There are a multitude of different reverb plug-ins that can be used with 7.0.2 and 7.1.2 tracks and some that can address higher track widths.

There are 3 options to integrate and route reverb plug-ins in a Dolby Atmos mix:

1. Use a multichannel reverb plug-in and send it to the 7.1.2 Bed
2. Use a multichannel reverb plug-in and send it to an Object Bed, with channel widths of up to 9.1.6
3. Use multiple stereo reverb plug-ins routed to Objects and position them at various positions in space.

The below guides describe the workflow in Pro Tools, but the same principles can be applied to other DAWs as well, though the routing structure will vary depending on the DAW.

 

1. Use a multichannel reverb plug-in and send it to the 7.1.2 Bed

To apply reverb to any number of Object or Bed tracks and return the reverb to the 7.1.2 Bed: 

• • Create a 7.1.2 aux input track and insert the desired reverb plug-in on the track. Route the output of the track to the 7.1.2 Bed.
  • Create a new 7.1.2 bus in I/O Setup for use as a reverb send path, and allocate this as the input to the aux track.

• • On any tracks that you’d like to apply reverb to, create a send to the reverb send path. The send fader can then be used effectively as a wet/dry level control. In most cases, you’ll want to enable Follow Main Pan (or FMP) in the send’s panner so that the Object panning metadata will be applied to the send pan position.

 

2. Use a multichannel reverb plug-in and send it to an Object Bed

Multichannel Reverbs with wider track widths of up to 9.1.6 can be used when an Object Bed is setup in the session.

The workflow for sending reverb to an Object Bed is the same as described in Section 1) above, but the total channel count of the reverb plug-in and the reverb send path is higher.

 

3. Use multiple stereo reverb plug-ins and position them at various positions in space.

Instead of using a single multichannel reverb plug-in, an immersive reverb can also be created with multiple stereo reverbs. To achieve this effect:

• • Create 3 (or more) stereo aux tracks. Insert the desired reverb plug-ins into those tracks.
  • Route the stereo aux tracks as individual stereo objects and pan them to various positions in space. For example, the first stereo aux can be panned to the front, the second to the rear and the third to the top.
  • Create a single stereo bus in the I/O Setup and use that as the reverb send path to all 3 stereo aux tracks with the reverb plug-ins.
  • On any tracks that you’d like to apply the reverb to, create a send to the reverb send path. The send fader can be used as a wet/dry level control.
  • Experiment with different reverb times and pre-delays on each stereo reverb to fine tune the reverb to the needs of your project.