Delay pedals are among the most popular effects around, and the reason is simple: A delay pedal not only gives your
sound a professional sheen and adds a
three-dimensional quality—even when set
for a discreet, atmospheric effect—but it
can also produce a wide variety of not-so-subtle
sounds and textures, ranging from
ear-twisting rhythmic repeats (à la Eddie
Van Halen’s “Cathedral”) to faux twin-guitar
harmonies and live looping.
Though there’s a plethora of delay pedals on the market, the control scheme on a Boss DD-7 is very common. |
This how-to guide will cover the aforementioned
effects, as well as fundamentals
like the function of typical delay controls,
and where to place your unit in an effects
chain. Although there are countless delays
on the market—many of which have mind-boggling
features—we’re going to use a
basic delay pedal setup similar to what
you’ll find on a Boss DD-7 as our reference
point. We’ve also provided some sample settings
so you can get the most out of your
delay pedal right away.
Delay Pedal Controls
Three controls are common to virtually all
delay units: Time, Feedback (sometimes
labeled “Repeat” or “Regeneration”), and
Level (or “Mix”).
Time controls the length of time
between any two repetitions of your signal.
It is most often measured in milliseconds
(ms). Most delay pedals don’t have
a delay-time readout that would enable
you to determine exact delay times in milliseconds,
so you typically just adjust the
Time knob to get an approximate time
based on the unit’s available range. For
instance, the Boss DD-7 (street $179) has
a Mode knob that selects between four
time ranges—up to 50 ms, 51–200 ms,
201–800 ms, and 801–3200 ms—and the
Time knob then adjusts the setting within
the selected range.
Feedback determines the amount
of repetitions. At its minimum setting,
Feedback outputs a single repetition of the
original signal. From that point on, as you
turn up Feedback you get more repeats.
Some delay units allow infinite repeats
when this control is maxed.
Level controls the volume of the
repeats. When Level is at its minimum
setting, you won’t hear any repeats. When
it’s all the way up, the repeats should be as
loud as the original signal.
Signal-Chain Placement
If you plan to use your delay in conjunction
with other stompboxes, it’s important
to consider where to place these effects in
the chain—especially if you’re using an
overdrive, distortion, or fuzz pedal. The
most common setup is to place dirt before
delay. This is important because it means
you’ll be delaying the distorted signal as
opposed to distorting a delayed signal,
which will sound mushy and indistinct.
Because a distortion pedal has the strongest
impact on your fundamental tone,
it’s typically placed early in the chain,
whereas delay is usually placed toward the
end of the chain so it can produce repeats
of all of the effects added to your guitar
sound. Of course, you should experiment
for yourself to see what you prefer.
If you’re taking the dirt-before-delay
with the distortion from your amp, then
you’ll want to insert your delay into your
amp’s effects loop (if it has one) so that
it comes in the chain after the preamp
gain. For recording, it’s less of an issue
because you can just record the amp without
any effects and then add delay during
post-production.