Ducking Reverb: Big Space That Never Blurs the Words
Vocal mixing · 4 min read
Put a compressor on the reverb return and key it from the dry vocal. Ratio 4:1, attack 1–5 ms, release 150–250 ms, 3–4 dB of gain reduction. The tail drops out of the way while the words play and rises back in the gaps, so you can run far more reverb without losing a syllable.
Duck depth
3–4 dB
Attack 1–5 ms · release 150–250 ms · ratio 4:1
The 60-second answer
Compressor on the reverb return, external sidechain input fed from the dry vocal. Ratio 4:1, attack 1–5 ms, release 150–250 ms (roughly a 1/16 note: 60000 / BPM / 4 = 125 ms at 120 BPM). Lower the threshold until the meter shows 3–4 dB on every word. Now raise the reverb send by 3–6 dB and the vocal stays just as clear.
Why ducking lets you use more reverb, not less
The blur from reverb happens during the words, when the tail of the previous syllable is still sounding under the next one. It does not happen in the gaps, where there is nothing to mask. Ducking separates those two situations: the compressor pushes the tail down while the singer is singing and lets it back up the moment they stop. The space still exists, but it never sits on top of a consonant.
Why the release setting decides whether it sounds natural
Release is how fast the tail comes back after a word ends. Too fast and it swells between every syllable, which sounds like the reverb is breathing. Too slow and it never recovers within a phrase, so you have just turned the reverb down. A 1/16 note is a useful anchor: 60000 / BPM / 4 is 125 ms at 120 BPM, 107 ms at 140 BPM, 167 ms at 90 BPM. Start around 1.5 times that value and adjust by ear.
Setting up the duck, step by step
| # | Do this |
|---|---|
| 01 |
Route the reverb properly first Vocal send → reverb return, 100% wet. The duck goes after the reverb on that return, not on the vocal channel. Return: reverb → compressor |
| 02 |
Feed the compressor an external key Set the sidechain input to the dry vocal. Most DAWs need a send from the vocal to the compressor's sidechain bus. Key: dry vocal, pre-reverb |
| 03 |
Fast attack, moderate ratio You want the tail out of the way before the consonant lands, so 1–5 ms. Ratio 4:1 is enough; higher ratios make the duck audible. Ratio 4:1 · attack 1–5 ms |
| 04 |
Release from the note grid Around 1.5 x a 1/16 note. At 120 BPM that is roughly 190 ms; at 90 BPM roughly 250 ms. The tail should be back up before the next line begins. Release 150–250 ms |
| 05 |
Threshold for 3 to 4 dB, not more Deeper ducking becomes audible as pumping on the tail. If you need more separation, shorten the decay instead. GR 3–4 dB |
| 06 |
Now push the send up This is the payoff. Raise the reverb send 3–6 dB above where you had it. The vocal will stay just as intelligible and the track will sound much bigger. Send: +3 to +6 dB |
The trick: EQ the key signal so the duck follows consonants, not chest
The compressor does not have to listen to the whole vocal. Almost every plugin with an external key also has a sidechain filter, and if it does not, send the key from a duplicate vocal with an EQ on it. High-pass the key path at 500 Hz and add a broad 6 dB boost around 2–3 kHz. Now the ducking is driven by consonants and articulation rather than by sustained low-mid vowels. That changes two things. The duck triggers exactly where masking costs you intelligibility, and stays out of the way on held notes where a big tail is doing you a favour. And long sung vowels stop holding the reverb down for a whole bar, which is the usual reason ducked reverb sounds lifeless on melodic vocals. Set the key EQ first, then re-set the threshold.
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Get the Vocal Chain Bible — $48 →Mistakes that kill it
- Ducking the send instead of the return. That stops new reverb going in but leaves the existing tail untouched, which is exactly the part that was blurring the words.
- Keying from the processed vocal. Take the key before the reverb send and ideally before heavy limiting, so the compressor sees real dynamics.
- 10 dB of ducking. Past 5 dB the tail visibly pumps, and the listener hears the compressor rather than the room.
- Using it to rescue a too-long reverb. If the decay is 3 s at 140 BPM, ducking hides the problem for a bar and the tail piles up anyway.
Keep going
FAQ
How much should reverb duck under a vocal?
3–4 dB. That is enough to clear the words and small enough that the listener never hears the tail moving.
What release time for ducked reverb?
150–250 ms for most tempos. Anchor it to a 1/16 note (60000 / BPM / 4) and use roughly 1.5 times that value.
Can I duck delay the same way?
Yes, and it works even better. Delay repeats are discrete events, so ducking them by 4–6 dB keeps the throws audible without ever covering a word.
Who's behind this
Ivan Meshcheriakov · IvanFromRnD
5+ years ago I moved to LA with zero connections and started building from nothing — 14-hour days, meeting people and interning at studios. It took me 5+ years to meet and interview 100+ Grammy-winning engineers — then I turned it all into the Vocal Chain Bible.
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