Delay, again, 2024.

[roman.i]

Which delay to buy? Price up to $50.
1. Valhalla delay
2. Echoboy
3. Air delay pro
4. ?

Sound:
1. Simple control, Fast workflow
2. Sits well in the mix, not "on top" of the mix.
3. Ducker is an advantage.
4. No experimental stuff, but just the regular functions.
5. Multiple delay flavors is an advantage (drop down list)

Requirements:
1. Supports natively Apple M1
2. History of maintenance to the latest Macos
3. Doesn't require purchasing a "new" version every year or so

[swilow11]

My go to send delay is Replika XT- again, very versatile, nice modulation options, and really clean clear sounds. For really basic stuff, I usually use Kilohearts delay on its own, or throw it into Snapheap with a filter and EQ. It's free too (Snapheap isn't though).

Minimal Audio Cluster Delay is nice.

Probably my favourite "creative" delay would be Colour Copy by U-he. Best at murky saturated stuff, can get wild easily and nice ducking options. It works really nicely on transient percussive sounds. Bit expensive though well worth it.

[mholloway]

The one your daw comes with. Just saved you 50 bucks.


(Not joking, either; I've yet to meet a DAW that doesn't come with a high powered delay plugin. I use ableton, and the standard Delay covers all the bread and butter needs, Echo covers all the modulated tape sat wow + flutter territory, and Grain Delay is still unrivaled for crazy glitchy modulated grain madness. But other daws have great delay fx, as well.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

I LOVE ValhallaDelay. Desert island delay plugin for me. Gets my vote.

[jamcat]

There are so many free delays available that it just doesn’t make sense to buy one unless you’re looking for a model of some particular gear.

[DCrown]

Delays are even more important than reverbs imo, you just can't have enough delays, I think I have almost every delay plugin.
Delays can make a sound thicker, extend it, cut thru, pan a sound ping pong, create excitement in a static track by not syncing a delay to bpm, can affect or inspire a special creative solo performance, create special effects, chorus-phaser-like, great in combination with other effects like reverb, slap effects, repeat a sound or even create better reverb sound than most reverbs, delays can replace drugs by creating psychedelic effects (bwckwards dl etc) and more
Buy or try them all, stay away from pa, they neither have good reverb nor delay, one of the best is Waves H-Delay, Super Tap Delay and Valhalla, AIr delay pro is a beast, Nembrini Delay 3000 Vintage is a very special one etc etc. Your requirements are too many and too complicated for me to check, though, so I don't know if they would meet your requirements.

[kritikon]

Valhalla - cleanest to my ears therefore the lushest, ducker, quick-ish workflow, various flavors but doesn't stray very far from the norm. Makes for massive wide open delays and huge spaces. I use it in everything.

ReplikaXT - more colored but warm & sits in the mix better, really quick workflow considering the depth, good for dub etc but not as huge sounding. Great workhorse delay, does everything without needing a PhD in echonometry and one of the few that gives proper feedback filtering that's not restricted to LFO only. Number 2 only because it doesn't generally sound as huge as Valhalla.

[elassi]

HY-Delay gets my vote.

[concealed identity]

Deelay and Trailbender are both free and also some of the best delay plugins I've ever used, free or paid.

I also really like the sound and interface of Comeback Kid.

[zerocrossing]

I LOVE ValhallaDelay. Desert island delay plugin for me. Gets my vote.

Same.

[t.o.t.s.]

Echoboy is nice. Valhalla is nice but kind I dont LOVE it. Lots of features for the price though. TAL Dub Delay is priced well and sounds nice.

[Igro]

Variety of Sound NastyDLA mkIII. Free.

[concealed identity]

Variety of Sound NastyDLA mkIII. Free.

I love this plugin but absolutely hate its interface. So hard to tell where dials are set, and similar colors and gradients make everything take three times as long for me as I squint and search around with my eyes. I really wish there was an alternate skin for this, other plugins by the same developer have much clearer UIs in my opinion.

[harddaysnight]

If you haven't explored what your DAW has to offer, do that.
If you have, going by what you wrote up - I'd throw Baby Audio's Comeback Kid into the ring.

Simple and easy to understand workflow so you'll have no issues there.

I find it sits well in the mix but tbh I think this is more on you as the musician/mixer to make it work - you can adjust the wet/dry signal to taste - my preference is to have the delay on its own send/bus though, so I have total control over everything and can still have the non-delayed signal up front and centre. This makes every delay sit in the mix however I want them too.

It's got an excellent ducker - Baby Audio nails this.

It has some experimental stuff but it's all right there and tied into your last point - there's no "drop down" for different flavours in Comeback Kid, those options to change the flavour of the delay are all right there and ready to go - you can shape the lo/hi cuts, attack and sustain as well as change the overall vibe/flavour of the delays with making it sound cheap, tape saturation, "swirl" and "sauce", can thicken up the sound with some stereo options for widening and wahtnot, as well as adjust both the dry out and wet out signals separately.

I find Comeback Kid easy to use but maybe more importantly (for me), it's just fun. I love having nothing hidden behind different parts/sections or drop-down menus, I'm a big fan of everything being right there, readily available, and Comeback Kid nails the design aspect.

But I do want to stress, if you haven't already, explore what your DAW has to offer because most DAWs have amazing delay capabilities.

[tlkmx]

Ok im a delay freak ive tested almost every delay around. Just writing a bit about all because i have music to do but

Fabfilter - Timeless 3 / Best UI on any delay around. It doesnt have so many controls but if you dont have a DAW with a solid modulation system like bitwig its dope! And the sound is really nice too. Which it was somehow deeper tho
Soundtoys - Echoboy / go to delay for sound design when i want it to imprint tons of character on the sound
Soundtoys - Primaltap / Love this delay it has many algorithm and the characters of them is top levelll
Audio damage - other desert cities / This one has amazing algos you have to try it its one of the rare delay around that do stuff other doesnt tbh
NI - Replika XT / one of my go to delay. Really nice UI with lots of usability. It sounds a bit cleaner for sure
Valhalla - delay / one of my go to delay. I wish we had more controls over the sound but the algorithm sound amaaaazing
Pulsar - Echorec / the sound of the binson echorec. Really cool different delay
Surreal Machines - Modnetic / Another re 201 emulation i love the sound of it and i'm not sure why.
Audiothing - Outer space / The sound of the re 201 basically mb not the most faithful recreation but one with the best ui
TAL - Dub-X / good price and sound tho i have too many alternatives but i liked it
U-He - Colour Copy / really cool delay for coloring and sound design. Love the bbd emulation it get to cool territories
U-He - MFM 2.5 / Tons of controls and pretty cool deeper fx delay. I don't use it as much tho its not as easy to dial since its deep
D16 - Texturon / Amazing multitap delay with a big matrix. Super cool to have that much access to taps it's pretty rare

tested also lexicon, PSP, Eventide, softube, SSL, Arturia, Waves
Some are nice but it wasnt my cup of tea even tho the waves h delay sound good i wasnt a fan of the UI lol I know ppl praise it a lot tho

I still have a list where i want to try a few. Like klevgrand modley, air delay pro, newfangled recirculate, Space station um282
all seems interesting..

On a side note i wish steinberg made the multitap delay into a proper vst out of cubase but maybe it sucks i havent tried it lol