Delay is a crucial audio effect for creating space while mixing music.
Alongside reverb, delay plugins are key tools for crafting the ambience of your songs.
But there are so many different delay plugins out there. Searching for the best one for your session can take you out of your creative flow pretty quick.
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Luckily, If you know a bit about the different types of delay and the classic hardware that they’re modelled on, it’s much easier to choose the right one at the right time.
In this article I’ll go through the 4 main types of delay, where to use them in your mix and the best delay plugins for every mix scenario.
But first…
How does delay work?
All delay effects are based on the same time-based principle.
The input of a delay effect goes to a recording medium that makes a copy of the signal. That signal is then played back later in time after a variable duration or delay time.
A portion of the delayed signal is routed back to the input (feedback) and the two signals are blended together (wet/dry mix) to create the illusion of cascading echoes.
No matter how complex a modern delay plugin might be, all delay effects are based on this simple concept.
Here are the 4 main delay types:
Tape Delay
Engineers realized early on that tape based recording systems could be adapted into echo units.
Delay was originally intended to mimic the natural reflections of acoustic echo. But tape delay effects didn’t exactly get it right.
To save space, the tape passed by the heads in a closed loop instead of spooling on a reel. That left limited delay time available and caused the tape to wear out faster.
The “wow and flutter” or subtle speed fluctuations of the tape caused the delayed signal to have a subtle, natural modulation.
The “wow and flutter” or subtle speed fluctuations of the tape caused the delayed signal to have a subtle, natural modulation.
Worn tape and improper biasing added saturation and blurred the repeats together slightly.
What were considered imperfections at the time are highly sought-after today. Engineers jealously covet tape delays for their warm, musical repeats.
Tape Delay Uses
Tape delay is perfect wherever you need a warm but detailed delay with subtle modulation.
There’s something magical about the way a great tape delay sits in a mix. Try out hi-fi studio tape models on vocals and grittier, worn tape styles on electric guitar.
Best Tape Delay VSTs
Free Plugin: E-phonic Tape Delay
E-phonic Tape Delay is a simple but effective plugin for getting started with the sound of analog tape.
Cheap Plugin: IK Multimedia Tape Echo
Tape delay is perfect wherever you need a warm but detailed delay with subtle modulation.
IK Multimedia’s Tape Echo is a quality tape emulation from a respected brand.
It’s a great option If you’re looking for a simple, good-sounding tape echo at an affordable price
Pro Plugin: Soundtoys EchoBoy
Soundtoys EchoBoy is an industry-standard delay for classic tape sounds. It’s a super versatile and incredible sounding delay.
The various tape models are spot on in terms of accuracy and sound—great in any mix.
Analog Delay
As analog technology advanced in the mid-seventies, non-tape based delay alternatives began to appear.
Tape delay units sounded good but they were bulky, impractical and required lots of maintenance.
Musicians wanted a compact delay solution that was consistent and easy to work with live…
So engineers pioneered electronic delay with BBD chips.
The dark, murky repeats of analog delays were an instant hit and the much smaller form allowed delay to make it into guitar pedal format.
A “bucket brigade device” works exactly how you’d imagine. A voltage is passed along a series of capacitance sections like a line of people dumping water into the bucket of the person next to them.
Just like in the analogy, the process works well enough, but there’s inevitably some loss down the line.
The repeats of an analog delay are already fairly dark and indistinct. But each successive feedback pass further degrades the integrity of the signal until it blurs into feedback.
The dark, murky repeats of analog delays were an instant hit and the much smaller form allowed delay to make it into guitar pedal format.
Analog Delay VSTs
Free Plugin: Smartelectronix AnalogDelay
Smartelectronix AnalogDelay is a simple, no-nonsense analog delay plugin. /fl-studio-20-crack-link.html.
It’s a great way to get started with analog style delay.
Cheap Plugin: Waves H-Delay
Waves H-Delay is a great workhorse delay that features highly tweakable analog styles great for getting the characteristic murk and feedback of BBD delay.
Pro Plugin: Soundtoys EchoBoy
Soundtoys EchoBoy wins again here for its fantastic analog models. With presets for specific classic units like the Boss DM-2 and EHX Deluxe Memory Man, you can’t go wrong with EchoBoy.
Analog styles can work great for gritty distorted vocals or dirty percussion sounds.
Analog Delay Uses
Use analog delay wherever you need a stylish lo-fi delay with lots of character. Analog styles work great for gritty distorted vocals or dirty percussion sounds.
Digital Delay
You’ve arrived at digital delay—sounds like the end of the line right?
