STRYMON Deco Tape Saturation & Doubletracker Strymon

The Strymon Deco Tape Saturation & Doubletracker is a pedal that recreates the sonic effects of vintage reel-to-reel tape machines, effectively giving you two distinct effects in one unit: Tape Saturation (a tone-shaping, "always-on" effect) and Doubletracking (a modulation/delay effect).

This is a summary of the pedal, with a focus on the most recent V2 version which includes significant modern updates like full MIDI and a new Saturation voicing.

Core Functions

1. Tape Saturation (The Preamp/Overdrive Side)

This section emulates the non-linear compression, harmonic distortion, and warmth achieved by pushing the input of a tape machine. It's often used as an "always-on" effect to add dimension and subtle compression.

• Saturation Knob: Controls the amount of tape drive, ranging from subtle harmonic enhancement and compression (low settings) to transparent, warm overdrive (high settings).

• Tone Knob (V2 Feature): A dedicated control to adjust the EQ of the saturation, from darker to brighter.

• Voice Switch (V2 Feature):

  • Classic: Based on open-reel mastering tape machines for a familiar, smooth saturation.

  • Cassette: An all-new voice based on the Auto Level Control (ALC) process of high-end cassette decks, resulting in a compressed, fatter tone.

• Volume Knob: Sets the output level of the saturation side.

2. Doubletracker (The Modulation/Delay Side)

This section emulates the technique of using two tape machines to create classic studio effects by manipulating the time difference between the two decks.

• Lag Time Knob: Controls the delay offset (up to 500ms) between the Reference Deck (your dry signal) and the Lag Deck (the delayed/modulated signal) to create:

  • Flanging: Very short lag times with subtle warble (e.g., through-zero flange via secondary function).

  • Chorus/ADT (Automatic Double Tracking): Short lag times (around 15-30ms) for thickening and widening.

  • Slapback Echo: Longer lag times (up to 500ms) for classic echo/delay sounds.

• Blend Knob: Sets the mix level between the Reference Deck and the Lag Deck.

• Wobble Knob: Adds random, natural-sounding pitch modulation (wow and flutter) to the Lag Deck's speed, increasing realism.

• Type Switch: Adjusts the phase and routing for different tonal textures:

  • Sum: Decks are in phase (standard).

  • Invert: Lag Deck is phase-inverted, which can affect the low-end response.

  • Bounce: Creates a stereo "ping-pong" effect or a double-repeat effect in mono.

V2 Version Enhancements

The Deco V2 is the current version and features significant updates over the original: