A Wide Stereo Vocal Delay
A delay aux that adds width without pushing the vocal back.
In Ableton Live: Delay (formerly Ping Pong Delay + Simple Delay). Set "Link" off, then use the L/R offset boxes for the stereo delay. The HP/LP filters live inside the same device — no need to add a separate EQ.
Routing in Ableton Live: Create a Return track (Cmd/Ctrl + Option/Alt + T), drop the reverb/delay on it, and use each track's Send knob to bus into it.
A reverb places a vocal in a space, which inevitably pushes it back a little. A short stereo delay can add the same sense of size while keeping the vocal feeling close and present.
- Create an aux return and send the lead vocal to it.
- Insert a stereo delay set to 100% wet, then unlink the left and right channels so you can dial them separately.
- Set one side somewhere between 50–200 ms. The longer the delay time, the more you'll consciously hear it as a repeat rather than as width.
- Set the other side 20–50 ms shorter or longer than the first. The bigger the offset, the wider the apparent stereo image — but too much starts to feel artificial.
- Keep feedback low (0–15%). Higher feedback turns this into an obvious slap effect; lower keeps it sitting unnoticed underneath the vocal.
- Put an EQ before the delay. Roll the lows off below ~300 Hz to keep the low end clean, and the highs off above ~3 kHz so the delays don't compete with the vocal's articulation.
- Drop the aux fader to silence, raise it until it's just audible underneath the dry vocal, then pull it back another decibel or two.