Delay
Delay is an audio effect used in audio production that adds echo to the audio signal, enriching your sound with depth and texture. Discover how to use delay to enhance your tracks.
What Does Delay Do?
A delay unit records an input signal and plays it back after a specified duration. Combining the delayed output with the original direct signal creates echo and time-based space effects.
Delay time can be set in milliseconds (ms), seconds (s), or musical tempo subdivisions. The amount of the effect added to the signal is governed by the mix control, while the number of echo repeats is set by the feedback control—higher feedback levels yield more repeats.
Any delay under 10 ms to 20 ms blends inaudibly into the original sound source, creating phase or slap character rather than distinct echoes. Beyond 20 ms, the human ear begins to perceive the delayed signal as a discrete secondary sound.
Common varieties of delay include:
- Mono Delay: A single delayed signal routed centrally.
- Stereo / Ping-Pong Delay: Bounces repeating echoes across the left and right channels.
- Multitap Delay: Uses multiple independent tap points to create complex rhythmic repeat patterns.
- Slapback Delay: A short single repeat (70 ms–120 ms) popular on vocals and guitars.
Most digital and plugin delay processors allow echoes to synchronize automatically to the DAW tempo using rhythmic note values (e.g., quarter notes, eighth notes, or dotted notes).
Common Delay Controls
Understanding these primary parameters allows you to dial in precise rhythmic or spatial delays:
- Delay Time: Determines the exact interval before the first repeat sounds, set either in note values or milliseconds.
- Unit Switch: Toggles between tempo-synced timing (Steps/Sync mode) and free millisecond timing (MS mode).
- Step Length: Determines the grid division (e.g., 1/16 sixteenth notes or 1/8T eighth-note triplets) when operating in tempo-synced mode.
- Feedback: Controls the amount of output signal fed back into the input, dictating the total number of repeating echoes.
- Pan: Positions the delayed signal within the stereo field (Left/Right).
- Dry/Wet (Mix): Balances the unprocessed original signal (dry) with the delayed effect (wet).
Delay Tips for Mixing
Use these tips to add depth, dimension, and rhythmic movement without overwhelming your mix:
- Acoustic Depth: Delay times under 50 ms create a sense of short room space and width without the clutter of long reverb tails.
- Rhythmic Glue: Timing delays to match the song's tempo adds natural groove and dimensional depth to lead vocals and solos.
- Haas Effect / Stereo Width: To create an ultra-wide stereo effect, apply a 10 ms to 25 ms delay to one side and pan the dry signal hard left and the delayed signal hard right.
- Cleaning Up Dense Mixes: If a mix is becoming muddy or washed out from too much reverb, replace the reverb returns with tempo-synced delays to maintain clarity and space.
Working Example: Delay on Clap
1. Original Clap Beat Without Delay:
2. Clap Beat With Tempo-Synced Stereo Delay Applied: