X-Delay

Name: X-Delay
Price: 99 USD
Author: Solid State Logic

by Solid State Logic · Delay · Multi-tap vintage digital delay

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A four-tap digital delay from SSL inspired by the big rack delays of the 1980s, for slapbacks, doubling and wide stereo echoes.

A global Multiplier halves or doubles every tap at once, and a Diffusion control turns the repeats into anything from a small plate to a thick reverb.

Best for: Vocals, Guitars, Keys & Synths, Sound Design. Genres: Pop, Rock & Indie, Electronic & EDM, Ambient & Cinematic.

Keywords: digital delay, wide, digital classic, vintage, vocals, 80s, electric guitar, inspired by, multi-tap, plate, tape, creative, gritty, mixing, synths, cathedral, freeze, huge, mid/side, ping-pong, rhythmic, shimmer, sound design, subscription, tape echo, thick.

What it does

X-Delay is SSL's "endlessly creative vintage digital delay." It is inspired by hardware processors from the '80s "era of big delays, huge vocals and blazing guitar tracks" and is aimed at cavernous FX, up-front doubling and wide stereo soundscapes.

Four taps: four configurable delay taps, each with its own level, ping-pong and panning, switchable between synced and free (millisecond) timing.
Rhythm options: synced taps can drop into dotted and triplet modes for swing and polyrhythms, and a global Multiplier halves or doubles all delay times at once.
Character: SSL saturation and modulation add grit or shimmer, and the Diffusion control uses a new SSL reverb design to smear repeats from a small plate to a large reverb.
Mix controls: high- and low-pass filters, mid/side width, a de-esser and a mix control keep the repeats out of the way of the dry signal.
Performance: Freeze and Kill buttons build risers and drops, and feedback can be pushed hard for swelling effects.

The current version is 1.4.4, with a 14-day free trial. It is also included in SSL's Complete Access subscription.

Source: Solid State Logic product page

When to use it

X-Delay covers the clean-to-gritty digital end of the delay world. EchoBoy and FabFilter Timeless 3 offer many more styles and deeper modulation, Valhalla Delay is a cheaper all-rounder with more reverb-like modes, and Arturia Delay TAPE-201 or Galaxy Tape Echo are better if you want tape. Pick X-Delay if you want four freely placed taps plus built-in de-essing, filtering and diffusion in one window, in the style of an '80s studio rack delay.

Best for: vocal slaps and doubles, rhythmic multi-tap guitar and synth delays, and wide stereo throws.
Genres: pop, rock, electronic and ambient work, especially anything with an '80s flavor.
Look elsewhere if: you want tape wow and flutter or a large library of hardware models; SSL's own X-Echo or EchoBoy suit that better.
Standout: the global Multiplier, which rescales all four taps at once and is easy to automate.

What producers say

Reviewers and users like its four-tap layout and its range compared with old hardware; no complaints turned up in the sources found.

Headliner Magazine: Rick Dickerson compared it with "thousands of pounds worth of vintage digital rack units" and said it surpasses them in flexibility and delay length; what X-Echo does for tape echo, "this does in bucket loads for digital delays."
Sweetwater user (2025): a game composer and mix engineer rated it 5/5 and singled out "the 4 discrete delays on one screen," which let one instance be set up and reused across tracks.

Where to buy

Tutorials and reviews

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