In this segment, we are going to look into “3D mixing.” When is comes to mixing, the 3rd dimension is what I like to call “depth.” Much like we see in 3D, we hear in 3D and taking out any one of these dimensions only serves to create an unnatural sound. The most common tool which gives the illusion of depth is reverb.
We usually use reverb to mimic sound characteristics from a particular environment. Alternatively, we can use reverb to position a sound in space in relation to the listener. In other words we can use reverb to push sounds back in the mix to make them sound further away.
As far as initial and common depth strategy, we should think about our instruments (drums, bass, vocals, etc.) and where we want them to sit in the mix. Vocals you would want more on the forefront and maybe the bass more in the back.
Typically, sound appears duller the further from the listener and brighter the closer to the listener. The following tutorial will show you how to push sounds to the back of your mix using reverb.