reverb

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

reverberation, the persistence of sound in a space after the original sound source has ceased, caused by multiple reflections of sound waves from the surfaces of an enclosure; in audio production, reverb is both a naturally occurring acoustic phenomenon and a deliberately applied effect that simulates the acoustic character of physical spaces — from the intimate ambience of a small room to the vast decay of a cathedral or canyon; reverb effects are applied using hardware units (spring reverb, plate reverb, convolution reverb) or software plugins that model the impulse responses of real spaces; the creative use of reverb shapes the perceived size and atmosphere of a recording and has been central to the aesthetic signature of genres from classic rock and pop to ambient and electronic music