italoop
Active member
So you own an Eclipse and are tempted by the Strymon DIG, with its 3 delays structures. 
DIG has 3 basic modes for its dual delay structure:
SERIES
2 self-feedback delays runs into another 2 ones. Both dual delays are identical and Delay 2 is placed BEFORE Delay 1. Remember Delay 2 can be set to a subdivision of Delay 1 or set free for total independence.
PARALLEL
Just half of the above. One self-feedback delay on the left channel (Delay 1) and an identical one on the right channel (Delay 2).
PING PONG
this should be called SERIES PING PONG.
The structure is similar to the above described SERIES but now the 2 sets of 2 delays each have their feedbacks feeding the other delay in the group. So Delay 2R fbck feeds Delay 2L and Delay 2L fbck feeds Delay 2R... the same applies to Delay 1 L and R, placed after Delays 2.
For visual info about the DIG structures, have a reading here, under DUAL DELAY ARCHITECTURE:
http://www.strymon.net/dig-digital-dela ... ite-paper/
You own an Eclipse and you want to try/have those sounds in it. Very simple.
Run the 2 blocks in series routing and load 2 instances of VINTAGE DELAY in them.
You'll be able to do exactly what the DIG does in the SERIES drawing, only better as more control is available to you now:
-delays can be set to ANY rhythmic subdivisions, not just 5 for Delay 2
-separate hicut and low cut filters are now there; you can get a lot more tonal colors
-modulation! Not just 3 choices. You can decide how much modulation depth you can have on EACH delay. You can set all 4 of them in the same way, or just slightly offset them.
I suspect only the first 2 delays use modulation in the DIG (Delay2)... but I may be wrong... and you have the options to try mod on Delay 2 only (first Eclipse block) or on Delay 1 only (Eclipse block 2) or on both and get much more interesting ambient echoverbs, owing to more randomization.
You have a lot more control in the modulation here as you can choose waveform (4 available)and even mix them in the SERIES and PING PONG applications, dutycycle (morphs the choosen waveform for unpredictable sweeps!!!), polarity (additive or subtractive & additive modulation... or more unpredictable stuff in between...), offset modulation angle when using TapTempo... and Tap Tempo mod rate (with rhythmic subdivisions) if you want to try that.
For this first apllication keep FB Type to SELF so that each delay feeds back to itself.
-texture character... Eclipse has Modern and Vintage... enough to give you overall variations if smartly used with the filters in the delays' fbck paths.
Now you want to try the PARALLEL.
Guess what... simply use one FX Block with a Vintage Delay in it. Not much else. What cahnges now is that your DIG Delay 1 will be the left one and Delay 2 will be the right one.
Finally the PING PONG (or SERIES PING PONG).
Back to the first example on Eclipse, running two instances of Vintage Delay in the 2 blocks, set in series.
NOW you need to change each block FB TYPE to X-CROSS to have each delay in a couple feeding the other. Done!
What else CAN YOU DO, using the same architectural concepts?
-Well... first you could try using two instances of CHORUSDELAYS in the two blocks or one instance in a single block. This doesn't have x-feedback so you won't be able to do the Ping Pong... Just use two of the 4 available delays in each block.
-Try using CHORUSTAPS and only use 2 delays of the 4 available in the block. It doesn't exactly have x-feedback... but there's a feedback matrix you can setup for more interesting effects there.... (look at Fb<tap# and Fb>tap#).
-Try mixing CHORUSTAPS with CHORUSDELAYS or the opposite... for a variation.
-Use the same ideas with BANDTAPS, BANDDELAYS, COMBDELAYS, COMBTAPS, RINGDELAYS, RINGTAPS! All of them don't have modulation, although freq. mod. is available in the "rings" for amazing effects. Try two instances in series. "Taps" have feedback matrix.
Try mixing different ones... you can add modulation using CHORUSTAPS or CHORUSDELAYS with anything of the BAND/COMB/RING stuff... place the chorus in the first block so that the second one will pick up the sweeps.
There's a LOT you can do there and a lot more control. You can come up with hundreds of cool sounds.
Next is TIME MADNESS!!!
We've been using 2 delays ONLY in each block. Remember that all those algorithms have 4 delays (those with -DELAYS and -TAPS in their names). Start using all 4 of them and try combos like 4>2 or 2>4 or 4>4 (block > block). That will give killing sounds.
What else?
Well... you should really take a look at Tdelay4PLEX and Detune4PLEX... :bun:
TDelay4PLEX has 4 mod_delays thru a plex. They have TapTempo rhythmic subdivisions... levels and pans for each voice. You can use two instances, with only two delays working; kill the other delays by setting time to 0 ms and levels to -100 dB.
The ways the Plex will smear the 2 delays is just unique and feeding a second algorithm will be even nicer for the complexity of interactions between two Plexes.
A lot of Gilmous stuff here.
Then what? Try all 4 voices like above and those combos.
Detune4PLEX doesn't use Tap Tempo and each detuner reaches 660 ms only. But several cool effects are possible here too, following the above guidelines.
Here's a quick example of how Eclipse can easily cover DIG cool dual delays sonic marvels.
Done with the "dual delays in series" configuration, using 4 different delay modulation depths (can't do that on DIG) and using feedbacks in positive and negative phases (can't do that on DIG).
I also took the liberty to use mirror LFO sweeping and offsetting the 2 LFOs rates (DIG can't do that).
Delays 2 are set to Golden Ratio.
Enjoy...
https://soundcloud.com/italoop/eclipse-the-dig
This one shows how more creative freedom is available on Eclipse.
I used 4 different values for the 4 delay times AND cross-feedback for PING PONG bouncing. Ambience density is a lot richer.
