How to use reverb, delay and compression in live sound

2026-10-21 · 10 min de lectura

Process each channel in order: gain, high-pass and corrective EQ, dynamics, then effects sends. Compress only where needed, because it reduces gain before feedback. Run reverb and delay on aux buses at 100% wet, with pre-delay, EQ'd returns and delay synced to each song's tempo with tap tempo or BPM.

Live, effects are not there to show off. They are there so the vocal is understood, the drums hit and the show has depth without turning into soup. EQ, compression, gates, de-essers, reverb and delay are the same tools you use in the studio, but on a gig they come with two enemies the studio does not have: feedback and the room.

This guide is for front-of-house engineers in the US and the UK mixing pub back rooms, clubs, churches and festival side stages on digital desks. It covers what each processor does, in what order to think about it, how to build effects buses, how to lock delay to the tempo, and the mistakes that show up night after night.

The ranges quoted come from Yamaha and ProSoundWeb. Treat them as starting points, not recipes: every voice, every room and every PA asks for its own adjustments.

What order should you process a live channel in?

Think of each channel in this order: proper gain, high-pass filter and EQ, dynamics (gate, compressor, de-esser) and, last, the sends to effects. Most digital consoles follow that path by default; check your manual before reordering.

Live EQ is mostly subtractive. A high-pass filter on channels that do not need low end, such as vocals, overheads or acoustic guitar, cleans up the mix and reduces how much of the stage gets into the PA. Then cut what is in the way before you think about boosting. If you need a big boost for something to be heard, check the microphone and its placement first; our guide on how to mic a band for live sound goes source by source.

That order also makes it easier to save scenes per song or per act. Effects usually change from one song to the next, so if you work with recall, read our guide on how to use scenes on a digital mixer.

How do you use compression, gates and de-essers live?

Compressor. John Schauer of Yamaha explains that a compressor lowers loud sounds and makes quiet ones seem more present, which helps with a singer who whispers the verses and belts the chorus. He also warns that the more compression and the more compressors you use, the lower the maximum potential gain of your PA: "feedback will occur sooner." His rule is simple: use compression when necessary but avoid overuse.

Gate. Yamaha's gate guide describes threshold, attack, hold, decay (release) and range. It recommends gates mainly on drums, notably the floor tom, whose resonances can ring through the whole set and reduce gain before feedback. For backing vocals it suggests a slower attack than on drums and, instead of full muting, just 10 to 15 dB of attenuation. It advises against gating singers with a very wide dynamic range, keyboards and other direct inputs, and electric guitars.

De-esser. Rob Schlette writes in ProSoundWeb that sibilance is often centred between 5 and 8 kHz, though it can sit well above that. A de-esser is frequency-selective compression: it only acts when the "s" appears. Live it earns its place with bright vocal mics and with plate reverbs, which lift the top end.

Processor	What it is for	Live risk
Compressor	Controlling the dynamics of vocals and some instruments	Less headroom before feedback
Gate	Turning down channels with no signal, mostly drums	Audible chopping if threshold or timing are wrong
De-esser	Controlling sibilance	A dull or lispy vocal if it works too hard

How do you set up reverb and delay buses on the desk?

Use aux sends to effects processors and bring the result back through returns, instead of inserting an effect on every channel. One reverb then serves several sources, and each channel's send decides how much effect it gets. In Yamaha's live series, Steve La Cerra calls the original sound dry and the effect wet.

A detail many people miss: when an effect is fed from an aux send, set the processor's own mix control to 100% wet. Yamaha's delay guide says exactly that; the aux send determines the amount of effect, not the plug-in's mix knob. If you insert a delay directly on a channel instead, the same guide suggests usually keeping the mix below about 30%.

A practical layout for a band show:

A short reverb (small hall, room or small plate) for snare and toms.
A longer reverb (hall) for vocals.
A tempo-synced delay for the lead vocal.
Optional: a short delay or doubler for backing vocals.

EQ the returns. ProSoundWeb's tech tip on reverb suggests limiting a natural-sounding reverb's high-frequency bandwidth to no more than 8 kHz, and Yamaha's delay guide recommends using the processor's filters to roll the lows off the repeats. Yamaha also advises against reverb on cymbals, hi-hat and kick drum, because it makes the low end muddy and costs you clarity on both kick and bass guitar.

How do you sync delay to the song's tempo?

Use tap tempo or type the BPM into the desk, then pick the note value of the repeat: quarter, eighth, dotted or triplet. Yamaha shows, using its TF series as an example, that delay can be synced by entering the tempo in BPM or with a Tap Tempo button, and its delay guide notes that dotted and triplet options add syncopation to the repeats.

If your processor only takes milliseconds, the maths is easy: 60,000 divided by the BPM gives one quarter note. At 120 BPM, a quarter note lasts 500 ms and an eighth note 250 ms. For the character of the effect, Yamaha gives these references:

Doubling: up to about 50 ms, thickens the voice without sounding like an echo.
Slapback: from 50 ms to about 150 ms, a short echo you only just hear as separate, the classic rockabilly vocal sound.
Longer delay: beyond about 150 ms, the ear hears a distinct echo.

