Experimental delay?

[Benedict]

I don’t think there is such a thing as an experimental delay in 2026.

Cutting observation but I think very true. Oddly most echos that come out these days don't have proper modulation, let alone routing options so while indeed any delay line can be pushed to do interesting things, most of them only have silly GUIs to give the impression one might be being ever so safely naughty.

A bit sad that none of mine got a mention. But I am very underground these days.

2020 Modulating Delay (free) has a breakout option for funnin':
https://ko-fi.com/s/ab07a4ae46

4-Lines Later ($4) is a very easy-to-use multitap with mod and two types of feedback
https://ko-fi.com/s/e82f0f4803

Tape Deco ($5) has that wonderfully obtuse WTF is it doing thing that real analog echoes did
https://ko-fi.com/s/f2f01625f0

I have others like the Higher Hz Hz Delay and Hz Multiplier that I made too. Those and the above are all over personal and client work. They can do minimal to WTF if you get exciting.

[sandandpaint]

I’ve got some pedals that do the feedback thing too. Honestly, I think I’ve yet to use that effectively.

It can be VERY touchy. Gain staging is extremely important. Often your feedback level needs to be very low to avoid getting out of control self oscillation, though that can be fun too, as long as you have a limiter in the chain.

the new RhythmEcho has the most interesting self oscillating feedback I have tried. Is in limited beta at the moment.
viewtopic.php?t=630712&sid=fe78c3f6505f ... 8e5dde24df

[jamcat]

I don’t think there is such a thing as an experimental delay in 2026.

Cutting observation but I think very true.

I just say this because I don’t think there’s anything left that hasn’t been done to death already. And it’s only experimental if we don’t know what the results will be yet.

[Benedict]

There is that too.

[sandandpaint]

I don’t think there is such a thing as an experimental delay in 2026.

Cutting observation but I think very true.

I just say this because I don’t think there’s anything left that hasn’t been done to death already. And it’s only experimental if we don’t know what the results will be yet.

the OP wasn't about new delays tho, but about experimental
delays relative to some examples. 'New' is almost always relative to the person's experience and I would say that is shown very strongly within the music world where 'experimental' music is almost always something that has a strong history going back as much as a hundred years or more - eg noise music
In music 'experimental' more often than not means unconventional or not mainstream

[xx JPRacer xx]

One thing I didn't know about, but later learned, is that if you're a Bitwig user, the stock delay and reverb allow you to host any plugin inside the feedback loop. Great for slowly degrading delays, or overall mayhem. Make sure you have a limiter after the delay plugin, or even at the end of the feedback chain.

Late Replies can do that too.

Yeah, Late Replies is actually a lot more extensive, as each tap can have its own chain.

If you want each tap to have their own chains it's easy to do in Bitwig, you just have to use a FX Layer. Each tap is a layer with its own chain.

[sandandpaint]

One thing I didn't know about, but later learned, is that if you're a Bitwig user, the stock delay and reverb allow you to host any plugin inside the feedback loop. Great for slowly degrading delays, or overall mayhem. Make sure you have a limiter after the delay plugin, or even at the end of the feedback chain.

Late Replies can do that too.

Yeah, Late Replies is actually a lot more extensive, as each tap can have its own chain.

If you want each tap to have their own chains it's easy to do in Bitwig, you just have to use a FX Layer. Each tap is a layer with its own chain.

Reaper allows for nested serial and parallel 'containers' of fx that can probably do similar

[xx JPRacer xx]

^ Surely, Reaper is really powerful too. Nice thing about Bitwig and its delays is you can put effects inside the feedback loop. You can even put an entire The Grid FX inside the loop. Honestly with Bitwig I think imagination is the limit. You can install Bitwig with a good reverb and limiter and you don't need anything else.

[sandandpaint]

^ Surely, Reaper is really powerful too. Nice thing about Bitwig and its delays is you can put effects inside the feedback loop. You can even put an entire The Grid FX inside the loop. Honestly with Bitwig I think imagination is the limit. You can install Bitwig with a good reverb and limiter and you don't need anything else.

I am tempted by Bitwig for sure

[Halma]

One thing I didn't know about, but later learned, is that if you're a Bitwig user, the stock delay and reverb allow you to host any plugin inside the feedback loop. Great for slowly degrading delays, or overall mayhem. Make sure you have a limiter after the delay plugin, or even at the end of the feedback chain.

Late Replies can do that too.

Yeah, Late Replies is actually a lot more extensive, as each tap can have its own chain.

If you want each tap to have their own chains it's easy to do in Bitwig, you just have to use a FX Layer. Each tap is a layer with its own chain.

Reaper allows for nested serial and parallel 'containers' of fx that can probably do similar

Reaper also can do feedback loop routing if enabled.

https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques ... back-loops

[zerocrossing]

I’ve got some pedals that do the feedback thing too. Honestly, I think I’ve yet to use that effectively.

It can be VERY touchy. Gain staging is extremely important. Often your feedback level needs to be very low to avoid getting out of control self oscillation, though that can be fun too, as long as you have a limiter in the chain.

the new RhythmEcho has the most interesting self oscillating feedback I have tried. Is in limited beta at the moment.
viewtopic.php?t=630712&sid=fe78c3f6505f ... 8e5dde24df

I just listened to his demo... and it seemed to be a mess, at least rhythmically. Maybe I need to try it myself.

[concealed identity]

The first two that come to mind are Recurse by Lese and Excalibur by Exponential Audio (the latter one's license may only be purchasable second-hand, but you can still download as normal).

[onerob]

I haven't tried TugPhonon myself but it's not supposed to be your average bread-and-butter type of delay.

https://tugrulakyuz.gumroad.com/l/xtwcn

[cryophonik]

I second Other Desert Cities, but would also suggest a modular effects plugin like Nuro Blockchain or Serato Hex FX that will let you choose from a variety of delays and configure them with a bunch of other effects to create your own delay chains.