Delay Flashcards
Delay Knob represents what?
The difference between the original signal and the delayed signal.
Should we use tempo sync and why or why not?
No. Slightly off beat is better and helps create rhythms that are important in Techno and Tech House. Out of time increments sound better to our ears.
Using non tempo based delay helps what?
Train your ears.
Feedback does what?
Determines the amount of signal fed back into the input and controls the number of delays that occur.
We should generally set the delay so that it what?
The feedback dies away before the next hit.
Delay on AUX channel should be set to what?
100% wet.
Delay output knob can often be used to add what to a signal?
Distortion and saturation.
Ping Pong Delay is what?
Delay that alternates between the left and right of the spectrum. Left channel is ping. Right channel is pong.
With Ping Pong delay we set the ms different to what?
Create the delay.
If ping is at 300ms and pong is at 150ms then pong sounds when?
150 after pings 300ms after the original signal. So 450 after the original signal.
Is ping fed into pong?
Yes
Pong occurs a set number of ms after what? These are known as what?
- Ping
2. Taps
List the three different types of taps.
- Single delay
- Ping Pong
- Multitap
Order to set up delay:
- Set delay time
- Set feedback
- Set balance
- Set output
Long Delay delay time should be set to
Around 60-70ms
How far from a surface do we need to be to hear an echo?
60 feet away.
The further sound has to travel the what?
More the frequencies will be attenuated.
We can roughly interpret how far we are from a sound source using what?
The High and low frequencies in comparison to the midrange frequencies.
To simulate real acoustic scenarios we should attenuate what?
Gain and frequency range.
To simulate real acoustic scenarios we should EQ what?
The highs and lows.
Diffusion is what?
Slight blurring of the transient after some of the low and high frequencies are attenuated.
How can we create a more natural sounding delay with depth?
By cutting the lows and highs and possibly boosting the Mids slightly. Then add diffusion.
Delay that occurs on top of other percussive instruments results in what?
A loss of contrast.
Frequency masking is what?
When a signal is overlaid over the masker. The frequencies merge and result in a different timbre. The sounds are different in isolation than in the mix.
Frequency masking occurs how many ms before or after the original sound?
20-40ms
High frequency bands can still affect what?
Low frequencies.
Dotted values are what?
The notes value plus half of the notes value. EX: Dotted 8th = 1/8th + 1/16th
Dotted can help by allowing what?
The transient of other instruments through the mix.
We perceive the entire hihat to be audible when its _____.
Transient comes through.
Fundamental of a good mix:
Making sure transients have their own space to play independently.
Use less delay when it comes to
The beat.
Try to avoid transients what?
Occurring at the same time. Tempo syncing can lead to them playing simultaneously.
Unrealistic echo can sound good if we consider what?
where the transients land and the context of the tracks
Practical Echo:
Tracks should be what?
Designed with echo in mind.
Practical Echo: To determine the delay length we need to take what into account?
The transient nature of the sound and context of the track.
If we keep transients clear we get what?
A clean sound
Natural transient and what should not coincide and why?
The delayed transient to avoid masking.
When setting delay try to think of what we are trying to achieve. Give an example
1/8 will take away the slow pace of a vocal.
Think of what while setting delay time?
The Transients, tempo, and flow of music.
What can be used to avoid transient masking?
Low and high cut.
We can use modulation on a delay to what?
Make it go further and further back in the mix creating space. But don’t forget emotional context.
We can use automation to turn the delay on and off when?
During muddy parts.
We determine distance by what?
The relationship between the mids and high frequencies.
For realistic delay it’s preferable to increase what?
The mids over the highs.
Delay can be used to what?
Give more energy or push instruments back.
We can use a transient designer after the delay to what?
Remove the delay transients!
Can use a compressor to what?
Ensure echoes don’t fade away too quickly.
When sound travels through air, what are absorbed?
High frequencies.
To create whispering effect you can what?
Increase the resonance in filterfreak.
When taps land on other notes it what?
Ends up increasing or doubling the amplitude. This can add to syncopation and rhythmic feel. We don’t want this to always happen.