If you listen to this one with headphones you'll hear a lot of little interesting details around.
https://soundcloud.com/italoop/tempus-fugit
DIG has 3 basic modes for its dual delay structure:
SERIES
2 self-feedback delays runs into another 2 ones. Both dual delays are identical and Delay 2 is placed BEFORE Delay 1. Remember Delay 2 can be set to a subdivision of Delay 1 or set free for total independence.
PARALLEL
Just half of the above. One self-feedback delay on the left channel (Delay 1) and an identical one on the right channel (Delay 2).
PING PONG
this should be called SERIES PING PONG.
The structure is similar to the above described SERIES but now the 2 sets of 2 delays each have their feedbacks feeding the other delay in the group. So Delay 2R fbck feeds Delay 2L and Delay 2L fbck feeds Delay 2R... the same applies to Delay 1 L and R, placed after Delays 2.
For visual info about the DIG structures, have a reading here, under DUAL DELAY ARCHITECTURE:
http://www.strymon.net/dig-digital-dela ... ite-paper/
You own an Eclipse and you want to try/have those sounds in it. Very simple.
Run the 2 blocks in series routing and load 2 instances of VINTAGE DELAY in them.
You'll be able to do exactly what the DIG does in the SERIES drawing, only better as more control is available to you now:
-delays can be set to ANY rhythmic subdivisions, not just 5 for Delay 2
-separate hicut and low cut filters are now there; you can get a lot more tonal colors
-modulation! Not just 3 choices. You can decide how much modulation depth you can have on EACH delay. You can set all 4 of them in the same way, or just slightly offset them.
I suspect only the first 2 delays use modulation in the DIG (Delay2)... but I may be wrong... and you have the options to try mod on Delay 2 only (first Eclipse block) or on Delay 1 only (Eclipse block 2) or on both and get much more interesting ambient echoverbs, owing to more randomization.
You have a lot more control in the modulation here as you can choose waveform (4 available)and even mix them in the SERIES and PING PONG applications, dutycycle (morphs the choosen waveform for unpredictable sweeps!!!), polarity (additive or subtractive & additive modulation... or more unpredictable stuff in between...), offset modulation angle when using TapTempo... and Tap Tempo mod rate (with rhythmic subdivisions) if you want to try that.
For this first apllication keep FB Type to SELF so that each delay feeds back to itself.
-texture character... Eclipse has Modern and Vintage... enough to give you overall variations if smartly used with the filters in the delays' fbck paths.
Now you want to try the PARALLEL.
Guess what... simply use one FX Block with a Vintage Delay in it. Not much else. What cahnges now is that your DIG Delay 1 will be the left one and Delay 2 will be the right one.
Finally the PING PONG (or SERIES PING PONG).
Back to the first example on Eclipse, running two instances of Vintage Delay in the 2 blocks, set in series.
NOW you need to change each block FB TYPE to X-CROSS to have each delay in a couple feeding the other. Done!
What else CAN YOU DO, using the same architectural concepts?
-Well... first you could try using two instances of CHORUSDELAYS in the two blocks or one instance in a single block. This doesn't have x-feedback so you won't be able to do the Ping Pong... Just use two of the 4 available delays in each block.
-Try using CHORUSTAPS and only use 2 delays of the 4 available in the block. It doesn't exactly have x-feedback... but there's a feedback matrix you can setup for more interesting effects there.... (look at Fb<tap# and Fb>tap#).
-Try mixing CHORUSTAPS with CHORUSDELAYS or the opposite... for a variation.
-Use the same ideas with BANDTAPS, BANDDELAYS, COMBDELAYS, COMBTAPS, RINGDELAYS, RINGTAPS! All of them don't have modulation, although freq. mod. is available in the "rings" for amazing effects. Try two instances in series. "Taps" have feedback matrix.
Try mixing different ones... you can add modulation using CHORUSTAPS or CHORUSDELAYS with anything of the BAND/COMB/RING stuff... place the chorus in the first block so that the second one will pick up the sweeps.
There's a LOT you can do there and a lot more control. You can come up with hundreds of cool sounds.
Next is TIME MADNESS!!!
We've been using 2 delays ONLY in each block. Remember that all those algorithms have 4 delays (those with -DELAYS and -TAPS in their names). Start using all 4 of them and try combos like 4>2 or 2>4 or 4>4 (block > block). That will give killing sounds.
What else?
Well... you should really take a look at Tdelay4PLEX and Detune4PLEX... :bun:
TDelay4PLEX has 4 mod_delays thru a plex. They have TapTempo rhythmic subdivisions... levels and pans for each voice. You can use two instances, with only two delays working; kill the other delays by setting time to 0 ms and levels to -100 dB.
The ways the Plex will smear the 2 delays is just unique and feeding a second algorithm will be even nicer for the complexity of interactions between two Plexes.
A lot of Gilmous stuff here.
Then what? Try all 4 voices like above and those combos.
Detune4PLEX doesn't use Tap Tempo and each detuner reaches 660 ms only. But several cool effects are possible here too, following the above guidelines.
Here's a quick example of how Eclipse can easily cover DIG cool dual delays sonic marvels.
Done with the "dual delays in series" configuration, using 4 different delay modulation depths (can't do that on DIG) and using feedbacks in positive and negative phases (can't do that on DIG).
I also took the liberty to use mirror LFO sweeping and offsetting the 2 LFOs rates (DIG can't do that).
Delays 2 are set to Golden Ratio.
Enjoy...
https://soundcloud.com/italoop/eclipse-the-dig
This one shows how more creative freedom is available on Eclipse.
I used 4 different values for the 4 delay times AND cross-feedback for PING PONG bouncing. Ambience density is a lot richer.
If you listen to this one with headphones you'll hear a lot of little interesting details around.
https://soundcloud.com/italoop/tempus-fugit
