If you're a musican you would have heard the phrase 'gated reverb' if not you would have definitely heard the effect in action.
A gated reverb is the punchy snare drum sound that first became big in the 980's.
You'll notice the sound on, I Would Die 4 U by Prince and Born in the U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen.
The iconic element of pop may not have happened if it wasn't for Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins.
According to Vox he discovery was made in 1979 during the studio recording of Peter Gabriel’s self-titled third solo album.
Gabriel’s Genesis bandmate, Phil Collins was playing the drums when his beats were accidentally picked up by the microphone used by audio engineers to talk to the band.
That microphone wasn’t meant to record music—its heavy compressors were designed to turn down loud sounds while amplifying quiet ones.
The equipment also utilised a noise gate, which meant the recorded sounds were cut off shortly after they started. The result was a sound unlike anything heard in popular music.
Gabriel loved the effect, and made it the signature sound on the opening track of his album. A year later, Collins featured it in his hit In the Air Tonight, which is one of the most famous examples of gated reverb.
The sound went on to define 80s music.
Source: Mental Floss
