In this video, famous engineer and producer Ryan West discusses his use of delays and shares his approach to putting space in a track without weighing it down and sweetening vocals without adding garbage. Ryan has helped define the sound of a style with his work with Jay-Z, Eminem, Kid Cudi, Maroon 5, T.I, Rihanna and Kanye West amongst many others.
Delays are a great alternative to reverb to get a modern sound without that obvious tail. Ryan's techniques use simple plugins and are easy to understand and immediately applicable to any style of music. You will learn about short and long delays, Slapback Delays, Delay Throws, how to create a stereo image with delays, how to treat those delays with compression, distortion, eqs and reverb for better integration and clarity in the mix.
This will save you much time and grief in your the process of turning a demo into a real pro sounding mix with space and depth.
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00:00:07 Hi! I'm Ryan West. Today, I'll show you
how I use delays in my mixes.
00:00:13 The song we're gonna look at today
is called "Beer", by the group Dujeous
and it's a really tight-sounding song.
00:00:20 There's not a whole lot of reverb
or ambiance in it.
00:00:22 But I'm gonna use some short
and long delays
to give you a sense of how you can create
space without making a mix sound too wet.
00:01:14 When I first began working on this mix
I had a chance to sit down and talk
with producer Taylormade
and ask him about what his vision was
for the sonic character of this song.
00:01:21 He explained to me that
the group's sound is somewhat dry.
00:01:25 They don't want it to be too wet, they don't
want too many long reverbs in there.
00:01:28 But I also wanted to give this song
an ambiance that made it feel live
and made it feel real. After all,
this is a live band playing.
00:01:35 Even though it's hip-hop music...
00:01:37 we've got live drums, and guitars,
and pianos, and vocals.
00:01:40 So, I wanted to be able to put the mix
in a physical space...
00:01:43 in a context where it seemed
like a real performance.
00:01:45 And I did that through using
short and long delays.
00:01:49 When I first open up a mix...
00:01:51 even though I'm trying to decide
what my vision for the mix is
I really want to listen to the components
in their raw state
so I can get a sense of
how it was recorded
and what I need to do to get it
to where I want it to be.
00:02:02 When I first opened up this mix
I wanted to listen to the vocals
in their raw format
so I can tell
how well they were recorded
and try to define my vision for the space
they should occupy in the mix.
00:02:12 In this section of the song,
we just have a couple of live vocals
that are going back and forth
between short sections.
00:02:19 Then, once we get into the chorus,
there's a group vocal.
00:02:21 I wanted to listen to those two parts
all the way through
so that I can understand the dynamic
changes from the verse to the chorus.
00:03:05 So what I'm hearing is
it was recorded pretty well.
00:03:08 I've already got a couple of channel
strips up to smooth out the dynamics
and have a little bit of an EQ curve
that works better for me.
00:03:15 The first thing that I noticed is that
the vocals fall a little bit flat
so I wanted to give them some dimension.
00:03:21 The first thing I actually reached for
was just a slap back delay.
00:03:24 It's a classic simple delay
that can give some dimension
if used in the right way.
00:03:28 I wanted to create some depth
and dimension with this delay
and make the vocal appear
wider in the mix.
00:03:35 I adjusted the left delay to be
slightly different from the right delay...
00:03:39 so it gives me some sense that there's
something happening in the stereo field.
00:03:43 To set this delay up...
00:03:45 I simply sent an auxiliary send
from each of the vocals
that I wanted to have
delay added to...
00:03:50 directly to an auxiliary return...
00:03:52 and inserted my plug-in on an auxiliary
return, at 100% mix.
00:03:56 Delay times for a slap back delay
are generally pretty short.
00:04:00 I like to work with mine anywhere
between 40 and 50ms...
00:04:03 all the way up to a couple of 100ms,
it depends on the tempo of the song.
00:04:06 In this particular song,
I set it to 80ms on the left side
and 52ms on the right side.
00:04:12 That's just because
that's how it felt good.
00:04:15 Just like with any other processing
I add during a mix
I want to A/B between the original signal
and the signal after the effect.
00:04:21 That's what we're gonna do here.
00:04:44 What I'm listening for with this effect
is how the delay differs
between the left and the right, and adds
a sense of space and depth to the vocal.
00:04:51 It also adds a level of excitement
which is something that we're always
going for while mixing.
00:04:56 I'm gonna play it a couple more times,
and I'd like you to focus on...
00:04:59 the difference between the delay
on the left and the right...
00:05:01 how the center image of the vocal
comes into focus
and maybe gets pushed forward
or backwards by the delay effect
and see how that affects
our overall mix.
00:05:36 It's important to listen to these effects
in context with the rest of the mix.
00:05:39 Let's listen to it with
all the instruments back in
and we'll also bypass, and then put
the effect back on
and see what kind
of a difference that makes.
00:06:13 This slap back delay is
a pretty subtle effect.
00:06:16 When we listen in the context of
the whole mix, it's not a huge change.
