I change my echo settings fairly often in concert. The amp David used for the RLH studio recording is not known, but presumably it was a Hiwatt or Mesa Boogie Mark I. 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 Tim Renwick solo: 520ms, Louder Than Words: USING TWO DELAYS TO MIMIC AN ECHOREC - David stopped using the Echorec live after 1977. My sound has everything to do with what sounds good to me. He has a 2.2 second delay on the guitar so he can play over his repeats, building up layer upon layer of guitar repeats. The 4/4 delay can barely be heard on the studio recording and is really not necessary, but it is fun to experiment with two delays. Volume 65% To sound like David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, start with the following amp settings: Gain: 3-4. Delay volume 90%. If you have a good sound in the room or hall you are playing in, there is no need to add reverb, but in small or dead sounding rooms, adding a small amount of reverb in your effects rig can really enhance the sound. This was most likely a reel-to reel recorder set up for a tape-loop delay. The clip below is played with those same 428ms and 570ms delay times. Using spring or digital reverb does not even get close, but some people struggle getting a delay pedal to sound right. When he began using digital delays in 1977 he started to use longer delay times and specific times to rhythmically work with the song tempos. 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. 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. - Pulse version (TC 2290 Digital Delay): 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. Check here for more Big Muffs to achieve the Gilmour tone. All of the settings for this tone can be found in this PDF download below. How to Set Two Delays for Run Like Hell - one in 380ms and one in 507ms, in series so the 380ms delay is repeated by the 507ms delay (actual DD-2 settings shown above), Example of Two Delays Run In Stereo - parallel delays, 380ms (both channels) and 507ms (right channel only), going to separate amps, Example of Two Delays Run In Stereo - prallel delays, 380ms (left channel) and 507ms (right channel), going to separate amps. I have occasionally used spring reverb from an amplifier, but set very low so there is just a hint of that sound. Sort of a triplet on top of a triplet time delay. For the modulation, I use an old green 18v Electric Mistress or a 1980s era Deluxe Electric Mistress in the big box. Volume 85% first solo: 310ms -- feedback: 2-3 repeats. David and Roger Waters each had one of these amps but I think the only other recorded example of it being used was for the BBC performance of Embryo in 1968. In 2006 the dry signal split off at the end of his pedal board signal chain into two separate loops, each going to a separate delay. So why don't you hear the repeats most of the time? You can also hear multi heads in a few early live Pink Floyd performances of Time and the four-note Syd's theme section from some performances of Shine on You Crazy Diamond. Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" is a classic, thanks in large part to David Gilmour's otherworldly guitar playing. Volume 85% So why don't you hear the repeats most of the time? 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. If you have different subdivision settings on your delay, you can then try some of those as they will also be in time with the song tempo. Members; 529 Members; Share; Posted December 21, 2005. I used to be expert with Binsons. Its hard to give an estimate as every pedal will respond differently. I don't care how I get it. Both types have been described as "warm" sounding, which can get confusing. Brian May (of Queen) did the same effect a few years later on Brighton Rock and Son and Daughter using his modified Echoplexes. There are several parallel looper pedals that can be used for the actual "looping" part of the setup. For the multi-head Echorec sound needed when performing the intro to Time and the four-note Syd's theme section of Shine on You Crazy Diamond he used two delays, and sometimes three! 