david gilmour delay settings david gilmour delay settings

The Echorec was an old school mechanical delay that utilized a spinning drum disk wrapped in magnetic recording wire rather than magnetic tape. This creates a different bouncy feel to the delay rhythm. As I said before, he often doesnt just use the delay to make his solos fit in the particular vibe of the song, but also the help build the rest of the soundscape. This is something us Gilmour fans have sought to recreate in our own playing. An examination of the individual tracks from some of the 5.1 surround sound studio album releases reveals both were used. Some are actually too high quality for my personal taste. Great, lets get started. Note or mark that time setting on your delay. It is impossible to achieve the exact same tone as a player without using the same equipment. Both types have been described as "warm" sounding, which can get confusing. He used both in his 1980s live rigs, and continued to use the MXR System II up until 2016. Try playing the Comfortably Numb solo with a 380ms delay with 4-6 repeats, versus a longer 540-600ms delay to hear the difference. DELAY SETTINGS - Some of Gilmour's most commonly used delay times are 300, 380, 440, 480, 540, and 630ms. It's all on a D pedal. NOTE: This website is frequently updated. To add some modulation and a spacious feel to the delay tone on the studio recording David used either a Yamaha RA-200 rotary speaker cabinet or an Electric Mistress flanger. In this example I am showing how just using a single triplet 330ms delay is sufficient for this effect, but a second 4/4 feeling delay of 440ms or even a double triplet delay time to 660ms, could be added to enhance the space. The shorter delay fills in the gaps between the longer delay repeats, creating a smooth delay sound, but the delay time on both makes the repeats fall inline with the song tempo. Those are not the type of parallel setup we are talking about here. David maintained his Echorecs well and replaced them often however, so his sound only had minimal high end roll-off in the repeats. Dan's Pick No.1: Pro-Co RAT (79) David Gilmour, or Dave to his friends, has had a constant development of tone over the four decades he's been knocking around making classic album after classic album. For the muted rhythm part in Echoes, Program 3 is the closest, but almost any program position works as long as the delay time is set for 300-310ms. The S-O-S rig allowed him to play sustained chords on the guitar which he could then play melody on top of. As the recording drum and playback heads aged there was a slight loss of high end that added a unique high end roll-off as the echoes decayed. David primarily used the Binson Echorec delay/echo unit for his early work with Pink Floyd. second solo: 500ms - feedback: 3-4 repeats -- delay level: 15% -- delay type: analog, Shine On You Crazy Diamond I-V Syds theme - 2016/15 Live version: David has often usied very long delay times, so the repeats are not as obvious because he is playing the next bit of a solo phrase right when the repeats from the previous notes start. volume swells in verse section after second solo: 540ms and 620ms -- feedback: 4-5 repeats Great Gig Slide Guitar Breakdown, Here's another, starting with the dry guitar in the left channel, then the right channel with the 440ms delay. To figure a 4/4 delay time to work with any 3/4 triplet delay time, you can split the 3/4 time delay into thirds. The 4/4 delay can barely be heard on the studio recording and is really not necessary, but it is fun to experiment with two delays. #4. I have split the 5.1 stem channels apart from the surround sound mixes of all of the Pink Floyd and Gilmour's solo albums to hear the individual elements. >> Click to read more <<. Delay time depends on the era. It plays through first with the guitar and delay, then plays through again with just the left channel dry guitar, then again with the right channel, which is a multi tracked guitar, but delayed behind the left channel guitar. His signature sound is a combination of mellow overdrive and clean tones, awash in combinations of delay, compression, phase, chorus and reverb. There is a also bit of light overdrive in the tone. You can also play in time with the delays in a kind of shuffle rhythm. So why don't you hear the repeats most of the time? The other delay is set in 4/4 time (quarter notes) at 507ms, or one repeat on every beat. Two delays running at different times fill in gaps between delay repeats, making the delay sound smoother with less obvious repeats. second solo: 380ms -- feedback: 6-7 repeats, Comfortably Numb - 1986 live version / Columbian Volcano Appeal Concert: He did sometimes use the Swell mode. Run Like Hell Tone Building - Boss CS-2 compressor, Hartman Flanger, and two Boss DD-2 delays. BREATHE and GREAT GIG IN THE SKY SLIDE GUITAR VOLUME SWELLS - Breathe from Dark Side of the Moon features some beautiful David Gilmour slide guitar work. - 2016/15 live version: Run Like Hell with 380ms and 507ms delay in series - first is 380ms delay in the left channel, then 380ms+507ms in the right