Don’t you dare touch that reverb!
Let go of the reverb for one day, and use a delay instead. Delays are easier to handle, and some are much less confusing than the average reverb.
Sometimes you just need a little depth, without adding reverb, and delay can easily do the job.
So when would you substitute your reverb for a little bit of delay?
For Guitar Solos
Sure, guitar solos can sound awesome with a hefty amount of reverb. But they can sound equally cool with a nice delay.
Use a short to medium stereo delay with one repeat. It’ll add width and depth to your signal immediately. The stereo delay will make the solo sound wider, and the delay will add the depth. And if you have the original signal in the middle, summing to mono won’t ruin the sound.
For Rhythm Guitar
Both reverb and delay can quickly ruin a tight rhythm guitar take. If you use too much of either one, you’ll end up with a cluttered guitar track. However, using a short slap echo or 8th note delay can also add interest. Send your guitar track to a delay via a send, and mix the delayed track underneath just to add a little space. It doesn’t have to clutter the track if you use it sparsely.
For Lead Vocals
For an in-your-face lead vocal, scrap the reverb entirely and use delay to add depth. Delay adds space without pushing the vocal back, something that happens all too often when you use too much reverb. Depending on the BPM of the song, style and genre, use either short, medium or long delays.
If it’s a ballad with long, drawn out words then a long delay creates a big sound without overpowering the actual vocal. A fast rock song benefits from a short, subtle delay and groovy pop songs use medium delays to a great effect.
For Percussion?
Similar problems arise from using too much delay on percussion as it does on rhythm guitar. A short delay timed to the BPM of the song gives percussion punchiness without giving it too much room in the mix.
For Organs
Medium to long delays with a fair amount of feedback can beef up an organ or pad sound. If you have an organ playing long, sustained chords then a long delay can give that foundation a thicker sound.
Conclusion
Basically, use delay to create depth, for whatever instrument, without taking up space. Use it for sweet sounding guitar solos, funky rhythm guitar, punchy vocals or foundational elements like organs or percussion.
How do you use delays in your productions?
Image by: laszlo-photo
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10 Comments on "When Delay is Better – 5 Reasons to Skip the Reverb"
Great stuff! I’m currently working on a reggae project where I switch from verb to delay on the same instrument for different sections (chorus/verse/solos). Instantly changes the vibe.
Example: Horns have really wet reverb on horn section lines, switch to dry (no reverb) with a big delay for the solo. Immediate separation.
Nice. That sounds cool
I love delay on gtr solos and vox . I usually end up on gtr solos with the delay time around 320 ms with one repeat but,… That varies with the tempo of the song.
I use ping pong delays as an effect to spice up a mix
Ping pong delays are great for effects. Delay on solos can make it sound so big without taking up too much space as well. Thanks for the comment.
Thanks Bjorgvin ! this is exactly what i was thinking of a couple of days ago ! and i needed a backup on my thoughts ! cheers
Glad it helped!
You know, i read this once in passing and didnt take the comment to heart. Funny enough, i have been thinking about it a lot recently, and here, BB says it… now i have to try it.
Oh and i know this is a post on reverb, but i have been reading any and everything on your site and read about EQ. keeping in mind what i read on your website i approached my sessions with that in mind.. the result: MAGIC. Instead of boosting the crap out of the areas i want to be more audible, i simply cut the areas that i dont want as prominant… maybe i just needed someone to say it to me LOL
anyway, BB, thanks for all the posts… being self taught and going on instinct is not always enough, sometimes you need the guidance of someone like you
Thanks
Thank you, I’m glad the info on the site comes in handy. Cutting instead of boosting can really give you a great new perspective on how to put everything together. Thanks for the comment and keep reading
Recently I have been mixing a track for my friend where he used reverb on almost all tracks. So I had to call him and explain why this wouldn’t work so well and asked for dry versions instead. Great post Björgvin.
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