Room Simulation

Using the Reverb effect block to simulate early reflections of a room (or amp booth or similar) adds a very realistic touch if you are recording direct.

Here are some more detailed explanations on early reflections and reverb:

• http://audacity.sourceforge.net/manual-1.2/effects_reverb.html
• http://audacity.sourceforge.net/manual-1.2/tutorial_effects_1.html

On the Axe-Fx you can use these initial settings to simulate a small space like an "amp booth" for example:

• Mix: 40-100% (Adjust to taste)
• Level: 0-8dB (adjust to balance non bypassed vs. bypassed state)
• Type: Small room
• Time: 0.10-.26sec
• Size: 6.1-25 (any more will sound like too big of a room)
• Color: 7.0 (adjust to taste again, this is just a starting point).
• Lo-cut: 20Hz-200Hz (Used to reduce reverb low freq boom)
• Hi-cut: 80000-13000Hz (if your settings give too much harshness you can tame it with this)
• Diffusion: 100%
• Pre-delay: 0ms
• Density: 9-12 (I find a lot of density really improves the early reflections)
• Early delay: 13.8%
• Early level: -8dB (keep the early and reverb level fairly close, but again experiment)
• Reverb level: -9dB
• Mod: 0%

In general here are some guidelines for modifying the parameters (but they are not rules, experiment!!). Also see Reverb for an official explanation of what the controls do.

• Size. This will set up all the pre-delay, early delay time etc. This is the most crucial parameter that you should experiment with to get the sound you want, then you can "fine tune" the other controls once you establish the base sound.
• Time. Keep this farly, try to avoid any metallic ringing.
• Color. This is a bit more subtle, but keep it low for a more darker room. Adjust to taste depending on how reflective you want the walls of the virtual space.
• Lo-cut. Use this to reduce boominess.
• High-cut. Adjust to taste, depending on how bright you want the space to be.
• Diffusion: Keep it fairly high if not 100%. As per the name, this will diffuse the early reflections so they are not as direct.
• Pre-delay: The pre-delay is set by the size parameter. Change this value if your mix is not 100% as this will affect phasing.
• Early Delay: This is to change the default time set by size (i.e. 0% is the default). Adjust it to match the sound you are looking for. This also affects phasing. If it's too echoey, decrease this (to the negative side). This effectively reduces the room size.
• Early Level, Reverb Level: May want to keep early level close to the reverb level.