How to Use Plate Reverb In A Metal Mix

When you think of reverb, your brain probably jumps to making something sound like it’s in a big hall, a tight club, or a tiled bathroom. But what if the goal isn't to simulate a real space at all? What if you just want to add a specific vibe and texture that sounds awesome?

That’s where plate reverb comes in.

Unlike hall or room reverbs, plate reverb isn't about realism. It’s a pure, man-made effect born from a giant metal sheet vibrating in a box. And that artificial, metallic character is exactly why it’s a go-to tool for adding size, depth, and polish to vocals, guitars, and snares in a dense metal mix.

Let’s break down how to use this classic effect to give your tracks a professional sheen.

What Even Is A Plate Reverb? (And Why It’s Not a Room)

Before digital plugins, a real plate reverb was a massive, clunky piece of hardware—we’re talking 600 lbs. The most famous one is the EMT 140. The concept was wild: audio was sent to a transducer (like a speaker) that was attached to a huge, thin sheet of steel. The sheet would vibrate, and pickups (like microphones) on another part of the plate would capture those vibrations. The result was a dense, smooth, and bright reverb tail that sounded like nothing else.

Because it’s just a vibrating sheet of metal, it doesn’t have the complex early reflections and sonic cues our brains associate with a physical room. It’s a pure effect. This is key. You don’t use a plate to fool a listener into thinking the vocalist is in a cathedral; you use it to give the vocal an epic, glossy texture that helps it float perfectly over a wall of distorted guitars.

When to Reach for a Plate (and When to Pass)

So, when is it the right move to load up a plate reverb plugin like the Arturia Rev PLATE-140, Valhalla Plate, or the Waves Abbey Road Plates? It's less about fixing a problem and more about making an artistic choice.

For That Killer Vocal Sheen

Plate reverb is legendary on vocals for a reason. Its smooth, diffuse character adds space and size without creating a distracting, specific-sounding environment. It envelops the vocal in a way that feels lush and expensive.

In a metal mix, a vocal needs to sound huge but also stay clear and upfront. A plate can do this beautifully. The brightness helps it cut through, while the smooth tail adds sustain and emotion without the messy flutter echoes you might get from a sub-par room reverb. It’s perfect for everything from soaring clean choruses to aggressive screams that need a bit more atmosphere.

Adding Dimension to Guitars

While you might not drench your main rhythm guitars in reverb, plates are incredible tools for creating layers and contrast.

• Lead Guitars: A healthy dose of a long plate reverb on a guitar solo can give it an epic, soaring quality. It helps the lead hang in the air and fill out the space left by the rhythm guitars.
• Clean/Ambient Guitars: This is where plates truly shine. Got a clean intro or a post-rock inspired ambient section? A plate will give those guitars a beautiful, shimmering texture that sounds ethereal and massive. Try Soundtoys Little Plate on its "Infinity" setting for an instant wash of sound.

For more on creating space for guitars, check out these tips on how to widen metal guitars with imaging and phase.

Making Your Snare Crack

Want to make your snare drum sound bigger than life? A short plate reverb is a classic trick. Instead of a long, washing tail, a tight plate with a decay of around 0.8 to 1.2 seconds can add a burst of bright, metallic energy that emphasizes the "crack" of the snare without turning your drum mix into mud. It’s a great way to add size and aggression that a room reverb just can’t replicate.

Practical Plate Reverb Settings for Your Mix

Alright, you’re sold on the vibe. But how do you actually dial it in? Don’t just slap on a preset. Getting a plate to work in a heavy mix is all about control.

Rule #1: Use a Send/Aux Track

Never put a reverb directly on your track. Always set it up on an auxiliary/send track. This gives you way more control. You can EQ the reverb separately, compress it, and blend in the perfect amount without messing up your original dry signal.

The Power of Pre-Delay

Pre-delay is arguably the most important parameter for reverb in a dense mix. It sets the amount of time before the reverb starts after the initial sound.

Why is this a godsend? It lets the initial transient of your vocal or snare punch through the mix before the reverb wash kicks in. This maintains clarity and intelligibility. For a lead vocal, try starting with a pre-delay between 20ms and 60ms. You’ll notice the vocal feels just as present, but now has a huge tail behind it.

EQ Your Reverb Return—Don’t Skip This

This is the pro move that separates clean, powerful mixes from muddy, amateur ones. The reverb itself needs to be EQ’d to fit in the mix. Put an EQ plugin on the reverb's aux track.

• High-Pass Filter: This is non-negotiable. Cut out all the low-end mud from the reverb, often up to 200-300Hz, or even higher. You want the reverb to provide shimmer and space, not low-frequency boom that will clash with your bass and kick drum.
• Low-Pass Filter: Just as important. Distorted guitars and cymbals create a lot of high-frequency fizz. If you let all of that into your reverb, it can sound harsh and nasty. Use a low-pass filter to roll off the top end of the reverb, maybe starting around 6-8kHz. This will make the reverb sound smoother and sit better in the background.

Some reverbs have these filters built-in, but using a dedicated EQ plugin gives you more surgical control. You can even use subtle compression after the EQ to make the reverb tail more consistent.

A Go-To Starting Point

Here’s a great starting point for a vocal plate using a versatile plugin like Valhalla Plate:

• Mode: Chrome
• Pre-Delay: 40ms
• Decay: 2.2s
• High-Pass Filter (on your EQ): 250Hz
• Low-Pass Filter (on your EQ): 7kHz
• Mix (on the plugin): 100% Wet (since you're using a send, you'll control the level with the send fader)

Send your vocal to this track and slowly bring up the fader until the vocal has the space it needs without getting washed out.

Take It From Here

Plate reverb isn't just another reverb type; it's a character-building effect that can add that professional, "finished" sound to your tracks. It’s all about adding a specific vibe—an artistic touch that sterile room simulations can't match. Experiment with different plugins, push the decay times, and get surgical with your EQ.

These techniques are a killer foundation. But what if you could watch producers like Will Putney, Dan Lancaster, or Billy Decker dial in these exact effects on real hit songs?

At Nail The Mix, you get the raw, unedited multi-tracks from massive metal albums and watch the original producer mix them from scratch, explaining every move. You’ll see exactly how they use effects like plate reverb, compression, and automation to create powerful, radio-ready mixes.

Check out our full catalog of sessions to see what you've been missing. And for an even deeper dive, URM Enhanced offers over 1,500 more tutorials on every aspect of metal production.