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): I do hear what sounds like multi-head repeats in the chorus section of the first band demo however, so that could have been the Echorec. The 450ms delay should come before the 600ms delay in your signal chain. Tweaking the delay time was simply more tweakable on the MXR Digital Delay. solo: 380ms -- feedback: 5-6 repeats, Marooned - 1994 live version: 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. A large part of that comes from Davids use of delay. This is something us Gilmour fans have sought to recreate in our own playing. Delay Level: This is the volume level of the delay repeat compared to the original signal. If you have a second delay, set that one in series to 930ms, 4-5 repeats, 30-35% volume. Most digital delays create an accurate, pristine repeat that only decays in volume with each repeat, not in quality. With regards to the actual sound of the echo repeats, there are essentially two types of delays - analog and digital. Hes got the sort of guitar-god charisma that comes with his insane talent. Exact 3/4 time is 150 x 3 = 450ms, which is our main delay time. But fear not, if you want a semi-authentic Echorec experience, Catalinbread makes an Echorec pedal that sounds very close to the original. SOUND-ON-SOUND - David Gilmour had a special Sound-on-Sound (S-O-S) rig built for performing the intro to a new acoustic version of Shine On You Crazy Diamond for his 2001-2002 Meltdown concerts and he used this same rig for his 2006 tour. For example, when he played Time for Pink Floyd's 1994 tour he used a TC 2290 Digital Delay and the dual delays from a PCM 70 delay. The level or volume knob would be set to maximum on most delays for this. This is because the orchestra in Castellorizon is not loud enough to mask the repeats, but the band playing under the solo in On an Island certainly is. WHY CAN'T I HEAR THE ECHO REPEATS IN SOME GILMOUR/PINK FLOYD SOLOS? 480ms: feedback: 7-8 repeats - delay level: 75% -- delay type: clear digital, Sorrow: The last 8 minutes of the song is a rambling collage of echo repeats. A single delay set at 1400ms with 3 repeats has a similar feel as well. - David often has a big, watery delay tone, as if he were playing in a large hall, but the actual audible echo repeats in his solos are almost absent in many cases. verse, solos: 450ms, Learning To Fly - Pulse version: REVERB OR NO REVERB ? The type of multi-head repeats varied depending on which of the four playback heads were selected. I'll keep this simple rather than going into an explanation of time signatures. solo: 475ms -- feedback: 5-6 repeats - delay level: 15% -- delay type: analog, Hey You - Pulse version (TC 2290 Digital Delay): 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'. He has a 2.2 second delay on the guitar so he can play over his repeats, building up layer upon layer of guitar repeats. Let's see some of the units he used over time. The specific delays he used were as I said the Binson Echorec, the MXR M-113 Digital Delay, and the TC Electronic 2290. Head 2 = 150ms (or 75ms x 2)..Head 2 = 190ms (or 95ms x 2) It makes for a sound that really adds depth to the guitar tone in the mix, but is not cluttered by delay repeats. He also used an Echorec PE 603 model from 1971-75 that had a maximum delay time of around 377-380ms. 3rd solo: 430ms, Money solos - 2015/16 live version: DELAY SETTINGS - Most of the delay times David Gilmour used in the early 1970s with Pink Floyd were around 300ms long, since that was the approximate delay time of head 4 on the Binson Echorecs he was using at the time. second solo: 500ms - feedback: 3-4 repeats -- delay level: 15% -- delay type: analog, Shine On You Crazy Diamond I-V Syds theme - 2016/15 Live version: In order to use exact delay times it helps to have a delay with a digital display showing the time in miliseconds. To get the Pink Floyd sound, you'll need to use some specific equipment and settings. delay time for both solos: 465ms or 480ms - feedback: 15-20% -- delay level: 20% (30-35% for waving part) -- delay type: digital, Comfortably Numb - Pulse version and most Division Bell tour performances: first solo and fills: 470ms Syd's theme - Hollywood Bowl March 2016. Most analog type delays have a lower quality repeat decay that rolls off more high end on each repeat. These were state of the art delays at the time, but were rather noisy effects compared to modern digital delays. - first is 380ms delay in the left channel, then 380ms+254ms in the right channel. The primary delay sounds best when in time with the heartbeat tempo in Time, usually somewhere around 240 - 250BPM (beats per minute). These effects combined with Gilmours guitars, amps, and more importantly, his fingers, all add up to the legendary sound we love, and the signature sound that will send any 40+ year old into a state of ecstasy if it comes on the radio. If you have a subdivisions setting (quarter notes, eighth notes, dotted eighth notes, et cetera) set it to quarter notes, or the normal setting. solos: 540ms, What Do you Want From Me? In a new tutorial, musician Tracy Evans demonstrates how to achieve David's "sound on sound" infinite sustain effect in Live, using the Filter Delay effect. His first was an MXR 113 Digital Delay System, one of MXR's first rack effects. 