Diffusion and density. Two key players that often get mixed up. So meet my friend, the phonon.
Phonons are like photons, particles of light, but they’re particles of sound. They move along paths, they bounce around, and eventually they settle down, where they turn themselves into heat. But unlike photons, phonons aren’t exactly real.
They’re abstractions that help us understand the way sound waves behave, and in this case, they’re really useful in visualizing what happens when you hear reverb. Reverb is essentially billions of echoes. Sound bounces around surfaces, sort of like pool balls after a good break.
But imagine now those pool balls are like particles of water. Density and diffusion describes if that water behaves like a shower or a mist. Low density means that you can hear the space in between the echoes, like individual drops instead of a continuous downpour.
And diffusion describes how the particles scatter. High diffusion distributes those little phonons like a fog. These parameters are all about sculpting the tail of the reverb.
They’re partners in crime. Remember, reverb takes up a lot of room in your mix. It eats space.
So with a sustained sound like vocals, you may not notice more space in between the drops. The opposite may be true with a percussive sound. Now, of chorus, what you do with that, that’s where the fun begins.
And that’s what a Beat Kitchen residency is for. It’s more than a bunch of classes. It’s a team of us on speed dial.
It’s a community. And if someone who belongs in one, share this post.
