Chenille questions

[Captain Boyfriend]

I just got Chenille and I'm enjoying it, but have some questions. I've attached a screenshot of part of the manual I'm referencing.

Screen Shot 2016-09-22 at 7.06.09 PM.png (107.87 KiB) Viewed 929 times

1. First paragraph: There isn't any discussion in the manual at how they're calculating delay times using BBD stages and clock rate. It tells you what the delay times are using these specific examples, but is there a formula or something I can use to know what delay times I'm getting depending on what I've set my BBD and clock to?

2. Second paragraph: I'm a guitarist (re: an imbecile), so "delay length" and "delay time" mean the same thing to me. What is the distinction they're making here? What exactly as an interpolated delay line?

I know it's fun to just use your ears to come up with settings but I like to have a deeper understanding, if I'm capable, for when I want specific results. I tried Googling around but didn't come up with anything.

[WongoTheSane]

Regarding your first question, there is a table with all delay times for clock rates going from 1.5 to 100 kHz, and from 2 to 8193 delay stages. The formula is:

delay time (ms) = (BDD stages / 2) / Clock rate (kHz)

Example for 1024 stages @ 18 hHz: 512 (1024/2) / 18 = 28.44 ms

I think I roughly understand the difference between IDL and BDD, if I'm wrong someone will correct me. This isn't meant to be a technical explanation, just an ELI5. The difference is only audible when modulating the delay, i.e. speeding it up or slowing it down, as compared to the original signal. Say you're slowing down the delay. BDD takes "little grains of sound" and places them in a queue (the longer the queue, the longer the delay). If you're slowing down that delay, you need more grains than you actually have - say I have 2 grains of 1 second each in my two buckets, and I need to fill 3 seconds with them: I'll play the first grain twice to fill the blanks. IDL, on the other hand, will fill the blanks by crossfading (interpolating) the signal.

So the delay length and time will end up being the same thing as an user (counter-clockwise=shorter, clockwise=longer), except that when repeating a buffer with a BDD, you consider how long the grains will stay in the buffer (then it's called delay time), while when interpolating, you only need to know for how long to wait until the next grain (then it's delay length).

[Captain Boyfriend]

Excellent explanation, thank you very much!

I got it for its spatial imaging but I'm really enjoying its character as a simple delay.

[Abstrax]

I can't for the life of me, wrap my mind around how it works. For what it's worth, Chenille & Steerpike are 2 of my favorites.

[manisnotabird]

I think I roughly understand the difference between IDL and BDD, if I'm wrong someone will correct me. This isn't meant to be a technical explanation, just an ELI5. The difference is only audible when modulating the delay, i.e. speeding it up or slowing it down, as compared to the original signal.

From the Steerpike manual:

Use this button to switch between BBD mode and IDL (Interpolated Delay Line) mode. IDL is the typical software digital delay.
With IDL mode you will avoid aliasing entirely (see Clock, below). More usefully it will allow you to have longer feedbacks,
even infinite feedbacks, without the sound degradation that would occur when using BBD mode, or with tape delays, even
with THD at minimum. As with Bypass/On/Off Switch Off, switching BBD mode will also instantly clear the delay line of all
active channels.

The easiest way to think about it, I think, is that BBD is emulating analog hardware (chorus/flange/ensemble/vibrato pedals or rackmount units for Chenille, delay pedals or rack mount units for Steerpike/Titus) while IDL is straightforward digital delay (chorus/flange/ensemble/vibrato effects are all based on very short delay times).

[Abstrax]

I think I roughly understand the difference between IDL and BDD, if I'm wrong someone will correct me. This isn't meant to be a technical explanation, just an ELI5. The difference is only audible when modulating the delay, i.e. speeding it up or slowing it down, as compared to the original signal.

From the Steerpike manual:

Use this button to switch between BBD mode and IDL (Interpolated Delay Line) mode. IDL is the typical software digital delay.
With IDL mode you will avoid aliasing entirely (see Clock, below). More usefully it will allow you to have longer feedbacks,
even infinite feedbacks, without the sound degradation that would occur when using BBD mode, or with tape delays, even
with THD at minimum. As with Bypass/On/Off Switch Off, switching BBD mode will also instantly clear the delay line of all
active channels.

The easiest way to think about it, I think, is that BBD is emulating analog hardware (chorus/flange/ensemble/vibrato pedals or rackmount units for Chenille, delay pedals or rack mount units for Steerpike/Titus) while IDL is straightforward digital delay (chorus/flange/ensemble/vibrato effects are all based on very short delay times).

With this being said, how should I best take advantage of the BBD in these devices? Should I be automating the Clock or the Steer knob, or the BBD Stages?