How to Do Reverse Reverb in FL Studio

How to Do Reverse Reverb in FL Studio

FL Studio doesn't have a one-click "reverse reverb" effect either, but between Edison and the Channel Rack's sample tools you've got everything you need to build it by hand. Here's the full manual chain, plus a faster real-time alternative.

Method 1: The Manual Way (Edison + Fruity Reeverb 2)

Step 1 — Get your sound into Edison. Route the vocal, drum hit, or chord you want to swell into Edison (FL's built-in audio editor) — either record into it live or drag an existing sample in.

Step 2 — Reverse the sample. In Edison's toolbar, click the Reverse tool (or use the keyboard shortcut). This flips the waveform.

Step 3 — Render the reversed sample. Save the reversed audio out of Edison so you have a standalone reversed file to work with — drag it onto a new Channel Rack slot or straight onto the Playlist.

Step 4 — Add reverb. Drop Fruity Reeverb 2 (or any reverb you prefer) on the mixer track that reversed sample is routed through. Set the decay and size for the swell you want — you're shaping the reversed tail here, not the final forward sound yet.

Step 5 — Bounce it. Render that track (reversed sample plus reverb) down to a new audio clip — right-click the pattern/clip and export, or use Edison to capture the mixer output.

Step 6 — Reverse it again. Bring the newly bounced file back into Edison and hit Reverse one more time. Because the reverb was added before this second flip, the tail now sits in front of the original hit instead of trailing behind it — that's the swell.

Step 7 — Line it up. Drag the clip in the Playlist so the original transient lands exactly on the beat or word you want, and trim the front and back as needed.

Common Mistakes

• Skipping the render step between reverses — reversing Edison's live input without rendering first means you're not actually capturing the reverb tail, just the dry reversed sample.
• Reverb decay too long — a huge tail smears into the next hit and can bury the transient instead of framing it. Shorter, controlled decays usually sit cleaner in a mix.
• Losing track of sample rate or bit depth after multiple bounces — repeated renders in FL can occasionally shift project defaults; double-check settings if something sounds off after the second bounce.
• Skipping the trim — leftover silence or a stray reversed tail before the transient throws off timing. Zoom in and check against the grid.

Method 2: A Real-Time Insert (Preverb)

The Edison chain is free and lets you use any reverb algorithm you already own, but it's seven steps every time the part changes — a new vocal comp, a moved hit, a different arrangement.

Preverb does this as a single mixer insert instead: drop it on the channel like any other VST3 plugin, dial in swell length and amount, and it's generating the effect live — no rendering, no re-reversing, no rebuilding the chain when the take changes.

Which Method Should You Use?

Use the manual method if: you're doing this once on a track, you want a specific reverb algorithm you already own, or you like the sound-design process.

Use a real-time plugin if: the part is still evolving, you're doing this across many hits or tracks, or you want the swell editable live instead of committed at bounce time.