Delay FAQs: How To Use Delay In Modern Metal Mixes

Delay. It’s way more than just that long, trailing echo you hear on a classic rock guitar solo. In modern metal, delay is a secret weapon for creating space, adding professional polish, and building the kind of immersive textures that separate an amateur demo from a pro-level production.

But with endless parameters and plugins, it’s easy to get lost. You want that massive vocal ambience, that rhythmic guitar texture, or that trippy transition effect, but you end up with a wall of muddy, chaotic mush. Sound familiar?

We’ve got you. Here are the answers to the most common delay questions we see from metal producers.

What do the main delay parameters even do?

Before you can get creative, you gotta know your tools. Most delay plugins, from stock DAW units like ReaDelay in Reaper to classics like Soundtoys EchoBoy, have a similar set of core controls.

Time / Rate

This is the big one. It controls how long it takes for the echo to happen after the initial sound. You can set this in milliseconds (ms) or, more commonly for music production, sync it to your project’s tempo with rhythmic values like 1/4 notes, 1/8th notes, dotted 1/8ths, etc.

Feedback / Repeats

This determines how many echoes you hear. Crank it up, and the echoes will repeat over and over, potentially creating a runaway wall of sound. Set it low, and you might only get one or two distinct repeats. A feedback setting of 0% will give you just a single echo.

Mix / Wet-Dry

This is your volume fader for the effect. A 100% wet setting means you only hear the delay signal (the echoes), while 0% wet means you only hear the original dry signal. Most of the time, you’ll use delay on a separate bus or aux track, keeping this set to 100% wet and controlling the overall level with the track fader.

Pre-Delay

This one’s a pro move. Pre-delay is the amount of time before the first echo kicks in. It’s a small gap of silence between the original sound and its first repeat. Why is this so important? It allows the initial transient of a vocal or a snare hit to punch through clearly before the ambience washes over it, drastically improving clarity in a dense mix.

How can I use delay on vocals without making a muddy mess?

This is probably the #1 challenge mixers face with delay. You want that huge, epic vocal sound heard in bands like Spiritbox or Architects, but every time you add delay, the vocal gets buried. The solution isn’t turning the delay down; it’s about processing the delay itself.

The "Throw" Delay

Instead of slapping a delay directly on the vocal track, send the vocal to an auxiliary bus and put the delay plugin on that bus (set to 100% wet). The key here is to only send specific words or phrases to the delay. Automate the send level so that only the end of a line or a specific word gets that big echo "throw." This creates a massive sense of space without washing out the whole performance.

EQ the Hell Out of Your Delays

Your delay returns don't need the full frequency spectrum. In fact, they sound way better when you carve them up. Slap an EQ plugin like the FabFilter Pro-Q 3 after your delay and be aggressive:

• High-Pass Filter: Cut out all the low-end mud. Start by rolling off everything below 300-400Hz. This keeps the delay from clashing with the bass and low chug of the guitars.
• Low-Pass Filter: Tame the harsh high-end. Roll off the top end starting around 4-6kHz. This makes the delay sound darker and pushes it further back in the mix, creating a sense of depth.
• Mid-Scoop: Carve out some mids around 1-3kHz to make sure the delay isn't fighting the main vocal for presence.

This kind of EQing for metal guitars and vocals is fundamental to a clean, powerful mix.

Use Ducking/Sidechain Compression

Here’s a trick that will change your life. Place a compressor after your delay plugin on the bus. Set up a sidechain input from your main lead vocal track. Now, set the compressor so that every time the main vocal is singing, the volume of the delay is pushed down. When the singer stops, the delay swells back up to fill the space.

This gives you the best of both worlds: a clear, upfront vocal when it matters, and a huge, lush delay trail in the gaps. Plugins like ValhallaDelay have a "Ducking" knob built-in, making this super easy to set up. For more advanced control, check out our guide to metal compression secrets.

What are some killer delay tricks for metal guitars?

Delay isn't just for vocals. It can transform your guitar tracks from dry and one-dimensional to wide, professional, and exciting.

For Epic Leads

This is the classic use case. A stereo 1/4 note or dotted 1/8th note delay is a great starting point for soaring solos. Try a ping-pong delay, where the echoes bounce between the left and right speakers, to create a massive sense of width. Plugins like Soundtoys EchoBoy or the stock delay in Logic Pro X are perfect for this. Just like with vocals, make sure to EQ the delay return to keep it from getting in the way.

For Rhythmic Texture

Modern metal is all about layers and polish. Try a super short, quiet delay on your main rhythm guitars. A simple 16th-note slapback, filtered and tucked way down in the mix, can add a subtle sense of groove and width without being obvious. This is a great way to add complexity and make your quad-tracked rhythms sound even bigger.

What are some creative delay techniques for modern metal?

With bands like Falling in Reverse and Polyphia pulling from every genre imaginable, the old rules don't apply. Delay is a powerful sound design tool for creating the ear candy that modern listeners expect.

Filtered Delays

Automate a filter sweep on your delay feedback. As the repeats trail off, have them get progressively darker (low-pass filter closing) or thinner (high-pass filter rising). This creates movement and prevents the delays from sounding static and boring. FabFilter Timeless 3 is the king of this kind of creative manipulation.

Distorted & Saturated Delays

Who says delays have to be clean? Put a distortion plugin like Soundtoys Decapitator or a guitar amp sim after your delay to add grit, harmonics, and attitude. This is great for creating aggressive, industrial-sounding vocal effects or transitions.

Reverse Delays

For a killer transition effect, take the first word or cymbal crash of a new section, reverse the audio clip, and print a long, washy delay or reverb to it. Then, reverse the new audio clip (with the effect tail) so it leads into the downbeat. It’s an instant, professional-sounding swell that builds anticipation.

What are the best delay plugins for metal production?

While your stock DAW plugin is more than capable, some third-party plugins offer more character and faster workflows.

• The Workhorses: Soundtoys EchoBoy and FabFilter Timeless 3. EchoBoy is loved for its huge range of analog emulations and vibes, while Timeless 3 is a sound designer's dream with its insane modulation capabilities.
• The Character King: ValhallaDelay. It's affordable, sounds incredible, and has unique modes like Ghost, Pitch, and Reverse that are perfect for modern textures. The built-in ducking feature is a massive workflow win.
• The Analog Vibe: D16 Group Repeater. If you want the character of vintage hardware units without the hassle, Repeater nails the sound and feel of classic tape and oil can delays.

See How The Pros Really Use Delay

Answering these FAQs gets you a long way, but watching a world-class producer dial in these settings on a real session is a different ballgame. Seeing how someone like a Joey Sturgis or a Will Putney EQ's a vocal throw, sets up a ducking compressor, or automates feedback for a wild transition effect can unlock a new level in your own mixes.

At Nail The Mix, that’s exactly what you get. We put you in the studio with the best producers in metal. You get the actual multi-tracks from bands like Gojira, Lamb of God, and Periphery and watch the original producer mix the song from scratch, explaining every single decision.

Check out our full catalog of sessions and see how the pros build those massive, polished, and creative metal mixes you hear on your favorite records.