Using delay as reverb

It’s time to place your dry, digital sound sources within some kind of realistic virtual ‘room’. That’s what reverberation is for, right? Well, yes – virtual reverb does authentically replicate the plentiful reflections created within a physical environment via a multitude of delay and feedback lines – but, truth be told, both algorithmic and convolution reverbs can get a little cloudy and dense amongst a busy mix. And once you’ve piled up a bunch of different reverbs across several different track elements, you’re likely to end up with a washed-out, clouded sound that’s a million miles away from the tight depth you envisaged.

Well, this is where delay can shine. Although nothing beats reverb for pushing an element right back in a mix, delay can often be a better call for closer, more intimate spatial environmental effects. Think about it: when you’re in a small, enclosed space, you really only hear the early reflections – ie, the sound of the direct signal bouncing back from the immediate boundaries – making delay just as much of a valid tool for replicating enclosed room ambience, especially if you’re looking for a close-up, intimate effect.

So, before you pile on the reverb plug-ins in the search for ‘ambience’, consider using short slap delay treatments to provide a more enclosed sense of space. Not only will you avoid the mix-clogging cloudiness that multiple reverbs can induce within a dense composition, but you’ll also have more control over the pan, stereo spread, tone and intensity of your reflections. And as a bonus, you still then have the option of adding extra delay or reverb in addition to the previous treatment.