Try it out on drums, synths or guitar parts. This effect is not just for vocals either. The delay can be replaced with a Reverb or any other effect you on a track. Keep in mind you are not limited to using the Ping Pong Delay. Then download it a try in your own projects. It’s having your cake and eating it too.įurther Reading: Compress With The Best Download the Free Audio Effect Rack and ExperimentĬheck out the video tutorial for a walkthrough of how the “One Word Delay” Audio Effect Rack works. This allows me to use some heavy delays, while maintaining the clarity of my voice. So now the delayed signal moves out of the way when I am singing. In the Compressor, I’ve activated the Sidechain input and set its input to my vocal track, Pre FX. To remedy this, I’ve set up a Compressor that will duck the delayed signal’s volume when I’m singing. Unfortunately, those repeating delays can interfere with the other parts of my vocal, resulting in a confusing, muddy sound. Often I like to use delays with lots of repeats. I press the button again to close the Gate, preventing the signal from going through the effect.įurther Reading: Momentary FX in Ableton Live Don’t Let The Delay Muddy Your Vocals The Sidechain ensures the delayed signal moves out of the way when singing When I want to emphasize a word, I press the button on my controller, opening the Gate and allowing the vocal to pass through the Delay. I’ve named that Macro “One Word Delay,” and I’ve MIDI mapped it to a button on my controller. This is the most critical control to this technique, so I’ve mapped the Gate’s on/off button to a Macro Knob on the Audio Effect Rack. If I turn the Gate off, the vocal signal will pass through the delay. This means that unless my vocal is above 6db (which it never will be), the Gate will prevent any audio from reaching the Ping Pong Delay. The Gate’s threshold is set to 6db and the Floor is set to –inf db. Since I only want certain words and phrases to reach the delay, I have placed a Gate device before the Ping Pong Delay. Here I’ve placed a Ping Pong Delay and mapped some of its controls to the Audio Effect Rack’s Macro Knobs. The second chain is where our effects will be. The Gate helps prevent any audio from reaching the Ping Pong Delay The first chain contains no effects and allows the vocal to pass through dry, without any processing. To meet these requirements I’ve built an Audio Effect Rack, which you can download here at DJ Tech Tools. While the above method will work in many cases, there is no way to automate Return track effects in the Session View, so I need to keep all of my vocal effects on one track. Using a Return track allows you to use this technique on any track in your mix.įurther Reading: How To Create a Pitch Build Effect in Ableton Extra Control with a Custom Audio Effect Rack This Audio Rack lets you easily control the One Word Delay parameters Perhaps you’d like to have the option to occasionally add some delay to a snare drum. Whenever you want to add delay to a single word or phrase, press the button and when you want to turn the effect off, press the button again.Ī benefit of this approach is that you can send any track to the delay. Once the delay is in place, simply map the Send knob on your vocal track to any button on a MIDI controller. I prefer the Ping Pong Delay device because the repeats alternate from the left and right sides of the stereo field. Place any of Live’s delay effects on the return track. The easiest way to selectively add delay to vocal phrases is to set up a return track with a delay on it. Use the Send knob to selectively add delay to any track. One Word Delay Using Sends and Return Tracks Add a Ping Pong Delay or Simple Delay to a Return Track. Whether you are performing live or working in the studio, these techniques will allow you to add delay to certain words and phrases, on the fly, and add a new dimension of excitement to your vocal tracks. There are two ways to achieve this effect one is quite simple and involves using a return track, the other offers a bit more control and will be done with a custom Ableton Live Audio Effect Rack. Therefore, it is important to make vocals as exciting and expressive as possible. If there is an important word, phrase, or note you wish to emphasize, a little splash of delay will cause that portion of the vocal to stand out. Most listeners will be focusing on the vocals more than any other aspect of the song. In today’s Ableton tutorial, Brian Funk aka Afro DJ Mac is going to share a cool trick that will add delay on just certain words of a vocal performance.
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