Adding space with delay

[ben_allison]

Crawz sent this to me in a PM (I've editited the mesage for length), and I thought I'd start a thread, so everyone could get in on it:

Ben, you confessed to being majorly into delay. I'm wondering if you'd be kind enough to offer perspective and a suggestion or two. I play chordal style jazz guitar. (since you're in T Town... Ed Bickert has been a strong influence since the early 70's, but it's mainly pianists that drive my muse.) What I'm seeking is a spatialization of my sound. I currently use a Lexicon LXP-1 set to dark hall as my verb. It's outputs have a little delay on them that you can hear when running to two speakers. I wouldn't describe it as chorusing or double tracking the way most people use it. There is just a slizzard of LFO in it I suppose, but no wobble so as you'd notice. A great reverb gets me close but I remain convinced that it is a very subtle effect in the direction of chorusing that will really nail it. Subtle, yes, but profound in it's overall effect. Spatialization remains the best adjective I can come up with to describe it. I know Bill Frisell uses an original Memory Man to good effect. I like the space in his sound on certain recordings. It's not getting in his way where he's stepping on it at all. Any suggestions that you could offer would be VERY much appreciated. All the best to you.

I'll now submit my reply...

[ben_allison]

Hi Charles!

I'm by no means an expert, but there are a variety of adjustments that could add space to your sound.

By way of a disclaimer, a lot of the space will depend on what instruments you're playing with. If it's a drum/bass/guitar setup, you're golden bcause you don't really share a lot of your frequencies with those instruments. Some with the drums, but not really enough to encroach terribly on your spaciousness. THAT is key. Things sound huge and spacious, when there are fewer elements (listen to William Ackerman's Passage for a brilliant example of this).

If you add more instruments to the mix, you are instantly lowering the ceiling of how much space your particular instrument can have.

* * *

To achieve your goals, the most important thing I would suggest is to play out of more than one amp. A stereo delay, if you want to get most out of it, NEEDS to go to a stereo source. Two different speakers in the same cabinet is not stereo. Send the stereo signal to two separate amps, and put decent space between them (at least 5-6 feet).

A variation would be to use TWO delays, one for each amp, instead of a stereo delay. That is, split the signal from your guitar, send the left signal to a DD-5 (for example) into the left amp, and send the right signal to a Memory Lane (again, for example) and to the right amp.

Different sounding delays on the left and right will add some complexity, and potentially widen the stereo field.

Stereo is really your biggest ally when it comes to adding space. Adding a chorus to delay trails can help, but it won't impact space as much as utilizing the stereo field.

One not about delays: analogue delays are not inherently more spacious sounding than digital. The pristine feedback of a digital could actually improve spaciousness. I prefer analogue delays for their warmth. The are more organic an earthy, because they are imperfect. Imperfections can add to space, so play around and see what serves you better. I like the idea of an analogue and digital delay together, to enrich the complexity of the sound. Different shades of the same colour.

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When it comes to recording, having two amps, again, is a great asset. Close mic the right and left amps, and pan them hard to either side. Throw up and omni exactly between the two of them (or maybe slightly off center to introduce some phase shift, again, something that could add interest to the space), and keep it panned center. Or, just do a simple M/S recording. Tons of options.

* * *

So, to sum up, I think for your objectives, my ideal chain would be:

Guitar --> signal splitter (possibly a mild stereo reverb to split te signal, and add a bit mor espace up front) --> Delay L and Delay R (possibly using different delays for each) --> respective Left and Right Amps

Slightly different delay times for each (difference of 2-5ms).

* * *

If you're concerned about volume, don't be. Get some teeny tiny amps -- 2 Fender Pro Juniors, with upgraded tubes (Mullards for example) will work brilliantly. They will sound HUGE if you set them up, play them, and record them properly.

Best of luck!