SAMPLED

Mixing and mastering · updated 2026-08-16

DELAY

Repeats of the signal, usually timed to the tempo. Slapback, ping-pong and dub delays are the common flavours.

A Solid State Logic Matrix mixing console with channel strips, faders and pan pots — the desk layout behind the gain, EQ and balance terms in this section.
Mixing and mastering — A Solid State Logic Matrix mixing console with channel strips, faders and pan pots — the desk layout behind the gain, EQ and balance terms in this section.

Photo: Solid State Logic (SSL) Matrix Mixing Console at Audio Mix House, Studio C (opens in a new tab) by Audio Mix House (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons — CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab)

Key takeaways

  • Repeats of the signal, usually timed to the tempo.
  • Slapback, ping-pong and dub delays are the common flavours.
  • Short slap delays add body, tempo-synced delays add rhythm, and filtered or ducked delays add depth without the frequency build-up reverb causes.
  • A dotted eighth delay on a vocal at 25% wet fills the gaps between phrases without blurring the phrases themselves.
  • Watch out: leaving delay repeats full-range.

Quick checklist

  • Can you define delay in one sentence without looking?
  • Can you point at delay in a real session, mix or contract?
  • Have you tried the practical move above at least once?
  • Would you catch the common mistake before it costs you a take?
  • Have you opened one of the primary sources below rather than a forum thread?

DELAY IN DEPTH

Delay repeats a signal after a set time, with feedback controlling how many repeats you hear. Short slap delays add body, tempo-synced delays add rhythm, and filtered or ducked delays add depth without the frequency build-up reverb causes.

How it works in practice

A dotted eighth delay on a vocal at 25% wet fills the gaps between phrases without blurring the phrases themselves.

The mistake people make

Leaving delay repeats full-range. High-passing and low-passing the return keeps the repeats behind the dry signal rather than beside it.

WHERE DELAY SITS

Delay belongs to mixing and mastering in the Sampled music glossary. The processing vocabulary, plus the loudness standards streaming services actually measure you against.

TERMS THAT DEPEND ON DELAY

  • Latency

    The delay between playing something and hearing it back through the computer. Set by buffer size and interface drivers.

  • Reverb

    Simulated space. Pre-delay places the source in the room, decay time sets how big the room is.

  • Guitar pedal (stompbox)

    A floor-mounted effect between instrument and amp — overdrive, delay, reverb, modulation. Order matters: dirt early, time-based effects late.

TEST YOURSELF

0/3 answered · 0 correct

3 quick questions on delay. Answers are marked instantly — nothing is sent anywhere.

  1. 1. Which statement best describes delay?

  2. 2. What is the mistake people most often make with delay?

  3. 3. In practice, which of these applies to delay?

Ready for the full thing? Take the 25-question terminology test and get a certificate with your name and score.

SOURCES AND CITATIONS

Free, primary references for delay — standards bodies, manufacturers, government offices and university course material. Each one lists the line of this entry it backs up.

  • Ableton Live manual (opens in a new tab)

    Manufacturer learning resource · Ableton

    “Repeats of the signal, usually timed to the tempo.”— the claim this source supports

    Why it counts: A free, hands-on explainer from a DAW maker — useful for hearing the concept rather than only reading it.

  • Valhalla DSP blog (opens in a new tab)

    Primary reference · valhalladsp.com

    “Slapback, ping-pong and dub delays are the common flavours.”— the claim this source supports

    Why it counts: Published by the organisation responsible for the thing being defined, so it is a first-hand source rather than a summary of one.

RELATED TERMS IN MIXING AND MASTERING

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