While modern digital delays are nothing short of pristine, it hasn’t always been this way. The first digital delays had severe limitations due to the high cost of processing power in the early digital era.
Effects designers had to resort to programming tricks to cram everything in, giving early digital delays a distinct character.
The first digital delays delivered a character that’s especially evocative of classic records from the 1980s.
The subtle compression and artifacts of the early AD/DA converters used in the first digital delays delivered a character heard often on classic records from the 1980s.
Best Digital Delay VSTs
(Almost) Free Plugin: HoRNet Deelay
HoRNet Deelay is fully functional delay plugin with a satisfying model of the early digital units. At 4,95 € it’s not quite free, but it’s close enough to make it to our list.
Cheap Plugin: Native Instruments Replika
The Native Instruments Replika series is new to the delay plugin scene.
The basic (and most affordable) version of the plugin packs some powerful features including a great vintage digital model.
Pro Plugin: D16 Repeater
D16 Repeater is another fantastic full-featured delay plugin.
It has two separate stereo delay lines for interesting multi-tap effects and has convincing emulations of early digital designs.
Digital Delay Uses
Use digital styles when you want a clear, realistic delay that fits nicely into a mix but still has recognizable character.
The modulation parameters on these types of delays can help you create a depth-enhancing, slightly chorused sound that’ll take you straight back to the best sounds of the 80’s.
Plugin Delay
In today’s DAW era, hardware effects units aren’t the only option anymore. There are a staggering amount of delays that aren’t based on any classic gear at all.
The best thing about pure plugin delays is how powerful and flexible they are. Plugins are capable of creating almost any kind of delay you can imagine—and some that you can’t!
Here’s the best ones…
Best Plugin Delay VSTs
Free Plugin: ValhallaDSP FreqEcho
ValhallaDSP FreqEcho is a simple but powerful free tool for creating off-kilter delay sounds.
With just high/low cut filters and a pitch-shifter on the repeats, the FreqEcho can conjure a inspiring amount of delay weirdness.
Cheap Plugin: ValhallaDSP UberMod
ValhallaDSP UberMod is the full realization of the FreqEcho (see above).
With 32 modulated delay taps and extensive modulation and diffusion options, there’s no shortage of interesting textures you can create with UberMod.
Pro Plugin: FabFilter Timeless 2
FabFilter—The reigning champs of modern DSP engineering—are back with this sophisticated plugin delay.
The filter and modulation options available in Fabfilter Timeless 2 are incredibly versatile and creative.
Plugin Delay Uses
The sky’s the limit for how to use plugin delay. Modern delay plugins are outstanding sound design tools. So get creative and come up with something new and exciting.
Delay time is a flat circle
Delay is an incredibly musical effect for creating atmospheres and ambience. It’s an essential mixing tool for every engineer.
Picking the right delay plugin out of sea of options can be a daunting task. But knowing a bit about the kinds of delay that are out there will help you get there faster.
So, to recap:
The 11 Best Delay VSTs
Now that you know a little bit about the different kinds of delay and how to use them, go try out some the different styles on your own tracks.
FL Studio is one of the most powerful music production tools around, with an array of synths and effects available right out of the box. But like most producers, you could probably use a few more plugins! Here we’ve put together some of the best free plugins for FL Studio, which should cover you for almost every imaginable musical scenario.
Sitala
Download for Free
Sitala is a drum plugin that can also be used as a standalone app. Although it is about as simple a drum plugin as you could want, it will find a place in almost any project due to its musicality and highly intuitive interface. Sitala’s six knobs and sixteen pads encourage you to use it as an instrument, which results in more musical beats and grooves.
Best Features & Specs
Sitala features 16 assignable pads that should be familiar to anyone who’s ever used a drum plugin before. You can drag and drop your own samples right into these pads or use the factory kits that come with the plugin.
Sitala also includes an array of sound-shaping tools that lets you put your own stamp on your drum sounds. With features such as ‘Shape’, ‘Compression’, and ‘Tone’, recreating traditional drum beats or more experimental grooves is a piece of cake.
Bottom-line
Like the best free FL Studio plugins, the beauty of Sitala lies in its simplicity. We found that it lets you lay down grooves quickly, and the results are always musical. We especially like how the interface allows you to play it like an instrument.
Piano One by Sound Magic
Download for Free
Sound Magic’s Piano One is reminiscent of the Yamaha C7 concert grand, which is highly revered by many professional piano players. Based on Sound Magic’s Hybrid Modeling Engine, Piano One combines the best qualities of physical modeling and sampling. The result is an amazingly rich and responsive sound that often felt like playing a real piano.
