No doubt, delay is my favorite effect, unless you consider distortion an effect. Delay adds a depth and richness to my tone that I can’t live without. There are many ways to apply delay (which is also called echo). Before getting into the applications, though, let’s go over the basic parameters of a delay effect:

• Feedback: controls the number of repeats of the delay.
  

  The Original Echoplex, tape-based echo machine

• Delay-time: controls the length of the repeat, usually in milliseconds (ms).
• Effect level: controls the volume of the repeat relative to the volume of the original signal. (This is often called Effects Mix, depending on the unit; a higher mix = a higher delay level)

Any delay pedal should have at least these parameters for controlling it. Many amps also have delays built into them these days; in this case, there is usually only control over the delay time and level. There are three types of delay: tape-based, analog and digital.

The first delays were tape-based, such as the Echoplex or Roland Space Echo. These units create delays by actually recording the guitar signal on a tape. The speed of the tape moving through the machine controls the length of the delay. Analog delays use circuit-boards to do this. Digital delays use chips to process delays, and thus offer substantially longer delay times than either tape-based or analog delays; however, the old school delays are often more sought after , because of their warmer tones.

Boss DD-20

Higher end pedals, dedicated rack-mount delay units, and guitar multi-effects units often offer more parameters for controlling delay beyond the basic three mentioned above. More advanced settings for delay include:

• Tempo delay: this allows you to set the delay to the tempo of a song and then pick a synchopation for the delays; e.g., a quarter-note, dotted eighth-note, etc. Tempo delay is often controlled by tapping the tempo, either with a finger- or foot-switch. You can also use math to figure out tempo delays, but it sure is easier having a chip do it for you!
• Ping-pong delay: delay that pans from speaker to speaker; this is a stereo effect.
• Multi-tap delay: stereo delays with two different delay times. This often causes some crazy sounding effects!
• Reverse delay: the delay of your guitar is reversed, creating a backwards guitar effect.
• lbp/hbp: low-band pass/high-band pass. This allows you to eq your echoes, making them brighter or darker.
• Modulated delay: the delays are modulated creating a chorus type sound (think: The Edge)

I’m sure there are more parameters, but this should give you an idea of some of the things you can do with a delay. I would suggest spending some time with your manual, or even better, just push buttons and twist knobs until you figure out what they do. This often leads to the best discoveries!

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Your Guitar Rig: Using Delay, Part II
Your Guitar Rig – The Quest for Perfect Tone

In the first installment on delay we explored what a delay can do. Now let’s explore some players who use delay, so you can get an idea of what you might be looking for.

Ibanez AD-9, a very popular analog delay; good for slap-back

“Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love” (Van Halen) is an example of a “slap-back” type delay. This is a quick delay (ranging from about 75-150 ms); in this song it is closer to the 150 ms area. “Rooster Rock” (Brian Setzer) is an example of a shorter slap-back echo; at this speed it sounds more like reverb. “Walk of Life” (Dire Straights) is another classic example of the slap-back sound.

TC Electronic 2290, the Edge's delay

The Edge (U2) is synonymous with delay. “Pride (In the Name of Love)” is a great example of how he uses delay to achieve his signature tone. The Edge uses two amps so that he can split the delay into a stereo signal. This is what creates the “ping-ponging” in his sound: one amp plays the original sound, the other plays the delayed sound. The delayed signal is set to a specific synchopation, (in this case a dotted eighth-note; 417ms@108bpm) which creates the effect of having another guitar part added.  The Edge uses modulated-delays (T.C. Electronics 2290), which add a lush, chorused sound to his delays. (http://www.amnesta.net/edge_delay/ is where I got this info and is an incredible site for those of you who want to get freaky-technical about the Edge’s gear secrets!)

Roland SDE-1000; made famous by Steve Vai

Many shredders use delay to “fatten” their sound. These delays are usually set anywhere from 250-750ms, with at least three or four repeats. The trick to using delay this way is to keep your delay/effect level  (effects mix) low (no more than maybe 30%).  When set like this, you will hear the delay when the guitar player stops but won’t hear the actual repeats while they play. A good example of this is “Blue Powder”, by Steve Vai. In the beginning you hear his delay but once the band comes in you don’t really notice it.

Similar to the syncopated delays of the Edge, some players go even farther, using a delay to create a second part to their original melody lines. Good examples of this are: “Cathedral” (Van Halen), and “Hina” (David Lee Roth Band; Vai). In “Cathedral” the echoes create the illusion of rapid arpeggios being played when in fact the riff is fairly easy (except for mastering the volume knob technique) , the delay adding most of the notes.

Wes Borland

Another great source of delay ideas come via Wes Borland (Limp Bizkit). “Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water” is a great album for anyone who wants to check out what a guy can do with delay and other effects . I know, you probably are saying “Eww, Limp Bizkit!”, but Borland is the real deal, you should check him out; notice that Limp Bizkit lasted about three minutes after he left the band.

Boss DD-3, a great value!

If you want to start playing with delay, and not invest too much to start, you can pick up a Boss DD-3 for around $50 bucks used, and it’s a great pedal!

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Your Guitar Rig – The Quest for Perfect Tone