What's the best Tape Delay?

[Kingston]

The Smartelectronix one is still around - the one that had the cut-out image of the tape machine in the bg?

No, this one was never released, not even GUI screenshots. There was only MP3 demo ever, and I think I broke my keyboard and mouse and had to wash clothes for the sheer amount of saliva I produced.

I might have pee'ed my pants as well.

Memory is shady because my jaw dropped pretty hard, too. Got hospitalised, you see.

[shamann]

The Smartelectronix one is still around - the one that had the cut-out image of the tape machine in the bg?

No, this one.

[bduffy]

Yes, sorry: I was thinking of "Analog Delay".

PAH! "Analog", "Tape", "Bucket"...I still think Bionic Delay is a pretty bitchin' delay. I get comments from listeners all the time with that one. It has the most excellent tails.

[seamoss]

do you feel this about most analog gear or is this just about the space echo?


I only ask because I am trying to get a feel from where you are coming from.

No it's just the sound of this particular piece of gear I don't like. Nothing to do with analogueness of it. I'm not adverse to anything digital or analog per se.

I think it's awesome. It has nothing to do with hype for me. I actually grew up always using Echoplexes and thinking they were the greatest tape delays. It wasn't till a few years back that I fell in love with the Roland Echos.

I think that hardware tape echoes have their limitations but I think there is something unique and warm about them that sets them apart from digital delays. Sometime things are popular for a reason

With that being said, I think the OhmBoyz Delay is the best software delay out.

[bduffy]

But that demo from the other thread is out of sight. He could sell a shitload of those if he releases it!!!

[Kriminal]

http://mdsp.smartelectronix.com/classic ... -delay.php

???

[Kingston]

I think that hardware tape echoes have their limitations but I think there is something unique and warm about them that sets them apart from digital delays. Sometime things are popular for a reason

I should've made it more clear. It really is *just* the space echo line that I'm not fond of. I love tape delays, just not this one. I can't point my finger at the exact flaw, just that it doesn't work with my music.

My all time delay favourite is the tape delay from logic audio. Nothing quite captures the change of speed swirl so well. Although Analogic Delay comes close, the saturation is a bit different on that one, and doesn't quite work the same miracles.

but I also do realise both of those sound quite thoroughly digital at worst.

If I could, I'd have the same machines as the jamaican dub gurus DIY'ed back in the late sixties. But they're highly impractical in use. "synch... What synch?"




[edited bleeding typos ]

[Kingston]

http://mdsp.smartelectronix.com/classic ... -delay.php

???

That's not the same one. But an OK delay in itself. Not worthy of the 'analog' moniker IMO.

[Kriminal]

just tried the bionic delay, sound pretty good (but i know FA about dub)

didnt like the arc one tho.

[bduffy]

I find the Arc one confusing, but I too and FA about dub. Bionic is my default delay now.

[Kriminal]

looks like the arc one is based around the old js magneto (for some reason it made its own folder with lots of SE files in it and the original js .dll)

[diverdee]

Yeah those 'home-made' ones are the business.
Growing up a lot of my mates older brothers were involved in running sound systems - mostly a bradford sound called Black scorpio (became defunct when a few people got locked up for mostly drug related offences) - I kinda grew up listening to all that stuff, one of my mates had a lot of the dubplates stored at his house (later utilised to great effect doing early jungle dubplates for mickey finn - early jungle dj, tunes like 'revalation come & the world soon done' etc.)
I had a big box of 'em myself that got nicked (fuckin heartbreak).
A lot of the gear was stored in garages & cellars etc. & some of those guys used to basically build their own effects boxes.
They'd mostly only do 1 thing, but they'd do it well & were kind of signature effects, dubby delays, sproingy sounding delays & sirens etc.
Some of those Dreads never realy had a job, just chilled & smoked weed all day - but they'd take anything apart (old tv's & stereos, cannibalise anything & everything) & pretty much build a sound from scratch - total & utter dudes.

[bduffy]

looks like the arc one is based around the old js magneto (for some reason it made its own folder with lots of SE files in it and the original js .dll)

That happens with the Bionic Delay one too - at least the old ones.

[Kingston]

yeah bionic/analogic use the old js magneto for saturation... which isn't exactly a bad thing.

[Uncle E]

A part of that sound came from creating a feedback looping the delay back into itself & that sounds great whether tape or bucket brigade echoes are used. If your host can't do this, this feedback loop plug-in may be able to help:

http://www.subminimal.org/tools.php

The H&K Replex does a fantastic job of mimicking the tape echo sound by running a standard, ultra-clean digital delay through an overdriven 12AX7. I guess the point I'm trying to make by mentioning this is you can do a lot to help the sound of any standard delay plug-in by running filters & distortions after it (a proper tube-style overdrive should do the filtering for you). This allows you more control than you'd ever get with a real tape echo, too.

Personally, I have a Replex, two real Space Echos, & numerous Ibanez, Maxon, & Moog bucket brigade delays, & none of the native plug-ins (including the Logic & Bionic delays) come anywhere close. I get better results running the Steinberg Dual Delay through the TBT Saturator.