channel. David's T7E and PE603 Echorecs, and even the stock Echoplexes at the time, were not capable of anything even close to that length of delay. The Echorec 2 had six knobs - INPUT CONTROL (volume), LENGTH OF SWELL (number of repeats), VOLUME OF SWELL (volume of repeats), BASS/TREBLE (tone knob for the repeats), a three position SELECTOR knob, and a SWITCH knob that selected various combinations of the four playback heads. The other is more natural sounding because it is added post amplification, which is more like what real reverb does. Pink Floyd is deemed as one the all-time best bands to ever exist on this planet. It also stems from the fact that people tend to look at things with their wallets, and analog gear is often much more expensive than its digital counterpart. 147ms (2X the delay repeats), or 2 pulses for every delay repeat. It was usually set for single head and a fixed time at about 310ms. Once you have that, turn the feedback down so there are only about 3-6 repeats, adjust the delay volume to suit the song, and you are ready to go. outro: 340ms -- feedback: 3-4 repeats, Shine On You Crazy Diamond I-V (Binson Echorec): Theyre so famous they sell for a very high price and are deemed a collectable for many. Alt. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for THE RULING CASTE: IMPERIAL LIVES IN THE VICTORIAN RAJ By David Gilmour **Mint** at the best online prices at eBay! Syd's theme: 375ms and 500ms To get the 4/4 time delay, simply multiply 126.7 x 4 = 506.8ms. I often hear a guitar recorded dry, a reverb only track, and a delay only track. Let's do some "Echorec math." Fat Old Sun- 2015/16 live version: WHY CAN'T I HEAR THE ECHO REPEATS IN SOME GILMOUR/PINK FLOYD SOLOS? The motor had a fixed speed so one turn of the drum equated to approximately a 300ms delay, but that could vary slightly depending on mains voltage, and volatage fluctuations. Below are examples from 2016 of David using three digital delays in series for Syd's theme from performances of Shine of You Crazy Diamond. The delay used must have a "kill dry" or "dry defeat" mode, which means ONLY the 100% wet delay signal is sent to the output of the delay, none of the dry signal. middle keyboard section: 340ms -- feedback: 8-9 repeats I used to be expert with Binsons. Volume 65% There are several reasons. MXR Digital Delay System II showing David's knob settings, Part of the effects rack from David's 1994 Pink Floyd tour rig with the MXR Digital Delay System II mounted in the middle, David's MXR Digital Delay System II rack unit from the On an Island tour showing a note for As the chord rang on, David could then play the melody lines through his main Hiwatt. delay 2 time: 1100ms -- feedback: 1 repeat - delay level: 10% -- delay type: warm digital, Today - 2016/15 live version: delay 1: 430ms -- feedback: 7-8 repeats - delay level: 30% -- delay type: clear digital Electric Mistress V2, V3, or V4: David Gilmour, as many guitarists will agree on, is an absolute legend. His talent doesnt just limit to his skill, but also to his creativity. Note the controls show playback mode switch is in position 4, which is single playback Head 4, Gilmour's Binson Echorec 2 model T7E from 1970-71 with the playback mode switch in position 4, Gilmour's Binson Echorec 2 model T7E from 1972 and 1977 with the playback mode switch in position 1, which is singe playback Head 1, Various Echorec 2 settings seen in David's Medina studio from 2013, 2014, and 2017, The Echorec 2 in David's Medina studio from 2017. Solo (several multi-tracked guitars): main delay 312ms / second delay to simulate offset multi-tracked guitars: 440ms, Time - Pulse version (TC 2290 Digital Delay): delay 1 time: 430ms -- feedback: 5-7 repeats - delay level: 30% -- delay type: warm digital Program Position 3 is equivalent to Switch Position 6 on the real Echorec, which is Head 3 + Head 2. Most analog type delays have a lower quality repeat decay that rolls off more high end on each repeat. 2nd delay 94ms. David usually sets his delays in time with the song tempo, which helps hide the echo repeats. David could play a chord while the delay rhythm repeated, and jump back to the delay rhythm before the repeats stopped, almost as if there were two guitars playing. 8-10 repeats on each. His delay times are slightly faster here. there is no delay on the studio recording, but the multiple multi-tracked guitars playing slightly out of time with eachother make it sound like there is delay. It's just like the old Echoplex unit - David Gilmour from Guitar for the Practicing Musician, 1985, The Binson was an Italian made delay unit. Shorter delay times are more obvious because the repeats are heard in between notes and phrases. Warm for an anlog delay usually refers to the high end roll-off decay, and warm for a digital delay usually means the repeats are not brighter or harsher than the original guitar signal, but are the same or have slightly less high end. - engineer Alan Parsons, on the 1973 Dark Side of the Moon sessions, (left to right) Gilmour's Binson Echorec 2 and Echorec PE 603 stacked on top of his Hiwatts from 1973, and