8 great affordable delay units
Korg Monotron Delay
Delay comes in a multitude of formats and flavours, from analogue hardware to modern multimode plugins.
Here are eight impressive software and hardware options for anyone who wants to spice up their delay toolkit without breaking the bank, starting with little something from Korg.
The Monotron Delay combines a basic single-oscillator synth complete with filter and LFO with a simple two-knob delay effect. A quarter-inch audio input means the Delay is capable of processing external audio, making it a great budget-friendly device for FX.
Waves H-Delay
First released in 2009, H-Delay is a bit of an old hand now, but like most Waves plugins, it’s got surprising longevity.
Taking its cues from classic Lexicon hardware, the H-Delay boasts flexible modulation, filters and Lo-Fi and Analog modes for classic-sounding delay.
ValhallaDSP UberMod
Like all Valhalla DSP plug-ins, ÜberMod combines a sleek, modern interface with a deceptively deep set of features. Here we get a very flexible delay combined with chorus, capable of creating gorgeous, heavily modulated effects. Check out the free Freq Echo, too.
Native Instruments Replika XT
NI’s Replika has five different delay types, including tape emulation, analogue-style, vintage digital and a pristine modern mode. There’s also a Diffusion mode, which can create heavily modulated space effects.
Tim Exile Slow
A new Reaktor-based freebie from Reaktor fiend Tim Exile. Slow is a reverb/delay effect that uses multiple delay lines and extended feedback lengths to create drones and far-out atmospheric effects.
Moog Minifooger MF Delay
A shortage of the necessary Bucket-Brigade Device chips may have brought an end to Moog’s bigger MF104m delay units, but the more affordable Minifooger still offers a similar flavour of killer analogue delay that can bring the most static of sounds to life.
Read Moog Minifooger MF Delay review
BUY: Moog Minifooger MF Delay currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | Gear4Music
US: Sweetwater | Full Compass
D16 Sigmund
With four independent delay lines and a ton of modulation options, including LFOs, envelopes and peak followers, Sigmund remains one of the most powerful delay plugins on the market. Add in overdrive, a filter and output limiter, and it shapes up as a very good deal.
BUY: D16 Sigmund currently available from:
US: Full Compass
Strymon El Capistan
Strymon’s digital delay pedal offers emulations of a range of classic tape delay units in one compact pedal. In terms of quality El Capistan is certainly hard to beat - it may be digital but the sound is pure old-school, with controls for dialling in tape age and sound fluctuation.
Read Strymon El Capistan review
BUY: Strymon El Capistan currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann