80s Sync Delay combines three delay voices with note-based timing, pitch modulation and, in the two 22 modes, input-controlled ducking. Most sounds start on page 1; use the other pages to shape tone, movement and response.
Quick start
- Start with 22 DYN, the default mode, and set Anagram's tempo for your song.
- Leave Tempo Sync On, Note L 1/8D and Note R 1/4 for a dotted-eighth and quarter-note pattern. Start with Feedback 30% and Mix 25%.
- Play a phrase, then leave a gap. The repeats become more audible as the ducking releases. On page 4, adjust Duck Threshold to suit the level entering this block.
- Choose a Mode before making detailed edits: changing Mode recalls its timing, tone, modulation and ducking starting settings. Mix and Trails are preserved.
Choose a voice
| Mode | Starting sound | Values recalled when selected |
|---|---|---|
| 42 12-Bit | Warm, colored stereo repeats | Sync On; L 1/8D, R 1/4; Feedback 35%; Tone 54%; Mod Rate 0.24 Hz, Mod Depth 18%; R Phase Normal. Ducking is inactive. |
| 22 DYN | Clear repeats that move behind your playing | Sync On; L 1/8D, R 1/4; Feedback 30%; Tone 72%; Mod Rate 0.12 Hz, Mod Depth 14%; R Phase Inverted; Duck Amount −20 dB. |
| 22 PAN | One delay voice moving across the stereo field | Sync On; Note L 1/4; Feedback 30%; Pan Note 1 BAR, Pan Depth 100%; Mod Rate 2 Hz, Mod Depth 0%; Duck Amount 0 dB. |
In 22 PAN, Note L or Time L sets the echo time. There is no independent right delay; the pan controls move that one wet voice between the outputs. The dry signal keeps its incoming stereo placement. Ducking is available in 22 PAN, but its starting Amount of 0 dB turns it off.
Page 1
| Control | Range or choices; fresh default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Mode | 42 12-Bit / 22 DYN / 22 PAN; 22 DYN | Selects a voice and recalls its starting settings. |
| Tempo Sync | Off / On; On | Chooses note or millisecond echo timing. Also selects note or Hz timing for panning in 22 PAN. |
| Note L | Note divisions; 1/8D | Left echo time, or the single echo time in 22 PAN, with Sync On. |
| Note R | Note divisions; 1/4 | Right echo time with Sync On in 42 12-Bit and 22 DYN. |
| Feedback | 0–100%; 30% | Sets how strongly echoes repeat. Higher values sustain longer; 100% is not a guaranteed infinite hold. |
| Mix | 0–100%; 25% | Blends dry audio and echoes. 0% is dry; 100% is echoes only. |
Available note values are 1/32, 1/16T, 1/16, 1/8T, 1/8, 1/8D, 1/4T, 1/4, 1/4D, 1/2 and 1 BAR. T means triplet and D means dotted. Here, 1 BAR is four quarter-note beats. Echo times are limited to 40–2400 ms, so very short or long note/tempo combinations reach those limits.
Sync Delay follows Anagram's supplied tempo. It does not independently receive MIDI Clock. Changing Tempo Sync selects the stored notes or stored millisecond values; it does not convert one set into the other.
Page 2
Time L and Time R are inactive with Tempo Sync On. Note L and Note R on page 1 set the echo timing.
| Control | Range or choices; fresh default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Time L | 40–2400 ms; 500 ms | Left or single-voice echo time with Sync Off. |
| Time R | 40–2400 ms; 750 ms | Right echo time with Sync Off in 42 12-Bit and 22 DYN. |
| R Phase | Normal / Inverted; Inverted | Flips the right wet signal's polarity in the two stereo-delay voices. It does not move a tap or reverse the dry signal. |
| Tone | 0–100%; 72% | Shapes the brightness of the feedback path. Lower values darken successive repeats; higher values retain more detail. |
| Low Cut | 20–2000 Hz; 20 Hz | Removes low-frequency content from the wet output. |
| High Cut | 1000–20000 Hz; 20000 Hz | Removes high-frequency content from the wet output. |
Tone and the output filters do different jobs: Tone changes how repeats evolve, while Low Cut and High Cut shape the wet signal you hear. The 42 voice also becomes more colored and bandwidth-limited at long delay times.
If you will sum to mono, compare R Phase Normal and Inverted. Polarity inversion can cause cancellation when similar left and right echoes are summed.
Page 3
Shown at the fresh 22 DYN defaults. Pan controls apply only in 22 PAN. Tempo Sync selects Pan Rate (Hz) or Pan Note in that mode.
| Control | Range or choices; fresh default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Mod Rate | 0.01–8 Hz; 0.12 Hz | Actual speed of the delay-time modulation that creates pitch movement. |
| Mod Depth | 0–100%; 14% | Amount of pitch movement. Start low for subtle motion. |
| Pan Rate | 0.01–8 Hz; 0.20 Hz | Stereo panning speed in 22 PAN with Sync Off. |
| Pan Note | Note divisions; 1 BAR | Length of one full pan cycle in 22 PAN with Sync On. |
| Pan Depth | 0–100%; 0% | Panning range in 22 PAN: centered at 0%, full travel at 100%. Mode selection recalls 100%. |
| — | Empty |
Pitch modulation always runs freely, in every mode, whether Tempo Sync is On or Off. There is no Mod Note control. Pan timing is independent, so you can combine faster pitch movement with a slow, one-bar pan cycle. Mod Rate is the actual pitch-modulation rate in Hz in all three voices, including 22 DYN.
Page 4
| Control | Range; fresh default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Duck Threshold | −72–0 dB; −35 dB | Input level above which the wet signal begins to duck. Lower it to trigger ducking more readily. |
| Duck Amount | −60–0 dB; −20 dB | Maximum attenuation of the wet signal. More negative values allow deeper ducking; 0 dB disables it. |
| Duck Attack | 1–2000 ms; 5 ms | How quickly ducking responds to a rising input. |
| Duck Release | 1–2000 ms; 500 ms | How quickly repeats return as the input falls. |
| Trails | Off / On; On | Lets existing echoes continue when the block is bypassed. |
| — | Empty |
Ducking turns down the wet output, leaving the dry signal alone. Actual reduction depends on the input and envelope; Duck Amount is a limit, not a constant reduction. Start with −20 dB, 5 ms Attack and 500 ms Release, then adjust Threshold while playing. Raise Amount toward 0 dB for more audible repeats during the phrase, or shorten Release for a faster return between notes.
Why controls become inactive
With Sync On, the Time controls are inactive; with it Off, the Note controls are inactive. In 22 PAN, Note R, Time R and R Phase are always inactive. Pan controls apply only in 22 PAN: Pan Note with Sync On, Pan Rate with it Off. Ducking is inactive in 42 12-Bit. In either 22 mode, Duck Threshold, Attack and Release become inactive when Duck Amount is 0 dB. Inactive values remain editable and are retained until changed or replaced by a Mode recall.
Mix, bypass and the display
Mix uses an equal-power blend. Partial Mix can be louder than an endpoint, depending on the signal; adjust the downstream level when comparing sounds. Use 100% wet in a parallel branch when another path supplies dry audio.
Trails On stops new wet input on bypass while existing echoes continue over unity dry audio. Off fades and clears the tail. Preset switching or removing the block is outside this bypass-tail behavior.
Chain View shows a repeat schematic in 42 12-Bit and 22 DYN, and a moving pan marker in 22 PAN. The gold bar in both 22 modes shows actual ducking, filling from right to left as reduction increases. The repeat dots illustrate settings; they do not flash at each audible echo.