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. Electro-Harmonx has made a few small boxed versions of the Electric Mistress, but these have different circuits and sounds as the originals. If you break the beat into a four count, that second repeat would be on 4. When he began using digital delays in 1977 he started to use longer delay times and specific times to rhythmically work with the song tempos. Digital delays are cleaner and sharper sounding, more like an exact repeat of the original dry sound. David is using two delays from a PCM70 rack delay to simulate the Echorec sound. SHINE ON YOU CRAZY DIAMOND 1-5 settings. Find the proper delay time for the song as described above, then let's do some "Echorec math". It is said that he switched from an Echorec to an MXR for ease of use. When the notes pitch up or down the delay has 4-5 repeats. Its not rare to see Pink Floyd play 10-minute long solos over what can only be described as atmospheric playing from the band. There are times when I have both running at the same time for certain effects. 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. 440ms -- feedback: 4-5 repeats, No More Lonely Nights: Last update July 2022. I have a slight roll off of the high frequencies on the repeats to mimic the Echorec sound. Great, lets get started. One of These Days - gated tremolo section isolated. For his general ambient delays, choose the most tape flavored setting and use 50%-ish feedback (or 7-8ish repeats) and mix it fairly low so it sounds more like a subtle reverb. David would use the latter setting for most of the album. The repeats had a warm high end roll off, similar to David's Binson Echorecs. If you listen to some of the better bootleg recordings and compare them to the official live releases, you will find David's real live sound is typically drier, with less delay. solo: 430ms -- feedback: 7-8 repeats - delay level: 20% -- delay type: digital, Time - 2016/15 live version: 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. The Echorec was an old school mechanical delay that utilized a spinning drum disk wrapped in magnetic recording wire rather than magnetic tape. solos: 440ms -- feedback: 7-8 repeats - delay level: 15% -- delay type: analog Although he often blends different types of delays, creating rich textures and layers, I'm going to break it down into four signature setups covering each era. The mode should always be set at 800ms, unless you want a short slapback delay for something like the dry solo in Dogs. Guitar stuff, gear stuff, soundclips, videos, Gilmour/Pink Floyd stuff, photos and other goodies. I often hear a guitar recorded dry, a reverb only track, and a delay only track. It can be simulated with a short 40-50ms digital delay with one repeat, like this: PARALLEL MIXING DELAYS - Stacking one delay after another in your signal chain can degrade your tone because your original signal travels through, and is altered by, two delay circuits before coming out the other end. Treble: 4-5. Any delay with a 100% wet signal output can be set up in a parallel signal chain to do this. Every aspect of his tone can change on different albums, even on different tracks of the same album! The TC Flashback can be set up with the Tone Print edito. David Gilmour used the MXR Digital M-113 Delay, the Binson Echorec, and the TC Electronic 2290 in his recordings. slide guitar solos: 300ms, One Of These Days - 2015/16 live version: 380ms -- feedback 7-8 repeats - delay level: 90% -- delay type: digital, Run Like Hell - 1984 live versions - two delays in series, each with a different delay time (MXR M113 Digital Delay and Boss DD-2): 520ms -- feedback: 4-5 repeats, Obscured by Clouds: delay 1 time: 90ms I use the Tremotron from Stone Deaf Effects for this. first solo: 450ms -- feedback: 4-5 repeats -- delay level: 20% -- delay type: analog You can also get something similar with one 650ms delay set for 2 repeats. Record yourself playing alone verses playing along with a backing track to see what I mean. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for THE RULING CASTE: IMPERIAL LIVES IN THE VICTORIAN RAJ By David Gilmour **Mint** at the best online prices at eBay! There is a 440ms delay on the guitars in the studio recording. This gives the impression of a 920-930ms delay. The MXR 113 was released in 1976 and David first used it for Pink Floyd's Animals tour in 1977. In this video I'm demonstrating how to set up your David Gilmour delay sounds and settings. The exact delay times would be 450ms for the 3/4 time and 600ms for the 4/4 time. But which delay pedal (s) does/did he use? The simplest option is to use an online Beats Per Minute caculator, like, - 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. The delay time must also be precisely in time with the song tempo. Its a famous echo unit used by many artists, and useful for varying instruments. The third delay is probably in 3/4 time, but I can barely hear it. 360ms -- feedback: 8 repeats -- delay level 100% -- delay type: digital, Great Gig in the Sky - live version Later versions of the DD-3 have different circuits. CATALINBREAD ECHOREC - One of my favorite simple Echorec style delays is the Catalinbread Echorec. - 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. Solo: TC 2290 Digital Delay: 430ms, Time - Delicate Sound of Thunder version (TC 2290 Digital Delay) : solos 2/3: Delay 1 = 360ms / Delay 2 = 650ms, Coming Back To Life - 2006 live version: The delay was such an integral part of their sound, then almost any Pink Floyd song wouldnt sound complete without Davids signature delay sounds. 147ms (2X the delay repeats), or 2 pulses for every delay repeat. Alan Parsons has said David was generating all the effects himself for the first solo, so this was probably spring reverb from the Twin Reverb David had in the studio. Dave likes it because even though it's a digital unit, it still sounds a little dirty, like a tape unit. He also used an Echorec PE 603 model from 1971-75 that had a maximum delay time of around 377-380ms. - 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. solo: 440ms. Other common delay times were 380, 440-450, 480, and 540ms. 570 divided by four (4/4) is 142.5. Some duplicate the studio album delay times and some duplicate the live delay times. 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. Alt. The tape splices were then camouflaged with cymbal crashes. You may also want to try setting the second delay at 760ms, double the triplet time delay (380 x 2 = 760ms). Listen to some of the 5.1 live tracks separately and you can clearly hear this. studio . third solo (after dry solo): 380ms -- feedback: 2-3 repeats. That may be just my fantasy; I don't know. Gilmour's Binson Echorec 2 model T7E from 1970-71. From long sustained notes that seem to go on forever, to the most tasty of blues licks, his sound is instantly recognizable. If the repeats are slower, reduce it. 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. This warble is similar to a light chorus sound, with high end roll-off. HOW DO I REPLICATE THAT SMOOTH GILMOUR DELAY SOUND? There were varispeed modifications that could be made to the Echorec to give it longer delay times, but it does not appear that David ever had this modification done. It's actually a metallic disc that spins around. As the chord rang on, David could then play the melody lines through his main Hiwatt. You simply have to practice your timing so you can play the fills and get back to the D rhythm note exactly in time with the delay repeats. The most recognisable and somewhat stereotypical sound that Pink Floyd uses is their ambience. He is also known for using the legendary Proco Rat and MXR Phase 90. He came up with that basic riff that we all worked on and turned into One of these Days. 1st delay 470ms. Another option is to run two delay pedals simultaneously. solo (Pulse): 490ms, Astronomy Domine - Pulse version (MXR Digital Delay System II for solo) And what I meant with using it as a reverb was that he tends to tune his delay to the rest of the band so that it creates a cohesive piece that captures their signature atmospheric sound. You could nail his famous sound with a handful of pedals, though, which makes it that much more achievable. The main rythm in the left and right channels of the studio recording is domantly the 3/4 time. Echorec 2 ..Echorec PE 603 Head 1 = 1/4. It's a sort of melodic delay to use. Kits Secret Guitar, Gear, and Music Page. For the muted rhythm part in Echoes, Program 3 is the closest, but almost any program position works as long as the delay time is set for 300-310ms. solo: 580ms, On The Turning Away - Pulse version (TC 2290 Digital Delay): I have two units, and I have different echo settings on both. Two guitars were multi tracked in the left and right channels. verse/chorus sections: 310ms -- feedback: 3-4 repeats 1st solo: 435ms Read an explanation about how this is achieved here. By the way, you might also want to check out our top picks for the best delay pedals, our guides to the delay pedals used bySlashandEddie Van Halen, as well as our tips for where to place your delay in the chain withreverbandchoruspedals. Note that setting. 