Delay Fun 101
Thank God for the Digital Delay
For me, one of the best effects available is the digital delay. This effect takes an incoming signal, and delays it a set period of time (normally represented in milliseconds). Many different effects can be created by simply playing around while keeping some basics in mind.
Multitap Delay
Simulating a multitap delay is one of my absolute favorites, and really can add to the overall feel of the mix. Although this is not a 'true' multitap delay, it does give much the same feel if done properly. To implement this effect, simply set the left or right channels delay time to HALF that of the other channel. Wala, you've made a simple multitap. You can really spice this up by choosing times other than half, oh say, like a third, and you'll find some interesting interplay between the delay signals. When I use this particular effect, I usually try to make two versions, one with the half delay on the left channel, and another with the half delay on the right channel. Then, when I mix instruments, I put some through one, and some through the other. This helps to eliminate the sense of weighting that sometimes can appear when you use this technique on many instruments in the same song.
Doing Chorus and Flange
It is also possible to do very basic chorus and flange effects with a digital delay. The chorus effect can be created by offsetting either the left or right channels delaytime plus or minus 20ms. The effective range you can play with is about 10ms in either direction, so you just have to move it around to see if you can get some results you like. To perform the flange, it's almost exactly the same as the chorus, except now you offset the left or right channel plus or minus up to 10ms. Once again, you need to play with it in order to see if you can achieve a desirable effect.
Increasing Stereo Spread
One variation of the same technique used to create the chorus and flange effects will also help to increase the apparent spread of the sound. Usually this is done by offsetting either the left or right channels by some amount larger than 40ms, but usually less than one quarter of original value. This really depends on the source delay, and the type of sound, etc, but by playing around with the alternate channel delay, you can really help to bring a sound out of the mix.
Don't be afraid to experiment
The delay can be a powerful tool, so make sure to really play around with what you use for times. Although using the exact BPM for the delay will sound great, sometimes you can really find some interesting effects by simply playing around with fractions of the time (1/3, 1/5, etc). Experimentation is the key to learning something new, that and sending me an email when you figure out something else that's cool! heheh...
Enhancing feel [that Human touch]
Another good application for a delay is to help enhance the feel of a particular instrument. This is especially helpful for keyboard, which tend to sound a little flat compared to a live instrument. The best way to improve feel is really quite simple, instead of setting your delay to the exact MS, try moving it plus or minus a couple of MS... Not too many, I usually go for at the max 20, but it really depends on what your tempo is and how it sounds. If you're lucky enough to have a multitap delay, which allows you to set each tap to a different time, then try adjusting each one +/- around 10 MS. This little tip can really help open up your mix and bring some feeling into your MIDI compositions. Please note that I do NOT recommend doing this trick in conjunction with a real instrument; what you basically are doing is a humanization, and when a human is playing the instrument, you don't need to or want to do this. The problem you'll tend to run into is the player will either sound slow or fast, or won't be able to keep accurate time if the taps are too prevalent.
There's even a program!
Yes, that's right, I took on the challenge to write this, the most amazing tempo to time convertor EVER conceived by modern man. To receive your own copy, check out the download area, or just skip all that and click on this to suck it down right now. There's a small text file included that outlines the program's usage, but it's pretty straight forward.
Converting BPM into MS
Included below is a handy little table to help save you countless hours of frustration while trying to lock that delay time in perfectly. If you need a fractional BPM, make sure to check out the handy dandy program from the downloads area.
Wrap up...
That's it! I hope you found this enlightening as to all the nifty things you can do with a digital delay. If you have any comments or suggestions, or would like to share your tips and techniques with me, please feel free to contact me... Enjoy!
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Last updated on Tuesday, March 9, 2021 12:24:40 PM PST. AnalogX trade is a registered trademark of AnalogX, LLC. All other trademarks are the sole property of their respective owners. All contents copyright ©1998-2009, AnalogX. All rights reserved.