Subjective Opinions on Applying Reverb

I,too, have been fortunate to work with some really big names in our industry. Reverb is always a touchy subject. If you ask ten artists what they think, you will get twenty answers! I know the only thing that rubs me the wrong way is not so much the amount of reverb, but some people tend to put separate reverbs on every instrument. I agree there is a time and place for that technique. It sounds most natural to my ear to have all the instruments routed to a buss with just one reverb for a room. Example: When you go hear a performance in a concert hall, you don't hear separate reverb on every instrument. You hear the whole group in ONE space! Depending on where the instrument is in that space determines how much of the room you hear. This is what I learned from many, many years of touring and playing every size room you can imagine. I try to keep that in mind when I start getting a little too zealous with the reverb knob. Like I said, That's just my opinion. I'm sure there will be many more.

I have been a recording hobbyist since the 1980's, starting out with digital and analog re verbs but not in software. Over the years, I have learned to use reverb sparingly. Nowadays I use software re verbs, currently I use the Waves IR 1 for most of my mixes, and I put it in an Aux in Sonar 8.5 PE and send everything that gets verb to that aux. I learned a long time ago that less is better.

That's the great thing about being able to use automation in Sonar after you have found the settings you want on your reverb.

Make it heavier and lighter throughout the mix as needed.

I might have a couple of FX busses with their own Reverb depending on what routed to it.  Use the automation to really apply on certain things or take away. Just depends on the song.

I kind of get the feeling a lot of people just throw it in an FX Bin, turn it on and forget about it