You have options! First I should point out some Renoise jargon: delay often refers to the “delay column” which give you fine offset for the trigger time(e.g. if you want to add humanized or triplet rhythms). I couldn’t tell immediately if you were asking about that or about adding delay FX, but I’m guessing it’s about FX since the delay column is mostly straightforward(use the toggles to add the column to the track, then put in numbers).
Let’s review how it would be done in classic trackers, since you don’t have that background: In those, assuming you’re constrained for sample space, you would do a delay effect by triggering the same sample on multiple tracks. The very first thing I found for “tracker music” has an example of this: https://youtu.be/hRznLXhu4pg?list=PLuprJ3W2ahOXgaIkH_Pf4De4JSFz6wo9l The first two tracks playing the arpeggiated synth are doing a delay by having one play a few rows offset of the other, playing at a lower volume. Same sample on both, there might also be panning added to make it “stereo”. This kind of sequenced delay effect is still totally OK, and you can do it on a single column without having the notes cut each other by making sure the sample properties “NNA” (New Note Action) field is set to “Continue” instead of “Note Off”.
The difference between doing it this way and using delay FX is simply in the kind of controls you get. An FX will operate on the raw audio so it can use arbitrary delay timings, and it has filters and stereo separation functions built in, so you’re getting more flexibility overall. And it’s easy to get it running: add a new track just for this FX chain, trigger the sample on that one.
But it might feel ungainly to go this route - you might want just one track. But to do it on one track, you would have to have to toggle the FX with automation or it would impact the other notes. That is also doable - right clicking on the FX chain parameters in record mode lets you set up some automation. But then you’re doing some juggling in your track which is also a bit awkward. So perhaps this is not the way to go for this task.
You have an alternative! You can define a more complex sampled instrument that uses the same sample twice, running them through two different FX chains. This might be the most “intuitive” way of buillding a new sound effect from an old one. Go to the samples view and right click on the sample to duplicate it. You’ll now have two samples, “drum” and “#drum”, and then in the Effects tab you can assign an FX chain to each. But then how do you access one or the other? You have to set up zones too. In the Keyzones tab there is an easy button, “Drum Kit” that will assign them in ascending order.
It’s also OK to make Renoise render out the sample or even the entire track with FX added, and then trigger different samples. It’s not “efficient” in terms of filesize since you’re rendering out new assets, and it bakes in your decision, but the option is there(I think it might be absent in demo, though).
Lastly, you can make a more precisely sequenced delay by triggering a phrase instead of a sample, and having that phrase contain the delay sequence, running at a higher tempo. This is a great way to do something like a chiptune sound effect where you’re arpeggiating very fast.