Over the past couple of years, Strymon have set about making some of their renowned guitar pedals available in plug-in form, making it easier than ever to put their renowned effects algorithms to work in a DAW project. The BigSky reverb was the first to make the jump, followed by Deco, a dual-effect pedal that offers both tape saturation and double-tracking — we reviewed both in the January 2024 issue of SOS. This time, it’s the turn of two of their delays, with both El Capistan and DIG gaining a plug-in counterpart.
El Capistan
El Capistan emulates three different types of tape machine, with each model benefiting from in-depth control over parameters such as tape quality and machine health as well as offering a wealth of tone control. A Single Moving mode mimics a tape machine running at a fixed speed, with a Time control setting the delay time by adjusting the position of a sliding recording head. Normal and double-speed settings are provided, offering a higher-fidelity sound with shorter delay times and vice versa.
A Single Fixed mode then provides classic delay effects where the Time knob governs the tape speed, and three playback head options offer a choice of different delay intervals: 1/16 notes, dotted 1/8 notes and 1/4 notes. Finally, a Multi Fixed mode uses the same three playback heads as the Single Fixed mode, but uses two of the three heads simultaneously to create rhythmic delays and offers control over the tape speed.
Along with it’s versatile range of delay effects, the plug-in is also kitted out with a built-in spring reverb emulation that Strymon say is capable of everything from subtle enhancement to waves of old-school spring sounds.
DIG
Said to unearth the true soul of digital delay effects, DIG comes loaded with a pair of delays that draw inspiration from classic 1980s hardware units. The first of three operation modes, ADM, models a one-bit, high-sample-rate conversion technique that originated in the telecommunications world, and creates a percussive, wide-band delay effect that adds increasing amounts of character as the input dynamics increase. A 12-bit / 32kHz PCM mode follows, which is said to provide a “warm delay with a dimensional sense”, and lastly, a 24-bit / 96kHz setting delivers a more modern-sounding, clean effect free from artifacts.
Compatibility
El Capistan and Dig are supported on PCs running Windows 10 or higher, and Macs running macOS 12.7 and above. VST3, AU and AAX plug-in versions are available. An iLok account and internet connection are required for activation.
Pricing & Availability
The El Capistan and DIG plug-ins are available now, priced at $79 each. They can also be purchased together as part of the Echo Plugin Bundle, which costs $99.
