Deleight, another awesome plugin from Italian developer Audiority, has exploded onto the scene, chiefly inspired by the Korg DL8000r rackmount module released in 1997 and discontinued by 1999.

The DL8000r was a true stereo, eight voice multi-tap delay module with up to four taps per channel, a wide variety of modulation options and two separate feedback paths capable of cross-feedback, which made it one of the most versatile multi-tap delay modules ever made. Unfortunately, the DL8000r was long forgotten by the turn of the millennium, but thanks to an ambitious independent developer with a passion for vintage audio equipment, something similar is now available in the digital world.

The Review

Deleight is a bit simpler than the DL8000r, but in all the right ways! It doesn’t have as many modulation options and only has a low/hi-damp filter (for each channel) as opposed to a 3-band EQ, but I actually prefer this elegant, workflow-efficient design. The simple, intuitive controls and the fully-resizable UI have a minimal aesthetic that helps me focus on whatever I’m doing.

Deleight has four columns with controls for Left & Right Taps, Feedback Taps and LFO modulation. Both Left & Right Tap columns have identical controls, including a Range menu with seven different delay time ranges from five milliseconds to 2.5 seconds and also controls for tempo-syncable delay Time, Modulation, Pan and the output Level of each tap. Panning controls were added in a recent update, which really help to provide an extra layer of depth.

In the Feedback Tap column, there are two modes for Regular and Cross feedback, and similar controls for tempo-syncable delay Time, Modulation, the output Level of feedback taps, the amount of Feedback and the Low/Hi-Damp filters I mentioned earlier. Also, you can use different feedback modes and LFO waveforms for each channel if parameters are not linked… More on that in a sec.

In the LFO column, there are eleven waveforms in the Shape menu, controls for modulation Rate, plus a few surprises in the Tools section, with a Link button that will link all channel parameters and a Loop button that will open up a hidden set of looping controls for adjusting the playback Speed or reversing the playback with the Reverse button. There is a noticeable click in the loop, which is something that Luca (the developer) is currently troubleshooting, so I’m very certain that this issue will be resolved.

The Global Parameters above the Left & Right Tap columns and below the top bar include a small handful of controls for Input Gain, Drive, Low and High-Frequency Cut, Dry and Wet level controls.

In the top bar is a button that will Randomize all parameters, a Program Reset button that will restore the last saved version of the preset, buttons for saving and deleting presets and a Preset Browser with a context menu with four basic categories of presets: Delay, Modulations, Reverberant and Rhythmics.

The Verdict

Until recently, much of my sound design has involved the use of huge reverbs, which are still very close to my heart, but in just the last few months, I’ve really warmed up to multi-tap delays and the way they can “shuffle” audio within the delay buffer instead of “smearing” the signal like reverbs often do. That said, there’s a time and a place for either of the two, but for the purpose of pad design, Deleight has actually become one of my go-to plugins.

Of course, it’s not just useful as a delay. The Modulation presets are a good example of how Deleight is also capable of multi-voice chorus and flanger effects that can be very simple or extremely complex and deeply experimental. In fact, in my less than humble opinion, some of my very best sound design work has involved the excessive use of randomly modulated delay lines, so it’s nice to finally have a plugin that really shines in that department.

Long story short, Deleight has almost everything I could possibly want in a multi-tap delay plugin, with exception of a few unnecessary bells and whistles that would probably just take up space and slow me down. The simple, intuitive interface allows me to keep my head in the game while offering just enough control to get me excited by the results I can dial in within seconds. But if I wanted to roll up my sleeves and really dig in, there’s more than enough features on hand to create some beautiful sounds.

More info: Audiority Deleight (€35)