Echo vs. Delay

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Bluesyzep

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Silly question maybe but what's the difference between an Echo and Delay pedal?
 

mart1964

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Generally - an "echo unit" will be analogue or designed to simulate a tape or bucket brigade style of echo (might also be called an "analog delay" pedal) In effect echo is usually 1 or maybe around 3 repeats which degrade in quality with each repeat. The echo's are often softer in tone than the dry signal and blend well into the background.

I use the Memory Toy analog delay pedal. In fact except for very rhythmical stuff I tend to leave it on all the time as it acts like reverb but with more space and musicality.

A delay is very similar in essence. Original signal is repeated. A delay will often mean a cleaner more defined repeat (ususally digital but not exclusively).

That may well just be my interpretation - most likeley that echo is a more artsy name for a delay and that is all.
 

Phoenix59

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What'd you say?
What'd you say?
What'd you say?

:D
 

ehamady6

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They're the same, but if you're into extreme minutia then delay can mean a repeated, pristine reproduction of the original content whereas echo, such as in a cave, can bounce around and gradually diffuses.
 

Bluesyzep

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Should probably have added reverb to the title as well. I keep the reverb at 10 on the Marshall and use an analog delay when needed. The consensus seems to be, not much difference. Thanks for the replies.:)
 

Hamtone

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Hold on, you have the reverb set on ten all the time?
 

Bluesyzep

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Hold on, you have the reverb set on ten all the time?

Yes. Mainly because my instructor cranked it up one day so I left it that way. Haven't heard a reason to change it. I keep the effect level between 3 and 4. Why not?:hmm:
 

DoctorSkullington

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I prefer Echo, or as Mart said, analog delay.
Isn't ping pong delay the same as slapback? Or is just a long delay time and very few repeats?
 

st.bede

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to my limited knowledge, echo is just a very short delay time and the repeats should not feel like repeats but just like a sense of space (more or less)..

the repeats can be clear of modulated or even have a high pass filter roll of the top end with each repeats...it really depend on what you are after....

if I knew where my books were I could give you a precise time...it has to do with how the human ear hears the effect..

for a long time I used echo instead of reverb, but lately I have been getting back into reverb...in a sense the two (echo and reverb) accomplish the same thing for guitars, which is to give a sense of space...
 

Ricochet

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The difference between an Echo-o-o and a delay-delay-delay is a delay-ay-ay can do echo-o-o-t-o-o.
 

Hamtone

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Depending on what you are playing, playing to wet will make your sound mushy.I play on a blackface fender which is known as one of the reverbs out there. I have it on 2 its just a little ambiance. I use 2 delays one gives a short slapback with about 2 repeats with the level down quite a bit. My other delay is set with a much longer delay which gives a much slower decay, think Dave gilmour.

The difference between reverb and echo is this, echo repeats your signal like yelling into a cave, reverb on its own adds very short timed repeats which is kind of like changing the hardness of the cave walls. Softer has less ambiance harder adds more.

Small doses is great and adds to your overall tone, to much males it mushy and undistinguished.
 

Deftone

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I like a little bit of Echo for some stuff and long delay for different things.
 

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