The Department Of Sound has released EcoSlap, a free slap delay plugin that is available for both Windows and Mac systems.
EcoSlap is derived from the company’s premium Ecoplate I plate reverb plugin. It uses Ecoplate’s shortest decay setting with additional controls.
It is a different kind of slap-delay since its signature sound originates from a modeled analog plate reverb.
Slapback delay is a common technique often used to thicken up guitars and vocals in particular, but it can be applied to other audio sources to great effect as well.
Another popular way to use slapback delays is processing percussive loops to get an unusual, slightly glitchy effect.
Slapback delay times are typically in the 40-120 milliseconds range, with the delay effect mixed up quite loudly against the original dry signal. Its primary purpose is to widen up the stereo image of the source, adding more depth and character.
EcoSlap lets you do just that with just a few controls on the interface to worry about.
The main parameter of the effect is the central Pre-Delay knob, which can go up to 150 ms for more separation from the source.
If you click on the label name, you can quickly turn the Pre-Delay off, resulting in a unison effect.
Low-Pass and High-Pass filters let you shape the tone of the slapback delay generated to your preferences. The first can go down to 200 Hz while the latter can go up to 1Khz in a smooth, musical way.
Finally, the Mix knob lets you blend the desired effect with the dry signal.
To balance the effect, you also have access to independent Input and Output controls with a range of -inf up to +6 dB.
The plugin has a distinctive character and does what it says well.
A cool trick I enjoyed doing during my tests was playing with the pre-delay in the lower range with the mix amount set to full. You get interesting stutters and glitchy effects out of this.
I suggest trying this with vocals for choppy feelings, but feel free to experiment on your own!
To get EcoSlap, you need to fill out a short form with your name and e-mail, and you’ll get access to the installers for your chosen platform.
Download: EcoSlap (FREE when you sign up for The Department Of Sound newsletter)
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Last Updated on December 6, 2023 by Tomislav Zlatic.
