Delay Pedals in Series

[Vax]

Hey guys,

Was wondering if the shoegazers or U2/Hillsong maestros out there could offer their input regarding two delay pedals in series.

Let's say I set the first with a long delay, and the second with a short delay (definitely shorter than the first). Will the longer delay "cancel" the shorter delay, since they're in series?

It may sound like a strange question, but I made an interesting observation when I decided to stack my Biyang delay with my Boss DD-20 for fun (I have two separate rigs). On normal settings it was ok, and even tonally satisfying, but when I changed the DD-20 to my slapback preset, I noticed there was no slapback...until I realized the Biyang was still on. Turning the Biyang off returned my slapback tone.

This isn't a call for help, it's just something I thought would be interesting for other SOFTies out there. Cheers!

 

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

with the long delay setting, before the signal has time to repeat itself to be amplified through the amp, it has prolly fed itself into the input of the shorter delay setting.

Imagine the longer delay setting is a equally time interval spaced event call "ding" and the shorter delay is another equally time interval call "dong"

ding-----ding-----ding-----ding
____dong-dong-dong-dong

Before ding can repeat itself and get amplified, it has already been processed by dong and prolly take on the shorter delay timing repeat

In series, that is..

anyway, what was the short delay time setting when it "cancel" the dd 20 delay and did you try increasing the short delay timing to perhaps give more audible repeats?

 

[carboxymoron]

It definitely will not "cancel" out anything, it's just a matter of how audible the effect is.

A lot of people like to anthropomorphise their gear and talk about pedals "interacting" but the fact is this is signal processing using two discrete units. If A happens and B happens then the end result is simply A * B.

 

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

hehe, well said to the above!

Anyway, since there not much of a secret to 2 delay, another thing which is very common for those who already been playing with multiple delays, using 2 delay or more and depending on the setting, one can get odd timming spaced repeats which can mimic an arpeggiator effect/multi tap delay sound.

 

[skipper53]

one can get odd timming spaced repeats which can mimic an arpeggiator effect/multi tap delay sound.

Yea baby! Bring on the aliens!

 

[Vax]

Haha I guess the anthromorphism is an unintended after-effect. Nonetheless, what probably happened was just as some of you mentioned; it's a matter of how loud the effect was. My saved preset for the slapback was probably inaudible relative to the Biyang before it (I'll have to check when I'm back from shift).

At the mention of "bring on the aliens", I started thinking about Joe Satriani and his stacked delay tone.

Odd-time repeats?? That will be really cool; can share an example on how to set it up?

 

[MadWerewolfBoy]

If A happens and B happens then the end result is simply A * B.

mind of a programmer!

 

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

Odd-time repeats?? That will be really cool; can share an example on how to set it up?

The setting prolly just having one delay with longer delay time/repeat rate and the other delay with shorter delay time/repeat rate etc or any random setting which contradict the other.

You will want to have one delay, to process the original note play you are playing, and with the 2nd delay, to process the original note played+1st delay pedal's delay effect.

For the delay timing setting, just planned accordingly to the tempo of the song with one delay and have the another delay at 1/2 or 1/3 or 1/4 or 3/4 time rating etc in relative to the other. Same goes to the repeat rate. When one delay has longer setting, the other will have shorter setting.

Heres a video which i did to show the effect of the 2 delay modulating each other to get an irregular but still musical repeats.
At any time, iam only playing 4 notes or 4 chords etc. I muted the strings after each plucking/strumming to let the repeats ring out more clearly so that can hear the differences between having only 1 delay on and 2 delay on at same time. The delay mode on the dl-4 is a sweep echo setting while delay on the headrush is on normal delay setting.

I have no idea bout the time setting as it was just a random setting after connecting up the 2 delays. If wanna know the delay time setting, can count the blinking led from individual delay and use those online BPM to delay time calculator to do the conversion

 

[ice9]

Before ding can repeat itself and get amplified, it has already been processed by dong

i have nothing useful to add to this conversation. just wanted to repost the above.