Bass Delay – How to Use It In Your Mix

Amongst the instruments to feature the delay effect, bass is typically pretty low down the list. That’s not to say it doesn’t work, so let’s cover a few real world examples of when bass delay has been effectively used, and the things to keep in mind if you’re going to use it in your mix.

Bass Delay

bass delay

One of the reasons we don’t normally use bass delay is that delay is oftentimes used for width.

Vocals and a guitar lead are two examples of tracks which are designed to draw the attention in the mix.

It makes sense that they are arguably the two most common types of audio to apply delay to because it makes them sound larger in the mix by allowing them to take up more real estate in the stereo field.

Incidentally, check out my tutorials on vocal delay and how to use delay on guitar.

With bass, 99% of the time we want to keep that bass centered and mono in the mix (see my audio panning guide). We do this because, along with the kick drum, the bass is the anchor of the mix. It represents both the rhythm and the key and notes of the song as it progresses and changes.

We want to make sure that no matter where the listener is, that anchor is constant. Keeping the bass mono and centered ensures that it is an even split between both the left and right channels.

While panning the bass can make for some interesting aesthetic effects which can work in certain specific situations, it typically makes that bass and mix sound weaker.

This is why we generally avoid effects like delay which can potentially spread that bass out.

There are exceptions to every rule, however, so let’s take a look at some bass delay examples and talk about why they work.

Bass Delay Examples

The best way to illustrate how to use bass delay effectively in your mix is to cite examples of it, so let’s take a listen.

Pink Floyd – One of These Days

The instrumental intro to their 1971 six track, sixth album “Meddle”, one of the key components is bassist Roger Waters’ use of delay on his bass:

This is a great example of how delay can make an otherwise very simple melody much more interesting, bass or otherwise.

The bass notes are simply recorded on the quarter note beat, but it’s the triplet delay which brings it to life. With a roughly 300ms delay time and enough feedback to produce 5-6 fading reflections, the delay gives the bass an uptempo rhythm.

The thing to remember with delay is that the performance absolutely needs to be on time for it to work, especially when it’s an essential component to the rhythm of the song/mix, like the bass.

When a note is slightly off time, that off time note lingers in the form of that delay. You can even hear some of it on “One of These Days” (but hey, that’s rock n’ roll, right?).

The bass also has a double tracked sound, panning each track wide to utilize the stereo spread and those slight differences and delays make the bass sound a lot bigger.

TOOL – Pneuma

TOOL uses the same delay effect across the bass AND guitar on their epic “Pneuma”, so the recording and performance had to be especially tight.

Between the slower tempo, the melody, and of course the production itself, the delay gives the bass an ominous, larger than life sound, especially at the timestamp I have set.

This is a good example where the delay isn’t spread out wide, it’s like a mono slapback delay which just gives that bass some more sustain, despite the break.

Duran Duran – The Wild Boys

Duran Duran were known for their dancy, funky, and oftentimes experimental basslines and bass production by way of bassist John Taylor, and their single “The Wild Boys” put that on full display.

Here the bass is centered, but a largely one off yet notable delayed instance of certain basslines are panned out to the right to create a little slapback effect with a short sustain.

This works well to both keep that bass grounded while providing a little ear candy by way of that interesting bassline immediately reflecting in time, albeit panned out wide.

The mix utilizes instances of the delayed bass sparingly and advisedly, keeping it fresh in the mix and the listener on their toes.

Remember that again, 99% of the time you want that bass centered and in mono, but as each of these examples show, a little delay can be used to enhance or otherwise liven up a simple bass part or work in a touch of ear candy to keep the listener engaged throughout the mix (which is always the ultimate goal).

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