Yeah. Different uses. My deco stays on my octatrack outs.
The more videos Iāve watched of the Volante, Iām pretty sure my Deco will stay even if (when) I get the Volante.
I think the Volante, Flint, Deco will be be a pretty awesome trio. I wonder if the FET gain on the Volante and Deco tape saturation will stack well? That could be awesome.
Right now lām running two different simple pedal rigs: (1) Three Strymons in front of my UAD Arrow for recording using amp models, and (2) an all analog setup in front of my real amps (Analog Man Sunface, Outboard Fender Reverb Tank, Way Huge Aqua Puss Mini, modded Box of Rock clone that someone made for me, and onboard amp trem).
For some reason I like the analog/digital split.
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Iāve tested the Deco lately with some of my tracks. I know Iām insane for saying this, but I like it more than the Heat. It doesnāt do nearly as much, but thatās partly why I like it, and the character it brings, I donāt know, I just prefer it. Small footprint, focused feature set, knobby interface, looks great.
Maybe itās just cause itās new. Maybe itās just a phase.
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I had a long honeymoon with the Deco.
I was running it on my master channel.
I liked it a lot at the time, but decided it was a little to much on the master channel.
I completely quit using it for months.
I decided to just use it on my Analog Four.
Found my magic settings and fell in love all over again.
I agree, itās subtle, but adds wicked character.
My last gig I got compliments on my a track that uses the saturation quite a bit. Fellow nerd Convextion wanted to know how I got a particular sound, totally the Deco!
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Thanks for the input. Iām even more convinced now. Iāve always found your advise very credible so now Iām even closer to the trigger.
Thinking about picking up a Deco. Iāve had a Behringer TD-3 on pre-order that I can cancel and use that money towards a Deco. I figure I have enough synths at the moment , my BS2 is boxed up at the moment even. Therefore, the Strymon might be a better option as Iām looking for something to tame the digital edge of my Machinedrum. Thanks @Lauli , you started this. 
Anyway, Iāve been sold in a strymon deco awhile back but maybe Iāve been hesitant to get a pedal, this would he the first. Anybody want to sell me more on this?
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The Deco is amazing, it can do soo much and it looks cool, however I sold mine and got a Heat which has less options but just sounds good on everything.
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I have both and would agree. The Heat can give me subtle like the Deco but so much more if needed.
The Deco used as a delay can be nice though. I suppose overall the Deco strikes me as something I can add later with software. Maybe Iāll use it more and learn to regret those words.
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the deco is very nice, and i liked having it in a hardware setup, using some of the knobs live to temporarily flange or delay. i eventually got rid of it because i am mostly computer or iPad now and like being more mobile, less cables, less setup, plus i can get the sounds i want in digital.
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So can someone that has both, compare the tape saturation algorithm on the Heat with the Deco? i can only afford one of themā¦
I think as a synth player maybe the Heat (with its new version as well) makes more sense than a good guitar pedal ?
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You will get infinitely more mileage from an AH than from a Deco. Iāve never owned a Deco but it canāt do what the AH, or now, the AHFX will do. If you can afford a Heat Iād get a Heat.
Saturation is just an algorithim on the Strymon where the Heat has actual analogue drives in it. If I am going to buy hardware for any form of distortion it needs to be analogue or else Ill just get a digital plugin for 1/8th the price (Kelvin for example is amazing).
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Iāve had both and kept the Deco (and upgraded to the new version). Its saturation/drive algo is pleasing to me and not like anything on the Heat, but the main draw is the stereo width and dimension the flanging adds. Itās somehow both subtle and intense, like Beatles vocal double tracking, which I guess itās designed to emulate. Itās like having two tape machines in a little box.
Heat + FX really interests me, though. Iād like to see if it can approximate what the Deco does. It looks promising, anyway.
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I prefer Decoās saturation as a global kind of glue, plus the Tape emulation as well.
Sounds amazing, itās subtle and to me sounds more like saturation in a good warm deep way.
The Heat is no doubt cool, but couldnāt justify the price.
The Heat is far more noticeable and has more options, yet sounds too abrasive to me at a certain point.
Each one is quite different to me, and offers something the other canāt do.
The playability of the big knobs and the tape emulation definitely won me over.
The Heat also takes up more room in my wallet and on my desk.
Stymon makes incredible sounding stuff even if itās not true analogue
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I love Strymon pedals and have a bunch as well as an AH MK2. If you want or need features like modulation and envelopes plus distortion, then my recommendation is to buy the new AH+FX Elektron box. Otherwise Strymon is solid.
I donāt view the two as the same type of box. The Heat is more saturation (and now much more with the +fx) while the the Deco is more tape (saturation - yes) emulation. The Heat is much more noticeable - even on the gentler settings (all I use). Turning up the drive has immediate results. While the Deco is something that whenever I use it I think either āmehā or āI donāt think it is doing muchā however when playing back the recordings I find the ones with Deco so very pleasing. Hard to explain but it keeps me from selling the Deco.
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Iād say Deco perimeter is small and precise. Does a few things very well.
A bit different from CBA GenLoss2, less noticeable, but still very solid.
You donāt need much time to reach your sound.
AH+ does a loooot of things, you can be very precise, save a patch to be recalled later, and do something totally different depending on the input.
You can create the type of saturation you want, Go really in depth to taylor the sound to one machine, or the global mix.
Go subtle or obvious.
I found the UX fast enough to dial the sound I had in mind, but there is some menu diving, especially if you want to add some modulationsā¦
Deco was an acquired taste for me. I got one from a friend a long time ago and didnāt appreciate it at the time, but now I love it. It gets overshadowed by a lot of the recent ālofiā effects pedals (Chase Bliss, Fairfield Circuitry, etc) but can definitely get into that ālofiā territory if you want or stay very subtle and tasteful. I think if Strymon marketed it as that rather than as a Les Paul reel-to-reel inspired effect it would have caught on even more.
I have never owned a Heat, but another cool color box is the Vermona Retroverb Lancet if you want analog drive, real spring reverb, filters, and an LFO. Mono, but Iām one of the weirdos that prefer my synths in mono.
Itās easy to clip the DECO. It does have a setting for line level, but I was smashing it with bass from a Subsequent37.
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I didnāt try the Heat, but I think it could be better, more suitable and with a wider range of sounds with respect to the Deco. However, I have the Deco and it is my favourite Overdrive EVER and my favourite āsimpleā modulation pedal EVER.