I notice that most harp players play delay pedals with no tap tempo. They just set it to a pretty fast delay time so its almost like a verb.Anyone have anything to comment about not using delay in time?
I enjoy a natural ambient delay, like one you find in nature. In nature, there is no regulated time effect to a specific tempo. It happens organically.
My favorite effect (for harmonica and also running a PA) is delay set for 1 or 2 gentle repeats, timed to spread out the sound about .25 to .5/sec after the impulse. This is adjusted for each situation with a keen ear to keeping the delay signal as a gentle after thought rather than an in yo face effect. ---------- The Iceman
I use tap tempo, but I also have developed a technique to just play in time to whatever you've set the delay to. It really works best for solo harmonica:
@ Destin "I notice that most harp players play delay pedals with no tap tempo. They just set it to a pretty fast delay time so its almost like a verb. Anyone have anything to comment about not using delay in time?"
Most delay pedals (stomp boxes with a single effect) used by harp players in a live environment do not have a tap tempo facility. Most guys I know do not set them to sound like a "verb" (e.g. lots of close repeats, blended together to give a smooth, less distinct repeat/echo).
Even devices with a tap tempo facility do not utilise the tap tempo on all the effect modes that they carry.
Think about repeats, how close together they are & how distinct those echos are. A hard slap might simulate a hard flat tiled wall/floor...a softer, slightly duller repeat might simulate a softer environment like wood. A very smooth, blended echo would translate to a larger room, or one with lots of irregular surfaces that bounce the sound back at different times.
The number of repeats might also reflect the size of the room...lots of repeats for a small room, long ones for a large room.
"Delay/slap back" as used in classic recordings of the 50's & 60's was often a studio effect applied with a 2nd tape recorder, rather then utilising actual reflected sound, as with a reverb/echo chamber. Some guys applying delay might be looking to replicate this short, distinct "slap".
There's no right/wrong...as long as you are achieving the desired effect. Overly long delay times can result in unwanted regeneration of notes, tripping over the next phrase. Very soft echoes can give the impression of taking the front off of your note, adversely affecting note separation & set you back in the mix against the other instruments on stage.
Even for the same effect pedal and amp, the room you are in (& it's reverberant characteristics) and the volume & decay of the other instruments will have an impact. I'd suggest starting out with short, tight repeats in a live situation...loosen it up if you can.
In a studio, your taste & how any regeneration affects what's going on around the harp are the only limiting factors.
---------- www.myspace.com/markburness
Last Edited by on Apr 02, 2012 4:33 AM
