What it is and how it works
A delay records the signal into a memory (tape, a BBD capacitor chain, or a digital buffer) and plays it back after a set time. Part of the output can return to the input (feedback) to create decaying repeats. With very short times (under 30–50 ms) the repeats fuse with the original and become thickness, doubling or stereo image (Haas effect); with long times they are distinct, rhythmic echoes that add space and depth without the "wash" of a reverb.
Calculating times
- Quarter note (1/4) = 60,000 / BPM ms. Eighth note (1/8) = half; sixteenth note (1/16) = a quarter.
- Dotted = × 1.5 (dotted 1/8 = 3/16); triplet = × 2/3.
- Examples at 90 BPM: 1/4 = 667 ms; 1/8 = 333 ms; dotted 1/8 = 500 ms; 1/16 = 167 ms.
- At 120 BPM: 1/4 = 500 ms; 1/8 = 250 ms; dotted 1/8 = 375 ms; 1/4 triplet = 333 ms.
- At 140 BPM: 1/4 = 429 ms; 1/8 = 214 ms; dotted 1/8 = 321 ms; 1/16 = 107 ms.
- With the plugin's synced time you don't need to calculate; milliseconds are for nudging the time slightly (2–10 ms shorter for a "forward" delay, longer for a "laid-back" one).
Parameters one by one
- Time / Sync: time in ms or in musical values. In Fruity Delay 3: free 1–1000 ms, or synced from 1/48 of a step up to 16 steps (1 bar), also with tempo automation.
- Feedback: amount of repeats. 0–15% = a single echo (slap, throw); 20–40% = 2–5 repeats; 50–70% = long tails (dub, ambient); above 100% in Fruity Delay 3 = self-oscillation (dub effect, to be controlled).
- Filters in the feedback: HP 150–400 Hz and LP 3–8 kHz make each repeat darker and thinner, so "further away" and less intrusive. In Fruity Delay 3: Cutoff, Res and LP/HP/BP type in the feedback loop; Tone on the output wet signal.
- Modulation: small variation of the time (wow/flutter, chorus on the repeats). In Fruity Delay 3: Rate 0–20 Hz, depth on Time and on Cutoff.
- Saturation/limit in the feedback: each pass gets a little dirtier (tape, dub). In Fruity Delay 3: Feedback Distortion Limit or Sat with Knee and Symmetry.
- Diffusion: blurs the repeats toward a reverb (Fruity Delay 3: Level and Spread).
- Stereo / Ping-pong / Offset / Spread: Mono, Stereo, Ping Pong model; Offset/Pan shifts one channel for a bouncing effect; Stereo Spread for width.
- Keep pitch / Smoothing: decides whether a change of time produces a pitch variation (tape effect) or not.
- Sample rate / Bits: lo-fi degradation of the repeats (Fruity Delay 3).
- Dry / Wet: on a send, Dry 0 and Wet 100%; as an insert, dose the wet (10–30%).
- Ducking: (EchoBoy, Timeless, H-Delay, Valhalla Delay) the wet signal drops while the original plays; in FL you get it with a sidechained compressor on the return.
Insert or send?
- Send: a mixer track with the delay at 100% wet; several sources can use it; you can EQ it, compress it, and put a reverb after the delay. It is the standard choice for vocals and main instruments.
- Insert: when the delay is part of the sound (slap on a guitar, ping-pong on a pluck, doubling).
- In FL: create a "Delay 1/4" track and a "Delay dotted 1/8" track; from the source track, adjust the send knob (post-fader). For a pre-fader send (the delay keeps going even if you pull down the fader) use Fruity Send.
