Yesterday we talked about using phase cancellation during recording to create interesting sounds that can’t commonly be created with EQ. Even after the recording process, you can create phase cancellation to capture the sound you’re seeking – it’s actually quite easy in the DAW world. To create a comb filter effect on tracks that are already recorded, simply copy and paste a duplicate of the track into a new track, and insert a very short delay into the copied track. Set the delay time to less than a millisecond and set the feedback to 0%. Mix the two tracks and adjusting the balance of the two and the delay time to create the comb-filtering effect you desire. This can be effective on instruments such as guitar and bass, and even drums or synthesizers.
TTOTD Fun Fact: This Tech Tip is actually the exact opposite of the Tech Tip from 12/15/2005, where we showed you how to use delay to time-align miked and DI signals to alleviate phase cancellation.