Strymon Deco - Tape Saturation & Doubletracker

Submitted on September 26, 2014

Our journey begins with the early recording studios of the '50s and '60s. The introduction of reel-to-reel tape machines and the creative engineers that used them brought on some of the fattest sounds imaginable. These early machines really were the first effect pedals—they just wouldn't have fit on your pedalboard! Deco brings this original inspiration back, giving you these vintage tape effects from the earliest recording studios, right on your pedalboard.

Deco's Tape Saturation smooths out your sound with familiar and delicious tape compression and saturation, while fattening it with subtle tape-driven transparent overdrive. The Doubletracker provides the power to shift your sound in many ways, easily allowing you to achieve syrupy slapback tape echoes, psychedelic tape flanging, and gorgeous tape chorusing sounds.

Tape Saturation

Give your sound the smooth and warm qualities of analog tape, along with the enhanced touch sensitivity and playing dynamics that are intrinsic to the inner workings of tape machines. Achieve incredible transparency at low levels, with reduced high frequency spikes and a harmonically rich low end. Turn up the Saturation to increase the amount of tape drive, dynamic compression and distortion.

Deco is perfectly suited for a last-in-chain, "always on" sweetening effect. Everything sounds better on tape. Want to push the limits of tape beyond what was originally possible? Use Deco as a tape-style transparent overdrive—crank the Saturation all the way up to "peg the meters" and gently overload the machine's input.

Doubletracker

Go back to the early days of recording studios, where a few creative audio engineers discovered a new world of augmented sound by pushing the limits of studio tape machines. By inventing automatic doubletracking, they introduced echo, flanging, and chorus to the world of recorded music.

Intensify and widen your sound with Deco's Doubletracker controls. Turn the Lag Time to obtain classic slapback tape echo, spacious doubletrack chorusing, and mind-bending tape flanging. Add random modulation with the Wobble control and go from very subtle movement to more extreme undulations—just like having a recording engineer vary the speed of the machine.

Features

Auto-Flange
Press and hold the Doubletracker Bypass footswitch to achieve a recording studio-inspired through-zero flange effect. This engages a "virtual audio engineer" manning the faders and tape reels to create a smooth and predictable through-zero flange experience on the fly. After releasing the footswitch, the controls are smoothly returned to their previous settings.
Wide Stereo Mode
Deco gives you the option for extremely wide stereo imaging to broaden and intensify the sound of your stereo rig. Wide Stereo Mode sends the mono input (summed if using a stereo input) to the Left channel through the 'Reference Deck', and to the right channel via the delayed 'Lag Deck' to create an adjustable stereo spread. The Blend control acts like a Pan control by adjusting the relative levels of the two tape decks.
Expression Pedal Control
Input allows for the connection of either an expression pedal, external tap, or Favorite switch. Plug in an expression pedal and control any one knob with your foot. Plug in an external tap to tap in your Lag Time. Plug in a Favorite switch to save and recall a favorite preset.
Individual Bypass
Separate bypass footswitches allow you to bypass the Tape Saturation and Doubletracker individually. Your Deco gives you two individual effects in one pedal.
TRS Stereo Input
We know that there are some out there that like to run stereo rigs. This is why we've added the option of running the input of your Deco in stereo. Flip a jumper inside your pedal, use a TRS splitter cable, and now you've got yourself a stereo input.

Specs

Sound Design
Detailed recreation of the mechanics and technology of two vintage studio reel-to-reel tape decks and their interactions
Nuanced sonic delivery of the classic saturation effects of the tape record/playback process
Simple and intuitive Lag Time knob allows for slapback delays, tape echoes, tape flanging, tape chorusing
Two Tape Saturation adjustment and tone shaping knobs: Saturation, Level
Three Doubletracker adjustment and tone shaping knobs: Lag Time, Blend, Wobble
Three Doubletracker blend types to tailor doubletracked sound: Sum, Invert, Bounce
Five "hidden" knobs for deep tone tweaking: High Trim, Low Trim, Auto-Flange Time, Wide Stereo Mode, +/- 3dB Boost/Cut
Press and hold studio-inspired Auto-Flange effect
Ins, Outs, Switches
High impedance mono input (internal jumper enables selectable TRS stereo input)
Stereo output
Two signal routing modes: Standard, Wide Stereo Mode
Individual Tape Saturation Bypass and Doubletracker Bypass footswitches
Expression pedal input allows the connection of either an expression pedal (for selectable control over any knob parameter), external tap pedal (for remote time control of Doubletracker), or Favorite switch (to save a Favorite preset)
Audio Quality
Super low noise, high performance 24-bit 96kHz A/D and D/A converters
110db signal to noise
+8dBu maximum input level easily handles instrument and line signals
20Hz to 20kHz frequency response
Premium analog front end and output section
Super high performance SHARC DSP in a compact form factor
32-bit floating point processing
More
True Bypass (electromechanical relay switching)
High quality, tranparent Analog Buffered Bypass mode
9V center negative DC power supply included, 250mA current draw
Strong and lightweight electroless nickel plated aluminum chassis
Designed and built in the USA

Strymon about the v2

The Strymon Effect Pedals - Deco V2 - Next Generation brings so many cool old-school studio techniques that became iconic sounds in rock, country and more into one sweet pedal. With the Deco you can recreate the tape saturation, doubletracking and so much more easily, and shape it to just what you want. New upgraded hardware deliver classic old school reel-to-reel inspired studio compression and saturation along with beautiful transparent overdrive - super lush and warm! The Doubletracker features let you add slapback delays, tape echoes, tape flanging, tape chorusing and more too.

Deco now comes with an all-new cassette tape voicing that employs an auto level control process common to many high-end cassette tape recorders, resulting in a compressed, fat tone.
In addition, a new dedicated Tone knob lets you adjust the tone of the Tape Saturation exactly to your liking, from dark to bright.
Full MIDI implementation control just about every switch, knob, and setting
USB-C connection
300 MIDI preset locations for loading and saving your favorite settings