Vocal delay
Delay on vocals, without the mess
Echoes make a vocal sound big, but under the words they blur everything. The trick is a delay that sits in the tempo, has no low end, and gets out of the way while the singer sings. Ricochet has all three built in.
How to put delay on vocals
- Put the delay on a send (100% wet) or on the vocal with the Mix around 15 to 25%.
- Sync it to the tempo: a quarter note or a dotted eighth for most songs, a short slapback (80 to 120 ms) for rap and rock.
- Cut the lows of the echoes (Low Cut at 200 to 300 Hz) and roll off some top (Tone around 5 to 8 kHz) so they sit behind the voice.
- Duck it: the echoes turn down while the vocal plays and come back in the gaps. In Ricochet, start from the Vocal Ducker preset or raise Duck Amount.
- Set Feedback for 2 to 4 audible repeats. For a big echo on one word, automate the send up on that word only (a delay throw).
Watch it explained: How to duck a delay so it doesn't clutter your vocal
Hear Ricochet
What you get with Ricochet
- 10 ready-to-go presets
- Tempo-synced delay times, with feedback and mix
- Ping-pong mode for wide stereo echoes
- Built-in chorus that makes the repeats shimmer
- Ducking that keeps echoes out of the way while you sing or play
- Tone and low-cut controls to sit the echoes in your mix
Questions
What delay time should I use on vocals?
Sync it to the song: a quarter note or a dotted eighth for most vocals, an eighth note for faster parts. To work it out by hand: 60,000 ÷ BPM gives a quarter note in ms. A short slapback of 80 to 120 ms thickens a rap or rock vocal without sounding like an echo.
Why does delay make my vocal muddy?
The echoes land on top of the next words and carry low end the vocal doesn't need. High-pass the delay at 200 to 300 Hz, darken it a little, and duck it under the dry vocal.
What is a ducking delay?
A delay that turns its echoes down while the input is loud and lets them come back when it's quiet. You hear the echoes between phrases instead of under them. You can build it with a sidechained compressor after the delay, or use a delay with ducking built in.
Delay or reverb on vocals?
Delay keeps a vocal upfront and clear while adding space; reverb pushes it back and softens it. Many mixes use a ducked delay for size and a short, quiet reverb for glue.
Free starter pack
2 plugins, free. Forever.
Toaster adds warm saturation and Overdo squashes and lifts every band, over the top. Make a free account and they're yours.
Get them free