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). Comfortably Numb: Its more modern than the MXR, but it sounds just as good. fourth solo: 40-50-ms slapback delay -- feedback: 1 repeat, Echoes For the wet 1st and 3rd solos from Money I use basically the same settings, but I dial the mix knob up a bit for the third section after the dry solo. solo: 530ms -- feedback: 5-6 repeats, 5 A.M. 2015/2016 live version: Multiply that x3 to get the 3/4 time and you get 427.5. If you set it too high it will self oscillate into a whining feedback. 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. 570 x 75% = 427.5. For his 2015 tour he used a Providence Chrono Delay and two Flight Time delays. This obviously means that a lot of guitarists want to be like him. Once you have that, turn the feedback down so there are only about 3-6 repeats, adjust the delay volume to suit the song, and you are ready to go. second solo: (early in song) 580ms -- feedback: 4-5 repeats -- delay level: 25% -- delay type: analog Why is that important? 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. Below are settings to get that sound. That second delay should just barely be audible, as too much volume can make a double tapped mess of the main delay. 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. Its more compact, more reliable, and just easier to use. - Boss CS-2 and Dyncomp compressors first, then CE-2B chorus in left channel added, the delay added, then plate reverb added. Both types have been described as "warm" sounding, which can get confusing. This would not only be one of the only times David is known to have used a tape delay effect live, but he seems to have used it much earlier than other guitarist more well known for this effect. Use the feedback option to set it right where you think it sounds closest. BKB Tube Driver, Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress, TC Nova delay. It helps to have a delay with a digital display to set the exact delay time. 1 2. For example, take 450ms divided by 3 = 150ms. There are many effect pedals that simulate those sounds, and those types of simulated reverbs are also usually called plate, room, or hall reverb. Some duplicate the studio album delay times and some duplicate the live delay times. volume swells: 1100ms -- feedback: 4-5 repeats. delay 1: 250ms If you don't have a delay with a millisecond display, it is still possible to find the proper 3/4 delay time in a 4/4 time signature. Although it is simple to play, you must play exactly in time with the delay or it will sound sloppy. delay 1 time: 430ms -- feedback: 5-7 repeats - delay level: 30% -- delay type: warm digital April 9, 2022. by Joe Nevin. How to Sound Like Dave Gilmour - Guitar Lessons London Head 1 = 75ms .Head 1 = 95ms. That is an example where David seems to have set the delay speed by ear, rather than going by an exact Echorec formula. Feedback: This is the number of audible repeats. A bit of delay can smooth out the unpleasant, raw frequencies you get from a fuzz box. His delay times are slightly faster here. 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 best way I have found to create the smoothest delay is to simply set it in time with the song tempo. This creates a different bouncy feel to the delay rhythm. The delay volume is often not very loud in the studio recordings, so in a full band context, the other instruments mask the repeats. What delay does David Gilmour use? - Killer Guitar Rigs This unit can also be heard on the The Wall album. When the notes pitch up or down the delay has 4-5 repeats. Then I play the bass rhythm clean, then with the effects on. DELAY TYPES - ANALOG AND DIGITAL - David has used numerous types of delays in his carreer, both analog and digital. A second and third guitar repeat similar slide phrases, playing slightly behind the first guitar. You can change the feel of the delay repeats by cutting the 600ms delay time in half to 300ms, 1/4 time to 150ms, or double it to 1200ms, et cetera. For the modulation, I use an old green 18v Electric Mistress or a 1980s era Deluxe Electric Mistress in the big box. Gilmour used the TC Electronic 2290, but any digital delay will do. Coming Back to Life Intro Tone Build - Boss CS-2 and Dyncomp compressors first, then CE-2B chorus in left channel added, the delay added, then plate reverb added. 2nd delay 570ms. The TC Flashback can be set up with the Tone Print edito. - Delay Rhythm Guitars Mixed Up Front - both channels. 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. there is no delay on the studio recording, but the multiple multi-tracked guitars playing slightly out of time with eachother make it sound like there is delay. 