A Study of The Edge's Guitar Delay (U2) -- Zooropa (Zooropa)

The Edge's Delay Settings > Zooropa (95 bpm)

Starting at time 0.00 at the beginning of the CD track, the sample runs from [1:53.5 - 1:54.5 secs].
Like he did with 'Streets', Edge chains 2 delays together. The first delay is 320ms (=1/8 @ 95 bpm) with 1 repeat. The repeat from that delay then goes into another delay unit which repeats 5-6 times at 160ms (=1/16 @ 95 bpm).
In the clip, you can hear the attack on the high note, then a delay repeat from an earlier note. Then at 320ms, the first delay repeat of the high note. Then you hear future repeats of it (6-7 times) at 160ms each.

Here's the sample clip I studied for this song (it's slowed down 8x maintaining the same pitch.)

Figure 1: Waveform of the sample clip

This is the most likely signal path (same signal path configuration as Streets):

   Guitar ->  Signal split A/B:

              A -> Amp #1    (this is for the initial attack - dry signal only, no long delay)

              B -> 320ms (1 repeat only)  ==  2/16 @ 95 bpm
                  with little or no modulation
                    [ 100% delay, 0% input signal ]

                -> 160ms (6-7 repeats)  == 1/16 @ 95 bpm   -> Amp #2
                       with heavy modulation

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Your Comments

wow one of my favorites songs!!! really a piece of art after the first tw minuttes. what a great job you did with this site. for zooropaI gguess I get the sound better, and also can hear the two delay quitte clear at 1x speed (of course, only after reading this :)more thhan I could do in the 8x slowr clip

-- lucio, Apr 5, 2012

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