Should I Put Reverb on the Insert or Send of a Track?

When it comes to learning to mix music in your home studio, I get asked a lot of questions around specific ways to mix. And, I’m going to answer one I hear quite often: Should I apply reverb on the insert or send of a track?

Both ways have their uses and understanding the difference between these two approaches can help you get the sound you’re looking for for your mix.

If it sounds good then it is good!

The first thing to know is this: While there are best practices, there aren’t any rules. Well actually there is one rule: If it sounds good then it is good! So, don’t worry. Ignore the YouTube videos with a big red cross in the thumbnail and a title that says “You’re doing reverb wrong!”. You can’t go wrong, it’s literally impossible.

Understanding inserts and sends

Before we get into specifics, let’s understand what inserts and sends are:

Inserts

Inserts are used to apply audio effects directly to a single track. When you use an insert, the entire signal of that track passes through the effect. Typically, this is best suited for effects you want to apply in full, such as compression or EQ.

Sends

Sends allow you to route some of a track’s signal to a separate channel (which you can apply the effect on). This typically allows you to keep a clear, dry version of the original track and mix in an effect on a separate channel.

When to use reverb on a send

With adding a reverb to a separate send channel you can then use that reverb on other tracks. That allows you to use a consistent reverb sound across multiple channels and also keep your workspace tidy!

Reverb on a send tends to create a sense of space or environment, whether that’s making a sounds less “dead” or dry, or getting that feel of a concert hall.

It also allows you to adjust the level of reverb on each track independently while maintaining a consistent reverb type and setting.

When to use reverb on an insert

Using reverb on an insert is typically for more creative applications where you may want a reverb to be integral to the sound you are going for. Or simply put, if you want a thick, heavy reverb for more ambient productions this is the way to go.

While a reverb on a send allows you to keep the original track’s clarity, actually you may not want that. Adding a reverb on the insert can soften the articulation, resulting in a less harshness. This can be particularly useful on vocals where the dry vocal pokes through too much. I find this technique can also be useful on backing vocals to help them sit better in the background.

Enough of this “You can’t go wrong” stuff, just tell me where to put the reverb!

OK – Typically you put reverb on the send. The reason being is that you have more flexibility of the amount of reverb and you also keep the dry signal nice and clear. This is particularly useful for vocals where you want to keep as much articulation and details as possible. However this absolutely isn’t always the case!

So, in short…

The choice between using reverb as an insert or a send depends on your specific needs and the kind of sound you’re aiming to achieve.

For cohesive mixes with shared ambience, sends are generally more effective.

However, for specific track effects and creative uses, inserts hold their place.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention – You can use both!

Anyway, enjoy making music – ignore the rules – have fun!