Should I use OTT on sounds that already have reverb in them?
Marketing Director & Bass Music Mentor
I generally avoid using OTT or the MAX rack on sounds that already have reverb in them because the OTT will compress and bring forward the reverb tail, creating an overly aggressive and often bad-sounding result. If you're using presets with built-in reverb effects, I recommend turning off those time-based effects in the synth's FX section first, then adding OTT for grit, and finally applying reverb after the OTT in your signal chain. That way you get the aggressive in-your-face OTT character without it mangling your reverb.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I want both reverb and OTT on the same sound?
The safest approach is to apply OTT directly to the dry signal first, then send that compressed signal to a reverb. Processing in this order means OTT shapes the sound before the reverb hears it, so the reverb tail sounds natural. If you apply reverb first and then OTT, the compressor grabs the reverb tail and pumps it forward, which is usually the result you want to avoid (unless you're deliberately going for the artifact sound).
Does OTT on reverb always sound bad?
Not always. Applied intentionally at low depth on ambient pads or atmospheric sounds, OTT can glue the reverb tail into the body of the sound in an interesting way. The issue is specifically with sounds where you want the reverb to fade naturally behind the mix: OTT prevents that by constantly pushing the tail forward. Whether it sounds bad depends on what you're trying to achieve.
Which types of presets are most likely to have reverb already built in?
Factory presets in Serum, Massive, and most stock synths frequently include reverb in the effects chain because it makes the patch sound good in isolation. Lead and pad presets are especially common offenders. Always check the effects chain in a preset before adding processing: knowing what's already there prevents you from fighting the reverb you don't know is there.
Max Pote
Marketing Director & Bass Music Mentor
Max Pote is a professional bass music producer who performs and releases under the name Protohype. He has more than a decade of releases on major bass-music labels (Firepower Records, SMOG, Never Say Die, Rottun, Deadbeats), festival appearances at EDC Las Vegas and Lost Lands, and a feature credit on Tom Morello's 2021 album The Atlas Underground Fire. He was an early Icon Collective alumnus and later returned as an instructor before co-founding Futureproof Music School. He leads marketing at Futureproof and mentors students on sound design, songwriting, and finishing tracks.
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