Studio Application 1
Vocal producers who want depth and phrase extensions without burying lyrics in long hall reverb.
Fat Berry DSP / Delay plug-ins Buying Guide
Echoes with a job to do.
Delay plug-ins create rhythmic echoes, slapback doubling, and dub feedback textures that add width and depth without the continuous wash of reverb. Choose clean or filtered digital repeats for tempo-locked grooves, or tape-style modulated echoes when repeats need to tuck naturally behind the dry lead. Endless Mistakes: A delay with Loop, Multi-Head and Studio engines and coloured feedback. Copy The Dog: A delay with 22 modes that grows from a simple echo into a space. Space Cake: Two delay engines, each Tape, BBD or Digital, for echoes with a groove. Choose a phrase with a gap after it and let the repeat answer that gap. Keep the first repeat low enough that the original line stays in front. Then decide whether the echoes should remain clear or lose definition as they fade. Try a send when several parts need the same sense of space. Listen through a section change, because a repeat that works in a verse can crowd the beginning of the chorus. Start free with Copy The Dog, which is free to keep.
Written & tested by Rory Browne (Founder & DSP Developer) · Last updated:
Compare 3 delay plug-ins
Use Cases & Fit
Who delay plug-ins are for — and how to choose
Where reverb fills every gap with continuous reflections, delay leaves space between repeats so the dry signal stays punchy and dry in the centre. Choosing the right delay comes down to how the repeats evolve in tone, timing, and stereo spread on each regeneration.
Studio Application 2
Guitarists and synth players building dotted-eighth grooves, slapback rockabilly/indie doubling, or self-oscillating dub throws.
Studio Application 3
Mix engineers looking for filtered, modulated repeats that sit cleanly behind the dry signal.
At the desk
How do you choose and dial in delay plug-ins?
Choose rhythmic groove or spatial slapback
Short slapback delays (65–120 ms with zero or low feedback) thicken vocals and guitars like a small studio wall reflection. Longer tempo-synced quarter or dotted-eighth delays act as rhythmic counter-melodies.
Keep repeats darker and narrower than the source
Each repeat that loses a little high end and sub-bass sounds naturally further away, allowing higher wet levels without stepping on the next dry word.
Automate delay throws on key words
Instead of leaving a long feedback delay running through an entire verse, automate the send on the final word of a line to fill the gap into the next bar.
Use subtle pitch modulation for width
A touch of wow, flutter, or chorus modulation in the delay line separates the echo from the dry source and creates natural stereo spread.
Signal-chain placement
Place on an aux send after vocal compression and de-essing for throw automation, or insert before amp/saturation when you want the repeats to break up dynamically with the dry note.
Side-by-side specifications
Delay plug-ins comparison table
The specifications below come from the published catalogue and release metadata. All licences are perpetual single-user licences (3 machine activations, 14-day full refund window).
| Plug-in | Price (USD) | Formats | OS Support | Best For / Sonic Role | Walkthrough |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endless Mistakes | $24.99 | VST3, AU | Windows 10 or later, 64-bit (x86-64) · 11.0 | A delay with Loop, Multi-Head and Studio engines and coloured feedback. | Watch demo ↗ |
| Copy The Dog | Free ($0) | VST3, AU | Windows 10 or later, 64-bit (x86-64) · 11.0 | A delay with 22 modes that grows from a simple echo into a space. | Audio & specs ↗ |
| Space Cake | $24.99 | VST3, AU | Windows 10 or later, 64-bit (x86-64) · 11.0 | Two delay engines, each Tape, BBD or Digital, for echoes with a groove. | Watch demo ↗ |
How we test at -16 LUFS
Listening tests & common mix mistakes to avoid
Primary listening check
Play the passage once with the delay muted, then un-mute and ask whether the repeats answer the musical gaps or clutter the rhythmic pocket.
Four-step studio audition checklist
- Set the delay time with feedback at a single repeat first so you can hear the exact rhythmic placement against the snare and hi-hat.
- Increase feedback until the repeats bridge the gap between phrases, then roll off high and low frequencies on the feedback path.
- Check the transition from verse to chorus to ensure runaway feedback tails do not clash with a key change.
- Collapse to mono to verify ping-pong or stereo offset delays remain balanced.
Common mistakes when using delay plug-ins
- Leaving full-bandwidth 20 Hz–20 kHz repeats at the same brightness as the lead vocal.
- Setting quarter-note delay repeats that land directly on top of every snare backbeat without filtering.
- Forgetting to automate feedback down during dense instrumental breakdowns.
The tools
Delay plug-ins, made by Fat Berry.
Each card links to current formats, controls, demos and the live price on its product page.
Delay
Endless Mistakes
A delay with Loop, Multi-Head and Studio engines and coloured feedback.
Hear and inspect Endless Mistakes ↗
Delay
Copy The Dog
A delay with 22 modes that grows from a simple echo into a space.
Hear and inspect Copy The Dog ↗
Delay
Space Cake
Two delay engines, each Tape, BBD or Digital, for echoes with a groove.
Hear and inspect Space Cake ↗In-depth technical guides
Related production & mixing guides
Studio notes
Read it, then hear it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Delay plug-ins FAQ
When should I use delay instead of reverb on vocals?
In uptempo or dense mixes where reverb tails make the vocal sound distant or muddy, a filtered slapback or quarter-note delay gives sense of space while keeping the dry voice right in front of the speakers.
Is there a free delay plug-in from Fat Berry DSP?
Yes. Copy The Dog is free ($0 USD) in the Free Pickings collection and runs as Windows VST3 and Mac VST3 / AU.
Do Fat Berry DSP delays support tempo sync and free-running millisecond times?
Yes. Depending on the plug-in design, timing controls allow rhythmic alignment or continuous millisecond sweeps for dub pitch bends and slapback tuning.