Delay time settings

Dave Hepworth · From: West Yorkshire, UK

Hi every one,

after many years of using reverb on my steel.
i now wish to use digital delay (i have an old ibanez master series 16bit stereo delay pedal) , could anyone out there please advise me on the delay time to use for slow to medium paced songs. Most Steel i hear now seems to have delay behind it rather than reverb.
How much of the wet signal would you mix with the dry signal?

Thanks for your help

Dave Hepworth.

Herbie Meeks · From: Arkansas, USA

Dave

That is a hard question to answer
personally, I just experiment with the settings until
the delay matches the tempo of the tune being played.
of course I need all the help I can get.

HM

John Bechtel · From: Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.

I use an Original Ibanez AD–9 Analog Delay. The knob for Delay~Time ranges from 10ms to 300ms. I set the Delay–Time pointer to about 1:00 and that amounts to about ±225ms. I set the Feedback to (OFF)-Position and the Rate-Knob [Vol.] to about 9:00. (or just barely audible, depending on the amount of reverb being used.) I use the same settings for everything. The amount of DRY-Signal is constant. The unit only adjusts Delay~Speed, Feedback and Delay~Volume.
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<marquee> Go~Daddy~Go, (No), Go, It's your Break Time</marquee> L8R, jb
My T-10 Remington Steelmaster

Lee Baucum · From: McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier

It's very nice to be able to tap in the tempo for every song, but not all delays have that capability. I like to blend a little reverb with a little delay. I've got three delay settings that seem to work well - 200ms, 250ms, and 300ms. I really like using delay when we play outside. One repeat only.

John Bechtel · From: Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.

Lee; I used to use a similar approach when I was using a QuadraVerb Plus, which I wish I still had now that I'm back to using (2)-Amps. again!
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<marquee> Go~Daddy~Go, (No), Go, It's your Break Time</marquee> L8R, jb
My T-10 Remington Steelmaster

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

I've used delay for years - the only time I do tempo-matching is for the "double time" effect popularized by Albert Lee on 6-string (although use for years, notably by Les Paul).

When I use it in place of reverb...which is almost all th time on steel for me...I don't use a specific time setting, as I don't normally use anything with a digital readout. I'd guess I set it somewhere around 50-100ms, with the delay at a fairly low level and with what I can only describe as a medium amount of repeats. Basically, I dink with it until it sounds right - but I've been doing it so long (starting with tape Echoplexes) I'm just used to setting it by feel.

One other note - I do not use clean-sounding digital delays. My three most used (depending on space available and mood) are a Maestro Sireko tape delay (an Echoplex without sound-on-sound); an H&K Replex (a tube-driven tape emulator) with the "vintage" knob cranked up to add some grit, wow and flutter to the decaying signal,; and an Ibanez EM-5 Echomachine - actually a digital unit with a tape-sounding "crap factor" built in. Clean, precise digital delays sound cold and sterile to me.
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Joe Butcher · From: Dallas,Texas, USA

I use a Boss RV3.
I like using just two repeats, not quite slapback, but a little slower, and I like it to be subtle. The first repeat is much lower than the dry signal.
The second repeat is barely audible.

I noticed a delay on Jeff Newmans sound and that was basically my attempt at trying to copy it.

I think its a tastefull setting and it works good in most situations.

Although when I'm felling more experimental/psychedelic, I bust out the Line6 delay and improvise over "drone tones" with the loop function, and then anything goes!

Buddy Castleberry · From: HAWKINSVILLE GA USA - R.I.P.

I USE THE MPX1
ABOUT 7% WET MIX
SLAP BACK IS SET AT 1:1 THAT IS
ABOUT 280 TO 300 MILSECONDS
REPEAT IS 15 THATS ABOUT 1 1/2 REPEATS
DAMP IS OFF
THATS THE SETTINGS I SET FOR JOHN HUGHEY
HE SEEMS TO LIKE IT

Ron Randall · From: Dallas, Texas, USA

I like somewhere around 300ms, with one repeat. For everyday use.

For faster songs, I use the tap tempo, 1 or 2 repeats.

Ron Randall · From: Dallas, Texas, USA

I like somewhere around 300ms, with one repeat. For everyday use.

For faster songs, I use the tap tempo, 1 or 2 repeats.

Mx200 Lexicon

Howard Tate · From: Leesville, Louisiana, USA, R.I.P.

