![]() ![]() The history of electronic effects runs parallel to the history of recorded music. Now, let’s look at some of the ways echo and delay effects have been created. Therefore echo will be included in the early part of our look at the history of delay as an outboard effect. Obviously, “echo” has since taken on much broader meaning as both a noun and a verb describing any sort of reflection or repetition of sound. When Hera discovered Echo’s trickery, she cursed the nymph by taking away her power of speech-except for the ability to repeat exactly what another had just spoken. The irony is that, though we’re only able to achieve true delay through electronic signal processing, in a more abstract sense the original meaning of “echo” more closely resembles what we’ve just been describing as delay: In Greek mythology, the nymph Echo distracted the goddess Hera with conversation to prevent her from discovering the numerous affairs of her husband, Zeus. Although the delay is long between the source and reflected sounds, because of the multiple reflections, these events are more appropriately deemed echoes.įor the true echo connoisseur, nothing is more highly prized than the Italian-made units of the late ’50s and early ’60s. Even the distinct repeat you hear shouting “Hello!” in a cave or across a massive canyon is not without ambient reflections of some sort. Sounds are reflected from multiple surfaces, and the reflected sounds are likewise reflected, causing multiple reflections at various intervals and volumes. Whether a sound is made indoors or outdoors, it is never reflected back strictly from a single source. This is an artificial occurrence and doesn’t happen in nature. This is because, as applied to signal processing, delay is a single repetition of a sound, isolated and without any accompanying reflections. So, what’s the difference? In the case of reverberation and echo, the difference is time-the length of time between the original and the repeated sounds.ĭelay, however, is a unique and essentially man-made phenomenon. In fact, there’s quite a bit of overlap in what is commonly considered reverb, echo, and delay. A naturally occurring echo is the repetition of a sound due to reflection off of a physical surface. In terms of signal processing, delay is essentially a form of echo. The advent of electronics brought new possibilities for the creation of these effects, taking the evolution of echo into the modern age. ![]() (Sorry, couldn’t resist!) Echo and reverb are the oldest of all effects, and our desire to hear them is evidenced throughout history in monasteries, cathedrals, and concert halls specifically designed to create them. It’s one of our most beloved effects-which makes it a subject well worth repeating. From rockabilly slapback to long, spacy repeats on a searing lead, we guitarists love delay. ![]()
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