Medium and short delays are how long?
Less than 60ms.
A wave cycle is 0-360 and frequency is determined by the time it takes to what?
complete a cycle. So 20hz = 20 cycles.
T = 1/f which means what?
Delay time = 1/frequency
If we do a 2ms time with a 20hz signal, the cycle will occur when?
directly after the first cycle on time.
If a tap occurs directly on top it equals what?
Constructive interference.
Constructive interference means what?
The waveforms support each other and the amplitude doubles.
If we do 1ms on a 500hz sin wave, the frequencies what?
Almost completely cancel the sound out…deconstructive interference because the cycles are out of phase.
Constructive interference occurs by what?
Integers. 1/t, 2/t, 3/t, 4/t, etc.
Deconstructive is what?
1/2t, 3/2t, 5/2t, 7/2t, etc.
Deconstructive interference results in what?
Comb filtering…notches and nulls.
If we boost the bottom frequencies using comb filtering, what can happen?
The mix can sound bottom heavy which we can fix with eq or adjustingthe delay.
Bass sounds weaker if we what?
Remove the fundamental which can be good or bad. Can use this to remove the fundamental so that it gets out of the way of the kick when doing a bass.
A gain plugin that inverts the phase can be used to what?
Remove the hollow effect from comb filtering. This can create presence. This can flip from destructive to constructive interference.
Use comb filtering to create a wider bass how?
Have left be constructive and right be destructive.
Comb filtering can be problematic when?
Summed to mono.
When applying short delays that result in comb filtering, what can happen when you increase the feedback?
It reinforces the comb filtering. The constructive and deconstructive feedback become more pronounced and the result is an increased and decreased width of comb filter notches.
Modulation helps with what?
Creating a thick full and interesting sound.
Modifying the frequency creates what?
A flanger effect.
Using a delay instead of a flanger what?
Allows you to enforce where the delays occur instead of on the entire signal.
Haus Effect:
A sound emanating form left will reach our left ear before the right and vice versa.
Directivity of a signal is determined by what?
The time delay and amplitude of the delayed signal. If a sound hits one ear and another between 1-30ms and no more than 10db louder than original signal we can determine directional information from it.
Medium delay has a delay time of what?
25 - 60ms
Medium doesn’t avoid what?
Comb filtering.
Medium delay produces
Chorus, spreading, thickening, and doubling.
Medium day upper range results in what?
Less phase cancellation resulting in thickening and more presence in the sound.
At medium delay settings, the most prominent phase cancellations commonly occur below what?
The fundamental or frequency range the delay occurs at.
Which notches/nulls in comb filtering are most apparent to our ears?
The first 3-5 due to being closest to the fundamental.
With Medium Delay we want the first 3-5 notches and nulls to what?
Occur below the fundamental
Medium Delay:
After setting the delay time to be 3-5 nulls below the fundamental we can do what to make an instrument thicker?
Increase the delay time.
Medium Delay:
After finding the delay time sweet spot we can what to make it larger?
Pan it to the left or right.
Medium Delay:
Ears focus on the vocal which means comb filtering on a vocal will be what?
Very noticeable by default.
Medium Delay:
When we use a delay to double an instrument we naturally expect what?
Pitch variation between the instruments.
Deconstructive Interference (Hz): .5ms
1000, 3000, 5000, 7000, 9000, 11000
Deconstructive Interference (Hz): 1ms
500, 1500, 2500, 3500, 4500, 5500
Deconstructive Interference (Hz): 2ms
250, 750, 1250, 1750, 2250, 2750
Deconstructive Interference (Hz): 2.5ms
200, 600, 1000, 1500, 1800, 2200
Deconstructive Interference (Hz): 5ms
100, 300, 500, 700, 900, 1100
Deconstructive Interference (Hz): 10ms
50, 150, 250, 350, 450, 550
Deconstructive Interference (Hz): 20ms
25, 75, 125, 175, 225, 275
Deconstructive Interference (Hz): 25ms
20, 60, 100,140, 180, 220
Deconstructive Interference (Hz): 50ms
10, 30, 50, 70, 90, 110
