Delay: A Not-So-Late Introduction to One of Music’s Most Iconic Effects

This week on Inside the Recording Studio, Chris and Jody finally arrive at a long-awaited topic — delay — with just a touch of poetic irony, since the episode itself was… delayed.

But let’s be honest: when it comes to creating space, depth, and vibe in your recordings, delay is a powerful (and often misunderstood) tool. In this episode, Chris and Jody provide a broad-strokes overview of delay’s evolution — from early tape echo machines to modern digital models — and break down the most common types of delay, including slapback, ping-pong, stereo, analog, and digital.

Think of this one as your beginner’s guide or a refresher course, whetting your appetite for future deep dives into specific delay units, plugin picks, and creative routing ideas.

Whether you’re crafting ambient textures, doubling vocals, or just trying not to drown your mix in repeats, this episode gives you the starting knowledge to use delay more musically and with more intent.

Stick around for this week’s Friday Finds, the Gold Star word, and — as always — a little bit of classic Chris & Jody nonsense.

Shoutout: John Lennon, Pink Floyd, Oil Can Delay

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Gear we used:
Jody’s Mic & Voice Chain: Telefunken C12 – Groove Tubes Vipre – Apollo – UA Neve 1073 – UA LA2A – UA Studer A800
Jody’s Channel Strip: iZotope RX Spectral DeNoise – iZotope RX Mouth DeClick – UA Neve 1073 – UA LA2A – UA 1176E

Chris’ Mic & Voice Chain: Slate ML1 – Apollo – UA – Slate VMR (FG12, FG73, API Eq, SSL 4kE) – iZotope RX Voice – DeNoise
Chris’ Channel Strip: Eventide Precision Time Align – iZotope RX Spectral DeNoise – iZotope RX Mouth DeClick – UA Neve 1073 – UA LA2A – UA 1176E

Master: Oek Sound Soothe 2 – iZotope Ozone Imager – iZotope Ozone Maximize.

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If you want to collaborate, sponsor a podcast, donate, or want us to review your product – contact us at: collaborate@insidetherecordingstudio.com