Delay is the most primal element that defines our sense of environmental space. The amplitude, frequency response and timing of delayed acoustic signals provide the most powerful cues for localization and determining the size of our environment. When delays are artificially added to sounds in a mix it can create a sense of recognizable depth and space that adds intelligibility and presence.
The following tips will help you achieve the depth, character and clarity that every vocal deserves.
1. THE SIMPLE SLAP BACK
The easiest way to bring depth to vocal sound is to add a single slap delay. Anyone who has ever been in an empty parking lot near a big building will understand the effect of a simple single delay and the sense of distance it provides. Used with varying delay times, a slap can provide anything from a slight depth and cushion to a full, large echo reminiscent of early rock & roll recordings.
2. SET TO MATCH TEMPO AND PACE
The timing of the delay should be based on the tempo of the song and the pace of a vocal. Slower tempos with legato vocals allow for longer delay times. Faster tempos with busy vocals will require shorter times to achieve the necessary effect without clouding the performance.
The easiest way to find a good delay time is to base it on the tempo of the song. In most cases a 1/16, 1/32 or 1/64 note timing will work to create a slap effect. You can shift the delay time to be slightly longer or shorter relative to the exact musical timing to make it sound most natural.
3. SCULPT THE DELAY WITH FILTERS
Using high-pass and low-pass filters is a powerful way to add depth and separation of the slap delay from the dry signal. The reason is simple: over the course of any given distance, an acoustic audio signal will lose high and low frequency energy. Without getting into technical reasons for this, what you need to know is:
· Reducing the highs, or using more high frequency filtering will enhance the depth of the delay.
· Reducing the lows, or using more low frequency filtering will enhance the clarity of the delay.
When setting your filters, always listen in context for the best combination of depth and clarity in the overall vocal sound. Filter more when the vocals sounds confused or disrupted, filter less if the slap effect needs to be heard clearly in the mix, rather than felt.
4. USE REPEATING DELAYS TO ENHANCE IMPORTANT LYRICS
One way to add rhythmic enhancement to a vocal performance while adding depth and space is by using repeating delays. Depending on the pace of the vocal performance and the tempo of the song, delay times will usually range from sixteenth notes all the way through to half or whole notes. The addition of dotted or triplet values should also be considered when straight values are not quite giving you the sound you want.
One consideration with repeating delays is that they can easily build up on themselves in a busy vocal part and obscure the depth field and clarity of the vocal. A good way to get around this is to selectively decide what words or phrases to emphasize using delay; this technique is commonly referred to as using a “delay throw”.
Words or phrases that define the hook of the song or that have an empty space following them are typically the best choices.
5. ADD MOVEMENT TO DELAY
If you are interested in a little more movement with those repeating delays, the “ping pong” effect is a popular way to add more rhythmic movement and interest while opening up the stereo sound field. A simple ping pong delay will pan each repeating delay to the opposite side, with the feedback control determining the number of repeats.
6. REVERB YOUR DELAYS
Echoes in acoustic environments carry along with them a tail of reverb. This acoustic phenomenon is an important one to use in the mix because it will help the dry delays take on an enhanced depth of field and sound more believable to our listening mind. Adding reverb to the end of the delay would make the delay sound natural and believable.