Puremix
Feed delay into reverb to create a spacious, ethereal vocal effect
To create a spacious, long, ethereal vocal effect, Darrell Thorp employs a technique he calls the "Delay Verb". It involves using a stereo aux return with both a delay and a reverb, fed by a single send. He favors the Massey TD5 delay for its authentic tape-like quality and the Avid D-Verb for its lo-fi character and spacious sound. The TD5 delay is set to about 40% wet, so it sends both the dry signal and the delayed signal into the D-Verb. The reverb is set to 100% wet. The delay's mix and feedback controls can be used to effectively adjust the length of the tail. Thorp points out that the effect, despite its length, does not take up too much space in the mix, so it doesn't necessarily require additional filtering or EQ. He also automates the send, so it only activates during specific song sections. This enhances the song's dynamics and interest. The same vocal effect technique was applied on Beck's "Morning Phase" Album.