Classical tape echo vibes and vintage tape delays of analog echo devices are the profession of the extensive Strymon Volante. From full-sounding drum delays and band echoes with distinctive tape saturation to crystal-clear reel-to-reel studio tape effects, the Volante produces the most popular sounds of analog tape recorders and offers a multitude of detailed editing options. Accordingly, the versatile effect offers not only the possibility to switch all four magnetic heads on or off individually, but also controls for mechanics and wear, which artificially age the quality of the simulated tape and mechanics. Last but not least, the Volante proves to be a real Strymon device absolutely suitable for studio use thanks to inputs and outputs in stereo format, connections for tap tempo and expression as well as midi in and out for real-time control via external devices.
With individual switches for all four read heads and controls for wear and mechanics, the Strymon Volante creates classic band echo sounds with strong characteristics of the analog models.
Drum, Tape and Studio
The basic sound modes of the Volante are based on the classic construction of the analog echo effect. In Drum Mode, the Volante produces traditional Echorec sounds whose rich and powerful bass character accurately recreates the tube-loaded signal path and the magnetized metal disc. In tape mode, on the other hand, the classic characteristics of the tape echo, including juicy tape saturation and mechanical wear and tear of the read and write heads, are reproduced. For clear and defined delays the Studio Delay Mode is available, which simulates a professional reel-to-reel setup of the fifties and sixties.
Full control over all heads
In addition to the three basic sound modes, the Volante offers an enormous variety of possibilities to adjust your own echo sound down to the smallest detail. First, the Low Cut control offers a variable high-pass filter that filters unwanted bass from the repeats, especially in Drum Mode. Mechanics creates characteristic inaccuracies in the playback device, including band eggs, cracks, and splices, while the Wear knob simulates the decreasing bandwidth of a well-used tape. A Tap Tempo switch is provided to control the timing of the effect. This determines the playback delay of read head 4, while the spacing control defines the time intervals of the separately switchable heads 1-3. From straight eighths to triplet patterns to time division by golden or silver cut for rich delay carpets, the Strymon Volante sets no limits to creativity.
The Strymon Volante at a glance:
Digital Multi-Head Magnet Delay Effect
SHARC DSP, 32-bit floating point processor
Three Modes Drum, Tape and Studio
JFET preamp with variable input level
Controllers for Mechanics and Wear to simulate classic component wear and tear
Speed switch half, normal and double
Four simulated read heads, separately switchable for playback and feedback
Controller for Repeats
Spacing controller for determining the time intervals between the read heads
Great recreation of drum and tape based delays with all the relavent control over wear and charecter of units like Bison echorec and Roland RE201, great unit in all and highly recommended.
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