Delay and echo effects

Delays are separate copies of an original signal that reoccur within milliseconds of each other. Echoes are sounds that are delayed far enough in time so that you hear each as a distinct copy of the original sound. When reverb or chorus might muddy the mix, both delays and echoes are a great way to add ambience to a track.

The Delay And Echo > Analog Delay effect simulates the sonic warmth of vintage hardware delay units. Unique options apply characteristic distortion and adjust the stereo spread. To create discrete echoes, specify delay times of 35 milliseconds or more; to create more subtle effects, specify shorter times.

Specifies the type of hardware emulation, determining equalization and distortion characteristics. Tape and Tube reflect the sonic character of vintage delay units, while Analog reflects later electronic delay lines.

Determines the level of original, unprocessed audio.

Determines the level of delayed, processed audio.

Specifies the delay length in milliseconds.

Creates repeating echoes by resending delayed audio through the delay line. For example, a setting of 20% sends delayed audio at one-fifth of its original volume, creating echoes that gently fade away. A setting of 200% sends delayed audio at double its original volume, creating echoes that quickly grow in intensity.

note: When experimenting with extremely high Feedback settings, turn down your system volume.

Increases distortion and boosts low frequencies, adding warmth.

Determines the stereo width of the delayed signal.

Delay effect

The Delay And Echo > Delay effect can be used to create single echoes, as well as a number of other effects. Delays of 35 milliseconds or more create discrete echoes, while those between 15‑34 milliseconds can create a simple chorus or flanging effect. (These results won’t be as effective as the Chorus or Flanger effects in Adobe Audition, because the delay settings don’t change over time.)

By further reducing a delay to between 1 and 14 milliseconds, you can spatially locate a mono sound so that the sound seems to be coming from the left or the right side, even though the actual volume levels for left and right are identical.

Adjusts the delay for both the left and right channels from ‑500 milliseconds to +500 milliseconds. Entering a negative number means that you can move a channel ahead in time instead of delaying it. For instance, if you enter 200 milliseconds for the left channel, the delayed portion of the affected waveform is heard before the original part.

Sets the ratio of processed, Wet signal to original, Dry signal to be mixed into the final output. A value of 50 mixes the two evenly.

Inverts the phase of the delayed signal, creating phase-cancellation effects similar to comb filters. (To understand phase cancellation, see How sound waves interact.)

Echo effect

The Delay And Echo > Echo effect adds a series of repeated, decaying echoes to a sound. (For a single echo, use the Delay effect instead.) You can create effects ranging from a Grand Canyon‑type “Hello‑ello‑llo‑lo‑o” to metallic, clanging drainpipe sounds by varying the delay amount. By equalizing the delays, you can change a room’s characteristic sound from one with reflective surfaces (creating echoes that sound brighter) to one that is almost totally absorptive (creating echoes that sound darker).

Specifies the number of milliseconds, beats, or samples between each echo. For example, a setting of 100 milliseconds results in a 1/10th‑second delay between successive echoes.

Determines the falloff ratio of an echo. Each successive echo tails off at a certain percentage less than the previous one. A decay setting of 0% results in no echo at all, while a decay of 100% produces an echo that never gets quieter.

Sets the percentage of echoed (wet) signal to mix with the original (dry) signal in the final output.

Tip: You can create striking stereo echo effects by setting different left and right values for the Delay Time, Feedback, and Echo Level controls.

Links the sliders for Decay, Delay, and Initial Echo Volume, maintaining the same settings for each channel.

Makes the echoes bounce back and forth between the left and right channels. If you want to create one echo that bounces back and forth, select an initial echo volume of 100% for one channel and 0% for the other. Otherwise, the settings for each channel will bounce to the other, creating two sets of echoes on each channel.

Passes each successive echo through an eight-band equalizer, letting you simulate the natural sound absorption of a room. A setting of 0 leaves the frequency band unchanged, while a maximum setting of ‑15 decreases that frequency by 15 dB. And, because ‑15 dB is the difference of each successive echo, some frequencies will die out much faster than others.

Specifies milliseconds, beats, or samples for the Delay Time setting.