Starting settings by instrument
| Source | Time | Feedback | Filters | Level | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop vocal (verse) | 1/8 or 1/4 | 15–25% | HP 300 Hz, LP 5 kHz | −18/−24 dB below the vocal | ducking |
| Pop vocal (chorus) | stereo dotted 1/4 | 20–30% | HP 300 Hz, LP 6 kHz | −15/−20 dB | wider |
| Rap vocal | 1/4 throw on phrase endings | 20–35% | HP 400 Hz, LP 4 kHz | automation | selected words only |
| Ballad vocal | 1/4 or 1/2 | 25–35% | LP 4 kHz | −20 dB | then reverb |
| Rockabilly/country guitar | slap 90–140 ms | 0–10% | LP 4–6 kHz | −8/−12 dB | insert |
| Ambient guitar | dotted 1/4 + 1/4 | 40–60% | modulation | mix 30–50% | "The Edge" style: rhythm from the repeats |
| EDM pluck/lead | 1/8 or 3/16 ping-pong | 30–45% | HP 200 Hz | −10/−15 dB | sidechain from the kick |
| Snare/clap | 1/8 or 1/16 throw | 20–30% | HP 500 Hz | automation | fills and section ends |
| Arpeggiated synth | 1/16 or 1/8 triplet | 20–30% | LP 6 kHz | −12 dB | groove |
By genre
- Pop: discreet tempo-synced delays under the vocal, throws on the last words.
- Hip hop, trap: obvious throws on key words and ad-libs; 1/4 or 1/2 delays with filters.
- Reggae and dub: tape delay with high feedback, automated filters, controlled self-oscillation used as an instrument.
- Rock: slap on vocals and guitars (rockabilly, 1950s), long delays on solos.
- EDM: tempo-synced ping-pong on plucks and leads, ducking from the kick.
- Ambient: high feedback, diffusion, modulation: a delay that turns into a reverb.
Common mistakes
- Delay too loud and unfiltered: the repeats compete with the vocal.
- Time not tied to the song: echoes that "trip" over the groove (unless intended).
- High feedback under the verses: buildup, loss of clarity.
- Wide stereo delays on vocals and bass in mono: mono problems (check).
- No automation: the same delay for the entire song.
How to hear it
- Raise the return until you clearly hear the repeats, then lower it until you no longer hear them as echo but only as "space": the right point is between the two (usually 3–6 dB below the point where you hear them clearly).
- Mute the delay in the middle of the chorus: if the vocal suddenly sounds smaller and "dry", the delay is working.
Starting settings
| Parameter | Value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Time | Synced: 1/4, 1/8, dotted 1/8, 1/16 | The repeats support the groove. |
| Feedback | 15–35% (mix), 50–70% (dub/ambient) | Number of repeats. |
| Filters on the return | HP 200–400 Hz, LP 4–8 kHz | Distant, clean repeats. |
| Return level on vocal | −15/−24 dB below the vocal | Space without losing clarity. |
| Dry/Wet on a send | Dry 0%, Wet 100% | The amount is set at the send. |
| Ducking | GR 4–8 dB with sidechain from the vocal | Echoes only in the gaps. |
| Modulation | Light (rate 0.3–1 Hz) | Lively repeats, tape effect. |
Frequencies to watch
| Range | What to do |
|---|---|
| Below 150–400 Hz (return) | HP on the return: the repeats don't muddy the low end. |
| 3–8 kHz (return) | LP on the return: darker, more distant repeats, less conflict with sibilants. |
| 1–3 kHz | Repeats that stay here are perceived as a clear echo; for a background delay, attenuate this area. |
Example chain
| Step | Tool | Settings | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processed source | EQ, compression, de-esser on the track | Before the send | The delay receives a clean signal. |
| Send | FL mixer: send knob (post-fader) / Fruity Send (pre-fader) | Send level | Dosage. |
| Delay | Fruity Delay 3 / EchoBoy / Valhalla Delay / Timeless 3 / H-Delay | Tempo-synced time, feedback 20–30%, filters | The repeats. |
| EQ on the return | Fruity Parametric EQ 2 | HP 300 Hz, LP 6 kHz | The repeats don't compete. |
| Ducking on the return | Fruity Limiter COMP with sidechain from the vocal | GR 4–8 dB, release 200–400 ms | Clarity during phrases. |
| Reverb after the delay (optional) | Fruity Reeverb 2 / LuxeVerb | Send from the delay return | Repeats immersed in the space. |
How to check the result
- Spectrum of the return: energy below 200 Hz and above 8 kHz attenuated compared with the source.
- Mix correlation not significantly changed with the stereo delays active (stays above +0.2).
- In mono the repeats remain audible but neither disappear nor increase by more than 3 dB.
- Repeats aligned to the grid: in the oscilloscope or in Edison the echoes fall on the expected note values.