00:06:19 But we have to remember that mixing
is subtle changes
and these are the things that can make
the big difference in your mix.
00:06:25 One of the other ways
that I used delay on this mix
was to take a mono instrument,
and put it in a stereo sound field
without really adding any modulation
or weird stereo effects to it.
00:06:35 This is a really, really old trick
with delay.
00:06:37 It entails using short delay times
panned in the opposite direction
of the original dry signal
to give the impression that
it's a stereo instrument.
00:06:46 I'm pretty sure this guitar
was recorded in a small space
and didn't have
much room effect to it.
00:06:50 I want to first add a little bit of
reverb to give some depth to the sound.
00:06:55 I'm gonna send just a small bit
of signal from an auxiliary send
to an auxiliary return, where
I'm gonna insert a reverb plug-in.
00:07:06 I'm using the Waves TrueVerb
for just a drum room sort of sound.
00:07:10 It's gonna give the impression
that this guitar was recorded
in a little bit bigger space,
with room mikes.
00:07:33 I'm gonna use another auxiliary send
to add a little bit of delay to this.
00:07:37 I've inserted the plug-in
on an auxiliary return
and set up a bus, so that I can just
send straight from the channel.
00:07:44 I picked a really simple
Digirack delay
to have some options later on
down the road
on how I want to process
that delay sound.
00:07:50 I have the option to EQ, compress,
add reverb, or anything else I want.
00:07:54 There's no rules.
00:07:56 First, let's listen to just
the delay by itself.
00:07:59 I had this delay set to 185.19ms
in other words, the 16th note
of the tempo of the song.
00:08:22 For a song that has a faster tempo
like this one
I don't want to have too many repeats
on the slap back delay
or it's gonna clutter up my mix.
00:08:29 So in this case, it only had
the feedback set to about 14%.
00:08:32 That's a good start, but I want
to manipulate this delay a little bit.
00:08:35 I want to give it its own character,
and put my own stamp on it.
00:08:38 The next thing I'm gonna do
is insert a channel strip plug-in
after the delay on the return
so that I can use the EQ -
high-pass, low-pass filters...
00:08:46 maybe even compression,
to alter the sound of the delay.
00:08:50 The first thing I wanna do is use
the high-pass and low-pass filters
to remove some of the bottom end,
and some of the top end
to narrow the bandwidth of delay return
so I can tailor it to the sound of the mix.
00:09:25 I want to show you
the before and the after
of applying these high-pass
and low-pass filters.
00:09:28 I'm gonna exaggerate the effect,
to hear the difference more clearly.
00:10:01 Imagine earlier that I also wanted
to try adding some compression now.
00:10:04 Sometimes, this can work really well
with a delay
it can give it a really
distinct character
that's slightly different
from the original signal.
00:10:09 I'm gonna try adding a little bit
of compression, a couple of dBs worth
at a medium ratio of 8:1.
00:10:31 Mmm...
00:10:33 I don't think the compression was
really doing what I was hoping for.
00:10:36 The result was that it brought
the delay forward a little bit...
00:10:38 and made it a bit thicker,
but that's not what I'm looking for.
00:10:41 I was looking for a bit
of an edgier sound.
00:10:44 So maybe what I'll try this time
is some distortion plug-in
to give me a little bit of edge and some
saturation on the delay signal itself.
00:11:21 This effect is pretty subtle
but I think it's giving me a little bit
of what I was going after.
00:11:25 I'm gonna finish off by just adding
a touch of that room reverb
that we added to
the dry guitarist's signal
so that both the dry guitar
and the delay signal
feel like they're being performed
in the same spot.
00:11:36 As I add reverb to this delayed signal
I want you to pay attention
to how close, or how far
the delayed signal on the
right-hand side of the mix sounds.
00:12:01 This adds a lot more dimension
to our guitarist's signal.
00:12:03 Let's listen to before the effect,
and with the effect.
00:12:30 As always, we wanna listen to this effect
in context in the rest of the mix
so we can make sure that
it's doing what we want.
00:13:02 The end result is that our dry
guitarist's signal on the left-hand side
is still just as present...
00:13:06 but we've almost created a sort of
a phantom guitar on the right-hand side.
00:13:10 That gives us a lot more sense
of the depth and space.
00:13:13 The last type of delay effect
that I want to focus on today
is a much more obvious kind.
00:13:18 This is what's called a delay throw.
00:13:21 The way I set this up is...
00:13:22 I'm sending from an auxiliary send
from each of the channels
that I want to add
the delay effect to...
00:13:27 and I send it to an auxiliary return
where I insert the plug-in effect.
00:13:31 I'm gonna choose a fixed send level
for my auxiliary send on my channel
and I'm gonna automate
the mute on that send
so that I can only add the delay effect
to certain words or phrases.
00:13:41 Again, I'm gonna use a really simple
Digirack delay plug-in
and a simple equalizer,
just to shape the delay's sound.
00:13:47 I'll probably add some reverb
to that as well.
