u-he’s Colour Delay is a modernized take on the classic bucket brigade device (BBD) style delay, combining the warm, analog character of BBD delays with a host of innovative features that make it incredibly versatile. This plugin is designed to provide the full spectrum of delay effects, from subtle echoes to more experimental, evolving soundscapes. Whether you’re aiming for vintage tones or looking to create something entirely new, Colour Delay’s flexible features allow you to shape your sound with precision and creativity.

At the core of Colour Delay is its ability to deliver a wide range of delay times, from a quick 1 millisecond up to 1 second. This can also be synchronized with the host tempo, giving producers the option to scale the delay time via rate control from 25% to 400%. These options allow users to experiment with everything from tight, rhythmic delays to expansive, evolving echoes. The plugin excels at creating classic analog delay sounds but also goes well beyond that with the ability to introduce exciting saturated textures into the delay lines.

One of the defining features of this plugin is its feedback colorization controls, which allow you to infuse the delay signal with various tonal textures. Colour Delay includes five different “colors,” each with its own unique characteristics. These colors vary in terms of frequency bandwidth, noise levels, and the way the delay degrades or loses clarity over time. The Saturation knob allows you to dial in the intensity of these characteristics, while the Brightness control lets you tweak the bandwidth to your liking. This makes it easy to create anything from warm, vintage-sounding delays to more aggressive, distorted echoes.

A standout feature of u-he’s Colour Delay is its dynamic ducking effect. This allows you to duck the delay signal in relation to the input signal, which means the delays will be quieter while the original sound is playing but will become more prominent once the input signal fades. The plugin provides an Amp/FB switch, letting you choose whether you want to duck the entire delay output or just the feedback portion. This feature is particularly useful for maintaining clarity in dense mixes, as it helps avoid the buildup of delays that can clutter the stereo field. The Threshold knob gives you full control over when the ducking effect kicks in, ensuring that the delays complement rather than overwhelm your mix.

The plugin also features an onboard LFO, which adds another layer of modulation to your delay effects. With the LFO, you can modulate the delay rate, tap position, or amplitude, creating dynamic, evolving delay effects. You can choose between sine or triangle waveforms for the modulation, giving you control over the type of movement in your sound. This allows for a wide range of effects, from subtle vibrato and chorus to more pronounced pitch-shifting and tremolo. The Depth and Frequency controls let you dial in how deep and how fast the modulation is, while the Stereo Phase knob allows you to adjust the phase difference between the left and right LFO signals, adding spatial movement to your delay effects.

In addition to these core features, Colour Delay also comes with MIDI note tracking, which allows the plugin to respond to MIDI input. This enables a mono synth-like operation, where the delay timing can follow the pitch of the MIDI notes you play. It also includes an infinite loop button, allowing you to loop the contents of the delay buffer indefinitely. This feature is perfect for creating experimental sounds, evolving textures, or complex soundscapes, as you can loop the delayed signal for as long as you need.

For producers working in stereo, Colour Delay offers independent input and feedback routing, which means you can easily create stereo or mono combinations, providing further flexibility in shaping your sound. The plugin also comes with a comprehensive preset browser, which includes a tag and text search feature. This makes it easy to find the right sound or starting point for your project. And, for ease of use, the interface is fully resizable, allowing users to scale it from 70% to 200%, depending on their screen setup and personal preferences.

Overall, u-he’s Colour Delay is a powerful and highly flexible delay plugin that is perfect for both traditional analog delay effects and more creative, experimental sound design. With its BBD-style sound, innovative modulation capabilities, and intuitive interface, it offers everything producers and sound designers need to create engaging, dynamic delay effects. Whether you’re looking for subtle echoes to add depth to a mix or more complex, modulated delays to enhance a soundscape, this plugin is a must-have for anyone looking to expand their delay arsenal. Its integration of classic delay behavior with modern features like ducking, feedback colorization, and MIDI tracking ensures that it remains a versatile and valuable tool for any music production environment.