In this video I'm demonstrating how to set up your David Gilmour delay sounds and settings. Most digital delays create an accurate, pristine repeat that only decays in volume with each repeat, not in quality. delay 1 time: 90ms One of the only audible examples of the multi heads in use in a Pink Floyd studio recording is the intro to the song, a few early live Pink Floyd performances of. Delay volume 85% Echorec 2 ..Echorec PE 603 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. You may also want to try setting the second delay at 760ms, double the triplet time delay (380 x 2 = 760ms). L channel -- 650ms with a single repeat, then another single repeat at 1850ms. I used to be expert with Binsons. Sort of a triplet on top of a triplet time delay. It takes some practice, and you have to be very precise with your timing or you can easily get out of step with the song tempo. Head 3 = 3/4 To figure a 4/4 delay time to work with any 3/4 triplet delay time, you can split the 3/4 time delay into thirds. Delay volume 65% If you have a second delay, set that one in series to 930ms, 4-5 repeats, 30-35% volume. Fine tune it until you hear the repeats are exactly in sync with the song tempo. 2nd delay 570ms. Run Like Hell with 380ms and 254ms delays in series. Speaking from personal experience, furthering my understanding of tone has simultaneously been one of the most rewarding and frustrating experiences of my life. His delay times are slightly faster here. There are lots of different ways to use two delays at once for an integrated rhythm like this, so use your ears and experiment. The 3/4 time delay is 380ms and the second 4/4 delay time is 507ms, or one repeat on every quarter note (one beat). analog gear was not as good as digital at the time, so the belief that analog is always better than digital arose. I have split the 5.1 stem channels apart from the surround sound mixes of all of the Pink Floyd and Gilmour's solo albums to hear the individual elements. Adjust the tone to suit your amp/speaker tone. This is actually not quarter-note triplets. His final delay was the TC Electronic 2290. That second delay should just barely be audible, as too much volume can make a double tapped mess of the main delay. Solo: 440ms ? Head 1 = 75ms .Head 1 = 95ms. 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. It was usually set for single head and a fixed time at about 310ms. The tempo used in this demo is slightly too. The maximum delay time of the Echorec 2 is not long enough for RLH, but David's PE 603 Echorec max delay time was 377-380ms, which is the RLH delay time. I use 240ms. Blue Light Riff - with and without delay. If you break the beat into a four count, that second repeat would be on 4. The long delay, and multi tracked guitars add to the smooth, lquid feel of the notes. Time intro test with backing track - 470ms and 94ms. 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). "Square wave" means the sound wave looks square shaped, rather than wavy. alternate: 380ms, High Hopes - 2015/16 live version: That keeps you from getting a loud, double-tappy mess. outro solo : delay 1 = 1000ms -- feedback: 1 repeat / delay 2 = 720ms -- feedback: 3-4 repeats, Take A Breath 2006 live versions: The slide parts were made up of several multi tracked recordings, each playing slightly different, but similar phrases. I also use it to add some of the bigger room and concert hall sounds. Run Like Hell with 380ms and 507ms delay in series - first is 380ms delay in the left channel, then 380ms+507ms in the right channel. 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. This pedal was a little easier to use than the Binson, and its the exact delay you can hear in The Wall. He is also known for using the legendary Proco Rat and MXR Phase 90. David also had an MXR 113 Digital Delay System that could do that delay time. 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. Delay times vary by song but anything between 300mms and 600 makes a decent one size fits all. first solo: 310ms -- feedback: 2-3 repeats. Why is that important? This creates a different bouncy feel to the delay rhythm. 8-10 repeats on the first delay and as many repeats as possible on the second, or as long as it can go without going into oscillation, which is around 3-4 seconds on most delays. 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. 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. I turn each effect on one at a time so you can hear how they add to the tone. 