RECORDING November 2024 - 68

-Review by Paul Vnuk Jr.
Strymon
Echo Plugin Bundle
Two classic Strymon stomp-box
delays in your DAW
In addition to its line of popular stomp boxes, Strymon is
also becoming quite adept at plugin creation. Today, like the
Strymon BigSky and Deco pedals before them, the company's
El Capistan and DIG transition to the plugin realm in the new
Strymon Echo Plugin Bundle.
The Evolution
The original El Capistan dTape Echo pedal was introduced in
2010 (reviewed in December 2014), while the digitally focused
DIG was released in 2016 (reviewed July 2016).
Both pedals were part of the 2022 V2 makeover, which added
a host of features including USB and TRS-based MIDI control, an
improved J-FET input stage and an expanded control set-bringing
many secondary/hidden menu functions to the top panel.
Like the Strymon Deco Tape Saturator & Doublertracker Plugin
reviewed in our November 2023 issue, the new Strymon Echo
Plugin Bundle offerings are based on the upgraded V2 hardware.
A Big Bundle of Echoes
While the BigSky Plugin (reviewed January 2023) and the
Deco Plugin largely retained a stomp box look and layout, the
El Capistan and DIG plugins visually move beyond photorealistic
stomp box recreation with an expanded plugin-centric layout.
However, the functions, controls and sound remain a 1:1 port of
the code found in the V2 pedals with one new addition to the El
Capistan plugin.
As with all Strymon plugins, the GUI is resizable, and each
plugin includes a host of presets along with master-level I/O with
LED-based VU meters.
El Capistan dTape Echo Plugin
El Capistan is a modeled adaptation of classic tape-based
delay units, namely the multi-head Space Echo and the singlehead
Echoplex, although it is not a clone of either. El Capistan
is built upon the company's dTape modeling technology to
achieve the sound, saturation and characteristics of a tapebased
delay system.
68 RECORDING November 2024
Roll Tape
El Capistan begins with a choice of the Machine Type: Single
Moving (like an Echoplex), Single Fixed and Multi Fixed (both
like a Space Echo). Each offers a graphic representation of the
tape heads and tape. A Tempo section selects between Free, Tap
or Sync (project tempo complete with selectable note values).
Single Moving offers a choice of 1X or 2X tape speeds, with
a max delay range of 25ms to a full 1.5 seconds. Just like a real
tape machine, you can create wobbles, pitch and time stretching
effects, garbled slides and more by altering the tape head position
manually. As with all parameters on both plugins, you can
capture and automate this in your DAW.
In Single Fixed mode, the maximum delay times of 75ms to 1.5 seconds
are divided equally across three tape heads. Each tape head is
akin to 1
/16
, 1/8
and 1/4
note time divisions of the master delay time.
In Multi Fixed mode, you can group multiple heads (1+2, 2+3,
1+3 and 1+2+3) with a max range of 60ms to 900ms, which
results in classic multi-tap delay. Note that the 1+2+3 head option
is only found in the plugin.
Controls, Tones and Springs
Eight adjustable parameter controls round out and represent
every parameter found on the hardware stomp box, including
previously hidden parameters.
These include Repeats (with options for ∞ and cut), Wow &
Flutter, Tape Crinkle, Low End Contour (exaggerates or deemphasizes
the low-end), Tape Age and Tape Bias. Most of these
affect the tone, artifacts and grunginess of the echoes. El Capistan
RECORDING November 2024

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