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! second solo: 640ms -- feedback: 6-7 repeats I change my echo settings fairly often in concert. REEL-TO-REEL SOUND-ON-SOUND - David did an early version of sound-on-sound way back in October of 1970, in one of the few times Pink Floyd performed Alan's Psychadelic Breakfast live. A Great Day For Freedom - Pulse version (TC2290 Digital Delay): Another Brick in the Wall Part II (live): Any Colour You Like - 1994 live versions: Astronomy Domine - Pulse version (MXR Digital Delay System II for solo). Below is an example of me using an Echorec style delay in a cover of Pink Floyd's 1969 song Dramatic Theme form the More album. Solo: 300ms. You can check this by mute picking a single note simultaneous with a drum beat, then listen to the repeats. Head 3 = 3/4 I used to be expert with Binsons. 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. All of the settings for this tone can be found in this PDF download below. When you play across it, it helps you to double-track yourself. solo: 500ms, High Hopes - live versions The type of multi-head repeats varied depending on which of the four playback heads were selected. Gear used: Telecaster into a fender twin Reverb and Reeves Custom 50, Boss CS-2 Compressor, Tube Driver set for light overdrive, Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress, TC Nova delay. There are several reasons. 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. For most of his 2016 tour he used multiple delays for those parts, but switched to using a Boonar Multi-Head Drum Echo digital delay from Dawner Prince Electronics for the last few concerts. Shown below are some typical Gilmour DD-2 delay times. When I'm recording I'll often set them in tempo to the track, so although they are just acting as an echo, the echo is rhythmic in away and has a triplet and the 4/4 beat in it. There is a also bit of light overdrive in the tone. 650-680ms were occasionally used for long delays. 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. Below is an excerpt of David's bass guitar part, extracted from the 5.1 surround mix of Meddle. solos: 440ms -- feedback: 7-8 repeats - delay level: 15% -- delay type: analog The main delay rhythm that runs throughout the song is two guitars, one in the left channel and one in the right. Read an explanation about how this is achieved here. One set for a slighly shorter delay time, and a lower echo repeat volume, running into a longer delay with a slightly louder echo repeat will give you a very smooth sound. Let's see some of the units he used over time. One of These Days - 294ms delay + vibratto. This pedal was a little easier to use than the Binson, and its the exact delay you can hear in The Wall. David's Echoes delay time of 300ms, one for the delay in Time, and 423ms in the display. In this example I am showing how just using a single triplet 330ms delay is sufficient for this effect, but a second 4/4 feeling delay of 440ms or even a double triplet delay time to 660ms, could be added to enhance the space. 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. It was set for a light overdrive setting and was most likely an always-on pedal. The delay time must also be precisely in time with the song tempo. Shorter delay times are more obvious because the repeats are heard in between notes and phrases. David also used the triplet delay setup on many other songs such as One of These Days from Pink Floyd's Meddle, Give Blood from Pete Townshend's White City, Blue Light from David's second solo album, About Face, The Hero's Return from Pink Floyd's The Final Cut, among others. - Pulse version (TC 2290 Digital Delay): Hey You - Pulse version (TC 2290 Digital Delay): Money solo - studio version - multiple guitar tracks were recorded with different delay times (Binson Echorec 2 and Binson PE603): Money solos - live 1977 version (MXR Digital Delay System I): Money solos- Pulse version (TC2290 Digital Delay): One of These Days studio version (Binson Echorec): One Of These Days - 2015/16 live version: On the Run (The Traveling Section) - early live guitar version from 1972 (Echorec PE 603): On The Turning Away - 1991 live Amnesty International Big 3 O version: On The Turning Away - Pulse version (TC 2290 Digital Delay): Poles Apart - Pulse version (TC 2290 Digital Delay): Rattle That Lock - 2016/15 Live version: Run Like Hell - two guitars multi-tracked (delay used was likely the MXR M113 Digital Delay): Run Like Hell - 1984 live versions - two delays in series, each with a different delay time (MXR M113 Digital Delay and Boss DD-2): Run Like Hell - Delicate Sound of Thunder and Pulse - two delays in series (TC 2290 Digital Delay for main delay + 2290 ADT effect): Shine On You Crazy Diamond I-V (Binson Echorec): Shine On You Crazy Diamond VI-IX (Binson Echorec): Shine On You Crazy Diamond I-V - 1987-89 live version: Shine On You Crazy Diamond I-V - 1994 live / Pulse version (TC 2290 Digital Delay): Shine On You Crazy Diamond I-V Syds theme - 2016/15 Live version: Short and Sweet - David Gilmour live 1984 version (Boss DD-2): Sorrow Solo and intro/outro - Delicate Sound of Thunder version (TC 2290 Digital Delay): Sorrow Intro / Outro - Pulse version (TC 2290 Digital Delay): Sorrow Solo - Pulse version (TC 2290 Digital Delay): Time - Pulse version (TC 2290 Digital Delay): Time - Delicate Sound of Thunder version (TC 2290 Digital Delay) : Us and Them - Pulse version (TC 2290 Digital Delay): *While I did a ton of work figuring out many of these delay times, a big thanks goes to Raf and the fine folks at the. Pink Floyd is known for their use of soundscapes and textures that would later characterize genres such as progressive rock and psychedelic rock. The delay time and your playing must be precisely in time with the song tempo, so it takes some practice to perfect this style of playing. 1st delay 470ms. Some of the other Program Select positions work for the Time intro too, like position 12. Sort of a triplet on top of a triplet time delay. 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. delay time to simulate offset multi track recordings: 930ms -- feedback: 4-5 repeats -- delay level: 30-35% -- delay type: analog, Breathe - Pulse version (TC2290 Digital Delay): Solo: 430ms, Fat Old Sun- 1971/72 live versions: As technology was progressing, the use of rack effects units became more and more efficient. David probably just uses the term triplet because what he does has a similar feel. solo: 540ms -- feedback: 4-5 repeats -- delay level: 18-20% -- delay type: analog, Any Colour You Like - 1994 live versions: Digital delays Gilmour used several digital delay units trough time, starting from the Wall in 1979. Below is an isolated excerpt of this part. The 4/4 delay thickens space between the main delay repeats by double tapping your 3/4 repeat with a 4/4, creating a more bouncy rhythm. If you want this sound and have a delay that shows the time in milliseconds, follow these steps. For Run Like Hell, David's using what he refers to as "triplets".. That delayed chord would ring on through the second Hiwatt for approximately 20-30 seconds before decaying, simulating a sustained keyboard chord. David Gilmour is known for using his delay creatively, mostly by sort of using it as a reverb instead of it being purely an 'echo'. For the delay, my favorite for this song is the old Boss DD-2, but any good digital delay will work. FINDING THE "TRIPLET" TIME DELAY FOR A SONG - David has sometimes used a rhythmic 3/4 time delay, what he calls "triplet" time. 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. In order to use exact delay times it helps to have a delay with a digital display showing the time in miliseconds. The Binson Echorec is an analogue echo unit made by Binson in Italy. Place the volume pedal before the delay in the signal chain so when you drop the volume to zero the delay repeats still decay naturally. 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. To do this manually, turn the feedback on your delay up to around 80% or so, so the repeats are almost infinite. Some delays that can do this are the Boss DD2/3, TC Electronics Nova Delay, Providence Chrono Delay, Boss DD20, Free The Tone Flight Time, Eventide Timefactor, Strymon Timeline, Empress Super Delay, EHX Deluxe Memory Man, TC 2290, MXR Delay System II, and many others. 380ms -- feedback: 3-4 repeats, On The Turning Away - 1991 live Amnesty International Big 3 O version: He would do this for each chord change in the intro to Shine On You Crazy Diamond, effectively doing both the keyboard and guitar parts all by himself. second solo: 560ms -- feedback: 3-4 repeats, On An Island - 2006 live versions: David Gilmour is famous for his unique use of delay and echo. Play the note, let it repeat, then play the note a second time where the 1400ms repeat would be. David's pedal board had two Boss digital delays, but he also had an MXR 113 Digital Delay System and MXR Digital Delay System II in his rack. Its not a cheap pedal (around 250$ new), but its way cheaper than an original. Last update July 2022. I use a compressor or a Tube Driver for this. The mode should always be set at 800ms, unless you want a short slapback delay for something like the dry solo in, Kits Secret Guitar, Gear, and Music Page. 234ms and 150ms also works. He began using digital delays in place of the Echorec around 1977. delay 1 time: 90ms solo: 430ms -- feedback: 5-6 repeats - delay level: 15% -- delay type: analog, Keep Talking: - David Gilmour, Guitar World magazine. 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). Run Like Hell with 380ms and 254ms delays in series - first is 380ms delay in the left channel, then 380ms+254ms in the right channel. Check here for more Big Muffs to achieve the Gilmour tone. The delay time must also be precisely in time with the song tempo. The S-O-S unit was basically a buffered interface with two send/returns. HOW DO I REPLICATE THAT SMOOTH GILMOUR DELAY SOUND? The first send went to a volume pedal. David usually used positions 1-4, for single playback repeats of heads 1-4. In fact, Dark Side engineer Alan Parsons said plate reverb was virtually the only reverb used for those recordings, although he has said they also used as many as five or six tape machines to create various reverb delays. Note that setting. It is actually dotted-eighth-notes, or one eighth note followed by two sixteenth notes. delay 1: 380ms -- feedback 10-12 repeats - delay level: 95% -- delay type: digital 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. The amp David used for the RLH studio recording is not known, but