# Delay Question??? 440ms



## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

Alright, I need help. I'm messing around with my delay pedals trying to get the right timing for the Edge's guitar tone. I know what the delay times are from transcriptions but I can't seem to set my delay right. I have a EHX DMM and a Boss DD-3. 

How do you set these things for say a 440ms delay??????


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## Guest (Sep 6, 2007)

You'll have a hard time nailing The Edge's delay tactics with the DD-3. You need make sure the repeats are happening on dotted eighth intervals. With a pedal like a DD-5, DD-6 or DD-20 you set the repeat interval to dotted eighths and then tap in the tempo in quarter notes and you're done. That's hard to set up with the DD-3 because the natural tendency is to play with the delays occurring at 1/4 or 1/2 intervals. You have to set up a delay time and then play so the delays are happening at dotted eight intervals with respect to your playing speed.

Here's a site that goes into explicit detail on The Edge's use of delay and how you can emulate his sounds using various stomp boxes and what not: http://www.amnesta.net/edge_delay/


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

jroberts: you make it sound so easy!! LOL!!

jaresee: cool website. I'll have to sit down and absorb it. 

I wonder if I would be better off getting one of those diamond delay pedals? I have to admit I love the sound of the DMM.


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## Guest (Sep 6, 2007)

Stratin2traynor said:


> jroberts: you make it sound so easy!! LOL!!
> 
> jaresee: cool website. I'll have to sit down and absorb it.
> 
> I wonder if I would be better off getting one of those diamond delay pedals? I have to admit I love the sound of the DMM.


Diamond's Memory Lane is a really nice analog delay and while it adds a tap tempo to it, it has a similar problem to the DMM you have. Every time you tap in the tempo the repeats line up to your taps. This is 1/4 note alignment. This is not what you want to do The Edge sound. You want dotted 1/8th note alignment. And AFAIK you can only get that feature in a digital delay pedal. If you've got the cash to spend the Eventide TimeFactor and TC Electronic Nova Delay are currently the kings of the pedal board digital delay pedals. And the DD-20 is a great runner up. The DD-6 and DD-5 come in modded versions from Analogman and Keeley that make them more flexible than their off-the-shelf counterparts but you can find the unmodded ones fairly cheap on the used market. All those digital delays will let you do dotted 1/8th note alignment when you tap in the tempo making you an instant Streets Have No Name superstar.


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## Guest (Sep 6, 2007)

jroberts said:


> Or you could just tap dotted 8ths instead of quarter notes (for any pedal with tap tempo) or twist the delay time knob until you got dotted 8ths (for any pedal without tap tempo).


Absolutely true, but hard to do.  Like rubbing your stomach and patting your head it is.


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## a Pack of Wolves (Sep 5, 2007)

not to get zen or trippy ot whatnot
but apart from the delay thing he has going on
his playing is about his relatively soft touch (the floppy pick)
and his lack of flash

i will say it about having more than one delay on at once as well


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

Alright. Here's where I'm at. I have a Yamaha Magic Stomp with some deep editing capabilities. I looked through the analog delay patch settings and here are the parameters I can edit:

Wave
Delay 
Feedback Gain
Frequency
High Pass Filter
Low Pass Filter
High Ratio
Depth
Mix

I have no idea what these setting are for except for the obvious Delay (in ms) and Feedback Gain. Anyone have any idea about how to set the patch for dotted 8th notes and what parameter I have to set for that?????

I almost bought a DD-20 the other day but remembered that I could edit the patches on the Magicstomp. 

HELP!!
0.125


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## Hamm Guitars (Jan 12, 2007)

Stratin2traynor said:


> Alright. Here's where I'm at. I have a Yamaha Magic Stomp with some deep editing capabilities. I looked through the analog delay patch settings and here are the parameters I can edit:
> 
> Wave
> Delay
> ...


I'm not familiar with your unit, but I'm updating a server so I have some time on my hands. Here is what I make of it. (These seem to be out of order, so I would advise you to check your manual as my assumptions could be wrong):

Wave - Waveform of the LFO
Delay - Delay time 
Feedback Gain - The Level of the repeats (and number of audible repeats)
Frequency - LFO frequency (for Chorus and flange effects)
High Pass Filter - EQ setting to roll of low end
Low Pass Filter - EQ setting to roll off high end
High Ratio - High frequency emphisis/de-emphisis 
Depth - The depth of the LFO
Mix - ratio of dry to effected signal

If you are getting quarter notes at 440, and the unit is not giving you eigth notes try going with 220ms and play with the repeats (feedback). Your initial delay will be quicker, but it might work for you.

I'm not a big U2 buff, but I've definately heard multi-tap delays (or more than one delay unit) in some of the Edge's guitar sounds.


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

Thanks for the reply Hamm...The Magicstomp has several simulated delays as well as multi-tap delays. Given the potential depth of the editing, I can't see why I couldn't replicate the Edge's delay settings somehow. Unfortunately, I don't understand all of the parameters involved (aside from the ones you've have explained - thanks:smile 

I am a big science and math buff but with three kids and a wife running around asking me questions I don't seem to have enough energy to wrap my head around all of these parameters. ANY explanation or dumbing down of the subject would be appreciated.


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## Hamm Guitars (Jan 12, 2007)

The issue, as I understand it, is that you want a delay time of 440ms, which you have but the frequency of the repeats is too slow (you have quarter notes and you want eighth notes).

You can double the frequency of the repeats by halfing the delay time. This may not give you exactly what you are after as the initial delay time might be too soon, and the regenerated signal may also refresh too soon. You will likely have to turn up the feedback level as well.

If you have the capability of using a multi-tap delay then set your first delay at 440ms and the second tap at 220ms (you can set the other two taps at 0 or anything else you find usefull). Play with the feedback and the level of the taps to get what you are after. Most units that do not have an initial delay setting on the multi tap will use the delay time of the first tap (440ms), which will get rid of the early 220ms initial delay and early regeneration that using 220ms on a single delay line will cause. 

Usually if you switch to a 4 tap delay, you will loose all of the LFO options and you may gain an option that will allow you to controll the frequency of the repeats. If you have an Echo effect, the same may be true for it as well. In this case you may not need the second 220ms tap.


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

Sounds easy enough. Thanks for the info Hamm. My son just explained what a dotted 1/8 note is. With that little tid bit of info and your explanation I should be able to figure it out easily enough. I'll keep you posted. Thanks again.


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## Hamm Guitars (Jan 12, 2007)

This might also help:

http://www.tomhess.net/tools.php?ACT=delcalc


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

Excellent website - great little tool to have. Got it kind of working and was just tweaking it when the Magicstomp's On/Off switch failed. Not working anymore. ARGHHHH!!!!

From what I've read it's common for the switches to fail on version 1 (one guess on what version I have). So, guess I have to get my tools out and see if I can fix it.


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## Voxguy76 (Aug 23, 2006)

I'm a big U2 fan myself :wave: I have 2 delays on my current board an Electro Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man, and Boss DD-20. Both excellent delays for U2 stuff IMO. I also run them both for dual delays which Edge does alot in many of his songs. The EHDMM has a max delay of about 550 ms the problem with these units is that there is no exact delay readout and each unit may differ from the others. I'd try running the delay time maybe 1/4 just before the max. on the EHDMM. I get a close delay for Pride at this setting which i'm guessing is around the 420 ms mark.


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

I was just messing around with my DMM today. I am running it through a Fender DRRI. I noticed that it is kinda noisy - hiss. I then tried an Small Clone Chorus and noticed the same hiss. What's up with that. Is the DRRI that sensitive to noise???


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