FabFilter Timeless 3
Let’s finish this delay plugin buyer’s guide in timeless and fabulous fashion — it could be none other than FabFilter’s Timeless 3. It’s a very apt title; even though it covers vintage tape delay effects brilliantly, you can also create delay sounds that belong to no particular time era and that you can make your own. This is in part thanks to a faintly ludicrous 50 modulators, which allow you to get as infinite and psychedelic sounding as you can imagine. You can also control panning, rate, feedback, and mix, and will likely lose hours doing so (in a good way).
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What does a delay plugin do, anyway?
In layman’s terms, a delay plugin is an audio effect that records a sound and plays it back after a short time, creating an echo or repeating effect. It can be used to add depth, space, and rhythm to a mix.
For example, a subtle slapback delay can give vocals a sense of presence, while a longer delay with feedback can create atmospheric, ambient textures. Delay plugins often come with controls for time, feedback, and filtering, allowing producers to shape the effect to fit anything from tight rhythmic patterns to expansive, dreamy soundscapes.
So, don’t delay (buh-dhm-tsh). Now that you’re armed with the knowledge, all that remains is to choose the best delay plugin that suits your music and sound goals. Just be careful not to fall into a black hole of delay and echo sounds — they can be tricky to get out of.
Further reading:
Best reverb plugins at any budget