an Echorec 2 from 1974, Binson Echorec PE 603 like the one Gilmour used from 1971-74 in his live rigs. first solo: 507ms -- feedback: 2-3 repeats Pink Floyds and Gilmours music is timeless, and the albums are a must-listen for any musician who wishes to define and expand genres. For his general ambient delays, choose the most tape flavored setting and use 50%-ish feedback (or 7-8ish repeats) and mix it fairly low so it sounds more like a subtle reverb. For the multi-head Echorec sound needed when performing the intro to Time and the four-note Syd's theme section of Shine on You Crazy Diamond he used two delays, and sometimes three! It's actually a metallic disc that spins around. Time intro test with backing track - 470ms and 94ms. David Gilmour Solo Tone Settings For "Time" . - Be sure to read the section above. In the studio recording I hear one guitar playing the single note triplet time rhythm, a second guitar playing the fills, and a third guitar playing occasional accents on top of the fills. - Pulse version (TC 2290 Digital Delay): Hey You - Pulse version (TC 2290 Digital Delay): Money solo - studio version - multiple guitar tracks were recorded with different delay times (Binson Echorec 2 and Binson PE603): Money solos - live 1977 version (MXR Digital Delay System I): Money solos- Pulse version (TC2290 Digital Delay): One of These Days studio version (Binson Echorec): One Of These Days - 2015/16 live version: On the Run (The Traveling Section) - early live guitar version from 1972 (Echorec PE 603): On The Turning Away - 1991 live Amnesty International Big 3 O version: On The Turning Away - Pulse version (TC 2290 Digital Delay): Poles Apart - Pulse version (TC 2290 Digital Delay): Rattle That Lock - 2016/15 Live version: Run Like Hell - two guitars multi-tracked (delay used was likely the MXR M113 Digital Delay): Run Like Hell - 1984 live versions - two delays in series, each with a different delay time (MXR M113 Digital Delay and Boss DD-2): Run Like Hell - Delicate Sound of Thunder and Pulse - two delays in series (TC 2290 Digital Delay for main delay + 2290 ADT effect): Shine On You Crazy Diamond I-V (Binson Echorec): Shine On You Crazy Diamond VI-IX (Binson Echorec): Shine On You Crazy Diamond I-V - 1987-89 live version: Shine On You Crazy Diamond I-V - 1994 live / Pulse version (TC 2290 Digital Delay): Shine On You Crazy Diamond I-V Syds theme - 2016/15 Live version: Short and Sweet - David Gilmour live 1984 version (Boss DD-2): Sorrow Solo and intro/outro - Delicate Sound of Thunder version (TC 2290 Digital Delay): Sorrow Intro / Outro - Pulse version (TC 2290 Digital Delay): Sorrow Solo - Pulse version (TC 2290 Digital Delay): Time - Pulse version (TC 2290 Digital Delay): Time - Delicate Sound of Thunder version (TC 2290 Digital Delay) : Us and Them - Pulse version (TC 2290 Digital Delay): *While I did a ton of work figuring out many of these delay times, a big thanks goes to Raf and the fine folks at the. MXR DIGITAL DELAYS - David began using digital delays in 1977. To sound like David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, start with the following amp settings: Gain: 3-4. Here are what the settings mean -. verse / chorus: 435ms, Wearing the Inside Out: When I'm recording I'll often set them in tempo to the track, so although they are just acting as an echo, the echo is rhythmic in away and has a triplet and the 4/4 beat in it. The Mooer Elec Lady is a good, inexpensive clone of the Electric Mistress that sounds much closer to the original large box Mistress. He began using digital delays in place of the Echorec around 1977. This effect seems like reverb, but it is much different and less tone-robbing than reverb (reverb was almost never used in a Gilmour rig). Play the note, let it repeat, then play the note a second time where the 1400ms repeat would be. David was very much in control of his sound system We rarely added effects to his guitar in the control room. first solo: 340ms -- feedback: 3-4 repeats "Square wave" means the sound wave looks square shaped, rather than wavy. My sound has everything to do with what sounds good to me. It has a certain feel, which sounds boring and ordinary if you put it in 4/4. Shown below are some typical Gilmour DD-2 delay times. The Effect Level (volume) and Feedback (number of repeats) will vary. The 4/4 delay can barely be heard on the studio recording and is really not necessary, but it is fun to experiment with two delays. HOW TO FIND THE PROPER DELAY TIMES - You can go here for a song-by-song list of Gilmour's delay times, but it is easy to find a delay time that works with a song tempo, even if you can't clearly hear the echo repeats when listening. It is around 294ms on the studio recording. Both in the studio and live their musicality seeps from every note, every rest, and every beat. Below is an excerpt of David's bass guitar part, extracted from the 5.1 surround mix of Meddle. delay time for intro and verse slide guitar: There are three different delay times on the repeats and they are slightly offset, As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. That equates