Audio effects by design, alter sound.
Delay and echo are some common effects that are discussed in music production, often to figure out a difference between the two.
Within context, Echo and Delay are similar but NOT the same. Echo creates an ambient time shifted duplicate of a sound by mimicking natural echo while delay creates a time shifted duplicate of a sound and provides the user with the necessary tools to manipulate the sound by making the time shifting adjustable.
Therefore the echo you would get in a room cannot be categorized as delay because delay is only a time shifted duplicate without the ambient natural effect that comes with Echo.
Why does echo happen ?
Echo is a result of sound reflection, produced when sound hits a reflective surface like a dense wall.
Typically you’ll get a time shifted delay of the original sound with lesser volume because part of the sound gets lost as it hits the wall.
is reverb the same as delay?
Reverberation is multiple blended sound images(series of echos) that created as a result of reflection.
Delay simply creates time adjusted sound images according to the time specified parameters. Therefore what you get with delay is repetitions.
Reverb is what may be used to give more depth and space to a mix.
it is because of this that reverb is used to process sounds.
A variety of reverb types exist primarily to mimic the original sound reverberation you would get naturally.
Some types if reverb’s are hall reverb and room reverb.
What comes first reverb or delay?
Delay should come first then followed by reverb in order to create some depth and create more space within the mix.
In some cases people may do it the other way around which is perfectly okay because delays aren’t really modulated so it really matters very little in which order they come in.
Plus, user preference is highly applicable here because you could use a delay first and then run your reverb through it in order to get a more lasting impression of the reverb or you can do it the other way around to get a more lasting impression of delay.
Should you use reverb and delay together?
Reverb and delay can be used perfectly together, they don’t conflict with each other and they work well independently as well as they do when they’re paired with other effects such as delay.
What does delay do to vocals?
Delay gives more space and rhythm to the vocal by creating a time shifted repetition of the original sound.
This is great and will give the vocal some size and character to make it more interesting.
Is Echo a reverb?
We can look at reverb as the persistence of sound after it hits a reflective surface which then results in multiple reflections of the sound.
Echo is a single reflection of a soundwave that is heard when the sound wave bounces off a distant reflective medium.
What factors affect the clarity of an echo?
The main factors that will affect the clarity of echo are:
A. The orientation of the space in which the sound source is located.
B. The density, shape and nature of the reflective surface.
Which is better analog or digital delay?
Digital delay is better than analog delay because of the extended functionality that it provides.
Analog delay tends to offer a shorter delay time maximum.
Why is echo softer than the original sound?
Echo is softer than the original sound because as soon as sound hits a reflective surface, part of it is lost on impact therefore what you get as echo is only a partial of the original.
How can echo be reduced?
Echo is created when sound hits a bare reflective wall, therefore to reduce echo you can use sound absorption material on the reflective surface.
Related Articles
Echo vs. Delay: What’s the Difference? – eMastered
What is the Difference between Echo and Delay? – Sweetwater
Echo Vs Delay: When To Use What – Killer Guitar Rigs
Do Professional Singers Use Echo?
