Subject:Creating a Pre-Echo in Acid 4.0...possible?

Posted by: ericj

Date:9/24/2002 1:19:08 AM

I'm not sure what this effect is called but it has been around since the late 80s. I am looking to make, essentially, a reverse echo/delay...instead of the delay fade out after the music, have it fade in before the music.

For example, tons of songs (not just dance and top 40) will have the first word of the first verse "fade in" (for lack of a better term).

The best example I can give you is "Hello Again" by The Cars. Although they actually sung "hhhhhhhello! Hhhhhhhello again", that effect has been done billions of times since via an effects processor.

Anyone know the proper terminology of what I am talking about or how to do it? I am essentially only interested in performing this effect on an acappella as that seems to be the only way I've ever heard it.

TIA!

-Eric

Subject:RE: Creating a Pre-Echo in Acid 4.0...possible?

Reply by: nlamartina

Date:9/24/2002 2:15:02 AM

Eric,

This effect is not possible with Acid because it requires reversing the audio. If you have Sound Forge (or any similar editing program), you do it this way:

1. Open file.
2. Reverse the contents.
3. Add a thick echo (long reverb).
4. Reverse the contents again.

This way, the reversed echo will increase in amplitude to the point of origin, the initial spoken words, since it's playing in "reverse".

HTH,
Nick

Subject:RE: Creating a Pre-Echo in Acid 4.0...possible?

Reply by: Snappy

Date:9/24/2002 2:42:37 AM

i would call it a "pre reverse reverb" (reverse preverb?) ;)

anyway...

how i'd do it:

1. open your vocal track in a sound editor
2. reverse it
3. put a reverb on it
4. reverse it again so it's now forward & listen to the results - the tail end of the reverb will now be the beginning of the "ramp-up" into the vocals
4a. like it? proceed. don't like it? scrap it and start again at step 1...
5. save the new sound and load it into your tracking program as a new track - line it back up with the music and voila! ;)

mute the original (dry) vocal track at this point ... don't delete them though, so u can build the sample again if u decided u don't like it later...

OR if u only want the effect at the very beginning of the phrase, not throughout the whole phrase, once u have created the effect u want per the steps above, just copy and paste the effect section onto the beginning of the dry vocals - u can do this in your editor ..BUT.. i would bring the effect and the vocals into the multitracker as two separate samples to allow me to line up the effect right - in a setting where i can listen to the song as a whole.

it's a good idea to:
- save and back up everything before u start fiddling with it ;) (of course)
- write down or save the settings/process u put the sample through so u can re-create it if u want to re-do the effect with a slight tweak.

have phun! =)

Subject:RE: Creating a Pre-Echo in Acid 4.0...possible?

Reply by: Neil_Palfreyman

Date:9/24/2002 6:53:45 AM

Eric,

I did exactly this using an Audio editor as people have already described in one of my songs on AP:

http://www.acidplanet.com/Lounge/Detail.asp?PID=53432

There's a tutorial in one of the Computer Music back issues that goes into more detail on how to do it - If you're interested let me know and I'll dig it out tonight and let you know which issue it was.

Subject:RE: Creating a Pre-Echo in Acid 4.0...possible?

Reply by: ericj

Date:9/24/2002 10:01:40 AM

Yes...at about 1:13 is the first ocurrence I hear of the pre-echo effect.

Sure, if you can find that article that tells me how you did it that would be great!

-Eric

Subject:RE: Creating a Pre-Echo in Acid 4.0...possible?

Reply by: Neil_Palfreyman

Date:9/24/2002 2:41:19 PM

Eric,

found it - its in issue 29 page 19 called using effects - reverse reverb. Its a very short article and just explains pretty much what others have said here, but with pictures (in the usual CM style!) so I wouldn't spend money on a back issue just to get it

The short story is: dont use on your main vocal hook (if on vocals), use a good quality reverb plug-in so you get a good quality tail, use something like a large room setting, 70% wet 30% dry and a pre-delay of about 15mS (stops the sound cutting off "dead" after the phrase.) Reverse your sample, apply the reverb, the re-reverse it to get the tail leading in at the start.

Its a long time since I made that song, so I cant remember exactly how I did it, but it was after reading this article, so its going to be very similar. I used Cool Edit btw.

Hope this helps and good luck!