Delay fx question

[cartwheel1984]

When you guys use a send for a delay fx do you add any other fx to the delayed signal to make it sounds different? For example a high pass filter.

Do you use delay on bass or synths mostly?

 

[krushing]

Highpassing is pretty common - but many times more of an utilitarian thing, delays can easily muddy up a mix if you don't thin out the low end. Flangers/choruses, other delays, reverbs, distortion...it's all cool. I just usually start from scratch, work with one sound's fx until I get something cool & then save the whole chain to use later if needed.

 

[bandcoach]

When you guys use a send for a delay fx do you add any other fx to the delayed signal to make it sounds different? For example a high pass filter.

Do you use delay on bass or synths mostly?

I might also apply an eq to it that band limits the response to be inside that applied to the actual source channel and attacks any unwanted resonances

i.e. if your source has a hpf at 80 maybe hpf the delay channel at 160; lpf at 16k on the source maybe 8k on the delay, then attack the freqs that tend to annoy or clutter the sound field

 

[KODID]

The first time you do it just try every single thing you can think of. It won't take long. And reading about it can only do so much for you, I find once ive physically tried something its a lot easier to naturally goto it in a future project versus just if you've read about it and are aware of it. Its just that first time actually doing it yourself that opens up the door for it to come a lot more in future projects. Ive known about things for months before I actually started doing them. Im bad for researching and asking questions without actually trying things first, starting to get over that now.

But anyway my answer is just try every effect you have.

 

[SuperRaspberry]

The best results with delay I achieve on drums. When you get reasonable amount of feedback and nice in-tempo delay you can get really interesting results. I never use delay on bass, it only muddy the low frequencies. Synth? Why not, but rather those with hard attack and short release sounds.
When using on vocals it's good to apply delay fx only on last word in the verse. Otherwise the vocal track is less readable.
The high pass filter option is very often a one of the internal setup of the delay effect. It's good to use it, especially on the sounds that use a lot of low and middle-low frequencies. It makes the mix more clean.

 

[TedH03]

I tend to prefer delay units with a little mojo and character; such as tube, tape and BBD delays.

A high-pass filter is beneficial to roll off some low-end, but I also find uses for a low-pass filter and ducking or side-chaining the delay signal based on the source input.

 

[Paschalis I.]

When you guys use a send for a delay fx do you add any other fx to the delayed signal to make it sounds different? For example a high pass filter.

Do you use delay on bass or synths mostly?

Usually a high pass filter to remove mud and low pass filter to make the delay blend in the mix by removing some top end.

Echoboy's got its own filters, if your delay plugin doesn't, just use EQ just below the delay.