I turn each effect on one at a time so you can hear how they add to the tone. David used various Echorec models but he was most known for using the Echorec 2 model T7E. The clip below is played with those same 428ms and 570ms delay times. slide guitar solos: 400ms, On the Run (The Traveling Section) - early live guitar version from 1972 (Echorec PE 603): 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. This creates a different bouncy feel to the delay rhythm. Brian Eno did something similar later in the early-mid '1970s with his famous reel-to-reel frippertronics tape delay effect. slide solo: 550ms -- feedback: 7-8 repeats E.g the RATE for most settings had been about 22 more clockwise (slightly faster sweep) on the Wall compared to the Animals tour. third solo (after dry solo): 380ms -- feedback: 2-3 repeats. It was compiled by measuring the echo repeats in official releases and bootlegs of live recordings, and from delay times visible on the LCDs of David's digital delays. 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. By porsch8 December 21, 2005 in Effects and Processors. Every aspect of his tone can change on different albums, even on different tracks of the same album! - engineer Alan Parsons, on the 1973 Dark Side of the Moon sessions, (left to right) Gilmour's Binson Echorec 2 and Echorec PE 603 stacked on top of his Hiwatts from 1973, and an Echorec 2 from 1974, Binson Echorec PE 603 like the one Gilmour used from 1971-74 in his live rigs. When playing alone, I find I often turn the delay volume down, but with a band or backing track I turn it up. 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. It only added a very slight gain boost to his clean amp tone, but . which is what gives the verse section that floaty, ethereal feel. Alans Psychadelic Breakfast with 2.2 second tape delay_Oct 1970. The S-O-S rig allowed him to play sustained chords on the guitar which he could then play melody on top of. This is also one of the few Gilmour solos that features a heavy reverb effect, so it does not sound the same with delay only. Most analog type delays have a lower quality repeat decay that rolls off more high end on each repeat. outro arpeggio riff: 310ms, Shine On You Crazy Diamond VI-IX (Binson Echorec): You may also want to try setting the second delay at 760ms, double the triplet time delay (380 x 2 = 760ms). If you set it too high it will self oscillate into a whining feedback. Anyone got some David Gilmour delay settings Anyone got some David Gilmour delay settings. 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 To get the second delay in 4/4 time, multiply 150 x 4 = 600ms. Head 2 = 2/4 Delay and reverb should be the last effect in the chain. Gilmour's Binson Echorec 2 model T7E from 1970-71. David maintained his Echorecs well and replaced them often however, so his sound only had minimal high end roll-off in the repeats. They averaged from 290-310ms. David has used many different types of compressors throughout his career, but a few common ones are the MXR Dynacomp, Boss CS-2, and Demeter Compulator. Basically anything prior to 1977 is 300-310ms, which is the best delay time for the Echorec IMO, and Program position 1 is the standard for most DG solos from the Echorec period, equivalent to Switch Position 4/Head 4 on a real Echorec. David Gilmour was the guitarist for English rock band Pink Floyd. I use chorus, little delay and some reverb on my amps clean setting. Most digital delays create an accurate, pristine repeat that only decays in volume with each repeat, not in quality. Solo (several multi-tracked guitars): main delay 312ms / second delay to simulate offset multi-tracked guitars: 440ms, Time - Pulse version (TC 2290 Digital Delay): 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. This the dominant delay, but there is also a 300ms delay low in the mix But delay is not the only effect that Gilmour tends to use. BKB Tube Driver, Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress, TC Nova delay. NOTE: This website is frequently updated. extended version solo: 430ms, Rattle That Lock - 2016/15 Live version: If the repeats are slower, reduce it. I'll keep this simple rather than going into an explanation of time signatures. . He notoriously used a Binson Echorec for his delays, and many other vintage pedals and studio outboard gear to achieve his tone. It was used for the early live version of, 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. You may also want to try setting the second delay at 760ms, double the triplet time delay (380 x 2 = 760ms). The other output went to a Sound-on-Sound interface built into David's rack, which fed a second Hiwatt amp and 4x12 speaker cabinet. A little later he switched to the MXR Digital Delay. His most commonly used delay times were in the 294-310ms range and 430ms. 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. Other common delay times were 380, 440-450, 480, and 540ms. The most recognisable and somewhat stereotypical sound that Pink Floyd uses is their ambience. I don't think I'll ever stick to one instrument - but the great thing about life is you don't have to. The slide parts were made up of several multi tracked recordings, each playing slightly different, but similar phrases. - Phil Taylor, David's backline tech. It was strange because it didn't utilize tape loops. As the chord rang on, David could then play the melody lines through his main Hiwatt. David often uses long echo delays to help create a his big, smooth, and liquidy solo tones. delay 1: 430ms -- feedback: 7-8 repeats - delay level: 30% -- delay type: clear digital A) All those pictures out there of David Gilmour's tours have the settings knobs shown, but you can not go by that and insist it is bible. To add space to your tone, add a clean digital delay at the end of your signal chain. 