Strymon Deco

bodymechanics · 2022-07-02T01:27:10.080Z

Yep, when I first got it I loved it, and thought it sounded kinda fucked up.
Once I adjusted the filter to taste it’s become a staple of my sound and performance.
Wicked fun twisting knobs on the deco, sounds amazing on vocals/vocoders.
Just smidgen of Saturation gives it just enough character that I’d hate to not have one anymore.

Prints · 2022-07-05T19:14:11.863Z

Prints:

I already ordered one directly from Strymon because I miss the one I used to have and want to sequence this new version with the Syntakt.

I forgot that the USB port on the Syntakt can’t act as host so I’d need to use a computer as well to send midi from the Syntakt to Deco. That’s a bummer. I guess I’ll have to use my Squarp Hapax instead when it finally arrives.

Prints · 2022-07-06T03:38:46.967Z

This just arrived today. I first tried hooking it up to the Micromonsta 2 and thought it sounded good. But then, I tried it on the master out of the Syntakt with the cassette algorithm and became overly excited. I absolutely LOVE this algorithm on the whole mix.

It reminds me of a mixture between the SP303 vinyl sim comp and the OP1 limiter. I’m going to end up parking it on the master with the cassette algorithm and not doing much else with it lol. I’m ok with that.

image2706×2706 1.93 MB

bodymechanics · 2022-07-06T04:26:00.234Z

I certainly was ok with it for a loooong time.
I have the older Deco though, they sound amazing.
I’ve got it on a send these days though.
It’s definitely become a staple of the sound I am going for.
That set up looks NiCE!

petezoid · 2022-07-06T04:38:08.248Z

feedback mixer saturation, field recorder compression… wut Do po ppl use 4 ‘heat’??

edie: poor mans deco is a mid fi tape fuzz

spelljammer · 2022-07-08T03:43:18.019Z

Well that is exciting. Can wait for mine to arrive!

metalfalcon · 2022-08-10T18:05:32.290Z

Any other v1 to v2 users pick one up yet? I love my crusty beer stained v1 (got it used at a GC for $120 about 3 years ago in it’s current condition. It’s ugly but the innards are all fine ). I’m very curious how the cassette algo sounds on synths/drum machines etc.

colectivo_triangular · 2022-11-20T17:25:56.252Z

Here’s a demo of the Strymon Deco V2 with some Dub Techno and Ambient patches. Synths used: Twisted Electrons MEGAfm and SH-01a. Maybe you find it useful.

DimensionsTomorrow · 2023-02-16T11:44:11.185Z

I’ve had a Deco for years that I got from a friend and always used it quite subtly. I found myself looking at some lofi pedals lately (like the Shallow Water), and decided to see what I could do with the Deco. I have really been missing out by not messing with the hidden high and low cuts. There is some magic in there if you want those really nostalgic tones.

The settings I dig for this are: high and low cuts all the way to the right (maxed), middle position on the toggle, the blend knob all the way to the right, modulation all the way up, and the time knob somewhere between 11:00 and 2:00.

I also found a strange pedal order that worked out well.

UAD Dream -> Deco -> Volante (Reverb up quite a bit on on the Dream and off on the Volante as strange as that sounds)

Sounds like a weird order, but surprisingly super nice having the spring reverb going into the modulation on the Deco, and having the whole thing with a bit of tape delay.

I’ve always found the Deco quite tough to fully wrap my head around because it can do so much, so I thought I’d share.

Strymon kind of gets viewed as pretty vanilla these days since there are so many boutique things out now, but I find their stuff is actually really classy. The Deco was so ahead of its time.

Elek4 · 2023-08-24T07:55:52.797Z

The pedal is now available in plugin.

Strymon

Deco Tape Saturator & Doubletracker - Strymon

Makers of precision-crafted music electronics and effects pedals. We want to build products with no compromises. We want to push the limits of technology in music.

Hope it sounds better than it looks.

RytmMASCHINE · 2024-01-08T07:09:03.454Z

Hi, I’ve got the Deco V2 recently and use it on synths, e. g. Bassline DB-01. I love that sound …
Deco V2 is set to mono in and line level input. FW is version 1.22 from September 2023.

My question regarding the Wobble (LFO) effect on the lag time:

While the YT demos with guitars show a noticeable effect on the lag after turning the wobble knob there is only a marginal effect in my setup.

First I thought the wobble knob might be defective but I can use it flawlessly to switch the Stereo Width Mode (a Live Edit function) on and off.

What’s your experience with synths? Does your Deco V2 behave similarly?

handed · 2024-01-08T07:36:57.000Z

Still in love with my Deco V1 after all these years.

Anyone have any experience with the plug-in version? Curious to know how it goes…

DimensionsTomorrow · 2024-01-08T08:02:40.202Z

I don’t use mine in wide stereo mode, but it might be the case that wobble doesn’t really do much in the wide stereo mode (I can’t remember). Try in the regular mode and compare. Also check where the blend knob is set. All the way to the right is where the wobble is the strongest i think. Sum, invert and bounce also affect it I believe. Try those settings and compare with blend all the way to the right in non-wide mode.

JacopoAcquafresca · 2024-01-08T08:24:38.086Z

I have Deco V1. Although almost every function is pretty subtle (I like that way) with blend and wobble at maximum in bounce setting when you are not in the studio wide mode, the vibrato is very, noticeable.

Area_808 · 2024-01-08T10:48:37.838Z

I have the plugin and think it sounds really really good!

Don’t have experience with the hardware but do use it alongside the Analog Heat in processing signals and find it to be really useful in achieving a sound really quickly that I can’t do so easy on the AH.

RytmMASCHINE · 2024-01-08T21:36:16.477Z

@JacopoAcquafresca and @DimensionsTomorrow

Thank you for your suggestions.
For me wobble didn’t work well together with the DB-01. Everything else worked very well though.

Then I connected the Deco V2 to my Volca FM 2 and there wobble effects are very noticeable.
My lessons learned: Again some synth / pedal combos work better than others. That will be never a boring game.

Edit: Of course I will continue to use the Deco together with the DB-01 but with lesser expectations to that wobble.

handed · 2024-03-24T02:44:38.390Z

Folks with the V2 Deco - how are you controlling it with MIDI? It has a non-standard 1/4 inch TRS MIDI input - does that just mean I can use it as a 3.5mm MIDI port with a 3.5mm to 1/4 TRS adaptor (like for headphones) to interface with my other DIN MIDI and 3.5mm MIDI gear? Or does it really need you to buy some extra Strymon MIDI dongle to access MIDI through that port? Does it conform to TRS-A or TRS-B MIDI? I’m not so interested in using MIDI over USB.

RytmMASCHINE · 2024-03-24T11:45:03.751Z

Hi, my Strymon pedals are MIDI In TRS Tip active.
I would try it with a MIDI Type A adaptor because e.g. Chase Bliss is Ring active and there MIDI Type B is reported to work.

EDIT: I use a MIDI Box 4 that can drive any MIDI In TRS setup.

Disaster Area Designs

MIDI Box 4 — Disaster Area Designs

Updated and more powerful than ever, the MIDI Box 4 converts standard 5-pin (DIN) MIDI communications to a variety of 1/4″ formats. Four independent control ports interface to your devices, and new user-accessible configuration switches make setup...

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Kegeratorz · 2024-03-24T16:35:44.358Z

I have a El Cap so I’d assume all is the same. I have a Type A TRS-midi dongle I use with the DN and all works well!

g3o2 · 2024-06-18T00:10:22.548Z

I am positively surprised by the fact that, with Deco’s wide stereo mode with stereo input, the OB-X8’s stereo voice spread is pretty much preserved when double-tracking, or at least I didn’t get the impression that the voice spread would become any less stereo. I thought Deco would sum to mono in bounce mode. Nevertheless, the X8, being relatively bright sounding synth, appears to benefit most from the tape saturation.