Delay Settings

Alex Cattaneo · From: Quebec, Canada

How do you set your delay effect? Mix, repeats, speed, etc. Just curious. So far, I prefer to use only reverb because I don't like hearing repeated notes, especially when pick blocking.

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

I don't recall the actual settings, but I have my digital delay set to get one echo and a low mix ratio. It works with both fast and slow songs.

I think the delay is set for 250 ms.

Dave Grafe · From: Hudson River Valley NY

From an earlier post on the science of delay effects:

FLANGING and PHASING - Super-short delays - under 10 milliseconds - produce comb-filtering that creates classic phase and flange sounds, particularly with plenty of feedback and enough sine-wave modulation to hear it "shift" without detuning your bar vibrato. The term "flanging" refers to the old studio trick of rubbing one's finger on the flange of the tape reel to vary the speed of the tape through the capstan and skew ever so slightly the angle of the tape as it crossed the playback head.

CHORUS - 10ms to 20ms produces "chorusing" effects, again with plenty of feedback and modulation to milk the aforementioned comb-filtering and produce a rich, luscious bed of sound. As with the shorter delay time, too much modulation will detune your bar vibrato, most of us need no help with this...

DOUBLING - Between 20ms and 50ms you are in the realm of "doubling" - imitating the sound of two voices together - and the feedback will need to be very minimal or you get some pretty wierd artifacts. Some of the best doubling effects are achieved through the use of pitch-shifting algorithms, try +7/-7 cents detuning with 23ms/34ms delay and minimal feedback and modulation for a great sound fattener.

SLAPBACK - Delays from 80ms to 180ms or so produce a fast slapback effect, again keep the feedback fairly low to avoid clutter and other stuff you don't want to hear. This is the classic "Rockabilly" sound originally created by tracking both the playback and monitor heads simultaneously on reel-to-reel tape machines.

ECHO - Delays longer than 180ms begin to create identifiable "echoes" and you will use the feedback control to generate the desired number and fade-out quality of repeats - 270ms is a good generic beginning, 320ms to 360ms are conmmonly used for slower, bigger sounds but it is important to note that the tempo of the song in question must be considered in order to get a musical effect that works for and not against you, and this is where the "SINGLE TAP" function is worth the price of the entire unit.

Common delay settings that I have used for many years in production of all styles of music:

268ms - 272ms with moderate feedback (~14% to 20%) 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 a larger sound with mid-tempo material and some ballads

360ms - 420ms for the slower tempos, these are "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

Helmut Gragger · From: Austria

I like delay less and less, but if I use one I use a digital ducking delay. This ducks (attenuates) the delay signal that is mixed together with the original signal whenever there is a direct signal present. In other words, this does not smash your signal into a brew, you only hear the delayed signal component when your direct signal is low.

For Hawaiian, I prefer a good healthy reverb with short decay, this also does not smash you tone. Interestingly, with chord work you sometimes wish your reverb may be a bit more intensive, but on single, muted tones it is obnoxious.

If in doubt, I opt for less.

Way back in time when those great guys did their recordings, there was no overdub, no processing. It was direct onto tape or even onto vinyl, so all they had was a (by todays standards at least) lousy spring reverb.

-helmut
_________________
feel at home at: http://me.aquataur.guru

Helmut Gragger · From: Austria

I like delay less and less, but if I use one I use a digital ducking delay. This ducks (attenuates) the delay signal that is mixed together with the original signal whenever there is a direct signal present. In other words, this does not smash your signal into a brew, you only hear the delayed signal component when your direct signal is low.

For Hawaiian, I prefer a good healthy reverb with short decay, this also does not smash you tone. Interestingly, with chord work you sometimes wish your reverb may be a bit more intensive, but on single, muted tones it is obnoxious.

If in doubt, I opt for less.

Way back in time when those great guys did their recordings, there was no overdub, no processing. It was direct onto tape or even onto vinyl, so all they had was a (by todays standards at least) lousy spring reverb.

-helmut
_________________
feel at home at: http://me.aquataur.guru

Helmut Gragger · From: Austria

I like delay less and less, but if I use one I use a digital ducking delay. This ducks (attenuates) the delay signal that is mixed together with the original signal whenever there is a direct signal present. In other words, this does not smash your signal into a brew, you only hear the delayed signal component when your direct signal is low.

For Hawaiian, I prefer a good healthy reverb with short decay, this also does not smash you tone. Interestingly, with chord work you sometimes wish your reverb may be a bit more intensive, but on single, muted tones it is obnoxious.

If in doubt, I opt for less.

Way back in time when those great guys did their recordings, there was no overdub, no processing. It was direct onto tape or even onto vinyl, so all they had was a (by todays standards at least) lousy spring reverb.

-helmut
_________________
feel at home at: http://me.aquataur.guru

Helmut Gragger · From: Austria

Sorry for the multiple posts, the server produced errors.
_________________
feel at home at: http://me.aquataur.guru

Karen Sarkisian · From: Boston, MA, USA

I have 3 delay pedals now, as i have been obsessing over delay for some time now. 2 are analog and one is digital. for short delay <300ms i prefer the analog delay, and for longer delays on slower songs i like the digital with the tap tempo. i keep the analog at around 250-300ms on almost all the time, only one or two repeats tho. i only turn it off when i am playing a slower song and using the digital delay. i bought my second analog delay pedal because it has longer delays on it than my original analog pedal, but i am finding that i really prefer the digital for longer delays. my pedals are boss dm-3 (up to 300ms), mxr carbon copy (up to 600ms) and boss dd-6 (digital).
_________________
Emmons PP, Mullen G2 and Discovery

Alex Cattaneo · From: Quebec, Canada

I'm usually using the Neunaber WET reverb pedal or the reverb in my Nashville 400 if I don't want to bother with effects pedal. For delay, I have the TC Electronics Flashback, but I use it only in ambient stuff, not in the pure country type of playing. Ducking delay is a very interesting option, I use that A LOT with the electric guitar.

Ron Randall · From: Dallas, Texas, USA

"One Ping Only"
at 300 ms
or none

Ron Randall · From: Dallas, Texas, USA

"One Ping Only"
at 300 ms
or none

Stephen Cowell · From: Round Rock, Texas, USA

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