how to use delay for subtle sound thickening / slapback

darcym

I know I posted about this on music radar, and I may have posted here about it but I can't find a reference to it.

I very rarely use delay, simply because I just cannot get a good sound out of it, almost nothing works for me....almost, but that almost is a really narrow window, which limits me quite a lot, and makes me wonder if either I'm approaching this totally wrong, or if I really do just have a really narrow window for using delay.

I hear people on here that get fantastic delay sounds, eg: I hear Drews band having very clever delay patterns and sound walls, I hear some interesting demos from a few people on here that are quite driven and have that 80's digital delay sound that works....but that's not the sound I'm looking to build.

I mostly play a strat through a clean fender voiced amp, with a good reverb in the amp. I use a tube screamer, a klon, a marshall blues breaker 1, and a dumble voiced pedal that I swap brands on.

I occasionally add in a univibe and trem pedal for very specific songs, but mostly, clean amp, onboard reverb, and one of the drive pedals.

I want to get that delay sound that is so subtle you can't hear it but it thickens the sound a bit, and/or that very subtle slap back that makes note definition that little bit nicer.

I can get close to this, but only two ways.

1.) original way huge aqua puss going through a blend pedal and use this to blend the dry signal %85 to the %15 wet, and put that into the front of the amp. - that works, but that's quite a specific setup (really works for the slapback), I've tried variations on this eg: aquapuss mkII, carbon copy light/dark, and yes it works, but it's nowhere near as good.

2.) a magic delay pedal that @thorpyfx built for me - it's like an aquapuss MK1+ it works as above, but I can also put it straight infront of the amp and put a super super short delay on it to thicken the sound, it's a fantastic pedal, but again it's a rare magic pedal that's being used in a specific way.

I'd like to try to get to a better handle on how to use delay, maybe try a few new pedals.

I've tried the delay in the FX loop and on all my amps, I don't like it, it sounds washed out, I really like it in front, but then I have to tame it with the blender pedal.

Teach me how to get a better delay sound, the pedals I was thinking about trying to try to save my magic pedals are the JHS milkman, and the Strymon brigadier

Winny_Pooh

Anything that is relatively dark (Boss-DM-2) with the mix set low and less than 350ms delay time does what you want. 

If you are not getting results with an aqua puss then I don't know what to recommend really, It seems obvious to just drop the blend level enough till its unobtrusive. 

Maybe what you are really after is a reverb with predelay.

CarpeDiem

I'm sure there are some expert delay users on the forum who know also know your specific pedals. However, as a start point for getting a thicker sound, set for 2 or 3 feedback/repeats with a fast time. Adjust the time till it sounds right. I don't know the milliseconds figure as my TC pedal doesn't give it.

bingefeller

Have you tried turning on the delay with all knobs rolled off, but with the effect level just above noon?  On some pedals it gives a doubling effect, think of Satriani's tone on Satch Boogie.

darcym

Winny_Pooh said:

Anything that is relatively dark (Boss-DM-2) with the mix set low and less than 350ms delay time does what you want. 

If you are not getting results with an aqua puss then I don't know what to recommend really, It seems obvious to just drop the blend level enough till its unobtrusive. 

Maybe what you are really after is a reverb with predelay.

that's the problem, I am getting what I with these two pedals and the blend, almost put the effect on quite aggressive, then blend the wet signal back until it's subtle - it works great, but the problem is, it's a very specific setup, with very specific pedals, I'd like to be able to get this sound or close to it either simpler, or with less hard to find pedals

benmurray85

What about that new TC pedal? Is it called Mimiq? Not overly familiar with it but I'm sure the premise is what you're looking for.