Gated Snare
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Gated reverb or gated ambience is an audio processing technique that combines strong
reverb In acoustics, reverberation (commonly shortened to reverb) is a persistence of sound after it is produced. It is often created when a sound is reflected on surfaces, causing multiple reflections that build up and then decay as the sound is a ...
and a
noise gate A noise gate or simply gate is an electronic device or software that is used to control the amplitude, volume of an audio signal. Comparable to a limiter, which attenuates signals ''above'' a threshold, such as loud attacks from the start of mu ...
that cuts the tail of the reverb. The effect is typically applied to recordings of drums (or live sound reinforcement of drums in a
PA system A public address system (or PA system) is an electronic system comprising microphones, amplifiers, loudspeakers, and related equipment. It increases the apparent volume (loudness) of a human voice, musical instrument, or other acoustic sound sou ...
) to make the hits sound powerful and "punchy" while keeping the overall mix sound clean and transparent. As one of the more prominent effects in many British pop and rock songs of the 1980s, it was brought to mainstream attention in 1979 by producer
Steve Lillywhite Stephen Alan Lillywhite (born 15 March 1955) is an English record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has been credited on over 500 records, and has collaborated with a variety of musicians including new wave acts The Alarm ...
and engineer
Hugh Padgham Hugh Charles Padgham (born 15 February 1955) is an English record producer and audio engineer. He has won four Grammy Awards, for Producer of the Year and Album of the Year for 1985, Record of the Year for 1990, and Engineer of the Year for 199 ...
while working on
Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He came to prominence as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis. He left the band in 1975 and launched a solo career wit ...
's self-titled third solo album, after
Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later became the lead singer of the rock band Genesis (band), Genesis and had a successful solo career, ac ...
played drums without using cymbals at London's
Townhouse Studios The Town House (also known as Townhouse Studios) was a recording studio located at 140 Goldhawk Road, Shepherd's Bush in London, built in 1978 under the direction of Richard Branson for Virgin Records. The studios changed ownership and eventuall ...
. The effect is most quintessentially demonstrated in Collins' hit song "
In the Air Tonight "In the Air Tonight" is the debut solo single by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It was released as the lead single from Collins's debut solo album, ''Face Value (album), Face Value'', in January 1981. It was selected as the s ...
". Unlike many
reverberation In acoustics, reverberation (commonly shortened to reverb) is a persistence of sound after it is produced. It is often created when a sound is reflection (physics), reflected on surfaces, causing multiple reflections that build up and then de ...
or
delay Delay or DeLay may refer to: People * B. H. DeLay (1891–1923), American aviator and movie stunt pilot * Dorothy DeLay (1917–2002), American violin instructor * Florence Delay (born 1941), French academician and actor * Jan Delay, stage name ...
effects, the gated reverb effect does not try to emulate any kind of reverb that occurs in nature. In addition to drums, the effect has occasionally been applied to vocals.


