Dynamic Delay

[gdougherty]

Thought I'd share this. It's a channel settings file with 3 Levelizers and a studio delay patched on a return. It effectively acts as a dynamic duck delay.
The first Levelizer adds some gentle taming to even out the input signal for average to louder vocals. The second Levelizer sends to the A signal bus and doesn't effect the signal. After that is a Studio Echo/Delay that generates a moderate delay and outputs the signal 100% wet; tweak and tap it as needed. Finally the third Levelizer keys off the A signal bus and applies a gentle reverse gate to pull down the delay effect as long as there is and input signal above the threshold. The threshold will possibly need some tweaking based on your signal levels. There's a +10db boost off the first Levelizer and a -10db output correction on the last to give a little more range on the threshold. It'd probably make sense to change some of that around, but as it's all digital I don't think it hurts anything. The last correction is to put 0db on the return fader at near the optimal level and let me back off and snap back with a left-right click.

With input levels hitting between -18 and -12 on the meters, channel fader at about 0db, aux send post-fader with a -14db level and the aux and return faders at 0db, this blends pretty well.

[mako]

Thanks for your generosity gd.

cheers mako

[gdougherty]

Welcome mako.

Also, if it isn't obvious, you'll need to purchase the Levelizer to use this. IMO, worth every penny.

[sjpaul]

George,

what would be the intended use for this type of delay? Sounds like an interesting chain....

[quaizywabbit]

i have a tc-electronic m350 that does this....works a treat to add dimension, and realism to sound like the original...so to speak....

for the uninitiated, it adds delay to the last syllable in a lyric....while they're hammering away, its tame...but when they get to the last syllable, it repeats per your settings......very useful effect on quite a few songs....when done tastefully.....

[sjpaul]

...aaahhh... that sounds like it could be really useful. I've always wondered how to use a vocal delay without muddying the clarity up with repeats throughout the whole line being sung. Every day's a school day it seems...

Thanks.

[gdougherty]

i have a tc-electronic m350 that does this....works a treat to add dimension, and realism to sound like the original...so to speak....

for the uninitiated, it adds delay to the last syllable in a lyric....while they're hammering away, its tame...but when they get to the last syllable, it repeats per your settings......very useful effect on quite a few songs....when done tastefully.....

+1. My old m300 was where I first came across the concept. It's more like a studio style delay you hear anymore. I use it anywhere I need a delay unless the intent is to add a short delay and fatten things up. A chorus would possibly work as well for that though.

[gdougherty]

Update:
You can probably figure this out yourself from my first post but this is a handy tip as well.

Thanks to users sharing other info on these forums it came out that a SAC best practice for auxes and a few other places is to structure the gain levels in your auxes and returns such that a left-right click on an aux snaps the send to a usable level.

In my original post, the settings I provided on the channel aux send (-14db) would left-right snap to 14db too hot with an extremely obvious delay effect going on.

I've since added a reduction of 15-20db (to taste) using the return channel attenuator. I put it there so it's up front in case I want to adjust it rather than burying it in the last Levelizer of the chain.

EDIT: Just realized the attenuator use also has the handy effect of mostly negating the need to readjust all the thresholds in the chain of Levelizers.

[DavidandMary]

This is cool. Nice description of what it does too... Thanks for sharing it with us all.