inDelay

Name: inDelay
Price: 149 USD
Author: Sound Particles

by Sound Particles · Delay · Multi-delay with 3D particle engine

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inDelay is a multi-delay from Sound Particles with up to 100 simultaneous delays, air absorption to simulate distance, and a particle system driven by its 3D audio engine.

It outputs to 30+ formats from mono and stereo to Dolby Atmos, Ambisonics and Sony 360, for $199.

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

Keywords: spacious, sound design, airy, cinematic, creative, dark, mixing, steep learning curve, vocals.

What it does

inDelay is Sound Particles' multi-delay built around a 3D spatial engine. Each echo is treated as a particle that can be placed and moved around the listener, in stereo, binaural or full immersive formats.

Three modes: Channels, Taps and Particles. Taps mode gives 16 independent delay lines with their own settings; Particles mode spreads up to 100 echoes across the input channels.
Per-delay control: tap tempo, DAW sync, independent panning, feedback patterns and custom tap recording of up to 5 seconds, laid out on a visual time editor.
Movement: five movement modes (Static, Rotate, Random, Up/Down and Float) set how echoes travel in space.
Soundscape: in Particles mode, delays can be scattered on a 2D plane or in a 3D cube, with linear or Gaussian distribution and distance attenuation.
Filters and air: three-band, parametric and air filters, with air absorption simulation that darkens distant echoes for a more natural sound.
Craziness: a diffusion control that, with random presets, pushes the delays towards chaotic textures.
Spatial output: around 30 multichannel formats including mono, stereo, 5.1, binaural, high-order Ambisonics, Sony 360 and Dolby Atmos.

Released in July 2024; version 1.5.1.

Source: Sound Particles product page

When to use it

inDelay is the pick when the delay itself should create space: dozens of echoes placed and moving around the listener, with distance modelling, in stereo or up to Atmos. Compared with Soundtoys EchoBoy, it has no vintage tape or analog character models and no groove controls, but it goes far further on spatial placement and multichannel output. Against ValhallaDelay and FabFilter Timeless 3 it has less modulation (Sound On Sound noted no modulation or Doppler shift), and it uses much more CPU. It costs about the same as EchoBoy and more than either of those, so it makes most sense if you work in immersive formats or want scattered, three-dimensional echo textures.

Best for: spatial echoes, scattered delay textures, immersive and Atmos mixes, and binaural work on headphones.
Genres: ambient and cinematic, electronic, and post-production sound design.
Look elsewhere if: you want a vintage-flavored stereo delay or modulated echoes on a light CPU budget; EchoBoy or ValhallaDelay suit that better.
Tip: moving echoes localise more convincingly than static ones placed behind the listener, so try the Rotate or Float movements for surround effects.

What producers say

Reviewers see it as an ambitious, distinctive delay that sounds impressive in stereo as well as surround, with CPU use and the learning curve as the main complaints.

Production Expert (July 2024) gave it a Gold Award with a unanimous "HIT" from three reviewers; one called it "three solid plug-ins in one" and another a "gateway drug" for Atmos work.
Sound On Sound (Paul White, October 2024) called it "a powerful and creative tool", praising the depth it adds on speakers and headphones, the clear GUI and the presets.
Criticisms: high CPU load on complex patches at small buffer sizes, a steep learning curve, some controls that can't be automated, sounds placed behind the listener less convincing than moving ones, and no modulation or Doppler.

Where to buy

Best Service: $149
Sound Particles: $199 (Price as listed on KVR Audio; soundparticles.com could not be read.)
Plugin Boutique: $199
PluginFox: $199
AudioDeluxe: $199

Tutorials and reviews

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