presumably it was a Hiwatt or Mesa Boogie Mark I. There are also instances where he has had a long delay time, but only one or two repeats, which gives the big sound, but makes the repeats almost inaudible in the band mix. DELAY SETTINGS - Some of Gilmour's most commonly used delay times are 300, 380, 440, 480, 540, and 630ms. Run Like Hell with 380ms and 507ms delay in series. This website is frequently updated. For real room reverb, mics were placed in different parts of the recording studio to capture the room sound, not just the speaker cabinet from the amp. Let's do some "Echorec math." The 450ms delay should come before the 600ms delay in your signal chain. - 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. Sometimes these are called "parallel mixers" or "looper" pedals. There is a misconception that David always used the Echorec for its multi-head function, but in reality he primarily used it in single playback head mode, just like any other typical delay. Another option is to run two delay pedals simultaneously. David Gilmour used the MXR Digital M-113 Delay, the Binson Echorec, and the TC Electronic 2290 in his recordings. During the tour a T-Rex Replica was added specifically to use for "Echoes". Below are a few of the rare examples of David using the Echorec in multi-head mode from 1973 and 1975. 310ms -- feedback: 3-4 repeats Speaking from personal experience, furthering my understanding of tone has simultaneously been one of the most rewarding and frustrating experiences of my life. Fat Old Sun- 2015/16 live version: To get the 4/4 time delay, simply multiply 126.7 x 4 = 506.8ms. I set the vibrato to more or less the same tempo as the delay. 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. It is said that he switched from an Echorec to an MXR for ease of use. Generally speaking, the sound on the album is pretty much what came out of his amp. The Mooer Elec Lady is a good, inexpensive clone of the Electric Mistress that sounds much closer to the original large box Mistress. The second send went to a Roland SDE 3000 digital delay in his rack, with individual level controls for both the send and return, along with a mute switch. first solo: 340ms -- feedback: 3-4 repeats Time intro - Isolated guitar from studio mix. David Gilmour was the guitarist for English rock band Pink Floyd. 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. Electric Mistress - How to use it - Settings THE RULING CASTE: IMPERIAL LIVES IN THE VICTORIAN RAJ By David Gilmour Kits Secret Guitar, Gear, and Music Page 500ms -- feedback: 5-6 repeats. Example: You determine the 4/4 beat/song tempo is 600ms. David Gilmour Lead Guitar Tone Tutorial - Time - GuitarLessons365 It's a beautiful sound, but David did not use tape delays like this. David is using two delays from a PCM70 rack delay to simulate the Echorec sound. One day, Roger decided to take some of the techniques that I was developing and try them out himself on bass. It's actually a metallic disc that spins around. intro and verse volume swells, first solo: 620ms -- feedback: 6-7 repeats I use the MXR Digital Delay. Record yourself playing alone verses playing along with a backing track to see what I mean. To get the Pink Floyd sound, you'll need to use some specific equipment and settings. I usually try, in solos, to set the DDLs to have some rhythmic time signature in common with the tune. -, David Gilmour interview by Bob Hewitt from Guitarist, June 1986, FINDING THE "TRIPLET" TIME DELAY FOR A SONG. Again, if you mute pick with the repeats set almost infinite, the repeats will be perfectly in time with the song beat on every 5th repeat. 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. THE BOSS DD-2 DELAY - The 1983 Boss DD-2 was one of the first, and best sounding digital delays to come out of the early days of digital effects pedals. Delay Type: Analog delays are warm sounding, with repeats that are softer sounding than the original note due to a high end roll-off. That's another one of the personal esthetic judgments that you use in trying to get something to sound nice to yourself. solo: 680ms, Another Brick in the Wall Part 1: 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. 2nd delay 94ms. *While I did a ton of work figuring out many of these delay times, a big thanks goes to Raf and the fine folks at the Gilmour Gear Forum 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! - Pulse version (TC 2290 Digital Delay): 5. SHINE ON YOU CRAZY DIAMOND 1-5 settings. That came from an old trick I'd been using, which is having a DDL in triplet time to the actual beat. But delay is not the only effect that Gilmour tends to use. 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. Some duplicate the studio album delay times and some duplicate the live delay times. delay 2: 430ms, In Any Tongue - 2015/16 live version: In this clip I'm using Coming Back to Life as a reference with 700ms. The Echorec 2 had a 12 position switch to select among various combinations of heads. middle section: 1500ms -- feedback: 10-12 repeats 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).