (in Ableton) to maintain the stereo image from your cigar mics. If the reverb feels too wide, reduce to 80–100 for a more focused sound.
9. EQ Post-Reverb:
   • Add an EQ Eight after the reverb to further shape the sound. Cut around 200–300 Hz (1–2 dB) to reduce muddiness and boost slightly around 2–4 kHz (1–2 dB) for clarity if needed.

Additional Tips

• Mic Placement Impact: If your cigar mics are close (e.g., 6–12 inches from the duduk), the recording will be dry, so you may lean toward a slightly wetter reverb (25–30%). If they’re farther (e.g., 1–2 feet), reduce the wet mix to avoid over-reverberation.
• Drone Integration: Apply a similar reverb to the drone but with a shorter decay (1–2 s) and lower wet mix (10–15%) to keep it in the background. Ensure the drone’s frequencies (likely low-mid) don’t clash with the duduk’s midrange (use EQ Eight to carve out space, e.g., cut drone at 400–600 Hz).
• Automation: In Ableton, automate the reverb’s wet/dry mix or decay time to increase during longer, sustained notes and decrease during faster passages for dynamic control.
• Third-Party Plugins: If you have Valhalla VintageVerb, try the Random Space or Large Room preset with a decay of 2–3 s and high-cut at 5 kHz. For FabFilter Pro-R, use a Natural or Vintage setting with similar decay and damping.

Example Workflow in Ableton

1. Track Setup:
   • Create a stereo audio track for the duduk (from your two cigar mics).
   • Add Ableton’s Reverb plugin to the track.
   • Create a separate track for the drone and apply a lighter reverb.
2. Starting Reverb Settings:
   • Type: Plate or Medium Hall
   • Pre-Delay: 15 ms
   • Decay: 2.2 s
   • Wet/Dry: 20%
   • Size: 0.5
   • Hi Cut: 5 kHz
   • Lo Cut: 150 Hz
   • Stereo: 100
3. Fine-Tuning:
   • Play a slow duduk phrase and listen in context with the drone.
   • Adjust decay and wet/dry mix to balance intimacy and space.
   • If the sound feels too washy, reduce decay or increase pre-delay.
4. Mix Check:
   • Solo the duduk to ensure the reverb enhances without overpowering.
   • Check the drone and duduk together to ensure they blend cohesively.

Final Notes
These settings are a starting point—tweak them based on your room’s acoustics, mic placement, and the mood of your piece (e.g., intimate vs. cinematic). If you want a specific vibe (e.g., a cave, temple, or open desert), let me know, and I can suggest adjustments. Also, if you’re using a specific third-party reverb plugin, share its name for more tailored settings. Would you like me to dive deeper into any aspect, like EQ or drone processing?

 

I'd determine an environment in my head that I want to simulate for it and then go to a good convolution reverb to get it.

That's just me.

But I don't think you can answer this question unless you have some kind of vision for what you want to end up with.

 

Check the Magic7 reverb, it's a Bricasti reverb and it's free. I like it on strings and woodwinds, it's usually my choice when I want them to be very important in the mix. For the settings, you should just go through the presets and have just a bit of pre-delay. I wouldn't care too much as long as you think it sounds good.

 

Adaptiverb.

 

Wow that's amazing
I didn't expect such a detailed answer
I play intimate tunes so open desert vibe sounds great if you can elaborate on that & drone processing too

I have vintage verb, Pro-r, Seventh heaven

Thank you so much this helps a lot

 

Dude just get Adaptiverb, you won't even need drone with it.
Here's something I've done using Adaptiverb

 

That sounds great
Thanks I'll give it a try

 

When going for a realistic sound with flutes (and most woodwinds), you'll get the best results with algorithmic reverbs rather than convolution. I'll opt for the densest ones, as flutes are pretty much omnidirectional, which translates into bright reverb in the real world. Algorithmic reverb that aren't dense enough will struggle to give you a sound that is both open and smooth with these instruments. So with that in mind, I can suggest you Liquidsonics Cinematic Rooms, the "Stereo Room" algorithms in Eventide SP2016, and the "Hall" algorithm with Klevgrand Walls.

 

Last edited: Jul 13, 2025 at 10:09 PM

best reverb blackhole
here example

 

You can always report your message and request it be deleted!

 

Magic7 Verb posted earlier is similar to Seventh heaven. They are both based around the Bricasti. I personally like Magic7 better, and its free, but i use both and both are great. If you have nebula, i would recommend some of tim p's verbs, especially his "Real Spaces". They are phenomenal. I'll often times use Real Spaces with another verb. i'll use pro r, magic 7 etc first to set the overall verb, then use Real Spaces after and adjust the dry/wet or as another send and adjust the level of the two returns.