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. Digital Delays tend to be avoided by many guitarists, but the belief that analog is always better than digital stems from when digital gear wasnt very good. If you want to use a noise gate put it right before the delay/reverb. 1978 and on: digital delay, several stompboxes and rack units used (Boss, TC, MXR, Lexicon) The 2006 all tube Cornish board has a Cornish TES delay. Below is an example of replicating the Syd's Theme delays from 1994. 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. I just played the bass through it and made up that little section, which we then stuck on to a bit of tape and edited in. Pink Floyds and Gilmours music is timeless, and the albums are a must-listen for any musician who wishes to define and expand genres. 570 x 75% = 427.5. David primarily used the Binson Echorec delay/echo unit for his early work with Pink Floyd. second solo: 560ms -- feedback: 3-4 repeats, On An Island - 2006 live versions: For the modulation, I use an old green 18v Electric Mistress or a 1980s era Deluxe Electric Mistress in the big box. alternate: 380ms, High Hopes - 2015/16 live version: 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. 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. delay 1: 380ms -- feedback 10-12 repeats - delay level: 95% -- delay type: digital 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. He also used an Echorec PE 603 model from 1971-75 that had a maximum delay time of around 377-380ms. delay time: 450ms -- feedback: 7-8 repeats -- delay level: 25% -- delay type: analog/digital mix, Another Brick in the Wall Part II (live): 3. The volume swells can be easily created today with a delay and a volume pedal. Gilmour uses pristine delays. Solo: TC 2290 Digital Delay: 430ms, Time - Delicate Sound of Thunder version (TC 2290 Digital 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. second solo: 380ms -- feedback: 6-7 repeats, Comfortably Numb - 1986 live version / Columbian Volcano Appeal Concert: The other delay is set in 4/4 time (quarter notes) at 507ms, or one repeat on every beat. Instead, it used a metal recording wheel. - David Gilmour interview by Bob Hewitt from Guitarist, June 1986. All these effects can be heard in most of Pink Floyds discography. But the delay was in 3/4 increments of the beat and the vibrato went with the beat. The beginning and end of each tremolo pulse or "wave" is gated and clipped off, rather than ramping up and down like a soft wave. Regardless, it is the combination of both delay and reverb that makes the delay sound so smooth in some instances. The third solo is also artificially double tracked, which you can simulate with a short 60-90ms slapback delay with one repeat. One of the smoothest guitarists in rock, Pink Floyd's David Gilmour has built a reputation for great melodic control and an expressive soloing approach that has influenced millions. Guitar stuff, gear stuff, soundclips, videos, Gilmour/Pink Floyd stuff, photos and other goodies. 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. 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. David also had an MXR 113 Digital Delay System that could do that delay time. When the IC chips became less expensive to manufacture Boss simply rebranded it as a new, lower priced version rather than lowering the price of the DD-2. The last 8 minutes of the song is a rambling collage of echo repeats. David would use the latter setting for most of the album. His delay times typically ranged from 300ms-550ms, with 5-8 repeats, but some songs required more specific delay times and settings, as detailed below. The tape splices were then camouflaged with cymbal crashes. 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. Playing the RLH Rhythm Fills - with and without the delay, Playing the RLH Verse Chords - with and without delay. As the song plays on I dial the delay volume and number of repeats higher and higher. Theyre so famous they sell for a very high price and are deemed a collectable for many. David would use a Binson Echorec in the early days between 1968-1978. : You should keep in mind that these official recordings have been sweetened to sound as good as possible. - Delay Rhythm Guitars Mixed Up Front - both channels. Last update July 2022. Even better is to run the delays parallel so one delay does not repeat the other, which sometimes sound messy. I have one for specific time settings, for things like Run Like Hell and Give Blood, so I know in numbers (delay time in milliseconds) what setting I need to use. 630ms: feedback: 7-8 repeats - delay level: 30% -- delay type: clear digital, Sorrow Solo - Pulse version (TC 2290 Digital Delay): 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. A key to the way David has done this is to run each delay in its own separate channel, parallel and separate from the line signal. volume swells in verse section after second solo: 540ms and 620ms -- feedback: 4-5 repeats The delays are set in series like this: second solo: 370ms -- feedback: 7-8 repeats -- delay level: 20% -- delay type: analogSyd's theme: 290ms -- feedback: 7-8 repeats - delay level: 20% -- delay type: analog