intro: Even though the DD-2 delay chip only produced a 12 bit sample, the circuit blended part of the clean signal back in, producing a crisp, accurate digital repeat. BREATHE and GREAT GIG IN THE SKY SLIDE GUITAR VOLUME SWELLS - Breathe from Dark Side of the Moon features some beautiful David Gilmour slide guitar work. There are numerous modern delays that try to replicate this multi-head delay sound, like the Catalinbread Echorec, Strymon Volante, and Boonar Multi-Head Drum Echo from Dawner Prince Electronics, which David himself has used. The type of multi-head repeats varied depending on which of the four playback heads were selected. DELAY SETTINGS - Some of Gilmour's most commonly used delay times are 300, 380, 440, 480, 540, and 630ms. Using spring or digital reverb does not even get close, but some people struggle getting a delay pedal to sound right. The most recognisable and somewhat stereotypical sound that Pink Floyd uses is their ambience. Echorec 2 ..Echorec PE 603 The 3/4 "triplet" time will be inbetween in between these 4/4 and 2/4 settings on your delay. This is actually not quarter-note triplets. With that said, the rest of the article is designed to . middle keyboard section: 340ms -- feedback: 8-9 repeats I have one for specific time settings, for things like, , so I know in numbers (delay time in milliseconds) what setting I need to use. It sounds very complex because the delay is filling in and creating a rhythm in between the notes David plays, but it is actually rather simple to do. But which delay pedal (s) does/did he use? Although he often blends different types of delays, creating rich textures and layers, I'm going to break it down into four signature setups covering each era. Last update September 2022. This website is frequently updated. Both in the studio and live their musicality seeps from every note, every rest, and every beat. L channel -- 650ms with a single repeat, then another single repeat at 1850ms. : To add space to your tone, add a clean digital delay at the end of your signal chain. He became known for this effect as he used it for his guitar solo in practically every queen concert. If you want to use a noise gate put it right before the delay/reverb. RLH Intro live in 1984 - Live 1984_Hammersmith Odeon and Bethlehem Pennsylvania. Guitar stuff, gear stuff, soundclips, videos, Gilmour/Pink Floyd stuff, photos and other goodies. If your delay does not have a dry defeat feature, it is pointless to use in a parallel setup. USING TWO DELAYS AT ONCE - David has sometimes simultaneously used two separate delays with different delay times to create a larger sound, similar to what can be accomplished with the multi heads on an Binson Echorec. Pink Floyd recording engineer Andy Jackson has said he usually uses a couple of EMT plate reverbs in the studio for David's voice and guitar, and sometimes a Lexicon Hall reverb. If you adjust the delay time in that in-between zone while listening to the song, you will hear when it is right in 3/4 time. - Some of Gilmour's most commonly used delay times are 300, 380, 440, 480, 540, and 630ms. 520ms -- feedback: 5-6 repeats - delay level: 20% -- delay type: analog, Money solos- Pulse version (TC2290 Digital Delay): See all posts by Andrew Bell. The Effect Level (volume) and Feedback (number of repeats) will vary. It was compiled by measuring the echo repeats in official releases and bootlegs of live recordings, and from delay times visible on the LCDs of David's digital delays. 2nd delay 94ms. The best representation of this is a 340ms delay set for 3-4 repeats, On An Island: His delay times typically ranged from 300ms-550ms, with 5-8 repeats, but some songs required more specific delay times and settings, as detailed below. The slide parts actually were played on a pedal steel, a Fender 1000, but David just used it as a slide guitar and removed the foot pedals. Here is a breakdown from the Great Gig multi tracks. It's actually a metallic disc that spins around. Plate reverb is far more accurate. I turn each effect on one at a time so you can hear how they add to the tone. HOW DO I REPLICATE THAT SMOOTH GILMOUR DELAY SOUND? analog gear was not as good as digital at the time, so the belief that analog is always better than digital arose. Below are a few of the rare examples of David using the Echorec in multi-head mode from 1973 and 1975. With regards to the actual sound of the echo repeats, there are essentially two types of delays - analog and digital. Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" is a classic, thanks in large part to David Gilmour's otherworldly guitar playing. I started off with a Binson Echo unit, which is like a tape loop thing. Anyone got some David Gilmour delay settings Anyone got some David Gilmour delay settings. - David has used numerous types of delays in his carreer, both analog and digital. This gives the impression of a 920-930ms delay. You might be tempted to make it ear piercingly loud, but trust me on this, a little goes a long way, especially when playing with other people. HH IC-100 amplifier with built in tremolo. Tweaking the delay time was simply more tweakable on the MXR Digital Delay. In fact, there was a time when Pink Floyds original road manager, Peter Watts, and I were the only two people who could actually maintain a Binson.They are so noisy, and I guess all the ones weve got now are so old that it is impossible to keep them noise free. Getting an original Binson Echorec these days is nearly impossible. Last update September 2022. second solo delay #1 TC2290 Digital Delay (whole solo): 480ms 8-10 repeats on each delay. Both types have been described as "warm" sounding, which can get confusing. Below is a breakdown switching between the various tracks of all three solos. Other than a few instances like that, reverb from David rig was not used and I do not recommend it. David could play a chord while the delay rhythm repeated, and jump back to the delay rhythm before the repeats stopped, almost as if there were two guitars playing. It was used for the early live version of On the Run in 1972, the third Money solo, and used on Pink Floyd tours until 1975. Mar 8, 2013. Syd's theme: 370ms and 480ms Then I have two regular Boss units (DD2) which I set so one works in a triplet and the other in a 4/4 time - they're actually set in time with each other, so they combine and make a nice sound. He always kept the Echorec in tip top shape, and after the MXR Delay System used a variety of digital delays, including the DD2 and later the TC 2290. Head 1 = 1/4. Both types have been described as "warm" sounding, which can get confusing. The delay and reverb are usually not mixed particularly loud, but the overall combined wet delay/reverb mix is very effective. buildup and arpeggio delay time: 300ms -- feedback: 7-8 repeats - delay level: 40% -- delay type: analog, Echoes - live Gdansk Version: "Square wave" means the sound wave looks square shaped, rather than wavy. The second delay David used was the MXR Digital M-113 Delay. So why don't you hear the repeats most of the time? Often what I hear in the recordings is just natural room or hall reverb. David was very much in control of his sound system We rarely added effects to his guitar in the control room. 1 2. The first Money solo, for example, sounds like it is awash in spring reverb. Set the delay time so the repeats are in time with the song tempo (beats per minute) or drum beat, approximately one repeat for every beat. 80x2 = 160. David used his Workmate Esquire guitar for the studio recording, and usually used a Telecaster when playing it live. alternate 2nd Solo: (start of unison bends after ball opens) Delay 1 = 540ms / Delay 2 = 730ms, Comfortably Numb - 2006 OAI Tour: Ex-DragonForce Bassist Reveals Why He Really Left the Band, Claims He Was Unhappy and Arguing All the Time With Them, Nuno Bettencourt Recalls How Eddie Van Halen Reacted to His Tapping Technique, Names Favorite Van Halen Album. Listening to this track helped me realize how delay and reverb trails interact with what I'm playing in a way that makes unintended diads that could . Head 3 = 3/4 The main rhythm guitar, chords, and fills are all double tracked. Digital delays Gilmour used several digital delay units trough time, starting from the Wall in 1979. David could play a chord while the delay rhythm repeated, and jump back to the delay rhythm before the repeats stopped, almost as if there were two guitars playing. One day, Roger decided to take some of the techniques that I was developing and try them out himself on bass. delay 1 time: 430ms -- feedback: 5-7 repeats - delay level: 30% -- delay type: warm digital David often uses long echo delays to help create a his big, smooth, and liquidy solo tones. I am talking about the natural reverb sound of the room or hall the amplifier or speaker cabinet was recorded in, or studio reverb added to simulate it. To get the Pink Floyd sound, you'll need to use some specific equipment and settings. Multiply that number by 75% to get the triplet time delay. He came up with that basic riff that we all worked on and turned into One of these Days. In the studio recording I hear one guitar playing the single note triplet time rhythm, a second guitar playing the fills, and a third guitar playing occasional accents on top of the fills. In live performances he usually used playback Head 4 for the maximum delay time of around 300ms. You must remember this, Those settings are used for a stadium show, set to produce for a huge arena, not your 8 x 10 bedroom, and not your 100 x 100 bar. delay 2: 375ms, Run Like Hell - two guitars multi-tracked (delay used was likely the MXR M113 Digital Delay): The fact that these two delays were studio effects may explain why David never played the slide parts live in the original Dark Side of the Moon concerts. If you have a subdivisions setting (quarter notes, eighth notes, dotted eighth notes, et cetera) set it to quarter notes, or the normal setting. For the studio albums however, there is definitely reverb in many of the recordings, and in some cases much more so than delay. Listening to the trails specifically, something a little darker like a DM-2 would do it. Set up your preferred delay settings and beam that into your pedal. Just get any old delay pedal, analog or digital, and set the time slow. There are a few occasions where I have heard spring reverb in a Gilmour recording, but it is very rare. Delay volume 50%. The Blue: Money solos - live 1977 version (MXR Digital Delay System I): It sounds very complex because the delay is filling in and creating a rhythm in between the notes David plays, but it is actually rather simple to do. Too much can severely alter your guitar tone before it hits the amp, washing out the definition and clarity. If you have a good sound in the room or hall you are playing in, there is no need to add reverb, but in small or dead sounding rooms, adding a small amount of reverb in your effects rig can really enhance the sound. I am not talking about spring reverb from an amp. David Gilmour is famous for his unique use of delay and echo. - David often has a big, watery delay tone, as if he were playing in a large hall, but the actual audible echo repeats in his solos are almost absent in many cases. The third solo also sounds like it has reverb, but that sounds more like room reverb or plate reverb added in the studio. Shown below are some typical Gilmour DD-2 delay times. 2nd delay 165ms. delay 1: 430ms -- feedback: 7-8 repeats - delay level: 30% -- delay type: clear digital A bit of delay can smooth out the unpleasant, raw frequencies you get from a fuzz box. Delay times vary by song but anything between 300mms and 600 makes a decent one size fits all. To sound like David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, start with the following amp settings: Gain: 3-4. I usually try, in solos, to set the DDLs to have some rhythmic time signature in common with the tune. The PE 603 Echorec had similar controls, but rather than having a switch to select different combinations of the four playback heads, it had individual switches for each head. The third solo is also artificially double tracked, which you can simulate with a short 60-90ms slapback delay with one repeat. But fear not, if you want a semi-authentic Echorec experience, Catalinbread makes an Echorec pedal that sounds very close to the original. - David Gilmour from Guitar for the Practicing Musician, 1985. It was surrounded by a record head and four playback heads that gave it a wide range of double-tapped delay sounds. delay time: 450ms -- feedback: 7-8 repeats -- delay level: 25% -- delay type: analog/digital mix, Another Brick in the Wall Part II (live): Playing the RLH Rhythm Fills - with and without the delay, Playing the RLH Verse Chords - with and without delay. Great Gig Slide Guitar Breakdown. Last update July 2022. It had a maximum 16kHz bandwidth up to 800ms, with a maximum delay time of 1600ms, expandable to 3200ms. It helps to have a delay with a digital display to set the exact delay time. second solo: 380ms -- feedback: 6-7 repeats, Comfortably Numb - 1986 live version / Columbian Volcano Appeal Concert: This is something us Gilmour fans have sought to recreate in our own playing. Below is a link to a song-by-song list of Gilmour's delay settings, compiled from measuring the echo repeats in official releases and bootlegs of live recordings, and from delay times visible on the LCDs of his digital delays. If you have a clean amp, some settings to start with would be: Gain: 3 Treble: 7 Mids: 7 Bass: 6 Reverb: 5-6 If you get too high a quality bandwidth on a DDL you hear too much pinging and lose the sort of echo effect I use it for. When using both the mono and stereo outputs together (each running to a separate amp) the DD-2 produces a very defined stereo field, with one channel being the dry signal only, and one being the delayed signal only. second solo: 480ms -- feedback: 6-7 repeats The MXR 113 was released in 1976 and David first used it for Pink Floyd's Animals tour in 1977. . Delay time depends on the era. The primary reason is becasue the delay time is usually set in time with the tempo of the song, so each repeat lands on the beat. fills under second and fifth solos: 507ms -- feedback: 4-5 repeats If you are playing at home on your amp with delay, the delay sound will be much more apparent than when you are playing with a full band, where the delay repeats will blend in the band mix much better. Syd's theme: 375ms and 500ms Delay volume 85% Alternate (Pulse): Delay 1 = 430ms / Delay 2 = 1023ms, Hey You: The IC-100 tremolo was set to maximum depth and the trem speed was set so there are two pulses for every delay repeat. 540ms, Take A Breath: I use the MXR Digital Delay. His signature sound is a combination of mellow overdrive and clean tones, awash in combinations of delay, compression, phase, chorus and reverb. It makes for a sound that really adds depth to the guitar tone in the mix, but is not cluttered by delay repeats. Those are not the type of parallel setup we are talking about here. Another option is to run two delay pedals simultaneously. The volume swells can be easily created today with a delay and a volume pedal. The Mode switch is in position 7, which is Head 3 + Head 4. The tape splices were then camouflaged with cymbal crashes. As I said before, he often doesnt just use the delay to make his solos fit in the particular vibe of the song, but also the help build the rest of the soundscape. 2,434. 2nd delay 570ms. Its also easier for live situations as changes can be made on the fly. Sort of a triplet on top of a triplet time delay. Alans Psychadelic Breakfast with 2.2 second tape delay_Oct 1970. Set one delay for 440ms, 2 repeats, 30-35% volume. 5 Pedals or Less: How to Sound Like Dave Gilmour Back at it again, the hunt for tone never ends. Head 2 = 2/4 Shown below are my Boss delay time settings to replicate the Run Like Hell band demo recording sound. David has often usied very long delay times, so the repeats are not as obvious because he is playing the next bit of a solo phrase right when the repeats from the previous notes start. It covers all of the various ways he used echo - standard 3-4 repeat echo to make the guitar sound like it is in a large hall, using a slide like a violin with long delay repeats, slapback echo, swell mode, long repeats almost to the point of self oscillation, and what David calls "triplet" time, where he plays in time with the dotted eighth repeats.