I am playing outdoors for an Easter service. I will be using my Nord E2 and Bose Compact.

The question is whether it does any good to add reverb outdoors.

Bernie

On your voice or keyboard?

Happy Easter!

Bernie,
My rule of thumb is much less reverb outdoors if any, the sound will becomes too thin. Indoors reverb must be adjusted according to the room.

John C.

Bernie, I think you'll find that the slightest wind will make the Reverb sound awful. I would avoid using it where possible, and just a bit where necessary.

John

It all depends of the reflective surfaces and the natural echo effects. Try it as you usually use it, and adjust to taste. Always use your ears in these situations - don't rely on a number or a setting.
On another note - I have an Electro3 and it has a "sum to mono" feature internally. Does the E2 have this? The Bose may sound better summed to mono.

I have to agree that reverb is not usually needed much outdoors and just tends to get lost anyway. You sort have gotta make the call. But I would probably start with none and maybe try introducing a little to determine if it is helping or not.

But I would elect for no reverb outdoors.

Thanks to all for your edification.

I will not be singing. I am using my E2 summed to mono into my mono Bose. I was considering using my Bose T2 mixer if reverb were needed, but will not need it.

Life just got simpler.
Bernie

I am surprised at the responses here ... I have heard a number of different groups perform outdoors and the reverb is quite evident ?!?

Don't be surprised, it is simply that reverb in a natural environment that also has its own reverb characteristics can not be predetermined by any given formula. You simply need to play with it yourself and make a call. And it is alway best to start with none and ramp it up so you get a good relative indication of what it is doing.

Put on a SMF song go out ion the audience and listen .....then make the appropriate adjustments. Good luck

I use an SMF of George Benson's "Breezin'" for a sound check because it has a good range of hi's and lo's ... But that doesn't tell me anything about what the vocal sounds like ... Besides, the mic goes through its own channel with its own settings ...

Of course not Tony....by this time in the game you should be able to easily just say 1,2,3, test and know exactly what adjustments to make to your Mic.....then just fine tune as you go along through the gig. Or you can hire a sound man to stay out in the audience with a 48 track mixer board

Actually, my sound guy's board is a little bigger than that ... ...

Getting back to the subject, I was surprised that a number of guys said that they did not use reverb outdoors ... I always have, and of course it has to be adjusted to the particular surroundings, but that is no different from any other venue ...

outside / inside makes no difference ......USE YOUR OWN EARS and make the necessary adjustments TO YOUR SOUND!

I perform very few outdoor jobs these days, but when I do I use the same reverb and effects that I use indoors.

Cheers,

Gary

I feel you might even need more reverb outdoors since you don't have any walls to add natural bounce-back.
DonM