Adding Delay on Vocals
Introduction
You probably already know what a delay effect is, and maybe you’ve even tried out a cool delay guitar pedal that inspired you to write some awesome psychedelic songs.
You might have seen delays being used in various mixing tutorials online, especially on vocals. You know you can choose from 1/4, 1/8, or 1/16 note delays, along with many other note values. (Using the dotted note value is actually one of my favorite delay tricks for drums).

Delays can be used to create special effects or add width to instruments, allowing them to stay dry and upfront in your mix.
Delay (also known as echo) effects on vocals have been around forever—think of prehistoric birds singing in a canyon. They can create a sense of space, especially when combined with reverb, add texture to an instrument, or simply give a cool, bouncy rhythmic feel.
However, when mixing, there’s only so much audio you can fit into your stereo field before everything turns into a mushy mess. A delay repeats your vocal recording several times. Usually, these repeats overlap, like multiple singers competing for attention, which can make it hard for the listener to understand the lyrics.
Slapback Delay
This is a quick delay that usually produces just one echo of the vocal part. It doesn’t really sound like a separate delay—instead, it feels more like a mirrored reflection off a solid wall in a small room. With your delay channel already set up from the previous vocal delay instructions, simply bring the delay time down to about 100–150 ms. Also, reduce the strength of any low-pass filters or EQ you may have used, because we want the delay to sound crisp and punchy.

Stereo Delay
You can use a stereo delay plugin to create either a ‘ping-pong’ effect, where the delay bounces from left to right as it fades out, or apply it more subtly to add stereo width to a delayed effect. For a ping-pong delay, set the left side of your stereo delay to half the delay time of the right side. This way, the vocal will bounce from the center (the dry vocal channel) to the left, then to the right on the delay channel.
If you want the delay to repeat and fade out more slowly, increase the feedback on the shorter side of the delay plugin. Since the repeats happen faster on the shorter side, they’ll fade away more quickly unless you add extra feedback.
To give a vocal delay more stereo width, reduce the delay time on one side by a very small amount—10ms is usually enough. Keep in mind that, aside from making the delay sound wider, shortening the delay on one side will make it seem like the delay is coming from that direction.
For example, if the left delay is 10ms shorter than the right, you’ll hear a single delay slightly to the left of center, as well as a wider-sounding delay. To balance this effect and keep the delay centered while retaining the added width, you can make the right side a little louder.

Short Delays
Delays shorter than about 80ms are much less noticeable as distinct echoes and instead blend in with the dry vocal, helping it sit better in the mix. This is a common trick for rock and metal vocals, where you usually can’t afford to add reverb because it can make the sound too thick and take away from the clarity of the mix.

Ducked Delay
This is actually quite simple. All you need to do is place a compressor on the delay channel and set its side-chain input to the vocal aux send (as set up from the vocal delay instructions). Then, dial in a fast attack time, along with slow delay and release times.
This setup ensures that when the lead vocal is singing, the delayed vocals are compressed so they don’t interfere. Once the lead vocal stops, the compressor releases, allowing the end of the phrase to echo naturally.
You’ll need to fine-tune the delay and release times to get them just right. If it’s too tricky to achieve the perfect effect, you can always simulate it by simply automating the delay channel.

Delay for Back Vocals
So far, all of these strategies have focused on lead vocals, but what about background vocals like stacks or ad-libs? These are a bit more subjective, but what I like to do is create a clear distinction between the sound of the lead and the second vocal. This not only separates them tonally, but also adds a sense of depth or stereo spread to the music.
Feel free to get creative with delays on the ad-libs, too. Since ad-libs don’t occur as often in the song, they’re less likely to interfere with other parts of the mix. Changing the delay time to triplets or dotted notes can add interesting rhythms to the empty spaces. Play around and see which options work best for the song.

Conclusion
Mixing with delay can add depth to your mix in a unique and interesting way. Short delays can create a sense of space between your instruments, much like reverb does. However, unlike reverb, you can add multiple repeats to the delay or echo, experiment with creative stereo panning, and explore many other options.
There are many ways you can use delays to add distinctive sonic textures to your mixes.
[…] Here is our take on how to use Delay on Vocals! […]
I currently play with an old geezer classic rock band. Many years ago, I played with another band. We did a song back then that I would like for my current band to play. The song is “Time Has Come Today” by The Chamber Brothers. My band used a Maestro Echoplex to reproduce the vocal echo/delay part of the song.
I have two questions. First, how would you characterize the echo/delay used in this song? Second, do you have a recommendation for a pedal or soundboard add-on that can reproduce the Echoplex effect for vovals?
Thanks for any information or suggestions.
Regards,
Tom