The Holy Trinity of Delay: Layering Three Pedals Without Chaos

I’m trying to remember how this video even started. Often times what starts out as just an enjoyable time playing something sparks a sound that I want to capture and send to Paul. In this instance, as I was about to start a FIRST SOUNDS video on the Butterfly Effects Dobbo Granular Delay, I had the @collisiondevices  Snacks Delay and @oldbloodnoise  / @emilyharpist2  Parting also in line. I turned them all on and presto, instant magic!

I have to admit this sort of aligning of the stars rarely happens, but I wanted to capture it and share with you all a sense of how it all works so you too can use this pedal theory for good and not evil.

You’ll notice all the knob settings are as you see them, and only the Parting has some secondary features you can’t see (although I believe those are fresh from a factory reset.)

Here’s the play.

Start with a simple delay. In this case we have the Snacks Delay in Tape mode giving us a solid delay, nothing too modulated, it’s the base; the rhythm, and like all good foundations, it is simple to support things to come.

Next the Parting’s job: stereo movement. You’ll notice the rate / speed is set pretty high. this is to give fast movement, almost vibrato/trem levels. This movement spreads the mono signal of the Snacks Delay, bit the mix is set so the foundational line from the Snacks still shines through. This is important, and in fact, throughout the whole chain here, the Dry signal still is strong while the wet signal is subtly carried through from one delay to the next.

Finally the Dobbo, a granular delay akin to the Microcosm (yes I said it, you know you were thinking it). The Dobbo here is bringing the final touches, a granular delay set to octaves to glue it all together. In truth, I have just begun to explore the Dobbo, and so I don’t have much to say, except whenever pitch is involved, I personally find it best to deal in octaves. (A deeper dive is forthcoming, as the FIRST SOUNDS video was filmed just before this one.)

That’s it…at least until I start fiddling with knobs and exploring what sort of chaos I could find starting around 6:25.

Simple formula, each pedal doing what it does simply and very well.

Foundation – Movement – Texture & Glue.

You don’t have to only use glitch and granular delays. Any combination will do.

Now go forth and make beautiful sounds. Just come back and let us know how you did it!