ABSTRACT
Before the emergence of digital units, engineers used tapes to generate delays. Not only is it interesting to see how these delays worked, but it can also be easier to understand the basics of delays using tapes rather than the less straight-forward digital adaptation. The most basic requirement of a delay unit is to delay the input signal by a set amount of time. Moving any head is a mechanical challenge, and it is much easier to change the tape speed. A feedback control determines the amount of attenuation applied on repeating echoes. Tapes do not have a flat frequency response. This is one of the most important characteristics that distinguish them from precise digital media, for recordings in general, and in relation to delays in particular. Tape-based delay units are still one of the most revered tools in the mixing arsenal.
