strymon

NAMM 2018: Strymon Magneto

At NAMM, one tries out a lot of instruments and walks away wanting to have a good number of them.  The novelty fades quickly, but some you find that you continue to really want.  The Magneto module from Strymon is in the latter category.

Strymon Magneto

The Magneto is a four-head tape delay simulator.  Its controls are very intuitive and playable, with enough flexibility to be used to generate spring-reverb-like sounds as well as function as a looping device via a mode switch.  You can see our first attempts with the Magneto in this video.

Strymon put a lot of attention to detail both in terms of sound design and usability into this device.  And as one would expect from a Eurorack module, just about every function can receive external CV input, making it more of a musical instrument in its own right than it would be in a studio rack or even a guitar pedalboard.  We were able to observe the delay and looping functions in great detail, but it was more challenging to discern the tape-effect functions, such as “wow-flutter” and “crinkle”.  Part of that is just the chaotic environment of NAMM (even in the more calm depth of Hall E).  Hopefully, we will get a chance to try those out in more detail in the near future.

For more information, please check out https://www.strymon.net/products/magneto/

NAMM 2016: Strymon Generalissimo

Strymon has long been known for their effects pedals, which are highly regarded. Now they have entered into the worked of Eurorack synth modules with the Generalissimo.

Strymon Generalissimo

The Generalissmo (cute name, by the way) is a four-head tape echo simulator with a range of additional features. The four delay tops can be switched on and off and independently controlled. There are also independent controls for each tap/head’s playback time. The taps each send an individual clock out, allowing one to drive a sequencer that in turn feeds into the delay unit for interesting rhythmic effects. A clock input allows this all to be controlled externally.

There are additional global controls that affect the quality of the sound, including familiar speed and feedback as well as tape age, crinkle and wow and lutter; and even a separate spring reverb control. Quite a lot in one unit. I wasn’t able to hear the tape age, crinkle and wow&flutter knobs work in the demo, though the main controls worked well and the unit sounded great. It was very smooth and the clock sync is quite a nice touch. There also a “sound-on-sound” mode that turns it into a tape loop simulator, though I wasn’t able to try that out.

An interesting question for me is what this module provides that the combination of a Make Noise Echophon and Phonogene do not (I currently own both of those). Clearly it packs more into one unit, and on the echo side has the four taps. But the clock(s) make be what set it apart musically, as well as the differences in sound characteristics. I hope to see and hear more if this module when it is released later this year.