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. David primarily used the Binson Echorec delay/echo unit for his early work with Pink Floyd. intro: 630ms -- feedback: 4-5 repeats -- delay level: 17% -- delay type: analog Volume 65% Kits Secret Guitar, Gear, and Music Page Its not a cheap pedal (around 250$ new), but its way cheaper than an original. There are lots of different ways to use two delays at once for an integrated rhythm like this, so use your ears and experiment.. intro: 640ms: feedback: 4-5 repeats - delay level: 25% -- delay type: clear digitalsolos: 540ms: feedback: 7-8 repeats - delay level: 25% -- delay type: clear digital, Sorrow Solo and intro/outro - Delicate Sound of Thunder version (TC 2290 Digital Delay): 1st solo: 435ms Some of the other Program Select positions work for the Time intro too, like position 12. To add some modulation and a spacious feel to the delay tone on the studio recording David used either a Yamaha RA-200 rotary speaker cabinet or an Electric Mistress flanger. You can also play in time with the delays in a kind of shuffle rhythm. The first delay is 380ms, 10-12 repeats, delay voume 95%. If you look at head 4 as 4/4 time, the others would break down like this: Head 4 = 4/4 solo: 420ms It's actually a metallic disc that spins around. David is using two delays from a PCM70 rack delay to simulate the Echorec sound. 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. David Gilmour used the MXR Digital M-113 Delay, the Binson Echorec, and the TC Electronic 2290 in his recordings. Reverb was also added at the mixing desk when recording or mixing. 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 . DELAY SETTINGS - Some of Gilmour's most commonly used delay times are 300, 380, 440, 480, 540, and 630ms. outro: 340ms -- feedback: 3-4 repeats, Shine On You Crazy Diamond I-V (Binson Echorec): - David Gilmour interview by Bob Hewitt from Guitarist, June 1986. Note or mark that time setting on your delay. If you want to somewhat recreate his delay youre in luck, as its pretty simple. The 3/4 time delay is 380ms and the second 4/4 delay time is 507ms, or one repeat on every quarter note (one beat). His most commonly used delay times were in the 294-310ms range and 430ms. But which delay pedal(s) does/did he use? This is similar to the sound David had for his 1984 live performances of Run Like Hell, as heard on the David Gilmour In Concert video released in 1984 by CBS, and the Westwood One Radio Network FM broadcast of the July 12th concert in Bethlehem Pennsylvania. For example, I compared the 5.1 surround sound mix of the second On an Island solo with the solo in Castellorizon (from David's 2006 On an Island album). Remember that these settings should just be used as a starting point. To avoid this, and to keep the dry signal more pure, the delays in David's live rigs have sometimes been split off and run parallel with the dry signal, then mixed back together before going to the amp. Pink Floyds and Gilmours music is timeless, and the albums are a must-listen for any musician who wishes to define and expand genres. Set the 600ms dealy to half the repeats of the main delay, with a MUCH lower delay volume. 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. Theyre so famous they sell for a very high price and are deemed a collectable for many. That ADT slapback sound can also be heard on other Run Like Hell concert recordings, like Delicate Sound of Thunder, Pulse, and David Gilmour Live at Pompeii, but to a lesser effect. It also stems from the fact that people tend to look at things with their wallets, and analog gear is often much more expensive than its digital counterpart. Guitar stuff, gear stuff, soundclips, videos, Gilmour/Pink Floyd stuff, photos and other goodies. 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. David bought an Echorec PE 603 model in 1971 that had a maximum delay time of around 377-380ms. verse/chorus sections: 310ms -- feedback: 3-4 repeats delay 2: 375ms, Run Like Hell - two guitars multi-tracked (delay used was likely the MXR M113 Digital Delay): It makes for a sound that really adds depth to the guitar tone in the mix, but is not cluttered by delay repeats. - In general, no - but sometimes, yes. For example, take 450ms divided by 3 = 150ms. He came up with that basic riff that we all worked on and turned into One of these Days. volume swells in verse section after second solo: 680ms -- feedback: 4-5 repeats Read an explanation about how this is achieved here. Alternately, you can use 380ms as the long delay and 285ms as the short time delay, equivalent to Head 3 and Head 4 on the PE 603 Echorec, but that creates a slightly different delay rhythm than the album sound. Last update July 2022. delay time: 450ms -- feedback: 7-8 repeats -- delay level: 25% -- delay type: analog/digital mix, Another Brick in the Wall Part II (live): Multiply that x3 to get the 3/4 time and you get 427.5. Gilmour delay: '60s-'70s: Binson Echorec II. To get the 4/4 time delay, simply multiply 126.7 x 4 = 506.8ms. 2nd delay 94ms. Members; 529 Members; Share; Posted December 21, 2005. 