History

Producer
Steve Lillywhite Stephen Alan Lillywhite (born 15 March 1955) is an English record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has been credited on over 500 records, and has collaborated with a variety of musicians including new wave acts The Alarm ...
claimed he first experimented the "ambience thing" on drums during the recording of
Siouxsie and the Banshees Siouxsie and the Banshees ( ) were a British Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. Post-punk pioneers, they were widely influential, both over their contemporaries and later ...
' album ''
The Scream ''The Scream'' is an art composition created by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch in 1893. The Norwegian name of the piece is ('Screaming, Scream'), and the German title under which it was first exhibited is ' ('The Scream of Nature'). The agonize ...
'' (1978), when drummer Kenny Morris played without using cymbals on several songs. Lillywhite explained to journalist John Robb: "When you listen, you can hear elements of this gated room sound, big compressed room sound that I did on the Banshees." In 1979, gated reverb was prominently used for the snare drum in the
synthpop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s ...
song "
Behind the Mask Behind the Mask may refer to: Film and television * Behind the Mask (1932 film), ''Behind the Mask'' (1932 film), a film featuring Boris Karloff * The Man Behind the Mask, ''Behind the Mask'' (1936 film) or ''The Man Behind the Mask'', a Britis ...
" by pioneering Japanese
electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...
band
Yellow Magic Orchestra Yellow Magic Orchestra (abbreviated to YMO) was a Japanese electronic music band formed in Tokyo in 1978 by Haruomi Hosono (bass, keyboards, vocals), Yukihiro Takahashi (drums, lead vocals, occasional keyboards) and Ryuichi Sakamoto (keyboards, ...
(YMO) from their hit album ''
Solid State Survivor ''Solid State Survivor'' is the second album by Japanese electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra, released in 1979. Later, ''Solid State Survivor'' was released in 1982 in the UK on LP and cassette, also in 1992 in the United States on CD, b ...
''. The song was composed by YMO member
Ryuichi Sakamoto was a Music of Japan, Japanese musician, composer, keyboardist, record producer, singer and actor. He pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the Synthesizer, synth-based band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his ...
, with
Yukihiro Takahashi was a Japanese musician, singer, record producer, fashion designer, and actor, who was best known internationally as the drummer, lead vocalist, & 2nd keyboardist of the Yellow Magic Orchestra, as the former drummer of the Sadistic Mika Band, ...
playing the drums. The gated reverb effect on the snare drum was produced using a digital reverb unit. Lillywhite also listed his production's work on
Psychedelic Furs Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary mental states (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips") and a perceived "expansion of consciousness". Also referred to as classic hallucin ...
's single " Sister Europe" (1980); this was "all done before the ''
Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He came to prominence as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis. He left the band in 1975 and launched a solo career wit ...
'' album". Lillywhite recognized that the gated reverb drum sound really showed its head in that form during the recording of the ''Peter Gabriel'' album with engineer
Hugh Padgham Hugh Charles Padgham (born 15 February 1955) is an English record producer and audio engineer. He has won four Grammy Awards, for Producer of the Year and Album of the Year for 1985, Record of the Year for 1990, and Engineer of the Year for 199 ...
. Lillywhite and Padgham's work on ''Peter Gabriel 3'' was bookended with their work on
XTC XTC were an English rock band formed in Swindon in 1972. Fronted by songwriters Andy Partridge (vocals, guitars) and Colin Moulding (vocals, bass), the band gained popularity during the rise of punk and new wave in the 1970s, later playing ...
's ''
Drums and Wires ''Drums and Wires'' is the third studio album by the English rock band XTC, released 17 August 1979 on Virgin Records. It is a more pop-orientated affair than the band's previous, '' Go 2'' (1978), and was named for its emphasis on guitars ("w ...
'' (1979) and ''
Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...
'' (1980). In this period they perfected their technique on
Terry Chambers Terry Peter Chambers (born 18 July 1955) is an English drummer who was a member of the band XTC from 1972 to 1982 and the popular Australian–New Zealand group Dragon between 1983 and 1985. He appears on all of XTC's albums between '' White Mu ...
' drums, which can be heard most distinctively on ''Black Sea'' (particularly the songs " Respectable Street", " Generals and Majors" and "Love at First Sight"). At
Townhouse Studios The Town House (also known as Townhouse Studios) was a recording studio located at 140 Goldhawk Road, Shepherd's Bush in London, built in 1978 under the direction of Richard Branson for Virgin Records. The studios changed ownership and eventuall ...
in
Shepherd's Bush Shepherd's Bush is a suburb of West London, England, within the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham west of Charing Cross, and identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Plan. Although primarily residential in character, its ...
, Lillywhite and Padgham famously applied gated reverb to
Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later became the lead singer of the rock band Genesis (band), Genesis and had a successful solo career, ac ...
' drum timbre when Collins played without using cymbals on
Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He came to prominence as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis. He left the band in 1975 and launched a solo career wit ...
's song "
Intruder Intruder may refer to: Film and television Film * The Intruder (1914 film), ''The Intruder'' (1914 film), Wallace Reid filmography, directed by Wallace Reid * The Intruder (1933 film), ''The Intruder'' (1933 film), an American film by Albert ...
" at Gabriel's request, on Gabriel's eponymous third solo album. Padgham claimed he discovered the sound accidentally when he opened an overhead mic, intended to be used as a
talkback Talkback or talk back may refer to: *Talkback (album), ''Talkback'' (album), a 1983 album by the Canadian band the Spoons *Talk Back (Kembe X album), ''Talk Back'' (Kembe X album), 2016 *Talkback, an alternate name for Marvel Comics superhero C ...
channel, above Collins's drum set when the pair were working on the track. The microphone was heavily compressed as well as using a gate. Collins then used gated reverb extensively, both in his solo work as well as working with other artists. He used it notably on his hit song "
In the Air Tonight "In the Air Tonight" is the debut solo single by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It was released as the lead single from Collins's debut solo album, ''Face Value (album), Face Value'', in January 1981. It was selected as the s ...
", produced by Collins and Padgham. Other examples from Collins' own music also include "
Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now) "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (also titled "Against All Odds") is a song by English drummer, singer and songwriter Phil Collins. It was recorded for the soundtrack to the 1984 film of the same name. It is a power ballad in which i ...
", " I Don't Care Anymore", "
I Wish It Would Rain Down "I Wish It Would Rain Down" is a song by English musician Phil Collins from his fourth solo studio album, '' ...But Seriously'' (1989). The song was a chart success in early 1990, peaking at 7 on the UK Singles Chart, No. 3 on the US ''Billb ...
", and "
You'll Be in My Heart "You'll Be in My Heart" is a song by English drummer and singer Phil Collins from the 1999 Disney animated feature ''Tarzan''. It appeared on '' Tarzan: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack'' as well as various other Disney compilations. ...
" and the
Genesis Genesis may refer to: Religion * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of humankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Bo ...
songs "
Mama Mama(s) or Mamma or Momma may refer to: Roles *Mother, a female parent * Mama-san, in Japan and East Asia, a woman in a position of authority *Maternal uncle, in some parts of South Asia Places * Mama, Russia, an urban-type settlement in the Mam ...
" and "
No Son of Mine "No Son of Mine" is a song by British rock group Genesis, released in October 1991 by Atlantic and Virgin as the lead single from their 14th album, ''We Can't Dance'' (1991). The song, written by Phil Collins and composed by him with Tony B ...
". Gated reverb was used on countless drum tracks during the 1980s, to the point that the sound became a defining characteristic of that decade's popular music. - Vox, 18 August 2017 In the 1990s, many bands went back to more natural sounding drums. American rock band
Haim Haim can be a first name or surname originating in Hebrew or derived from the Old German name Haimo. Etymology Hebrew Chayyim ( ', Classical Hebrew: , Israeli Hebrew: ), also transcribed ''Haim, Hayim, Chayim'', or ''Chaim'' (English pronunciat ...
used gated reverb on
Danielle Haim Danielle Sari Haim (born February 16, 1989) is an American musician. She is the lead guitarist and vocalist of the pop rock band Haim, which also consists of her two sisters, Este Haim and Alana Haim. Danielle also serves as the group's drummer i ...
's drumming for their debut studio album '' Days Are Gone'' (2013). By 2018, several contemporary artists began incorporating the effect in some of their rhythm tracks including
Lorde Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor (born 7 November 1996), known professionally as Lorde ( ), is a New Zealand singer and songwriter. She is known for her unconventional style of pop music and introspective songwriting, and has been referred to ...
and
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
.


Methods of creation


Live room method

The oldest, most "natural" technique can be executed with minimal electronic processing. The steps for processing are as follows: # At least two microphones are set up: ''close mic(s)'' (to pick up the hit itself) and ''ambience mic(s)'' (to pick up ambient sound). Usually, there is also a stereo pair involved that captures the overhead stereo image or cymbals. # The whole drumset and all mics are placed in a very ''live room'' (i.e., one with huge amounts of reverberation and particularly early reflections from its walls, ceiling and floor). # High-gain
compression Compression may refer to: Physical science *Compression (physics), size reduction due to forces *Compression member, a structural element such as a column *Compressibility, susceptibility to compression * Gas compression *Compression ratio, of a ...
is applied to ambience mic(s) to capture the quieter details of the reverb sound. (optional) # ''Ambience mic(s)'' are fed through a
noise gate A noise gate or simply gate is an electronic device or software that is used to control the amplitude, volume of an audio signal. Comparable to a limiter, which attenuates signals ''above'' a threshold, such as loud attacks from the start of mu ...
with separate external key input. # ''Close mic(s)'' are used as an external key for the noise gate. # Hold time of noise gate is set to half a second or so (this would be a real duration of hit sound), followed by a fast release time. This causes the gate to allow only the first half-second of reverb to pass through after each drum hit, before closing again. # ''close mic'' and ''ambience'' sounds are mixed to taste. This results in a very live-sounding drum that is rapidly cut off with none of the overpowering secondary reflections associated with reverb.


Effects processor method

When using a hardware reverb unit, echo chamber or digital emulation of either, it is possible to replicate the classic scheme: # Whichever piece of the drum kit is getting the effect will need at least one microphone set up close to it. Ambient microphones are unnecessary but can be used if desired. The sound can be achieved in acoustically "live" or "dead" rooms, since all reverberation will be done inside the
effects unit An effects unit, effects processor, or effects pedal is an electronic device that alters the sound of a musical instrument or other audio source through audio signal processing. Common effects include distortion (music), distortion/overdrive, ...
processor. # The ''close mic'' sound is fed to the reverberation unit, then optionally to a compressor, and then to the noise gate's signal input. # The same sound from the ''close mic'' is fed to the noise gate's key input. # The "wet" and "dry" sounds (which is to say the processed and unprocessed sounds, respectively) can be mixed to taste. This setup does not require a "live room" to achieve the enhanced reverberation of the drum sound and therefore the effect can be reproduced at
concert A concert, often known informally as a gig or show, is a live performance of music in front of an audience. The performance may be carried by a single musician, in which case it is sometimes called a recital, or by a musical ensemble such as an ...
s without great difficulty.


Emulation method

Although the gated reverb effect was initially achieved using a combination of reverb and a noise gate, the version heard on most iconic 1980s recordings was produced using the AMS RMX16's NonLin2 algorithm, which emulated the effect with a shaped, nonlinear decay.https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/ua-rmx16 , Sound On Sound - UA RMX16 Reverb


References


Further reading

*
Effects & Signal Processors article
on Harmony Central includes information on gated reverb. * Vox (18 August 2017)
How a recording studio mishap shaped 80s music
{{Phil Collins Audio effects 1980s in music