Do Strymon pedals suck tone?

Freethenoise · Post by **Freethenoise** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 5:06 am

Hey guys,

This discussion was going around TGP about 'The Strymon Effect', which is a supposed tone suck from these pedals. I've had a Timeline for a while now and never really noticed anything, but I wanted to run a little experiment.

I recorded a clip of the Timeline disengaged in both bypass modes, then out of the signal chain and then with the delay engaged. The amp is mic'd with a Sennheiser E906 and Shure SM57. All amp and interface settings remained the same throughout.

So, what do you guys think? If there is tone suck, which is too subtle for me to notice clearly, it's worth it for the delay sounds.

[youtube][/youtube]

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 9:09 am

If you can't tell/don't notice it then why worry?

benecol · Post by **benecol** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 9:23 am

STANDARD TIN EARS DISCLAIMER, BUT: I've never noticed anything. You know you can switch from buffered to true bypass, right?

Freethenoise · Post by **Freethenoise** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 9:32 am

benecol wrote:STANDARD TIN EARS DISCLAIMER, BUT: I've never noticed anything. You know you can switch from buffered to true bypass, right?

I do know that. In fact, I know it so much I did it in the video. You can watch me do it too!

It was an experiment based off a rumor. I also said that it was too subtle for me to notice, implying that it doesn't worry me.
Does it worry you?

robroe · Post by **robroe** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 12:41 pm

can you explain "tone suck" for me?

and everyone else?

Freethenoise · Post by **Freethenoise** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 1:05 pm

robroe wrote:can you explain "tone suck" for me?

and everyone else?

Some phrases used from the original thread on TGP in regards to having Strymon pedals in your signal chain:

1. 'However, once out of the signal chain, my amps suddenly sounded as they'd had new valves and had a blanket removed from the front of the speakers....'

2. 'it's the dry and processed sound....tried my old beloved hartman flanger yesterday...very lush and warm in comparison with the mobius. It's like mp3 vs vinyl...'

3. 'cold and lifeless'

4. 'I would characterize it as a loss of dynamics or punch also'

Here is the original link to the TGP thread the theory arose from: http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showth ... ?t=1485665

I want to take a second to clarify that this video was not made as a dig at Strymon or as a dig at anyone on TGP. This video was made to test a theory that arose on TGP about Strymon pedals being DETRIMENTAL towards the overall tone of a signal chain.

I didn't state a clear opinion in the video because I wanted it to be without bias. I wanted people to see the video and judge for themselves whether the tone change was detrimental or not.

The original thread labelled Strymon pedals as 'Tone Suckers', hence my title.

It was just a little experiment, nothing more.

BearBoy · Post by **BearBoy** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 7:16 pm

Can't say I noticed much difference if any. Certainly not in "my amps suddenly sounded as they'd had new valves and had a blanket removed from the front of the speakers" territory.

Not always easy to tell from Youtube videos but sounds a bit like toan twattery on TGP to me...

benecol · Post by **benecol** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 8:12 pm

Freethenoise wrote:I do know that. In fact, I know it so much I did it in the video. You can watch me do it too!

It was an experiment based off a rumor. I also said that it was too subtle for me to notice, implying that it doesn't worry me.
Does it worry you?

Sorry old stick, I was phonescaling, so couldn't watch your video. It does not worry me, rest assured.

robroe · Post by **robroe** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 8:41 pm

wait

people want a blanket over their amp?

YuriK · Post by **YuriK** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 9:07 pm

Amps need their nap.

Freethenoise · Post by **Freethenoise** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 10:34 pm

BearBoy wrote:Can't say I noticed much difference if any. Certainly not in "my amps suddenly sounded as they'd had new valves and had a blanket removed from the front of the speakers" territory.

Not always easy to tell from Youtube videos but sounds a bit like toan twattery on TGP to me...

I was expecting the last post on the TGP thread to dismiss everything else with the 'toan is in the fingurz' argument.

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Tue Dec 30, 2014 1:09 am

That thing about 2 delay pedals being like the difference between mp3 and vinyl almost made me piss my pants. An effect or bypass colouring or attenuating the sound is one thing, but these guys are taking their very specific guitar/amp combinations and how Strymon's affect it all a little too much as gospel... I'm sure they don't "suck tone" as a rule, but if they do colour the sound there is inevitably going to be a rig they make sound better to some (like how guys used to use Echoplexes just for the boost or love the extra beefy tone that accompanies an engaged Phase 90 whereas others see them as detriments).

