At its most basic level, a multi-tap delay, is a delay effect with multiple outputs, or “taps”. Each of these taps can be set to a different delay time, and a different level, meaning that the delayed sound is played back multiple times at different intervals and levels. This differs from a traditional delay effect, which typically only has a single output with a set delay time, and a gradually decaying repeat. Traditionally in the analogue world this would be done either with a tape delay using multiple playback heads, or using multiple BBD delay chips.
Multi-Tap delays in VST effects.
In a digital setting, multi-tap delay is achieved by creating multiple delay lines within a delay unit or plugin. Each of these delay lines can be adjusted together or independently, allowing you to control the delay time, feedback, panning, and even the tonal quality of each tap.
One of the main characteristics of multi-tap delay is its ability to create complex rhythmic patterns. By setting different delay times, and audio levels for each tap, you can craft intricate rhythmic structures that can add movement and depth to a mix. This can be particularly effective in genres that rely heavily on rhythm, such as electronic and dance music.
Additionally, multi-tap delay can be used to create unique sonic textures. By manipulating the feedback, panning, and tone of each tap, you can create a wide range of effects, from swirling, stereo-enhanced delays to dense, reverb-like textures.
A simple delay is an effect that introduces a single repetition of the signal with a delay in time and slow decay in amplitude, whereas a Multitap Delay is a sequence of simple delays. The output of each simple delay feeds into the next simple delay and back into the input. This creates an echo, but not one that simply decays constantly over time. The multitap delay echo may decay, but then peak at some points, or may contain echoes of the echo.
A multitap delay can be simulated with a ready made tapped delay line, but we don’t have one in the standard SynthEdit Modules (Although there is a third party module from TD Modules).
Adding a large number of taps, especially if feedback is added, will create a very complex effect.
Creating our Multi-Tap Delay with SynthEdit
A basic Multi-Tap effect (without controls, feedback and mixing for simplicity) is shown below:
The Multi-Tap Delay:
This is just a chain of Delay 2 modules connected in series, with each Delay tapped to send to an output Tap 1, Tap 2 etc.
The Mixer:
The Feedback control:
Nothing too special here, except that the 1 Pole LP has its Frequency scale set to 1kHz per Volt in the module properties.
The Delay Effect in Full:
In the structure the only point of note is that the cutoff control slider for the Low Pass Filter in the Feedback container has it’s minimum set to 0.5 V corresponding to 500Hz, and it’s maximum set to 5 V corresponding to 5kHz (this isn’t critical however, and can be changed to suit tastes). The filter in the feedback module provides the sort of frequency response degradation you would expect to find in most analogue or BBD delay effects pedals, where each time the audio “goes around” in the loop high frequencies are progressively lost.
The Left and Right channels are both fed through the same delay line, and split again at the output, however, if you wanted a more complex stereo effect then you could duplicate the structure and connect this to the second audio channel to achieve a delay with the Left and Right channels being controlled separately from each other.
If you want to the effect can be made very complex, by using panning to adjust the position of each Tap in the stereo field, filtering the output of each tap individually…it’s limited by your imagination.
