the duo i’m in, we use a Boss RE-20 for vocal delay live. We run it out of the effects send on one of the mixers I have [although I play keys so it’s not too hard to tweak stuff on the fly]. Something with either midi synchronization or tap tempo works best. Probably wouldn’t be too bad to run it out of an insert on the mixer though.

There’s a couple pedals with xlr [mic] in, as well as a couple multieffects boxes that offer delays on them [do a google search for ‘vocal pedal’, there’s a boss and some digitechs and a couple electroharmonics and a whole line from TC Helicon]. Still, it’s generally more versatile [and typically cheaper] to get a mixer and general stomp boxes and do it that way.

Basically, a decent enough mixer will have a couple things: 1- inserts, and 2- effects sends. I use the Behringer 1002, which is barely over $100USD. You can also use a smaller mixer that just has panning [and I’ll get to that in a second] but for now, effects sends and inserts.

An effects send is kind of like an assignable output. You have knobs on each channel of the mixer that control the volume to that output. so you run a cable from the fx send output on the mixer into the input of the effect [the delay, in this case] and then run that back into an open channel on the mixer [be sure that channel doesn’t have its effects send knob turned up or you’ll run into feedback]. The effects send signal generally is routed to the fx send out jack AFTER applying EQ, gain, etc, so if you have the mic channel’s fader all the way down, you won’t get any delay signal.

an insert is typically a tip-ring-sleeve jack [like a 1/4″ headphone jack] that works per channel [so if you don’t want to send multiple things through the delay, i’d recommend this]. It takes the input and sends it through the tip jack, you run that into whatever effects you want, and then send the output into the ring jack and then your Mic channel includes the effect in it for level/eq etc. The downside to this method is you’ll have less control of the level being sent to the effects pedal. You’ll want to pick up a cable like this for it: [img]http://i.tfcdn.com/images/agDT-LjQaxrDNIZUX0aG3NLizOTEnPjMvOKSotLc1LySYoaMkpICK339zNzE9FRDA72kzKqixJJUXTC_WC85P1e_KLU4syrVPjczxdbYyNDEQK240NbEwECtFChgZGRoYGpqamFqzsAAAA**?m=1&g=1[/img]

You can also do it with a smaller mixer like the Behringer 502 if you want to do it really cheap. set up channel one as the mic and pan it entirely left. run the Left output into the effects, and run the effects out into channel two or three and pan that entirely RIGHT. you can then blend in the effect by changing channel 1’s panning [the further right, the more dry signal]

As far as a ‘long’ delay goes, that’d probably more than 330ms, right? A digital delay might be more effective, especially considering EQ crunching that analog delays provide.

the 1002, the only time it gets noisy is if you’re running things that are inherently noisy into it [ie, high gain pedals, etc]. It’s really just a mixer/preamp, about as transparent as they get. The 502 as well. or the mackie designs that behringer ripped off, if you feel like going that route.

and do you plan to run the whole band into it? you might want a larger option if that’s the case.

and yep, it’ll work fine with the M-audio, i think [the fast track has 1/4″ inputs, right?]

Also if you end up going with the 1002, it has a ‘monitor send’ that works more or less the same as the FX send, except it pulls audio from before the level fader and EQ knobs but after the gain knob- kind of like a blend of the FX send and the insert. it’s kind of handy to have both.