Worth getting the Strymon Timeline for the Digitakt?

Hi!

After adding the Big Sky to my Digitone I’m tempted to get the Timeline and hook it up to my Digitakt, anyone uses the combo and thinks it’s a good fit? Thanx!

I like the Timeline a lot. But with any delay I’d be cautious of having the whole Digitakt playing through it. Different to having Reverb over everything. Depends I suppose on what the Digitakt’s going to be doing.

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But if you did want to go this route, for a little extra money I’d consider the Dual Engine Empress Echosystem. Much more versatile.

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Ok thank you! Very helpful!

So delay maybe not as useful as an outboard effect ? Only solution to not apply it to everything is to use overbridge and a software delay with fx send on the channels you want them ?

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What do you like more about the Empress compared to the timeline ?

2 separate engines. So you can run 2 different delays in series or parallel. I think possibly even 2 separate mono channels. There’s even a decent reverb algorithm on it. Sound wise I like the Timeline and Empress. But the dual engines on the Empress make it more versatile and experimental.

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Thanx! I’m contemplating trying out the the timeline and see if I like it. Free returns and express shipping makes life easier lol. I like the Nixie software of the Strymon boxes and the midi connectivity without the need of a external midibox as this will sit on my desk.

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All valid. I much preferred the Timeline in that respect. I also enjoy menus.

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I have both the Bigsky and the Timeline. Great pedals! Both can be set to a Kill Dry mode for use in Send/Return loops. Just discovered the awesomeness that is the Lo-Fi machine. It’s the exact same machine as the Destroyer from the Mobius. Bit and sample rate reduction with a vinyl sim with the added feature of a delay line. If you just want it for lo-fi you can turn the repeats off. Love both of those. Recently added the El Capistan too :slight_smile:

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I mean… any delay pedal is “worth it” to me, lol. but for the DT, I guess it would depend on how much you’re using delay with your drum sounds (or whatever samples you’re using in the DT) and how much you want to vary the type of delay you’re using. you likely don’t want to send everything through it. I guess you can always pan things to the left/right outputs, run one through the Timeline, then run them into a mixer to “re-align” them… (i.e. a fake bus for the Timeline mix and a dry mix)

personally, I sold my Timeline for an El Capistan. I don’t like menus in pedals, I like them to be simple, immediate, and obvious. Timeline made me feel like I was blind to what was going on in it (Big Sky and Mobius, same way). also the tape delay is my favorite one in the Timeline and it’s super limited there, versus the El Cap. they actually chose the worst mode to add to the Timeline.

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Sounds good!

Just ordered one should be here tomorrow!

Do you have any experience controlling them via midi from the DT/DN with PL ?

PL? P-locks?

I have controlled them from my OT before for sure. Pretty much any parameter can be controlled including the looper and all of its related features (IIRC. And I mean, the looper for sure can be controlled. I’m just unsure about all the neat features it has including half-timing the loop, reversing, etc. that is available with their extension pedal. I’m sure you can though.). The MIDI implementation for both are well documented.

As for P-locking things, it should be doable though I have not tried. It should just be a matter of assigning the corresponding CC to one of the slots on the CC pages of the DT/DN and p-locking as desired.

One thing I did just figure out is from my A4, I can send one of the CV outs into essentially any expression pedal in, Strymons included, and have a new modulation source for those pedals. I’m sure it opens up some creative possibilities.

Also, while I have not done so yet, there are some firmware updates you can do on both of those pedals. I think I’m a version behind on each and I’ve only had mine for 8 months or so. They shipped with the important update from 2017 that gave them Nixie support and MIDI clock settings per patch. The Timeline for sure has a 2020 update that addressed something in the BBD algorithm when using really long repeat settings.

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The reverb/delay is already reallly good on the digi boxes. Why buy more stuff?

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Yeah they are good, but there is no way I can get the Digitone to put out something even close to some of the stuff i get out of the BigSky. If someone can tell me how I’m all ears though!

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sell it and buy an OT? :crazy_face:

The Digitakt delay is pretty full-featured, not sure what difference sound-wise another delay is gonna make, and since you’re going to be sending the full mix into an outboard it seems like a worse solution actually. I guess used in conjunction with the built in delay it could be rad. Let us know how you like the combo.

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Maybe the midi feedback trick is worth exploring to really squeeze a bit more out of the onboard digitakt fx?

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Received the TimeLine today, and will play with it the coming days to see if it’s worth keeping. A lot of stuff to test and to learn… :slight_smile: Should be doable within 30-days I think. :slight_smile:

I clearly see where you who warned me about running the full mix through the TimeLine, not very useful, apart from maybe using MIDI to control specific parts, etc.

For you who use an outboard delay wherein the chain do you put it? For example if I where to hook it up with the digitone which is already hooked up to the Big SKy would you put it before or after the Big Sky ?

I actually have it connected to my Waldorf Strecichfett as pad/key/strings seem easier to use with delays, at least when you’re not sure what you’re doing just yet. :slight_smile:

what can you do about fx’s with midi feedback :confused: ?

Well my thinking is to use midi for automation control.