Composers and musicians have worked echo or reverb into their performances for most of history, but in 1947, a band called the Harmonicats released what may have been the first song to use an artificial echo chamber. By placing a microphone and loudspeaker in the bathroom, the group’s producer created artificial reverb of the sort that would be used in everything from Dick Dale’s surf rock to modern-day “transcendent” pop. Over at The Atlantic, William Weir has put together a short history of artificial reverb and echo (two overlapping but different concepts) as well as a few words on what the use of this trick means for music.
Artificial echo through the ages: a history of reverb in music
A short history of how artificial reverb, created synthetically or through an echo chamber, has been used in music.
A short history of how artificial reverb, created synthetically or through an echo chamber, has been used in music.
is a senior tech and policy editor focused on online platforms and free expression. Adi has covered virtual and augmented reality, the history of computing, and more for The Verge since 2011.
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