In this blog post, we’re going to discuss the best Delay plugins. Delay effects have been an essential tool in the audio production world for decades, providing depth and dimension to recordings.
With the rise of digital audio technology, delay plugins have become increasingly sophisticated and versatile, offering a wide range of options for sound designers and mix engineers. From classic analog emulations to cutting-edge digital delays, we’ll cover a range of options that cater to different needs, styles, and budgets. Whether you’re a professional producer or just starting out, this guide will help you find the perfect delay plugin to enhance your productions.
What are Delay plugins?
Delay plugins are digital audio effects used in music production to add a repeating echo or delay to a sound.
They work by taking an incoming audio signal, duplicating it, and then playing it back after a set amount of time. The resulting delayed sound can then be blended with the original sound to create a variety of effects,
How are Delay plugins used in music production
In music production, delay plugins are typically inserted into a channel or bus in a digital audio workstation (DAW) and can be adjusted in real-time to change the length, volume, and feedback of the delay.
The right delay plugin can make a significant impact on the overall sound and feel of a mix, and choosing the best one for your specific needs is an important step in the music production process. Delay plugins play a crucial role in shaping the sound of a mix and can be used for a variety of purposes, including:
- Creating space and depth: Delays can be used to create the illusion of space and depth in a mix by adding a sense of distance and dimension to the sounds.
- Enhancing rhythm: Delays can be used to enhance the rhythm of a song by adding repeating patterns and syncopated rhythms.
- Creating atmosphere: Delays can be used to create ambient and atmospheric effects, such as adding a sense of reverb or creating textures.
- Improving clarity: Delays can be used to add definition and clarity to a mix by adding a sense of separation between sounds and helping to create a more focused and cohesive sound.
- Adding special effects: Delays can be used to create unique and creative effects, such as reverse delays, tape delays, and modulated delays.
Top 10 Best Delay Plugins
The best way to determine the right delay plugin for you is to try out several options and choose the one that provides the sound, versatility, and ease of use that best meets your needs.
1. Objeq Delay
Objeq Delay is a creative effect plug-in combining acoustic filtering with a clever delay unit. The plate, beam, drumhead, and string objects impart evocative acoustic resonances to the input signal. Further shaping is also available via low- and high-cut filters. The in-series delay acts as a classic unit or can split the first and subsequent repeats to either remodel the attack or create complex rhythmic patterns. An LFO module completes the package with comprehensive modulation destinations to the filter, resonator, and delay parameters.
2. Dubstation 2
Audio Damage’s painstakingly modelled bucket-brigade delay has been the go-to plugin for that sound for over a decade, used in thousands of commercial productions, and with good reason. Dubstation’s intuitive topology brings the mojo of yesteryears’ hardware delays to your DAW.
Dubstation 2 takes our most popular product and adds a whole raft of new features. With the addition of LFO and saturation controls, Dubstation 2 now fully emulates a vintage bucket-brigade delay, and the new dual-mode for separate control over the left and right delay times and ping-pong make it a Swiss Army knife for delay effects.
3. Mutant Delay
Mutant Delay is a host-synced delay plugin with a built-in ducker, perfect for vocal processing and many other applications.
In the studio, it’s easy to lose count of the number of times you have to set up convoluted sidechain and compression routing, just to achieve a ducked delay for vocal lines. With Mutant Delay all that complexity is a thing of the past. Now you can easily replicate this popular mixing technique with just one plugin and a couple of clicks, allowing you to dial in extreme delay effects whilst maintaining clarity of the original signal.
4. Repeater
Repeater is a dual-delay powerhouse that features 23 unique, authentically modeled delay units ranging from classic oil cans and plates to the most famous vintage digital designs It also has pitch modulations for extremely spatial and deep effects. Sounds great when both delay lines are set to the same time creating a chorusing mono effect. These can also be used with tight delays with Spread option for widening and thickening effects.
5. Comeback Kid
Comeback Kid includes everything you’d expect from a new go-to delay — plus some unexpected extras. If you want a tape delay vibe for your lead synth, a modern slap on your vocals and a crunchy lofi echo on your guitars then this plugin can handle it. Want to mix and match all of the above to create something new? Also not a problem! Comeback Kid is designed to adapt to your sound — not the other way around. And with no sub-menus or hidden features, everything you need is right in front of you.
6. UltraTap
UltraTap is a unique multi-tap effect capable of rhythmic delays, glitchy reverbs, huge pad-like volume swells and extraordinary modulation. It’s the perfect tool for creating drum fills, vocal choruses, swelling guitar chords and other evolving effects — everything from reversed reverbs to a massed church choir singing a Gregorian chant in Notre-Dame Cathedral!
7. Tube Delay
Tube Delay has a tasty echo effect that can go from clean to rude by overdriving its three modeled tube stages. You can create anything from realistic room echoes to rockabilly style slap backs, or take it all the way into dub reggae echo madness. The controls are quite self explanatory, but it’s the sound that sets Tube Delay apart from any other delay you have tried. The drive knobs add a wonderfully dirty distorsion and the tone controls are just sweet.
8. Echorec
The Pulsar Echorec is a software emulation of the iconic echo/delay unit of the same name produced by the Italian brand Binson in the 1960s. The sound of this magnetic disk delay differs from the tape delays used at the time and has largely contributed to the audio signature of many 70s bands: Pink Floyd, The Shadows, Jimmy Page etc.
9. Echo Cat
Echo Cat brings back the sound and behaviour of the original unit with authentic tape simulation and three playback heads. With added extra features that any modern delay plugin should have. These include M/S processing, tempo sync delay times, filters on the feedback path, varispeed, modulation and ducking.
Invented in 1958 by Charlie Watkins*, the Copicat* delay was an instant hit. Featured in countless albums from the ’60s and ’70s and used by great bands like The Shadows and Pink Floyd. Primarily designed for guitar, it’s now a sought after piece of equipment in studios around the world.
10. PrimalTap
PrimalTap is an emulation and re-imagining of the unique sound and features of the Prime Time delay, a classic digital delay with some powerful performance and sound design capabilities. Like the original hardware, PrimalTap is a hybrid of digital and analog sound – it packs a surprising amount of grit, vibe, and character for a digital delay. In true Soundtoys fashion, they have also evolved and enhanced some of the unique features of the original hardware to give you even more control and creative possibilities.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Delay plugins are essential tools in the music production process, used to add depth, space, rhythm, atmosphere, clarity, and special effects to a mix.
With a wide range of options available, it’s important to choose the right delay plugin that meets your specific needs. When choosing a delay plugin, consider factors such as sound quality, versatility, ease of use, compatibility with your digital audio workstation (DAW), and price. By taking the time to find the best delay plugin for your needs, you can greatly enhance the sound of your music production and bring your tracks to life.
You may also like: