FabFilter

Hosts typically let you set the tempo for the session/song that you're working on. Often you'll see a display with e.g. 120 bpm that will let you change the current song tempo.

A plugin like FabFilter Timeless 2 can synchronize to the song tempo, so you can easily set the delay to match the song. If the song tempo changes, the delay will change to match it. As an example, if the tempo is 120 bpm, each quarter note lasts half a second, so you get 120 quarter notes per minute. In Timeless, if you set the delay sync to a quarter note as well, you'll get a 500 ms delay in this case.

The Tap feature in Timeless works only if the delay time is not synchronized: in this case you can tap to set it directly. The host will never use this value: there is no way for a plugin to have control over the song tempo.

Hope this helps!

Cheers,

Well...it helps me ask more questions. :-)

* So... being able to synch to the host tempo is useful if the song's been tracked to a click in the host. But if the song was recorded freely with no click, then there's no advantage to setting Timeless to the host tempo. Is that right?

* With hosts that let you set the tempo, does Timeless automatically synch to the tempo as soon as you engage the delay time synch slider, or do you have to instruct it to do that?

Correct, if the song was recorded freely, then host sync won't work since there is no one tempo. You can, however, try to create a tempo track and match the song's actual tempo as it varies, but this would be quite some work. Most people don't bother.

If you set the delay time sync slider to one of the sync options, syncing will work automatically; no further action required.

Cheers,

Okay, I'm in. Thanks, Frederik.

This plugin is astoundingly powerful. I keep exploring its ability to sculpt sounds with the filters and the modulation sources - the territory's so big it's going to take me a *lot* of time to become familiar with. Nice!

Newb question #2:

Is there any difference between linking the left and right delay lines, and having both lines operating but with the same settings? The net result is the same in each case - a mono delay - right?

Correct!

Cheers,

Great - thanks! I'm getting good results using the plugin as a mono delay and tweaking the feedback and filters. Before I start exploring different settings on the two delay lines though, there's something I need to be clear about - the difference between setting the delay time with the big knob, the curved knob, and the tap. I've read the Help and understand how the three settings work, but I'm new to delay, so I don't really understand when to use each of them.

1 If I tracked something to the metronome in my DAW, then I'd use either the big knob or the curved knob for setting the delay time, right? The curved knob is only for setting delay times relative to the DAW's tempo, right?

2 If I tracked something without a click or metronome (the tempo would have slight changes throughout the song as a result), then I'd avoid the curved knob probably, right?

1. The "curved" knob controls syncing to the host tempo. If not set to the top (unlocked) setting, syncing is enabled. When sync is enabled, the large Delay Time knob changes to become the Delay Offset knob, allowing you to adjust the delay time relative to the host tempo. In the center position, no change occurs. Tap is only enabled if syncing is off, naturally.

2. Exactly.

Cheers,

Okay, you're on my Christmas card list. Thanks, Frederik.

Does anybody know of tutorial material somewhere between the Help manual and the two Timeless 2 Youtube videos. At this point, having been through the Help two or three times, I'm familiar with what the controls do, and by exploring and trying things out, I'm getting results I really like. But there are still things that I'd like some input on. For example, the Filter Routing options - I don't hear a ton of difference between them on the projects I'm working on. And when they're in series, I don't hear a ton of difference when I close the second one. Or again, how to combine them using different filter response settings - highpass, lowpass, bandpass. Does anybody know a page or site or post where this stuff is described/explained?