Stylistic echoes and delays are an important element in shaping some mixes. Why settle for the quick fix when a little extra effort can yield much greater results?
By adding a little creativity along with some EQs, flangers, reverb, vinyl simulators, or phasers to your delays, you can create a wholly unique sound to enhance your track. Not only that, by using these stylistic effects, you can set the effect back from the focal point that is the lead line. Often times I will use EQ to roll-off frequencies both high and low that are competing with the lead audio; i.e. sibilance or low frequency tubbiness. You can thin the echo out, maybe add a reverb insert before the delay with a very low wetness to make the delay more subtle and smooth; maybe put a small amount of phaser to let it swim in the mix a bit and poke out every now and again – The Roots incorporate many of these types of effects, particularly Sound Toys’ Phase Mistress, on Black Thought’s vocals.
Another one of my favorite things to do is to add a vinyl simulator, like IZOtope, into the delay chain. This vinyl effect gives the delay a vintage, almost telephone effect that sets the delay apart from the lead audio in a savvy, pop-music sort of way.
Another trick I like to incorporate with my echoes is to route a send from a quarter note echo to an 8th or 16th note echo aux track. By doing this, the quarter note echo will trigger the other, faster echo. To still allow the lead line to breathe in its own space, try panning the delays hard, opposite each other. Can someone say, “ping-pong”?
My advice is to experiment off a root idea and discover what sound fits your track. Many times I end up somewhere very different from where my idea began and like a pre-jailed Martha Stewart would say, “It’s a good thing.”