Best Features & Specs
Sound Magic’s Hybrid Modeling Engine does a great job of combining the realism of piano samples and the responsiveness of physical modeling. Unlike other modeled instruments, Piano One responds instantaneously, with no sluggishness or delay. The sound is reasonably rich and full-bodied, particularly when playing sustained low notes. The plugin even comes with an onboard reverb that simulates environment and soundboard resonance for added realism.
Bottom-line
Even with its limitations, Piano One is a pretty impressive piano plugin. If you need a range of basic piano sounds but don’t have the cash for a humongous piano library, Piano One is worth looking into.
TyrellN6 & Zebralette by u-He
TyrellN6 is based on the legendary Roland Juno 60, which is one of the most iconic analog synthesizers ever made. Users of the venerable classic will appreciate the simplicity and ease of use of this plugin, which lets you create deep bass, lush pads, and cutting leads with relatively little effort.
Zebralette isn’t based on any particular instrument. Rather, it is a teaser of sorts for u-He’s well-respected Zebra 2. It has the same great-sounding oscillator that is in Zebra, giving you a taste of what you could achieve with the more fully-featured product.
Best Features & Specs
TyrellN6 and Zebralette give you a pretty diverse range of sounds, from classic to cutting edge. TyrellN6’s classic architecture is the ticket to thick and lush vintage sounds, with noise and a ring modulator joining the two oscillators for extra flavor.
Zebralette is a more esoteric plugin that allows for the creation of more outlandish and experimental sounds. This is a great entry point into the sonic possibilities offered by Zebra 2, and we were thrilled to find that Zebralette patches can be opened in Zebra 2.
Bottom-line
TyrellN6 and Zebralette are compact yet powerful synths that will find a place in any modern production. Even if you already have some powerhouse synths in your collection, these two free VSTs for FL Studio are worthy additions.
Guitar M Lite II
Download for Free
Guitar M Lite II offers studio musicians the crisp and authoritative sounds of the Martin D-41 acoustic guitar in a convenient software plugin. Developed by Ample Guitar, M Lite is a great way to add glistening acoustic textures to your productions, even if you don’t happen to have a guitar player handy.
Best Features & Specs
M Lite is a sample-based instrument that weighs in at just under 850 MB. It includes standard guitar articulations such as hammer-ons and pull-offs, palm mutes, and pops, allowing you to create surprisingly realistic performances. The plugin also offers Customized Parameters Control (CPC), which lets you add more expressive touches via MIDI CC or automation.
We especially like the plugin’s Strummer function, which allows for some pretty convincing strummed performances. Strumming is where most acoustic guitar plugins fall short as far as we’re concerned, so were pleasantly surprised to find it implemented so convincingly in a free plugin.
Bottom-line
Those with discerning ears aren’t likely to be fooled by M Lite. But if you need some rudimentary acoustic guitar parts for a mockup, this plugin will do very well in a pinch.
LABS by Spitfire Audio
Download for Free
Spitfire Audio’s LABS has created quite a stir in the software plugins world, so we were eager to put it through its paces. At present, the collection already covers a pretty broad range of instruments, and more are being added all the time. And because each instrument is a labor of love by dedicated musicians and sampling experts, the results are consistently impressive.
Best Features & Specs
Each LABS instrument comes in the form of a dedicated plugin, rather than a library you load in a software sampler. We found the user interface to be focused and refreshingly straightforward, with easy to use controls for dynamics and expression. We also like the inclusion of a knob that can be customized for whatever function the user wants.
The LABS collection currently includes strings, guitars, pianos, brass, drums, vocals, percussion, synths, and experimental instruments. Although not quite as detailed as more extensive sampled libraries, we had no trouble making them fit into our productions.
Bottom-line
The LABS instruments are about as straightforward as plugin instruments can be. Even if you already have a collection of software instruments, you will probably find a use for some of these plugins.
Vinyl by iZotope
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iZotope has long been known for its excellent noise reduction and sound improvement plugins. So it was a bit of a surprise when the company rolled out a plugin that adds grit and dirt to audio. With Vinyl, you can dirty up your tracks with a healthy helping of dust, scratches, and mechanical noise, instantly giving them the character of a vintage recording.
Best Features & Specs
As the name implies, Vinyl makes tracks sound like they are being played from a turntable. Ideally suited for every stage of the production process, we found this to be the most convenient solution to get the authentic vibe heard on ’60s and ’70s recordings.
