Even the analog ones can be crammed into a tiny box meant to take a beating like in guitar pedals: In the present we have digital delay line (DDL) processors to do the work for us. Of course there was and still are other methods such as the oil-can delay.Īnalog processors use solid-state delay that duplicates the signal and sends it through a parallel path through capacitors and transistors to slow it down, recombining a set number of milliseconds later. Most of the parameters we now see in plugins and hardware processors are emulating the work of these masters. The length of the delay was controlled by the distance a secondary tape had to travel between a recording and playback head.Įventually the mixing innovators worked up systems to create loops for echoes, tape speed controls, and more. Tape recorders have a recording head that magnetizes the tape itself as it records, and a playback head reads the tape back for listening purposes, just like cassette tapes and VCRs did that most of us used as kids. Tape delay had a similar concept but it worked on magnetic tape on a reel-to-reel system instead of telephone cables. But at some point in the 1920's recording engineers wised up once magnetic tape recording came about. This was a lot of effort and required the cooperation of the telephone companies since it was their infrastructure. Electrical signals will fly through them nearly at the speed of light, but a bit slower due to resistance. This worked because telephone lines were made of copper. It was like an ancient and extremely sophisticated plugin! Radio stations would send their source signal out across the town and even out to other towns through the telephone lines and back to the station.īy knowing the distance of this loop and choosing different routes, they could manipulate the number of milliseconds. We can better understand how and why this effect is used by taking a quick look at the history of its development and how other iterations of the effect arose out of it. This gives you an initial slapback delay, a single instance of the source sound repeated once. This by itself isn't that useful, but combine the delayed signal with the original source and you can create all types of interesting sounds. What is the Sound Delay Audio Effect?ĭelay is a time-based audio effect that is the main building block of most every other time and phase-based effect.ĭelay itself is exactly that, a lag that postpones the audio signal from playing for a number of milliseconds based on the tempo of the song. But let's cover the basics first in the context of music, although it is applied in movies, video games, and all other audio situations. You're about to learn how to recreate their sound and any other you want or to customize your delay for an entirely new experience. The only problem, if you could even call it that, is that they're stuck with one setting! Today we're going to cover a quick history, explain the difference between the three main time-based audio effects, and then dig into delay.īy the time we're done you'll automatically understand echoes and reverb as well, and most importantly, how to customize and use the parameters beyond just choosing the preset that sounds the best.Ĭheck out the Royal Albert Hall in the picture above, immaculately sculpted to achieve a lush acoustic environment full of beautiful time-based effects. And they can also spell doom for newbies who skim the surface and think they're ready to start slapping a delay on everything. The first thing a kid does on his family trip to the Grand Canyon is scream "Hello?" and wait for the response to come bounding back.ĭelays and echoes are not only pleasurable but they're a great way to introduce complexity and a sense of fullness to a keyboard solo, guitar melody, or any element in a mix.Ī sparse song can become a spacious masterpiece with careful planning and execution of these effects. One of the first effects pedals a guitarist goes after is a delay.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |