Great, lets get started. David primarily used the Binson Echorec delay/echo unit for his early work with Pink Floyd. I change my echo settings fairly often in concert. It has a certain feel, which sounds boring and ordinary if you put it in 4/4. It helps to have the echo repeats of the first delay fall right in between, or on the repeats of the second delay, so it has a rhtmic feel. The exact delay times would be 450ms for the 3/4 time and 600ms for the 4/4 time. - 2016/15 live version: 2nd delay 570ms. second solo delay #1 TC2290 Digital Delay (whole solo): 480ms In the studio recording the 4/4 delay is not very obvious, so it was low in the mix, possibly only in one channel, or both. There are so many different delays available now that it can be confusing to know which one is appropriate for Gilmour tones. During the tour a T-Rex Replica was added specifically to use for "Echoes". Let's see some of the units he used over time. -, David Gilmour interview by Bob Hewitt from Guitarist, June 1986, FINDING THE "TRIPLET" TIME DELAY FOR A SONG. - David from Guitar Player Magazine, November 1984, I have a bunch of pedals - 4 DDL's - which I use in different combinations, MXR Digitals and the little Boss DD2'sI usually have one DDL with a short single slap on it. Guida Al Setup Di David Gilmour - Giampaolo Noto But delay is not the only effect that Gilmour tends to use. He also used an Echorec PE 603 model from 1971-75 that had a maximum delay time of around 377-380ms. VISIT MY SWORDS, KNIVES and FANTASY ART WEBSITE www.kitrae.net, This website is frequently updated. David's Echoes delay time of 300ms, one for the delay in Time, and 423ms in the display. David would play a two note chord, then fade the volume in as he slides to the next position. He used analog delays like the Binson Echorec throughout the 1970s and one has been seen in his Medina studio from 2013-2017. USING TWO DELAYS - David has stated he used two delays, one in 3/4 time (dotted eighth notes) and one in 4/4 time (quarter notes). The tone is broken down to illustrate what each effect adds to the sound, in this order: Boss CS-2 compressor, Boss CE-2 chorus, Boss RT-20 Rotary Ensemble, FTT Future Factory stereo delay, BKB/Chandler Tube Driver. It had a maximum delay time of 320ms, but could be expanded to 1280ms by adding additional memory chips. The Binson Echorec is an analogue echo unit made by Binson in Italy. Brian May (of Queen) did the same effect a few years later on Brighton Rock and Son and Daughter using his modified Echoplexes. 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. Gilmour's Binson Echorec 2 model T7E from 1970-71. Make David Gilmour's Shimmering Sustained Delay in Live Later versions of the DD-3 have different circuits. David almost always uses delays in his live rigs, not reverbs. David played the first bass guitar you hear and Roger Waters played the second that comes in immediately after. I don't care how I get it. slide solo: 550ms -- feedback: 4-5 repeats Note or mark that time setting on your delay. Regardless, it is the combination of both delay and reverb that makes the delay sound so smooth in some instances. David primarily used the Binson Echorec delay/echo unit for his early work with Pink Floyd. Copyright Kit Rae. 630ms: feedback: 7-8 repeats - delay level: 30% -- delay type: clear digital, Sorrow Solo - Pulse version (TC 2290 Digital Delay): This is actually not quarter-note triplets. I use a compressor or a Tube Driver for this. Alt. Syd's theme - Hollywood Bowl March 2016. David probably just uses the term triplet because what he does has a similar feel. Solo: 430ms, Fat Old Sun- 1971/72 live versions: It was strange because it didn't utilize tape loops. Time intro test with backing track - 470ms and 94ms. Below is an isolated excerpt of this part. for providing some of the delay times and to Will for compiling a list of the 2015/16 tour delay times seen on David's digital delays! There are several reasons. Brain Damage - Pulse version (TC2290 Digital Delay): Breathe - studio version (several duplicated multi track recordings offset to create the long delay repeats): Breathe - Pulse version (TC2290 Digital Delay): Coming Back To Life - Pulse version (MXR Digital Delay II and TC 2290 Digital Delay): Coming Back To Life - 2015/16 live version: Comfortably Numb - 1986 live version / Columbian Volcano Appeal Concert: Comfortably Numb - Pulse version and most Division Bell tour performances: Eclipse Most digital delays create an accurate, pristine repeat that only decays in volume with each repeat, not in quality. Mar 8, 2013. That keeps you from getting a loud, double-tappy mess. How to Set Two Delays for Run Like Hell - one in 380ms and one in 507ms, in series so the 380ms delay is repeated by the 507ms delay (actual DD-2 settings shown above), Example of Two Delays Run In Stereo - parallel delays, 380ms (both channels) and 507ms (right channel only), going to separate amps, Example of Two Delays Run In Stereo - prallel delays, 380ms (left channel) and 507ms (right channel), going to separate amps. 8-10 repeats on each delay. HH IC-100 amplifier with built in tremolo. alternate: 380ms, High Hopes - 2015/16 live version: A key to the way David has done this is to run each delay in its own separate channel, parallel and separate from the line signal. solo: 430ms -- feedback: 5-6 repeats - delay level: 15% -- delay type: analog, Keep Talking: It is actually dotted-eighth-notes, or one eighth note followed by two sixteenth notes. David used the DD-2 extensively in the mid to late 1980s, as well as using a Pete Cornish Tape Echo Simulator (TES) in 2006, which was a Boss DD-2 circuit with a selectable roll-off filter added to simulate the worn tape head sound of old tape delays like the Binson Echorec. Warm for an anlog delay usually refers to the high end roll-off decay, and warm for a digital delay usually means the repeats are not brighter or harsher than the original guitar signal, but are the same or have slightly less high end. The third and final (that we know of) delay he usd was the TC Electronic 2290 rack unit. solos: 660ms -- feedback: 6-7 repeats, Time: By porsch8 December 21, 2005 in Effects and Processors. Too much can severely alter your guitar tone before it hits the amp, washing out the definition and clarity. The original band demo, heard in The Wall Immersion Set, has a much bouncier, more disco-like feel, so I think the 4/4 delay is much more prominent in that mix. But to sum up, both these digital units sound amazing, because if it didnt David Freakin Gilmour wouldnt be using them. There is an EMT 140 plate reverb on David's floating Astoria recording studio and the four famous EMT 140 plate reverbs at Abbey Road studios can be heard on early Pink Floyd recordings, especially Dark Side of the Moon. On the left is my standard setting range for the early 1970s Gilmour Echorec sound. solo: 680ms -- feedback: 1 repeat - delay level: 30% -- delay type: digital. R channel -- 1400ms with two repeats. 310ms -- feedback: 3-4 repeats Delay volume 65% 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. Depending on your second delay EQ, you may need to experiment with the number of repeats and repeat volume. The reverb could have been added in the mixing stage, or it could be natural room reverb from mics positioned in the recording studio to capture the natural room sound. Head 3 = 225ms (or 75ms x3) ..Head 3 = 285ms (or 95ms x 3) Below are some specific Gilmour settings I use. It is a great example of what David calls "triplet time" delay playing, which is actually dotted eighth notes. Great Gig Slide Guitar Breakdown, Here's another, starting with the dry guitar in the left channel, then the right channel with the 440ms delay. The reason David used multiple delays was to set each for a different delay time setting for specific songs and to adjust delay time on-the-fly during shows. From long sustained notes that seem to go on forever, to the most tasty of blues licks, his sound is instantly recognizable. 2nd delay 375ms. But the delay was in 3/4 increments of the beat and the vibrato went with the beat. Below is an example of David using two digital delays (TC 2290 Digital Delay and the dual delays from a PCM 70 delay) for the intro to Time in 1994. Last update July 2022. Set the value to quarter notes, enter the BPM, and you have a delay time in milliseconds the same tempo as the song. Only the 100% wet delayed signal was returned from those two delays, into a mixer where the two were blended back with the dry signal before going to the amps. The mode should always be set at 800ms, unless you want a short slapback delay for something like the dry solo in Dogs. Find the song tempo delay time as described above, so your delay is making one repeat per song beat, exactly in time with the beat. I'm not saying David sounds nothing like this live, but you are hearing the natural hall or stadium reverb of the venue in these recordings and in many cases, studio reverb added in the mixing stage. Electric Mistress - How to use it - Settings Gilmour used a similar gated tremolo effect for the sustained chords in the verse sections of Money, using the noise gate from an Allison Research Kepex (Keyable Program Expander) studio module, modulated with an external sine wave generator (according to engineer Alan Parsons). Delay Time: Shown in milliseconds. rhythm/verse/chorus sections: 340ms -- feedback: 3-4 repeats middle section: 1000ms -- feedback: 4-5 repeats Parallel is better than in series because the one delay does not repeat the other, and the repeats can run longer without going into oscillation. With that said, the rest of the article is designed to . Digital delays Gilmour used several digital delay units trough time, starting from the Wall in 1979. The secrets behind David Gilmour's tone on Pink Floyd's Comfortably However, it is possible to play this one one guitar. Two guitars were multi tracked in the left and right channels. You could get some wonderful delay effects that aren't attainable on anything that's been made since. A large part of that comes from Davids use of delay. Fine tune it until you hear the repeats are exactly in sync with the song tempo. verse: 360ms ONE OF THESE DAYS - One of the first recorded uses of Gilmour's "triplet" delay technique