00:13:50 There's two ways I can do that. I can
either draw any automation in Pro Tools
or I can just do it
manually.
00:13:55 Here's a phrase in the verse
of the song
to which I want to add a delay
to the very last word
and have it echo out to fill in the gap
between this vocal and the next
that comes in.
00:14:14 From the Edit window in Pro Tools
I'm gonna go to the track that I want
to add the delay effect to.
00:14:18 I'm gonna select
the mute automation controls...
00:14:21 for the auxiliary send
to my delay effect.
00:14:33 Essentially, what's happening here
is I had the delay automation set up
so we don't hear the delay
on anything else
except for the words that
we choosed to add it to.
00:14:50 I also mentionned that you can apply
this effect manually
using the automation controls,
just like you'd use on a console.
00:14:55 I'm gonna set the automation
to Touch
and I'm gonna unmute the delay send
just to catch one word.
00:15:11 Now, I have a delay throw effect
added to both of those vocals
that are happening just at that moment.
Let's hear them together.
00:15:25 I want this to be a bit longer
of a delay
so I've set it to an 8th note setting
and to a 25% feedback, so that I have
enough repeats
to connect it to the next phrase.
00:15:36 Just like with the last delay effect
I'm gonna use an EQ to cut
some of the low end and high end
to narrow the bandwidth
of this delay effect.
00:15:44 Then I'll add a little bit of the same
reverb to give it some dimension.
00:16:18 I know that by cutting off some of
the low end and the high end with this EQ
this delay setting is gonna fit into
the mix a little bit better.
00:16:38 With the reverb now added
to the delay effect
it sounds more exciting, and I think
it's gonna work great in our mix.
00:16:53 Notice how the vocal now connects from
the last phrase to the next phrase.
00:16:57 We're taking advantage of the space
in our mix to add some excitement.
00:17:01 Let's play without the effect, and then
we'll add the effect back in
so you can hear the difference.
00:17:20 Delay effects are a great way to add
excitement and interest to your mix
without necessarily making it sound
too wet, as with too much reverb.
00:17:28 You can do just about anything
with delays.
00:17:30 You can add reverb to them,
compress them, and EQ them.
00:17:32 You can make them sound however you want.
There are no rules, just have fun with it.
00:17:36 I like to treat delays like another
instrument in the mix...
00:17:40 a way to fill in gaps, a way
to spread out the stereo field
a way to add excitement.
00:17:45 Practice some of the tips
and techniques we went over today
but feel free to experiment,
there aren't any rules.
00:17:49 Just have fun with it,
and make sure it sounds great!
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In addition to many Platinum, Gold and Diamond RIAA certifications, he's been twice nominated for the Album of the Year Grammy and has a further seven nominations to his credit. Ryan has also participated in numerous discussion panels with mixing heavyweights Tony Maserati, Joe Chiccarelli, Michael Brauer, Andy Wallace and mastering engineers Howie Weinberg and Bob Ludwig.
A skilled multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, Ryan also produces music for film and television. As of 2012 over 60 million albums have been sold worldwide that contain a credit to Ryan West.
Ryan helped forge the sound of hip-hop and rap music as we know it today by working with artists such as Eminem, Kanye West, Usher, Rihanna, Jay-z and more.
If you watch Ryan's videos on pureMix you will notice how much he pays attention to details and use his technics in order to produce a modern and punchy sound.
Parts of this site and some files are only accessible to pureMix Pro Members or available to purchase. Please see below our membership plans or add this video to your shopping cart.
Good Video on explaining using Delays. And how to set them up properly! Enjoyed.
NiclasJeppsson
2015 Jan 01
Where can I find the song? Only found, "The New Beer Song" on Spotify, but it doesnt have the same funky ass riff in it.
banky
2014 Dec 01
This is a do this lesson. Don't expect to learn how to use delays from this
RomeRecording
2014 Sep 19
Ryan is a very good teacher. I'd like to see him do some more advanced topics.
lesterbeat
2014 Jun 26
Is there delay on Ryan saying "have fun, there are no rules"? Because I heard it 8 times. I'm really kidding. This is very insightful and informative. 5 stars.
maitri
2013 Oct 15
Hello Ryan,
Thank you for sharing this very valuable information to help us improve our mixes. You are a wonderful, very articulate teacher!!
Il Pianista
2013 Sep 13
Mr. Ryan West you're (also) a really good teacher, like everyone here on puremix. Thanks!
eddy theot
2013 Aug 16
GREAT !!
How to have subtitles in French? (If it is possible)
leapjoe
2013 Jul 30
Great video on Delays! Love how you added eq, reverb, distortion to the delay signal!
dwon reid
2013 Jul 22
really nice. i 've learnt alot.
juancopro-flow
2013 Jul 18
LOVE THE SECOND TIP, NEVER THOUGHT OF PANNING THE DELAY SIGNAL>>>SIMPLE BUT NEVER THOUGHT OF IT. ANOTHER TRICK TO PUT UNDER MY BELT>>>THANKS