We like how you can control how much ‘pixie dust’ you can add to your tracks. Whether you need just a few cracks and pops, a touch of mechanical noise, or you really want to thrash your audio, Vinyl provides independent control over each element.
Bottom-line
Vinyl works on pretty much everything from drums and strings to full mixes. If your tracks are sounding just a bit too clean, this plugin will let you dirty them up in a few clicks.
Ozone Imager 2 by iZotope
Download for Free
iZotope’s Ozone Imager 2 offers a quick and easy way to alter the stereo image of your tracks. Whether you need to widen a pad or string section or narrow down your bass and kick drums to fit into a mix, Ozone Imager lets you do so quickly and easily.
Best Features & Specs
The most obvious application of Ozone Imager is to widen an audio track. If you need your synth pad or string section to fill up the soundstage, Ozone Imager will get the job done without imparting any sonic anomalies that could make mixing a nightmare.
Ozone Imager provides two flavors of Stereoize: one lets you widen source audio with a cool phasing effect, while the other widens signals more subtly. The plugin also has three vectorscope meters that give you instant visual feedback on your stereo spread.
Bottom-line
Ozone Imager is a fairly simple plugin that is useful for mixing as well as creative experimentation. If you are struggling to make certain elements fit into a mix, this is one you can try out, of check out or list of other mixing plugins.
MAutoPitch
Download for Free
MAutoPitch is a pitch correction plugin developed specifically for vocals and monophonic instruments. Simple and straightforward, it is nevertheless capable of producing great-sounding results that compare favorably to more expensive pitch correction plugins. It even has formant shift and stereo-expansion features that expand its capabilities as a creative audio production tool.
Best Features & Specs
Compared to many FL Studio plugins for free, MAutoPitch has quite an impressive user interface. It can be resized freely and has standard meters as well as time graphs. It also has sophisticated multi-parameter features such as mid-side and 8-channel surround processing. We particularly like the onboard safety limiter and the automatic gain compensation (AGC) features that keep levels in check.
All MAutoPitch parameters can be mapped for MIDI control and automation. This enhances the plugin’s value as a creative tool, making it more than just a “set-and-forget” processor.
Bottom-line
From subtle pitch correction to creative sound design, MAutoPitch does it all. If you do a lot of vocal work, this plugin is an essential addition to your toolbox.
Supermassive by Valhalla DSP
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Supermassive is only one of a handful of time-based plugins that form the bedrock of Valhalla DSP’s stellar reputation. The company’s delays and reverbs compare favorably to much more expensive plugins, and their features and capabilities are well known to producers across the globe. With Supermassive, the company once again proves its expertise in developing lush and exquisite sounding plugins, with a few more tricks up its sleeve.
Best Features & Specs
Supermassive is designed specifically to produce spacious and expansive delays and reverbs. Ideally suited for adding atmosphere to dry and lackluster productions, it sounds just as good when dialed down for more subtle ambiance.
Like all Valhalla DSP plugins, Supermassive is freely resizable, with precise controls for every parameter. It is based on a system of feedback delay networks, with each delay ultimately being processed by a unique WARP control. This allows you to produce everything from twinkling echoes to rich and deep reverbs and everything in between.
Bottom-line
Supermassive is easily a great VST for lush ambiance, even able to compete with our list of top VSTs on the market. Even if you already have a couple of favorite reverbs and delays, you will likely find yourself patching in Supermassive every time you need a unique atmosphere in your productions.
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Pancake 2 by Cableguys
Download for Free
Cableguys’ Pancake 2 handles a variety of panning and imaging functions in a slick and easy to use interface. Like all Cableguys plugins, Pancake 2 offers full control over the most useful parameters, giving you total control over your sound. You also have plenty of options to modulate the source audio as you wish, so you have free rein over your creative vision.
Best Features & Specs
PanCake allows you to set and forget the modulation depth and rate if you wish, although you could also draw in your own modulation curves. This feature is perfect for panning audio in time with the tempo or ramping up the speed for a buildup.
Of course, the plugin’s LFO can be set to sync to your host DAW’s tempo as well. Speeds from ¹⁄₁₂₈ notes to 32 bars are possible, giving you a wide range of movement options. The plugin also has a left/right display so you always know what is going on with your soundstage.
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Bottom-line
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Like the other top FL Studio plugins out there, Pancake 2 can be as simple or as complex as you wish. Whether you need subtle movement in your tracks or you are looking for more intense panning functions, Pancake 2 is one of the best free plugins for FL Studio.