Reverb belongs on a wet-only send-return with post-fader sends so one effect serves every track and the mix stays balanced

Reverb at mixdown is almost always best applied as a send-return (auxiliary) effect rather than an insert, so a single effect can serve every channel and can itself be processed (e.g. high-pass the return to clean the low end for all sources at once). Two settings are critical. First, the reverb must output only the processed wet signal, with the direct/dry signal fully removed or switched off; otherwise sending to it from a channel also alters that channel’s carefully balanced level. Second, the auxiliary sends that feed the reverb must be taken post-fader. Post-fader sends keep the wet/dry ratio constant when a channel’s main fader moves, make the send proportional to the channel’s level automatically, and ensure no reverb tail remains if a channel is faded out completely. A pre-fader send would break all three: the wet/dry balance would drift as you ride the fader, and reverb would persist even after the dry channel is silenced.

Examples

Drums send 30%, vocals 20%, guitars 10% to one reverb return, sharing one acoustic space; a high-pass on the return cleans the low end for all of them at once. A vocal channel sends via a post-fader aux at -15 dB: pulling the vocal fader down 3 dB for a verse drops the send 3 dB too, holding the wet/dry ratio constant.

Assessment

Describe send-return reverb routing and the two checks it requires. Why must the dry signal be disabled on the reverb? What happens to the reverb return if the auxiliary send is set pre-fader instead of post-fader?