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AMSG · Location: Sweden

This is something that has been bothering me for a while. I'm mixing a demo right now and would like to hear what others do when it comes to using delay to enhance a mix.

What bothers me particularly is that I need to have a 'blanket' of sound without it sounding to thin. In other words, I panned one rhythm guitar to the left and one to the right. I do know that you can make everything sound wider by delaying one channel a bit. But this is my question. How is delay best used in such a case? Since everything starts to sound thin quite fast when delaying one channel, I would like to know what to do to make it wide yet 'fat' at the same time.

alofoz · Location: Australia

Wide & fat at the same time????

You should see my mother-in-law!

post78 · Location: USA

If things are sounding thin, than your delay is probably just too short and certain frequencies are canceling. Here's the problem with delaying the same recording like this:
Low frequencies have longer waveforms and require a longer delay to clear the 180º dead-zone. However, at these longer delays, higher frequencies actually start to sound delayed. It's usually not such a problem if the guitar stays within a fairly limited frequency range, but how often does that happen?

The best solution would obviously be to track the guitar twice, using different pickup and amp settings, and possibly an entirely different guitar, amp, and/or microphone. If that option isn't available, than you should begin by equalizing each track differently, then adjusting the delay time until you find a happy medium between "phasey" and "echoey".

Graeme · Member Location: Spain

... and remember to check the mix in mono afterwards. It's tricks like this which can prove disastrous in mono, unless you are very careful.

motorhead6 · Posted - Wed Jul 02, 2003 2:48 am

I like a guitar recorded on 2 tracks at once. One track is straight guitar and the other track is delay only guitar meaning not a mix/delay just a delay. The second track wont play the origional note when the first track does just the delayed note. I use a pretty short delay on the second track like maybe around 50 or 60 mS depending on the song. Eventually these tracks will be panned probably track 1 (dry) to the left (if its a lead track probably left 40) and then track 2 (wet) panned right close to 100. If its a lead track (not a rythem track) I will usually take the dry track and convert it to a uniqe copy and go to edit. Then I go for a long delay. The amount varies from song to song but I start it out by just adding time to the track. Sometimes 450 Ms or as much as 700 Ms. Then I put a delay of the same amount on that track and probably pan it 50 to 60 right.

AMSG · Location: Sweden

Thanks for the tips guys.

Alofoz, talk about mean! hehe:D]:}

Oh, and post, I know that frequencies are canceling when doing this. When recording, I put two microphones before the cabinet (different speaker of course and different position) and recorded those 2 tracks at the same time. So the tracks do sound a bit different. What I wanted to know actually was more about the amount of ms. I know that this differs from case to case of course. But can you tell me what 'tends' to be too short and what tends to be too long? If you could give me a range that works alot of times I can start to work from there:)

Graeme, I always check in mono. Especially when I'm mixing these kind of demo's that need a bit more effects.

Motorhead, interesting to see what others do. I'll give this a try!

alofoz · Location: Australia

AMSG · Location: Sweden

VoodooRadio · Location: USA

Personally, I work with much shorter delay settings. I find that using the larger settings (1/2 sec or longer) does indeed cause problems when checking a mix in mono. Your mileage may vary! Wink

post78 · Location: USA

AMSG · Location: Sweden