STUDIO STRATEGIES

Ed:it’s essential guide to creative delay techniques

I consistently reach for delay and echo effects, my favourite being analogue-style repeats. Why that particular flavour, you ask? For its versatility, of course – from degrading feedback to smooth, sultry chorusing and flanging, delay effects provide an enormous palette of sonic colours that will suit pretty much any track element.

There are countless delay effects to be found in software form. My go-to plugin is Ohm Force’s OhmBoyz – I know it’s been about for a while, but I still use it in pretty much every project – although the techniques I’ll be covering transfer to any equivalent delay effect, so don’t worry if you’re not an OhmBoyz user.

Join me, then, as I explore a range of creative echo techniques. First, I’ll smother a dubby vocal chop and old-school stab in extended feedback buildups. After that, I’ll create rhythmic percussion effects by filtering delay repeats. Then I’ll use automation to ‘ride’ parameters such as feedback, filter resonance and delay time; and employ the onboard LFO for hands-free modulation duties.

When messing with echo, map your plugin parameters to a MIDI controller’s knobs – it’s the best way to juggle settings as you would with a physical delay unit. If you don’t have knobs to hand, simply twist parameters with the mouse and record the automation in real time.