I've never actually used it, but Tom Mortensen has a handy chart on his website listing delay settings.
http://www.tombleu.com/

Dave Grafe · From: Hudson River Valley NY

Super-short delays - under 10 milliseconds - produce comb-filtering that creates classic phase and flange sounds, particularly with plenty of feedback

10ms to 20ms produces "chorusing" effects, again with plenty of feedback to milk aforementioned comb-filtering

Between 20ms and 50ms you are in the realm of "doubling" and the feedback will need to be minimal or you get some pretty wierd artifacts

from 80ms to 180ms or so get a fast slapback effect, again keep the feedback low to avoid stuff you don't want to hear

Delays longer than 180ms begin to be identifiable as "echo" and you begin setting feedback to generate the desired number of repeats - 190ms is a common rockabilly echo

Other common delays that I have used for years in music production with all styles imaginable:

268ms - 272ms with moderate feedback creates a very versatile and musical echo which fits most anything with a faster tempo, this is my standard for up-tempo rock and roll, swing, motown, etc. - it's a good starting point for new material that I haven't had time to experiment with

308ms - 340ms for mid-tempo material and some ballads

360ms - 420ms for the slower tempos, "bigger" sounding echoes for dramatic ballad action or "warehouse" rock guitar stuff

Delays longer than that are extremely prominent so are generally reserved for specific effects on specific songs, in which case you will want to fine-tune the delay for the particular application you have in mind

This is of course all over-simplified but is a good place to begin experimentation IMHO

Tom Mortensen · From: Nashville TN

http://steelmysong.com/delays.html

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

I set my delay to a single slapback delay and then forget it.
Erv

Dave Hepworth · From: West Yorkshire, UK

Wow Erv ,
My original post was 2007 what delay unit are you using ? I've got to have one !! Lol
But thanks for he reply .......still using just reverb .
Dave

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

Dave,
I either use a Boss DD-2 or a DD-3.
If you look at some of the videos of Buddy Emmons he gas one or the other on a chair on his right side.
Erv

Dennis Detweiler · From: Solon, Iowa, US

I sat 15ft in front of Emmons around 1975 at a seminar/jam. He used an echoplex. I tried to copy his settings by ear and came up with about 300-350ms. He set his first repeat at half the volume of his original note. The second repeat half of the first repeat. His third repeat barely audible.
I still use the same setting with a little longer for slow songs. However, I blend the delay with a little digital reverb tail.
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Tommy Shown · From: Denham Springs, La.

I use a DD 3, and I set mine up like David Hartley, on his Orange Blossom Possum. ( I mean Special) Reverb at a 3.

Jack Hanson · From: San Luis Valley, USA

Derrick Unger · From: Newark Ohio, USA

I use a Beringer Delay/echo...I think it sounds great for around $30-40 on ebay
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Derrick Unger · From: Newark Ohio, USA

I use a Beringer Delay/echo...I think it sounds great for around $30-40 on ebay
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Music is good for the soul..playing it is even better! Gretsch6strLapSteel*PeaveyNashville400*HudsonSD-10*DigitechRP360*FenderChampion100*PeaveyKB300*Goodrich120*Behringerx1204*BehringerMini4*Mullen S10"Discovery"*Peavey Vegas400*Princeton112plus*SuperChampX2*SidekickReverb65*Rumble100*MarshallMG50DFX*Nashville112

Fred Treece · From: California, USA

I am a set and forget guy too. Good luck doing the tap-tempo dance, especially with tempos that, shall we say, drift...

I use delay to enhance reverb, with a short setting (80-150ms) for up tempo and a longer setting (280-400ms) for ballads.

There are a variety of decent sounding preset digital models in my GT10, and they need to be set to at least 35% or they get buried in a live mix. Use too much and you muddy up the verb. If you want a crispier sound featuring the delay, turn the verb off.

A delay set too prominently can mess with your timing and just plain sounds bad if the repeats don’t match tempo. I used to adjust the decay rate of the delay for my guitar overdrive tones to keep it more natural sounding. If your band has good dynamics, that is a consideration.

George Kimery · From: Limestone, TN, USA

If you can find the cassette course that Paul Franklin sold at one time on the use of effects, he covers it well, plus you can hear it. Since this is off the market, I know I haven't helped any, but I just wanted you to be aware that a course on this subject exists.

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