Valhalla Delay issues

[Arpangel]

I use Valhalla Delay for Frippertronics, but I'm having issues with the sound, it gets too distorted as the sound dies away and spoils the affect.
I've tried all the obvious things, making sure all the "age" and type settings are correct, I've mailed the guy at Valhalla who is always very helpful, but he aid the same, check its not on "tape" and that it's set-up to be as clean as possible, but as I said done all that, and it still becomes really dirty.
I’ve run out of ideas.

[mixsit]

Hi. This is the first I'd heard of Frippertronics, had to look it up but have the Valhallas.
I'd be curious then if removing the delay from the paths make a change or improve things for example? It might help zero in on things..?

[Arpangel]

Hi. This is the first I'd heard of Frippertronics, had to look it up but have the Valhallas.
I'd be curious then if removing the delay from the paths make a change or improve things for example? It might help zero in on things..?

I have to have the delay activated to hear it, could you explain further?

[mixsit]

Yeah.. My first go here in this, right off I saw a bunch of different pictures/paths/versions, and knew I likely could have asked on a poor assumption.
"I have the delay activated to hear it" So I don't know for example- the signal may go through both machines and the delay unit, if bypassing the delay the signal is lost? And/or if 'activated to hear it'.. may be just the delay, or 'signal too?
Wow it's out of norm' jumping into unfamiliar stuff :>)

[Arpangel]

"Out of norm"?

[Hugh Robjohns]

I use Valhalla Delay for Frippertronics, but I'm having issues with the sound, it gets too distorted as the sound dies away and spoils the affect.

Any distortion at all in the signal path will inherently build with each repeat. So you need to balance the number of repeats with the building distortion by adjusting the feedback level and the effect mode. ... and be extremely careful optimising the gain structure (both within the unit and any external signal paths).

I've tried all the obvious things, making sure all the "age" and type settings are correct...

"Correct settings? There's no such thing!

You just need to experiment with the mode options to find a setting for the delay path that doesn't introduce too much distortion for the number of repeats you have dialed in.

If you have a lot of repeats (of course you do ) you're going to need a much cleaner delay path than if you have only a few, and with properly optimised gain structures.

[mixsit]

"Out of norm"?

Um not sure.. you know I mean normal correct? Things I'm familiar with, vs..?

[Arpangel]

I use Valhalla Delay for Frippertronics, but I'm having issues with the sound, it gets too distorted as the sound dies away and spoils the affect.

Any distortion at all in the signal path will inherently build with each repeat. So you need to balance the number of repeats with the building distortion by adjusting the feedback level and the effect mode. ... and be extremely careful optimising the gain structure (both within the unit and any external signal paths).

I've tried all the obvious things, making sure all the "age" and type settings are correct...

"Correct settings? There's no such thing!

You just need to experiment with the mode options to find a setting for the delay path that doesn't introduce too much distortion for the number of repeats you have dialed in.

If you have a lot of repeats (of course you do ) you're going to need a much cleaner delay path than if you have only a few, and with properly optimised gain structures.

Thanks, I’m only getting this issue with the Valhalla Delay, not with any of my hardware delays, with which the settings are similar throughout, when I said "correct" I meant within what I'm trying to achieve.
The signal going in is a clean VSTi signal, with around 7 secs delay time, and about a 2 min feedback.
I've tried everything, and it just gets dirty, unlike say my Boss DD7 which stays clean until way into the feedback time, which is fine, as it has to get a bit dirty to achieve that lovely distance effect, with the Valhalla it gets dirty very quickly which ends uo making it unusable.
Never had issues like this with hardware, BEL BD80S, Boss DD7, Strymon El Capistan, all are very controllable and don’t introduce any unwanted artefacts that aren’t expected.
There must be a reason why this is happening, I just that haven’t found it yet, I love Valhalla Delay in all other resects, it's great, I just have to keep looking to see what I'm doing wrong.

[Hugh Robjohns]

The signal going in is a clean VSTi signal, with around 7 secs delay time, and about a 2 min feedback.

Those numbers suggest 17 or 18 passes around the loop, so no wonder the distortion builds up...

I've tried everything, and it just gets dirty, unlike say my Boss DD7 which stays clean until way into the feedback time, which is fine, as it has to get a bit dirty to achieve that lovely distance effect, with the Valhalla it gets dirty very quickly which ends uo making it unusable.

I dont own the Valhalla Delay, but as I understand it it has a number of different 'modes' all of which are designed deliberately to introduce various forms and amounts of distortion emulating tape recorders, BBDs and early digital delays. Distortion is what it is expressly designed to introduce...

In contrast, the Boss was designed to be as clean as possible....

So I'd be trying to find a very clean mode in the Valhalla... (if it has one — although I dont think it does)... or use a different clean delay plugin.

And, as I say, pay careful attention to signal levels...

But I think the fundamental problem is that the Valhalla Delay is just the wrong tool for what you're trying to achieve.

[Wonks]

You haven't said what mode it's actually in. Are you using digital with the age set to 0% and era set to Future? If that's not clean enough, then it's definitely not the right delay plug in for you.

Even the 'digital' mode is based on 80s digital echo units, so it's unlikely to ever give you a 100% pristine digital copy.

[Bob Bickerton]

Never had issues like this with hardware, BEL BD80S, Boss DD7, Strymon El Capistan, all are very controllable and don’t introduce any unwanted artefacts that aren’t expected.

Did you know Strymon have ported some of their pedals algorithms into plug-ins?

You can buy an El Capistan/DIG bundle for just US$99 - I often use them.......: https://www.strymon.net/product-categor ... ck0YSfKqJH

And I just bought this one which is interesting and you may enjoy - it seems to go on for ever - and is only 29 quid https://soundghost.net/product/ekko/

Bob

[Arpangel]

Maybe your right, it isn't the right app for me, I've checked it to be as clean as possible.
Bob, I'll check yours out.

[The Elf]

Depending on if you can find them at an acceptable price, consider:

- Enso, which is a looper with a delay mode. I use this for minutes'-worth of gradually fading delay loops.

- Helix Native. Again, I use the delay in there at high feedback numbers to generate fading loops over minutes.

[resistorman]

The cleanest Frippertronics style delay I've found is the 4ms dual looping delay eurorack module. I use the physical module on every gig, but I see it's available in VCV Rack.