How to Use Delay in Pro Tools

Delay is an effect that is now a staple of modern recording. You can use delay for subtle spacial effects or you can use delay to create more obvious echo effects. Delay should be part of every artist or producer's toolkit.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pro Tools hardware
• Pro Tools software
• computer

Setting up Your Track

1. Create a new Pro Tools session. Go to File - New Session under the main menu. a sub-menu will appear.

2. Name your session. Enter a name for your session in the sub-menu.

3. Click OK. A blank Pro Tools session appears in the edit window.

4. Create a new audio track. Click File - New Track from the main menu.

5. Select audio for track type. A new audio track appears in your session.

Adding Delay

6. Click the insert button on your audio track. A sub menu appears.

7. Choose delay under the submenu. The delay plug-in is now successfully added to your track.

8. Record audio. Press record to add some audio into your track.

9. Click the delay plug-in on your audio track. The delay plug-in and its parameters appear.

10. Move the delay slider to the right as your audio plays. As you move the slider you will hear the delay effect kick in. The further you move the slider to the right, the longer a delay you are adding. Delay is measured in milliseconds. As you move the slider, you are increasing the length of the delay by more and more milliseconds. As you move the slider you should be hearing some very unusual and interesting sounds.

11. Move the feedback slider to the right. Feedback is how many repeats or echoes you will hear. Move the slider all the way to the left and you will hear just one repeat. Move the slider to the right and you will hear more and more repeats. You can create literally hundreds of repeats if you like!

12. Click OK. Once you are happy with the sound, click OK. The delay effect is now applied to your track. That's it! You now know the basics of how to use delay in Pro Tools!

Tips & Warnings

• Popular recordings often time the delay to the tempo of the song. Instead of using an arbitrary delay, try setting your delay to be in rhythm with the other elements of the song you are working on.