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, . The third and final (that we know of) delay he usd was the TC Electronic 2290 rack unit. Fat Old Sun- 2015/16 live version: He became known for this effect as he used it for his guitar solo in practically every queen concert. verse/chorus sections: 310ms -- feedback: 3-4 repeats, Shine On You Crazy Diamond I-V - 1987-89 live version: delay time: 450ms -- feedback: 7-8 repeats -- delay level: 25% -- delay type: analog/digital mix, Another Brick in the Wall Part II (live): 1st delay 428ms. You should keep in mind that these official recordings have been sweetened to sound as good as possible. Program Position 3 is equivalent to Switch Position 6 on the real Echorec, which is Head 3 + Head 2. 570 x 75% = 427.5. Or you can simply multiply the 4/4 time x75% and get the same 3/4 time. 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. 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. The delays are set in series like this: In four beats you will hear 5 repeats (including the pick), and and that fifth repeat will time right on the fourth beat. Most analog type delays have a lower quality repeat decay that rolls off more high end on each repeat. The SELECTOR knob had three positions: ECHO = one repeat, REPEAT = more than one repeat, and SWELL = outputs of the playback heads were fed back to themselves to create a spacey type of reverb effect. Copyright 2023 Killer Guitar Rigs. Head 3 = 225ms (or 75ms x3) ..Head 3 = 285ms (or 95ms x 3) POWER BOOST PLACEMENT - The Colorsound Power Boost was an overdrive that David used throughout the 1970s. In live performances he usually used playback Head 4 for the maximum delay time of around 300ms. Many of the sound effects youll hear on the earlier albums were created with this machine. analog gear was not as good as digital at the time, so the belief that analog is always better than digital arose. Solo: 440ms ? alternate 2nd Solo: 540ms His most commonly used delay times were in the 294-310ms range and 430ms. It makes for a sound that really adds depth to the guitar tone in the mix, but is not cluttered by delay repeats. If you want this sound and have a delay that shows the time in milliseconds, follow these steps. As I said before, he often doesnt just use the delay to make his solos fit in the particular vibe of the song, but also the help build the rest of the soundscape. 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. Below is a breakdown of how to play this effect. The tempo used in this demo is slightly too. Echorec head 4 = 312ms / Echorec head 1 - 78ms Song tempos are rarely exactly the same every performance, but the SOYCD tempo is usually around 140 bmp. Head 4 = 300ms (or 75ms x 4) .Head 4 = 380ms (or 95ms x 4) In this clip I'm using Coming Back to Life as a reference with 700ms. You can simulate the verse delay with two delays in-line going to one amp. In the studio recording the 4/4 delay is not very obvious, so it was low in the mix, possibly only in one channel, or both. Gilmour uses this type of delay setting on several songs in the Pink Floyd catalog, most famously in "Run Like Hell." Here is the tab for Another Brick In The Wall pt. What is interesting about this performance is that it is probably the only time David is known to have used a tape delay. See all posts by Andrew Bell. I demonstrate many of the unique sounds that can be created but playing repeating patterns in and out-of-tempo with the delay repeats, letting the repeats get to the point of self oscillating, tapping the strings with a glass slide, tapping the strings with my fingers and pick to create percussive effects, and rubbing my fingers and pick up and down the strings. 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. 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). Killer Guitar Rigs Magazine is an online resource for everything guitar, from music news to gear reviews to interviews with your favorite artists we have something for every genre and skill level. 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): I run it last in the signal chain and I almost always have a light plate reverb sound on when I play. - David has used numerous types of delays in his carreer, both analog and digital. moderate reverb, probably from the plate reverbs at Abbey Road studios. Copyright Kit Rae. L channel -- 650ms with a single repeat, then another single repeat at 1850ms. David Gilmour has always made a very precise use of delays, since the early eras, even combining two delays to create his textures. It was my very first delay and one of my favorite pedals for Gilmour-ish delay. 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. 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. 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.