THE ROLE OF DELAY IN AUDIO MIXING.
Delay is very similar to reverb in that it can add a unique sense of depth to a mix.
You can use short delays to create distance between different instruments, very similar to reverb, or use long delays to put your sounds in large spaces and make interesting effects.
The ways in which you can inject sonic textures into your mix with delay are near-endless, much more than we could discuss in a single article.
However, when it comes to mixing delays, there are a few things we typically like to abide by in almost every mix.
Let’s explore some ways in which you can use and mix delay effects in your tracks.
#1 Get The Timing Right
While this tip might seem a bit basic for experienced engineers, it’s one thing that is often overlooked. Delays are usually best when timed to the tempo of a track. Luckily, the majority of digital delay plugins have temp sync features that make it easy to time your delays properly.
Of course, even if you are tempo-synced to your DAW, you must still find the right beat divisions that make sense with your track. For example, quarter-note triplet echoes might be a great choice for a slow-moving dub reggae track, though that same division might make a driving, U2-style rock track feel messy.
We recommend using a delay tempo calculator like this one to get good starting points and flip through the different beat division settings until you find one that meshes with your mix.
#2 Filter Your Delays
You often hear engineers talking about the Abbey Road Reverb method, in which they filter out the lows and highs on their reverb returns to help them better fit with the dry signals.
The same thing goes for delays.
About 99% of the time, using a low-pass filter on a delay can help it from muddying up the mix. For example, if you’re mixing delay with your vocals, start with a high-pass filter anywhere from 200 to 600Hz to help your delay open up and leave room for the bottom end of the voice.
Low-pass filters are just as important, as they help keep your delays pushed to the background. Delays with tons of high-end information can be a bit too assertive and articulate, getting in the way of the dry signal.
Many delay plugins come with built-in filter controls, which can be super helpful! If not, stick an EQ before or after your delay effect to get rid of frequencies that you feel are getting in the way!
#3 Make Your Tracks Thicker and Wider With Stereo Delay
If you have a track that’s lacking that lush and engaging feel you hear on your favourite records, you might consider adding a subtle stereo delay to thicken it up.
Note that we’re not talking about ping-pong delays here, which bounce back and forth from left to right. Instead, we’re talking about stereo delays that have slight timing differences on the left and right sides.
One of the easiest ways to widen and thicken your tracks is to tempo-sync your stereo delay, get one side to the desired repeat length, un-sync the other side, and dial it up or down by a few milliseconds.
At this point, you should begin to hear the sound feeding into it become fuller and wider without getting in the way of the other elements in your mix!
#4 Pair Your Delays With Reverbs
Delays and reverbs are great tools for pushing sounds into the background of mixes. The true beauty of these effects seems to arise when they’re used in tandem. The effect of sending your delayed signal to a reverb can create unique ambient effects, lengthening your reverb tails and helping to soften your delay returns so that they don’t sit up front with the dry signal.
You can almost think of this effect as a more palpable form of the pre-delay parameter found on most reverb plugins. Not only can this trick help create more separation between a dry track like a vocal and the space around it, but it can also give listeners the sense that the delay is living further back in the mix, delivering that sense of 3D width that we all aim for with our mixes.
Final Thoughts
Of course, there are thousands of other ways to mix delays, though we hope these few ideas have given you something to work with! To us, delay is one of the few effects that begs for experimentation.
Whether you’re using it as an effect, a space creator, or as its own instrument, it’s all about getting creative!
