How to Do Reverse Delay in Logic Pro

How to Do Reverse Delay in Logic Pro

Logic doesn't ship a dedicated reverse-delay effect, but region reverse plus a tempo-synced Delay Designer (or Tape Delay) gets you there.

Method 1: The Manual Way (Reverse Region + Delay)

Step 1 — Isolate the sound on its own track/region.

Step 2 — Reverse the region (Edit > Reverse).

Step 3 — Add a tempo-synced delay — Delay Designer or Tape Delay, set to a musical division.

Step 4 — Bounce in Place (Shift+Ctrl+B).

Step 5 — Reverse again — the taps should now stack toward the original hit, landing on the beat if the delay was properly synced.

Step 6 — Line it up, trimming front and back so the final tap lands exactly on the beat or word you want.

Common Mistakes

• Free-running (non-synced) delay time — echoes won't land on the grid after the flip.
• Feedback set too high, burying the transient it's building into.
• Not consolidating edits or Flex before the first reverse.
• Skipping a tap-by-tap check against the grid — unlike a reverb wash, each echo here is audible on its own.

Method 2: A Real-Time Insert (Slingshot)

Slingshot ships as an AU, dropping straight onto a Logic channel strip. It generates the stacked, tempo-synced reverse-delay taps live, with six delay characters and independent pitch/formant control — no bouncing, no re-reversing when the take or tempo changes.

Which Method Should You Use?

Same tradeoff as everywhere else on this: manual is free but has to be rebuilt every time something changes; a real-time plugin costs money once and stays editable while you play.

Building an ambient wash instead? See reverse reverb in Logic Pro — full comparison in Reverse Delay vs. Reverse Reverb.