310ms -- feedback: 3-4 repeats Sometimes these are called "parallel mixers" or "looper" pedals. Instead, it used a metal recording wheel. Its a core part of Pink Floyds earlier sound, and not just for Davids guitar. -, David Gilmour interview by Bob Hewitt from Guitarist, June 1986, FINDING THE "TRIPLET" TIME DELAY FOR A SONG. These are 5 note scales, pretty much the simplest scale a guitarist could use. For Run Like Hell, David's using what he refers to as "triplets".. I run it last in the signal chain and I almost always have a light plate reverb sound on when I play. Volume 85% Note that I am not talking about spring or amp reverb, or a reverb pedal, which is a completely different sound. To truly delve into David Gilmour's sound, you'd need to do a lot of research and buy a lot of vintage gear. The last 8 minutes of the song is a rambling collage of echo repeats. From the 1972-74 period he used the PB first in line in the signal chain for his live rigs. 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. 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. So why don't you hear the repeats most of the time? On the extremely rare occasions that David did use mulitple heads it was usually position 7, which was Head 3 + Head 4, 225ms + 300ms. It was my very first delay and one of my favorite pedals for Gilmour-ish delay. During the tour a T-Rex Replica was added specifically to use for "Echoes". Two delays running at different times fill in gaps between delay repeats, making the delay sound smoother with less obvious repeats. I use a compressor or a Tube Driver for this. Both delays are in series with the delay volume around 75% and about 9 repeats. As the recording drum and playback heads aged there was a slight loss of high end that added a unique high end roll-off as the echoes decayed. There is a also bit of light overdrive in the tone. 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. volume swells in lords prayer section: 340ms -- feedback: 8-9 repeats second solo: (early in song) 580ms -- feedback: 4-5 repeats -- delay level: 25% -- delay type: analog It's all on a D pedal. David Gilmour Solo Tone Settings For "Time" . For The Wall he switched to the MXR Digital Delay for those accurate and pristine time setups. The second delay should just be accenting the first, filling the space between the 3/4 repeats. His main analog delays were nearly always the drum type, like the Echorec, which only had high end-roll off as the magnetic drum and record/playback heads aged. In four beats you will hear 5 repeats (including the pick), and and that fifth repeat will time right on the fourth beat. Electro-Harmonx has made a few small boxed versions of the Electric Mistress, but these have different circuits and sounds as the originals. Gilmour's guitar playing is an integral part of this sound. 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 second delay David used was the MXR Digital M-113 Delay. 350ms, Breathe - studio version (several duplicated multi track recordings offset to create the long delay repeats): Sometimes he even uses two delays at once to create certain double tapped echo effects or to make a solo sound bigger. There are times when I have both running at the same time for certain effects. Try playing the Comfortably Numb solo with a 380ms delay with 4-6 repeats, versus a longer 540-600ms delay to hear the difference. verse/chorus sections: 310ms -- feedback: 3-4 repeats, Shine On You Crazy Diamond I-V - 1987-89 live version: SHINE ON YOU CRAZY DIAMOND 1-5 settings. For his 2015 tour he used a Providence Chrono Delay and two Flight Time delays. David Gilmour Lead Guitar Tone PDF Download MXR Digital Delay System II showing David's knob settings, Part of the effects rack from David's 1994 Pink Floyd tour rig with the MXR Digital Delay System II mounted in the middle, David's MXR Digital Delay System II rack unit from the On an Island tour showing a note for 2nd delay 375ms. - parallel delays, 380ms (both channels) and 507ms (right channel only), going to separate amps, David would play a chord, raise the volume pedal to send the signal into the SDE 3000, then lower the volume back to to zero to kill the input signal. solo: 530ms -- feedback: 5-6 repeats, 5 A.M. 2015/2016 live version: first solo: 507ms -- feedback: 2-3 repeats That is an example where David seems to have set the delay speed by ear, rather than going by an exact Echorec formula. solos: 660ms -- feedback: 6-7 repeats, Time: DELAY SETTINGS - Some of Gilmour's most commonly used delay times are 300, 380, 440, 480, 540, and 630ms. He did sometimes use the Swell mode. David often uses long echo delays to help create a his big, smooth, and liquidy solo tones. second solo: 430ms - feedback: 3-4 repeats -- delay level: 15% -- delay type: analog, Shine On You Crazy Diamond I-V - 1994 live / Pulse version (TC 2290 Digital Delay): - David Gilmour, Guitar World magazine. Comfortably Numb: The other is more natural sounding because it is added post amplification, which is more like what real reverb does. You should keep in mind that these official recordings have been sweetened to sound as good as possible. Alternate (Pulse): Delay 1 = 430ms / Delay 2 = 1023ms, Hey You: The delay was such an integral part of their sound, then almost any Pink Floyd song wouldnt sound complete without Davids signature delay sounds.