Delay is one of the most powerful and flexible effects available. The concept of repeating a segment of sound is a simple one, but what happens to that segment is where the fun begins: make it longer or shorter, give it a varying number of repeats, change the tone of the repeats, add modulation to the repeats, distort or degrade the sound of the repeats, or control any of those parameters in real time with an expression pedal. You could also split your signal and have the delay coming from a separate sound source, such as another guitar amp or a second mixer channel, which adds yet another layer of sonic dimension. Using two or more delays simultaneously raises the bar exponentially, the number of possibilities gets massive!

As a guitarist, I find a delay in the pedal format integrates into my rig easily. The sonic quality of delay pedals is outstanding and the available features are plentiful. In this two-part series, I’ll show some subtle and not-so-subtle ways to use a single delay pedal. They will all work in mono or stereo, so check them out and try them with your rig.

Single Repeat

Something you can leave on most of the time to add extra ambience to your basic guitar sound. Rhythm or lead, clean or dirty, the idea is to fatten your sound. Choose a shorter delay time, something appropriate for the song and part you’re playing, usually an eighth or quarter note. Set it for one repeat and set the wet/dry mix so that the delay signal blends evenly with your reverb. An analog delay, like the Boss DM-2W Waza Craft Delay, would be a great choice for this sound; the sweet analog delay would tuck-in nicely. As a bonus, when you turn this sound off your attack will have more immediacy and your tone will be more in your face.

Modulation Delay

If you need subtle motion in your sound, dialing in a few soft repeats with a hint of modulation on them is perfect. This is great with clean chords or arpeggios. Of course, the more repeats you have and the wider the modulation, the more spacey and atmospheric the whole sound gets. The MXR M169 Carbon Copy Delay excels at this, the analog delay and smooth modulation never get in the way of your guitar tone, regardless of how it’s set.

Slap-Back

The name speaks for itself; this is the sound of a single repeat, about 120 ms, roughly 2/3 the volume of the guitar signal, originally generated by a tape machine. It’s been used extensively in rock music since the ’50s and is a mainstay of country guitarists as well. The Strymon El Capistan would nail this, supplying just the right color to give an authentic slap-back sound.

The Mimic

This is a phrase-repeater for shorter rhythm or lead phrases. You’ll need a delay with longer delay times, at least 1,000 milliseconds. Set the delay for one repeat and the delay level slightly less than the dry guitar level. Then play a short phrase of two or three notes, pause, and let the delay play it back. In the context of a song, you could set the delay to be a half note, or two beats of the song’s tempo. Using an altered delay tone would really standout, such as a high-pass filter, distortion, or bit-crusher. The Boss DD500 would be an excellent pedal to achieve this sound.

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How To Get the Most From Your Delay Pedal – Part 1

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