Why do I need a delay pedal?

the_jaffa

Right, it seems that almost everyone has a delay on their board but it is not something I have at the moment.

Why do I need one?

I mostly play bluesy kinda stuff and have some reverb on my amp but wonder whether I should be adding a delay.  Can anyone explain how I would benefit from adding delay to my board?  I know about slapback but the only times I've really noticed delay being used is on more ambient stuff or for U2 type effects.

Basically, can you enlighten me please?

Cheers

Cabicular

A little bit at 400 ms so you can only just hear it

Play for a while get used to it..

now try switching it off...

DesVegas

Bang out an Aminor barre chord and let that delay whisp away into the ether.. sounds great .. get a bit of modulation working on those repeats and you have yourself a very fun and usable sound

SquireJapan

I know what you're saying - I was in the same position a while back.

Then I bought a simple delay so I could play Red House properly - from there its a slippery slope.

I now have a DD3 for Tom Morrello effects, and a DD7 for more ambient noodling, plus a Wampler tape echo for a Pink Floyd type sound (that does a great slap back too).

That's me at least

monquixote

Some people use it instead of reverb low level and on all the time. 

Andy Timmons rig rundown has a nice bit on this. 

You can also use it for solos. It's especially useful if you are in a 1 guitar band and it sounds sparse when you solo.

not_the_dj

monquixote said:

 It's especially useful if you are in a 1 guitar band and it sounds sparse when you solo.

That's how I use mine in the band.

At home I use delay a lot, but with the covers band it's mostly just to give me another option, and can work great to add emphasis to a solo.

the_jaffa

So, for the soloing thing, are you using the delay to thicken up the sound by doubling (or more) the guitar part?

monquixote

No you just have it set at a fixed time and the notes fall where they may. 

I actually find having the delay tap tempoed is worse as any slight fluctuation in time makes it sound off. Where as if it has no relation to the tempo it just is what it is.

I was in a band with a bloke who used to type in the bpm of the original song into his delay pedal between each song. I explained we won't actually be playing any of these songs at the exact tempo but he was resolute.

the_jaffa

Ah right, I think I see what you mean.  Do you rely upon the repeats being quite quiet in relation to the original signal so that doesn't get confusingly busy?

ToneControl

a little bit of delay with not much repeats messes up your sound a lot less than reverb

JayGee

the_jaffa said:

Right, it seems that almost everyone has a delay on their board but it is not something I have at the moment.

Why do I need one?

So you can set the guitar feeding back, turn the mix control up until the delay signal dominates, and then wind the delay time control backwards and forwards to fake the theremin part in Whole Lot of Love?

Admittedly it's not the only thing I do with it but it is kind of fun.... :-)

not_the_dj

the_jaffa said:

Ah right, I think I see what you mean.  Do you rely upon the repeats being quite quiet in relation to the original signal so that doesn't get confusingly busy?

Yes. Few repeats and much quieter than the original signal. It's a way of using it without it being a feature effect, but it helps to fill out the sound . As was suggested earlier try it, get used to it...then switch it off and you'll notice how much of an effect it was having.

PolarityMan

You need delay because clean guitar on it's own sounds shit. Also chorus or phaser.

The cardinal rule is also:  no tap tempo= no point

Gassage

I rarely play without delay or compression. At moment I have a Princeton set up on its own as haven't built my studio yet, and it's awesome.

hugbot

Tal tempo gives ypu more options, but if youre just using it to spice up a solo it doesent really matter.

the_jaffa

Thanks people, sounds like getting one and having a play might well work then.

AxeWieldingBastard

Switchable awesome sauce, you won't regret.

EdGrip

You need one to go with your amp reverb, because dynamic range of expression isn't just about "clean" and "crunchy".

Ideally you need one made by Catalinbread.

EdGrip

And yes, slapback echo with amp reverb - the archetypal 50s rock'n'roll sound - is my favourite game to play with delay. 

EdGrip

robinbowes