Nice thorough vid, but I'd definitely go with a strong and confident "ehhhhhh..." on that TGP tone-suck sentiment. Strymon are doing quite well these days so of course a bunch of guitar players are going to say "OH NO BUT WAIT WE'RE ALL DOING IT WRONG", as in every other gear debate.

Freethenoise · Post by **Freethenoise** » Tue Dec 30, 2014 1:25 am

paul_ wrote:That thing about 2 delay pedals being like the difference between mp3 and vinyl almost made me piss my pants. An effect or bypass colouring or attenuating the sound is one thing, but these guys are taking their very specific guitar/amp combinations and how Strymon's affect it all a little too much as gospel... I'm sure they don't "suck tone" as a rule, but if they do colour the sound there is inevitably going to be a rig they make sound better to some (like how guys used to use Echoplexes just for the boost or love the extra beefy tone that accompanies an engaged Phase 90 whereas others see them as detriments).

Nice thorough vid, but I'd definitely go with a strong and confident "ehhhhhh..." on that TGP tone-suck sentiment. Strymon are doing quite well these days so of course a bunch of guitar players are going to say "OH NO BUT WAIT WE'RE ALL DOING IT WRONG", as in every other gear debate.

It's pretty fucking funny some of the examples they use.

The thread has devolved into people posting photos of pros boards (It's TGP, so Joe Bonamassa came up first) who use Strymon saying 'They can't be bad if they use them!'

Honestly, I love TGP. Best source of entertainment and bullshit theories. Some of the responses I've gotten to posting the video up on TGP have been pretty comical too.

sholkham · Post by **sholkham** » Tue Dec 30, 2014 1:05 pm

I'm sure their neighbours won't mind the difference.

Also I think I saw your video on the BOSS OD3 the other day Freethenoise. It's convinced me to get one so keep up the good work.

Freethenoise · Post by **Freethenoise** » Wed Dec 31, 2014 12:02 am

sholkham wrote:

I'm sure their neighbours won't mind the difference.

Also I think I saw your video on the BOSS OD3 the other day Freethenoise. It's convinced me to get one so keep up the good work.

Thank you kindly,

The Boss OD-3 is, in my opinion, the best overdrive Boss has designed.

Post by **Doog** » Fri Jan 02, 2015 7:46 pm

There's a difference between both flavours bypass and the 'removed' sound, for sure.

I stitched together the start of each example to zoom-in on this properly; you had a lot of sounds to wade through:

http://bestnetworx.com/uploader/files/3/bypass.mp3 (buffered bypass, true bypass, removed).

That said, this could be down to you removing the extra cable required by patching the pedal into the signal, presuming you didn't factor that in already. That's gonna have a big effect, no matter what the pedal is.

People always say "JUST TURN UP YR TREBEL DUH LOL" but these issues tend to scrape off the sparkly upper highs that a presence dial would control, rather than the 'trebz'.. and even in that case, it'll never sound quite the same.

THAT said, add a band to this sound and it doesn't make any difference in the slightest.

71Smallbox · Post by **71Smallbox** » Mon Jan 05, 2015 8:04 pm

robroe wrote:wait

people want a blanket over their amp?

YuriK wrote:Amps need their nap.

Freethenoise · Post by **Freethenoise** » Wed Jan 07, 2015 2:44 am

Doog wrote:There's a difference between both flavours bypass and the 'removed' sound, for sure.

I stitched together the start of each example to zoom-in on this properly; you had a lot of sounds to wade through:

http://bestnetworx.com/uploader/files/3/bypass.mp3 (buffered bypass, true bypass, removed).

That said, this could be down to you removing the extra cable required by patching the pedal into the signal, presuming you didn't factor that in already. That's gonna have a big effect, no matter what the pedal is.

People always say "JUST TURN UP YR TREBEL DUH LOL" but these issues tend to scrape off the sparkly upper highs that a presence dial would control, rather than the 'trebz'.. and even in that case, it'll never sound quite the same.

THAT said, add a band to this sound and it doesn't make any difference in the slightest.

Thanks for putting together that mp3 clip to show immediate comparisons.

I tried to keep the cable length as short as possible, using just a 6 inch patch cable from the pedal to the amp. I think a lot of people who claim pedals have a negative effect on their tone don't actually stop to think, 'Well fuck, there's more cable now.'