Build a Custom Delay Line With Stock Devices

See how to make a feedback rack that lets you design a delay effect with whatever FX you like inside the feedback loop. This is a step-by-step Ableton tutorial that shows you the ins and outs of building a single-channel feedback loop to make some wild sounds.
If you just want to download something, check out the Feedback Matrix. It's like this device taken to the second power.
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[@LuisTorres-qz5kr]

Thanks for the tutorial!

[@WileyRoss]

Thanks Zack for another great tutorial! I loved to play with feedback loops all the way back into my analog days. One thing I appreciated about able to live was the ability to activate sends on the returns so 10:53 that you could do feedback loops with effects. It never occurred to me. You could do another way, which opens up even more possibilities!

[@zsteinkamp]

Yeah being able to do it all in one track changes things more than it should for me :)

[@thomas-vk4vc]

So what is the benefit of creating your own feedback loop instead of using the delay’s feedback button?

[@zsteinkamp]

I show in the video that if you build your own delay line you can put FX *inside* the feedback loop, instead of just before or after the delay effect. Guess I should have been more clear on that. 😊

[@loresuto5723]

I was just doing this with a send and thinking that it's too bad you can't do it in a rack! I did a quick, unscientific test, and it does seem that the gate is slightly less CPU intensive than the compressor. I noticed that you left the lookahead on your Gate to 1.5 ms, which introduces latency, so I set mine to 0, just in case! (I'm not sure if the gate's sidechain listen actually gets that delay but I thought it was maybe a safe bet to go to zero.)

[@zsteinkamp]

@@loresuto5723 Oh good catch! Thanks for pointing that out. I was thinking earlier maybe an Auto Filter could be even cheaper?

[@loresuto5723]

@@zsteinkamp I was wondering that too, but the Auto Filter doesn't have a side chain listen button, unlike Compressor and Gate, so I don't think it will work!

[@loresuto5723]

I wonder how difficult creating a "Teleport" max for live device would be? (Maybe by nabbing the code from one of Abletons max for live devices that has a sidechain like Envelope Follower? Though that doesn't have a listen button either.) It might not be worth it for the CPU cycles.