How To Use Ping Pong Delay

Delay is one of the most powerful tools in a producer’s arsenal. But too often, we just set a simple timed echo, tuck it in the background, and call it a day. That’s leaving a ton of creative potential on the table.

If you want to move beyond basic ambience and start using delay as a rhythmic, compositional tool, you need to master the ping pong delay.

Ping pong delay isn’t just for making things sound wide. When you start messing with its rhythmic properties, it can transform a simple musical part into a complex, polyrhythmic performance that adds incredible depth and vibe to your mix. Let’s break down how to use it to create unique textures, specifically on a clean guitar part.

The Setup: Getting Prepped for Rhythmic Delay

Before we start creating complex rhythms, we need a solid starting point. The goal here is to get a clean, usable delay that we can then build upon.

Let’s imagine we’re working with a clean guitar part that already has some stereo movement—maybe a call-and-response lick that pans from left to right. This is the perfect canvas for ping pong delay because the effect will enhance what the part is already doing.

Choosing Your Delay Plugin

You can do this with almost any stock or third-party delay plugin that has a “ping pong” or stereo mode.

• DAW Stock Plugins: Logic’s Stereo Delay, Pro Tools’ Mod Delay III, or Reaper’s ReaDelay are all perfectly capable.
• Third-Party Favorites: Soundtoys EchoBoy, ValhallaDelay, or FabFilter Timeless 3 are industry standards for a reason. They offer incredible flexibility.
• Character Plugins: For this technique, emulations of a Roland RE-201 Space Echo (like the ones from UAD or Arturia) are awesome. They add a bit of tape saturation and filtering that helps the delay sit nicely in the mix without extra processing.

For this example, we’ll use a Space Echo style plugin, but the principles apply to any of them.

Insert vs. Send: A Quick Note

You can set up your delay on a send/return track (the traditional way) or as a direct insert on the audio track. The video this is based on shows it used as an insert. The main difference?

• Send/Return: You get a fully wet delay signal on a separate fader, which you blend in with your dry track. This gives you more processing flexibility on just the delay signal.
• Insert: The plugin is placed directly on the channel. This means your Mix/Wet-Dry knob is absolutely crucial. You’ll be blending the effect in right on the plugin itself. For quick, creative applications like this, using an insert is a fast and effective workflow.

Dialing in a Starting Point

Once your plugin is on the track, here’s a solid baseline setup:

1. Set Mode to Ping Pong: This is the essential first step. It ensures the repeats bounce between the left and right speakers.
2. Set Width to 100% (or Max): We want the full stereo effect.
3. Link the Channels (for now): Set both the left and right delay times to the same subdivision. A quarter note is a great, musical place to start.
4. Set the Feedback: Feedback controls how many repeats you hear. A setting below 50% is a safe bet; it will give you a few audible repeats that fade out naturally without overwhelming the track.
5. Adjust the Mix Knob: If you’re using an insert, start with the mix around 15-25% and adjust by ear. You want the delay to be clearly audible and rhythmic, but not so loud that it distracts from the original guitar part.

With these settings, you’ll have a nice, wide, standard quarter-note delay. It sounds good, but this is where the real fun begins.

The Real Magic: Creating New Rhythms and Melodies

A ping pong delay with different subdivisions on the left and right channels is where you can fundamentally change the feel of a part. You’re not just adding an echo; you’re writing a new rhythmic counter-melody.

This is the most important part of the process: unlink your left and right delay times. Now you can set them independently.

Let’s go back to our clean guitar part. With the delay set to quarter notes on both sides, it just reinforces the original rhythm. But what happens when we change it?

Experiment 1: Quarter Note (Left) & Half Note (Right)

By setting the left channel to a quarter note and the right channel to a half note, the delay suddenly creates a brand new rhythm. The initial hit is followed by a faster repeat on the left, and then a slower, more spacious repeat on the right.

Listen closely. The interaction between the original guitar melody and this new L/R delay pattern will create an entirely new melodic phrase. It’s no longer just an echo; it’s a harmonic and rhythmic conversation. This simple change can add a surprising amount of sophistication and movement without you having to record a single new note.

Experiment 2: Finding the Limit (Eighths, Halfs, etc.)

So, what about other subdivisions? This is where taste and context come in.

• Eighth Note (L) & Quarter Note (R): This can start to get very busy, very quickly. On a sparse part, it might create a cool, fluttering texture. On a busier guitar line, it will likely just sound like a mess.
• Quarter Note (L) & Whole Note (R): This can also get weird. The whole note repeat on the right side might land so far after the initial hit that it feels disconnected and distracting, throwing off the groove of the song.

The key is to try different combinations and truly listen to the result. Does the new rhythm groove with the drums? Does it clash with the vocal line? This is where your producer brain has to take over from your engineer brain.

The Golden Rule: Compliment, Don’t Distract

Using creative ping pong delay is a powerful technique, but it’s easy to overdo it. The ultimate goal is to serve the song.

When you set up these complex delay patterns, you are literally changing the melodic structure of the part. It’s a subtle but powerful form of re-composition. That’s why you have to take the time to dial it in.

Ask yourself:

• Does the rhythm feel good? Does it add to the groove or detract from it?
• Is it too distracting? A cool rhythmic effect isn’t cool if it pulls the listener’s attention away from the main focus of the song.
• How does it fit in the mix? Sometimes, even a great delay pattern can clutter up a mix. Don’t be afraid to use some smart processing. A bit of EQ to roll off the lows and highs of the delay signal can help it sit behind the dry guitar. You might also use some light compression to even out the dynamics of the repeats.

The difference between a quarter/quarter delay and a quarter/half delay might seem small on paper, but in the context of a full mix, it can completely change the atmosphere and feel of an entire section.

Take It to the Next Level

This single technique for adding rhythmic depth is just the tip of the iceberg. Imagine learning hundreds of tricks like this directly from the producers who mixed albums for bands like Gojira, Lamb of God, and Periphery.

At Nail The Mix, that’s exactly what you get. Every month, you get the real multi-tracks from a massive metal song and watch the original producer—guys like **Will Putney, Jens Bogren, and Machine**—mix it from scratch, explaining every single decision they make. You see exactly how they use delay, EQ, compression, and automation to craft a world-class mix.

If you’re ready to stop guessing and start learning the techniques that actually work, check out the full catalog of NTM sessions.

And for even more in-depth tutorials on every aspect of production, from recording to mastering, check out our URM Enhanced library, with over 1,500 more tutorials to elevate your skills.