Gated reverb with increased pre-delay gives a drum hit a large-then-truncated ambience

Gated reverb sends a drum hit into a long reverb, then a noise gate cuts the tail abruptly, producing the signature booming-but-truncated ambience of 1980s drum machines. Adding pre-delay (the gap before reverb onset) separates the dry transient from the wet tail, letting the attack cut through before the bloom begins. The Armando tutorial puts Reverb then a Gate then EQ on a rimshot: ~60 ms pre-delay, ~50% dry/wet, then the gate’s threshold/return/release tuned so you hear the tail for a set time before it goes silent, and finally an EQ cutting low rumble and boosting highs to add definition to the tail. The technique made thin electronic drums feel larger and more physical.

Examples

On a rimshot channel: Reverb (pre-delay 60 ms, Dry/Wet 50%) then Gate (threshold/return/release to taste) then EQ (cut lows, boost highs). Remove the pre-delay and hear the transient smear into the tail.

Assessment

Explain why pre-delay is used before a gated reverb, and describe what happens to the sound if you remove it.