to 250 - 240ms. The 3/4 "triplet" time will be inbetween in between these 4/4 and 2/4 settings on your delay. Alternately, you can use 380ms as the long delay and 285ms as the short time delay, equivalent to Head 3 and Head 4 on the PE 603 Echorec, but that creates a slightly different delay rhythm than the album sound. You can also add a second delay in series to thicken the sound, combining the 3/4 time with a 4/4 time delay. With regards to the actual sound of the echo repeats, there are essentially two types of delays - analog and digital. All rights reserved. I also use it to add some of the bigger room and concert hall sounds. intro: TC 2290 Digital Delay and PCM 70 Delay: Delay 1= 470ms / Delay 2 = 94ms All those divisions and subdivisions will be in time with the song. REVERB OR NO REVERB ? Other than a few instances like that, reverb from David rig was not used and I do not recommend it. - David has used numerous types of delays in his carreer, both analog and digital. Andrew Bell has 42 posts and counting. Set one delay for 440ms, 2 repeats, 30-35% volume. I list a number when I can clearly hear them, otherwise 4-5 repeats is usually close. The tremolo is from an HH IC-100 amp was used for the studio recording. To do this manually, turn the feedback on your delay up to around 80% or so, so the repeats are almost infinite. The plate reverb sound is the best to use for Gilmour tones in my opinion, but minimally. The clip below is played with those same 428ms and 570ms delay times. He always kept the Echorec in tip top shape, and after the MXR Delay System used a variety of digital delays, including the DD2 and later the TC 2290. Below are examples of a few ways to set up the type of parallel signal chain used in Gilmour's rigs. Its more compact, more reliable, and just easier to use. The specific delays he used were as I said the Binson Echorec, the MXR M-113 Digital Delay, and the TC Electronic 2290. Using two delays to simulate the multi head Echorec effect - 470ms and 352ms. A second and third guitar repeat similar slide phrases, playing slightly behind the first guitar. There are times when I have both running at the same time for certain effects. Some duplicate the studio album delay times and some duplicate the live delay times. To get the Pink Floyd sound, you'll need to use some specific equipment and settings. The settings Gilmour uses usually create a minimal effect, but his sompressors really helps to smooth out the tone and playing. There are also instances where he has had a long delay time, but only one or two repeats, which gives the big sound, but makes the repeats almost inaudible in the band mix. Members; 529 Members; Share; Posted December 21, 2005. Most digital delays create an accurate, pristine repeat that only decays in volume with each repeat, not in quality. SLAPBACK / ADT DELAY - It is not often, but ocassionally there is what sounds like a short slapback delay in Gilmour's guitar recordings, like the "dry" solo in Dogs from the Animals album. There are many effect pedals that simulate those sounds, and those types of simulated reverbs are also usually called plate, room, or hall reverb. Listening to this track helped me realize how delay and reverb trails interact with what I'm playing in a way that makes unintended diads that could . Here is a breakdown from the Great Gig multi tracks. Below are some specific Gilmour settings I use. In some of the studio recordings you are hearing the guitar delay and room sound or studio reverb, not just delay. Mids: 6-7. www.gilmourish.com this website has info on Gilmours tone and gear used. But which delay pedal (s) does/did he use? He used three delays there, but again, I can only distinctly hear two. It was my very first delay and one of my favorite pedals for Gilmour-ish delay. The fill patterns played in the verse section sound dry, with almost no delay. 650-680ms were occasionally used for long delays. (requires a volume pedal before the delay in signal chain to create the volume swells), Castellorizon: David would play a two note chord, then fade the volume in as he slides to the next position. For the modulation, I use an old green 18v Electric Mistress or a 1980s era Deluxe Electric Mistress in the big box. intro: 650ms, Coming Back To Life - 2015/16 live version: This may be a form of Automatic/Artificial Double Tracking (ADT) or simply a short slapback delay. If you have different subdivision settings on your delay, you can then try some of those as they will also be in time with the song tempo. delay time to simulate offset multi track recordings: 930ms -- feedback: 4-5 repeats -- delay level: 30-35% -- delay type: analog, Breathe - Pulse version (TC2290 Digital Delay): ..(later in song): 450ms -- feedback: 4-5 repeats -- delay level: 25% -- delay type: analog, Comfortably Numb - 1980-81 live version: -, David Gilmour interview by Bob Hewitt from Guitarist, June 1986, FINDING THE "TRIPLET" TIME DELAY FOR A SONG. 5. It is actually dotted-eighth-notes, or one eighth note followed by two sixteenth notes. The third delay is probably in 3/4 time, but I can barely hear it.