Reverb predelay | Flo im Ohr

The Preal delay plugin

A plugin to simulate a realistic pre-reverb delay

The pre-reverb delay (or pre-delay)

Pre-delay is an important parameter found in reverb processors referring to the time between dry signal and the first early reflection. This depends on the position of both the instrument and the listener. By assigning different pre-delays on each instrument (correlating with their position on the stage), clarity is brought to the mix and masking is reduced.

The plugin

With this innovative plugin, a room with physical dimensions can be created where listener and instruments are placed. The theoretical delay between dry sound and early reflections (against left/right walls) is calculated, as well as the decay in volume. A short distance between listener and instrument leads to a longer pre-delay (the reflection against the wall being much longer than the direct sound) and a a stronger volume decay. Additionally, if the instrument is off-center, there is also a different between the left and right sides.

This plugin is inserted before the reverb processor and a version with side-chain is available, allowing simultaneous processing of two instruments.