Effect Series: How to use Reverse

For this post, we’ve created a project that you can work on while going through the instructions. Click here to open it up in the studio.

Reversing an audio file can easily change the whole feeling and rhythm of the sound. Reversing creates a sort of intense, inhaling motion - it’s perfect for building up tension to a new part of your song, like a drop for example, or to create a unique chord progression for your main beat. It’s a shortcut to create sounds that are interesting and unique, and by applying this technique, your productions can sound a lot more professional. Let’s get to it!

Open up the project here, and for this step, play tracks 1-3 as you’re going through the following steps. We’ll get to the other tracks in the following weeks.

The first thing we want to do in our reversing journey, is to add a cool, mood setting ambience to this tune. Track 2 is a duplicate of track 1, with some other effects applied - let’s manipulate it further! Hover over the region on ‘Track 2 - Vocal alt.’, click on the ‘Edit’ button that appears and choose Reverse. Now, we have a really cool atmosphere in the track, by changing the region with just one click!

Do you have any questions on this? Reply with a comment and our Audio Producer will explain further! 

In this section, we’ll do a nice transition, that will buff the intensity of our tune. It’s a tried and true technique to add reversed sounds to mark the transition to a new part - if you listen for it, you’ll hear it everywhere in modern productions. It’s one of those tricks that will take your track to the next level!

Open up the project here, and for this step, play tracks 1-4 as you’re going through the following steps. We’ll get to the other tracks in the following weeks.

On track 4, we have an SFX sample - but it's pretty awkwardly placed, and it could sound a lot cooler in reverse. Click the edit button on the region at ‘Track 4 - SFX’ and choose Reverse. Then, trim the end of the region to remove the last sliver of the sound, and then drag the region so that it ends right at the end of the other tracks. We want to remove the initial attack on the SFX sample to make the reverse sound smooth and subtle! 

Here's what it will look like:

Do you have any questions on this? Reply with a comment and our Audio Producer will explain further! 

By now you’ve probably felt the power of reversing sounds, and can think of ways to use it in your own projects! To make your production unique, it is crucial to take the time to explore - to add unexpected instruments to your song, improvise new melodies, invite collaborators or reversing everything in your project. Dare to try things out, and you’ll bump into magic in no time!

Open up the project here, and play all the tracks as you’re going through the following steps. 

In this series, we’ve heard that pretty small adjustments can make our song sound more intense and unique. Now is the time to make the final touches - click the region ‘Edit’ button on ‘Track 5 - Synth’ and choose Reverse. Now, the notes in the track have an approaching, intense feeling, and are also aligned with the harmony of the vocals. To spice up the track even more, choose an effect of your choice and apply it on the synth track - I recommend the Flanger, Stereo Chorus or Vibrato effect. Remember that it’s your opinion that counts in your music making, so listen to your own feels and judgement.  

Do you have any questions on this? Reply with a comment and our Audio Producer will explain further!