#Simple delay haas effect how to

In the example below, we have a clean track panned left but also being sent to a bus track panned right. This is different to a normal delay plugin which would keep the original in place and playback a repeat after a certain amount of time.

The effect simply delays the riff slightly, creating the Haas effect. Insert a sample delay onto the duplicated track and increase the delay by any amount up to around 30-40 milliseconds. That’s not to say that rock guitarists aren’t great players, in fact most of them are highly skilled and well-rehearsed players but heavier distortion by nature may cover up small inconsistencies between tracks such as string squeaks or timing between chord changes.īut what about if you’re recording clean guitars?Įven small differences in your takes such as a difference in pick attack can be much more prominent and difficult to edit out.Ī much easier way to create the Haas effect in this scenario is to record a single take to pan left, then simply duplicate the take and pan right or send your existing track to an auxiliary channel and pan right. The great thing about recording with distortion is that small mistakes or inaccuracies often aren’t noticeable as they are disguised by the distortion itself. Sample Delay For Cleaner Haas EffectĪnother way of thickening up your sound is to use a sample delay, rather than double-tracking.Īs we’ve mentioned, double-tracking guitars is a really simple way of thickening up your tone, common in rock, metal and punk. This isn’t a black and white rule of course, you may find a double-tracked solo or a single tracked riff actually works just fine, but it’s worth keeping the Haas effect in mind as it can add extra depth and power to your guitar tracks. A double-tracked solo can easily illustrate inaccuracies in each take depending on the complexity of the passage. By single-tracking and center panning the solo is brought more to the forefront of the mix. This is because solos would typically incorporate higher frequency notes which stand out more in the mix. It’s worth noting that this using this technique isn’t ESSENTIAL to getting a great distorted guitar sound.Ī guitar solo traditionally would be single-tracked. Notice the difference in tone and power in the second example. The first is a double-tracked, distorted riff center-panned, whilst the second is the same two takes hard-panned left and right. In fact, it’s not uncommon for several guitars to be layered to enhance this effect, often using different pickup configurations, amps and pedals. It’s at this point that the Haas effect becomes most effective – our ears are hearing what appears to be a single riff but the timbre and tone become more powerful and fuller to the ear as the one sound we are hearing is actually made up of two guitars.

However hard panning the takes, one left and one right, will open up the stereo image and create a much wider sound which you will often hear in rock music and eliminate the chorus effect. This is due to the fact that the riffs (no matter how accurate the player) will in certain areas be out of time, or phase, with one another.

record one take of the riff, then record another onto a different track but playing the same thing).ĭoing this can result in a ‘chorusy’ effect of the guitars when center-panned. The Haas effect is something that you almost certainly will have experienced when listening to any modern music in stereo.Ī very common approach to thickening up the sound of a guitar riff is to double-track when recording (i.e. We won’t bog you down with the finer points of the physics of the Haas effect, but this phenomenon is a very useful tool to utilize when it comes to audio production. Haas expanded on this and discovered that in fact any identical sounds presented within approximately 40 milliseconds of each other will still be heard as one by the human ear. The origins of its discovery lie with Hans Wallach who described it as the ‘precedence effect’ stating simply that if two identical sounds are heard in close succession then they will be perceived as a single sound. The Haas effect is a psychoacoustical phenomenon discovered by Helmut Haas in 1949.

Tips and techniques to create aural interest in your mixes.

#Simple delay haas effect how to

Learn how to utilize the Haas effect in your music production.Disclosure: We may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.