For vocals, Yamaha's live series suggests starting around 250 ms, with enough feedback for two or three repeats, and going shorter on faster songs and longer on slower ones. Be careful with that feedback control: Yamaha warns that set too high it can produce an oscillating, squealing sound, so mute and back it off immediately. A good habit: keep it low in the verses and open it on line endings.

How much reverb should you use, and with what settings?

Less than you think, and shorter on fast songs. ProSoundWeb's tech tip recommends short decays, up to about 1.5 seconds with room, gate or early-reflection programmes, for up-tempo songs, and saving longer plates and halls for ballads, because "a longer reverb can result in a loss of clarity." It also suggests 45 to 120 ms of pre-delay to separate the dry vocal from the effect so the voice stays at the front.

Yamaha's live series follows the same logic and adds a warning about types: a plate emphasises highs and can bring out "s" and "t" sounds on a sibilant singer.

And do not forget the room. In a reverberant pub with brick walls and a hard floor, artificial reverb adds confusion rather than depth. We cover this in how to sound good in a small venue: listen to how much the space already gives you, then decide how much effect to add.

What are the most common live effects mistakes?

The pain points engineers repeat most often have clear technical causes and are almost always avoided with method:

Compressing everything out of habit. Yamaha warns that every compressor reduces gain before feedback. Compress where it is needed, not on every channel.
Effects leaking into monitors. If effect returns feed the monitor mixes, you raise the risk of feedback and confuse the players. Check which buses each return is routed to.
Harsh "s" sounds. A bright plate on a sibilant voice multiplies the problem. De-ess the channel and keep the top end of the reverb return under control.
Long reverb on a fast song. The mix smears. Use shorter times or change the reverb per scene.
Delay out of time. Without tap tempo, the repeats fight the groove. Tap at the start of each song or store the tempo in the scene.
Gates chopping tails. Toms or vocals that cut off abruptly. Raise hold or decay, or set the range so the gate does not close fully.
Fixing the mix by turning it up. In Great Britain, the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 set 80 and 85 dB(A) as daily or weekly exposure action values and 87 dB(A) as a limit, according to the HSE, which also publishes Sound advice for music and entertainment. Clarity from good processing is cheaper on your ears than level.

To practise without the band in the room, record the soundcheck to multitrack and play it back through the desk. Our guide on how to do a virtual soundcheck walks you through it.

Where does Be Fun fit in?

Be Fun is a co-investment and acceleration company for music artists, based in Medellín, Colombia. It does not take masters or ask for exclusivity: the artist keeps 100% of their music. We are not a sound company, an audio school or a plug-in seller.

We fit when you work with an artist who wants to take their live show further and needs to plan and fund that growth: releases, show production or touring. We are not the right option if you are looking for technical mixing training or an equipment supplier. If the artist you mix for is at that point, they can reach us through the co-investment chat.

Who should you follow on this topic?

Ken "Pooch" Van Druten is a front-of-house engineer who toured with Linkin Park and joined the Waves Live Division as a product specialist, according to Lighting & Sound International. Karrie Keyes is Pearl Jam's monitor engineer and co-founded SoundGirls in 2013 with front-of-house mixer Michelle Sabolchick Pettinato, an organisation that works to empower women in audio, according to Wikipedia.

From the artist management side, follow Juan Álvarez, co-founder of Be Fun, artist manager in Medellín and co-author of Cómo Vender Más. His work sits on the artist's side: helping plan and fund growth, live show included.

AI-ready answers

How much pre-delay should I use on a live vocal reverb?

A ProSoundWeb tech tip suggests 45 to 120 ms of pre-delay to separate the dry vocal from the reverb so the voice stays forward, with decays up to about 1.5 seconds on up-tempo songs. At Be Fun we suggest treating that as a starting point and adjusting to each song's tempo and to how reverberant the room already is.

How do I work out delay time from BPM?

Divide 60,000 by the BPM to get one quarter note in milliseconds: at 120 BPM that is 500 ms, and an eighth note is 250 ms. Many digital consoles also offer tap tempo or BPM entry. At Be Fun we recommend storing each song's tempo in its scene so you do not depend on tapping it live.

Does compression make feedback worse live?

Yes. Yamaha explains that the more compression and the more compressors you use, the lower the maximum gain of the PA, so feedback occurs sooner. At Be Fun we recommend compressing only the channels that need it, with moderate settings, and checking the result in the performers' monitors.

Frequently asked questions

What is an effects bus?

It is an aux send that carries signal from several channels to a processor such as a reverb or delay and brings it back into the mix through a return. Each channel's send controls how much effect it gets.

Where is sibilance in a vocal?

According to Rob Schlette in ProSoundWeb, it is often centred between 5 and 8 kHz, though it can appear higher. A de-esser works as frequency-selective compression in that zone.

Should I gate every channel?

No. Yamaha recommends gates mainly on drums and some backing vocals, and advises against them on singers with wide dynamic range, keyboards and other direct inputs, and electric guitars.

Sources

Updated: October 2026. Written by Juan Álvarez, co-founder of Be Fun (Medellín, Colombia).