using a Binson Echorec was in the song One of These Days from Pink Floyd's Meddle album in 1971. It also had had a rich and warm-sounding tube amplifier stage that gave it a beautiful and unique tone. That delayed chord would ring on through the second Hiwatt for approximately 20-30 seconds before decaying, simulating a sustained keyboard chord. - David Gilmour, Guitar World magazine. delay 2: 430ms, In Any Tongue - 2015/16 live version: Many of the sound effects youll hear on the earlier albums were created with this machine. The fill patterns played in the verse section sound dry, with almost no delay. Below are a few of the rare examples of David using the Echorec in multi-head mode from 1973 and 1975. Breathe Intro Using One Delay - One 440ms delay with 4-5 repeats also works well. Run Like Hell with 380ms and 254ms delays in series. Song tempos are rarely exactly the same every performance, but the SOYCD tempo is usually around 140 bmp. HOW TO FIND THE PROPER DELAY TIMES - You can go here for a song-by-song list of Gilmour's delay times, but it is easy to find a delay time that works with a song tempo, even if you can't clearly hear the echo repeats when listening. outro: 340ms -- feedback: 3-4 repeats, Shine On You Crazy Diamond I-V (Binson Echorec): 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. When he played Shine on You Crazy Diamond in his 2015 live performances he used three delays to replicate the old Echorec sound, two Flight Time delays and an MXR Delay. Its not rare to see Pink Floyd play 10-minute long solos over what can only be described as atmospheric playing from the band. When the IC chips became less expensive to manufacture Boss simply rebranded it as a new, lower priced version rather than lowering the price of the DD-2. Also, two delays in line, while useful for some double tap delay effects, means that the repeats from the first delay are then repeated again by the second when both are used at the same time, which can sometimes create a mushy mess of repeats. This unit is an incredibly versatile digital delay that many artists use. The first is set in 3/4 time (dotted eighth notes) for about 8 echo repeats at exactly 380ms, or three repeats for every song beat. It only added a very slight gain boost to his clean amp tone, but . If you put it in a 3/4 time it has an interesting bounce to it. Set up your preferred delay settings and beam that into your pedal. 147ms (2X the delay repeats), or 2 pulses for every delay repeat. 5,744. This may be a form of Automatic/Artificial Double Tracking (ADT) or simply a short slapback delay. Why is that important? Below is an example of replicating the Syd's Theme delays from 1994. But which delay pedal (s) does/did he use? 1st delay 428ms. 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. rhythm and solo: 460ms, Brain Damage - Pulse version (TC2290 Digital Delay): The Tone From Heaven: SETTINGS There are lots of different ways to use two delays at once for an integrated rhythm like this, so use your ears and experiment.. Shown below are my Boss delay time settings to replicate the Run Like Hell band demo recording sound. Speaking from personal experience, furthering my understanding of tone has simultaneously been one of the most rewarding and frustrating experiences of my life. Record yourself playing alone verses playing along with a backing track to see what I mean. His first was an MXR 113 Digital Delay System, one of MXR's first rack effects. The Echorec was an old school mechanical delay that utilized a spinning drum disk wrapped in magnetic recording wire rather than magnetic tape. I use the MXR Digital Delay. 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. Often what I hear in the recordings is just natural room or hall reverb. David's T7E and PE603 Echorecs, and even the stock Echoplexes at the time, were not capable of anything even close to that length of delay. - Boss CS-2 and Dyncomp compressors first, then CE-2B chorus in left channel added, the delay added, then plate reverb added. Solo: 300ms. He used both in his 1980s live rigs, and continued to use the MXR System II up until 2016. Solo: TC 2290 Digital Delay: 430ms, Time - Delicate Sound of Thunder version (TC 2290 Digital Delay) : first solo: 340ms -- feedback: 3-4 repeats David used his Workmate Esquire guitar for the studio recording, and usually used a Telecaster when playing it live. third solo (after dry solo): 380ms -- feedback: 2-3 repeats. Dan's Pick No.1: Pro-Co RAT (79) David Gilmour, or Dave to his friends, has had a constant development of tone over the four decades he's been knocking around making classic album after classic album. Each was set to 380ms, 7-8 repeats, with the delay volume almost equal to the signal volume. 3rd solo: delay 1 = 240ms / delay 2 = 435ms, Mother solo - 1980-81 live version: second solo: 490ms, What Do you Want From Me? Sound Like Pink Floyd: Amp Settings And Gear Guide I started off with a Binson Echo unit, which is like a tape loop thing. Solo (several multi-tracked guitars): main delay 312ms / second delay to simulate offset multi-tracked guitars: 440ms, Time - Pulse version (TC 2290 Digital Delay):