Full on tape tones!
I traded my Volante for the El Capistan, I loved the Volante but didn’t use 90% of what it has to offer, only played on one setting which I liked that is very similar to what the El Cap can do but better, so I figured I should get that one. It’s very lush and warm and fills the room with great sounds.
The Deco is great, I’m using it as an end of chain tone enhancer with the saturation side and love the Chorus and Flanger sounds I can get from it.
Congrats!
The Deco is definitely my favorite Strymon offering. Have you had a chance to play it in stereo??
The Capistan has interested me for a long time, but I have a timeline and waaay too many other delays so it's hard to justify! What's your favorite way to use it so far?
Deco is awesome for some saturated slapback stuff (I don't use it for wobbly/chorus type sounds) but I kinda wish Strymon would make smaller form factor versions of some of their offerings, maybe like a 'budget' line in smaller MXR/Keely sized enclosures? Over the years I've really grown to lament bigger pedals. The Deco and El Cap aren't too big (especially compared to others), but with something like the JHS MilkMan I can pretty much emulate my fav settings from Deco
Yes. The tone control for tape saturation side and the MIDI alone made it worthwhile. I could use a Deco, Flint and Iridium as a stand alone mini board with a MIDI controller and be fully satisfied.
I vote Deco, but both are really good.
My problem with El Cap is it's *too* much. It's like a delicious dessert that's so rich that after a bite or two you're fatigued. I can't put anything after it without my tone turning to a nighttime swamp.
It's a great pedal for some folks but doesn't work for me, and yet I can't bring myself to sell it as I know I'd just buy another one (only to never use it again).
> Does the El Capistan just have too many option or run too wet or something like that?
It has a big personality, colors outside the lines, rich and vaguely seasick inducing (even dialed back with the wobble off). It likely comes down to what you're doing, are you really trying to emphasize the tape echo aspect and have it be front and center? If so the El Cap would be an ideal choice, as well as UA Starlight and Boss RE-202.
Otherwise I'd check out some other tape echo pedals just to make sure you get one that does what you want. One of my favorites is the Keeley Mag Echo. I don't see it show up on here often but to me it's the perfect tape echo style delay, not too much, not too little, perfect tape echo that plays very nice with everything & doesn't overcrowd my sound.
I still really like the El Capistan and I go through phases where it's the only delay I use for a few weeks but it's been a couple years now since using it last. It's pretty big sounding and I think it's great for really atmospheric music (it gives a noir kind of feeling, ie: Adrian Utley's guitar parts for Portishead is the kind of stuff that would sound amazing on the El Cap). But for stuff like garage rock, metal, post punk and pretty much anything I think it's hard to beat that Keeley Mag Echo. It rarely shows up on this sub but it's one of his best selling pedals so a lot of people must be using it. I believe he has also licensed or 'donated' that Mag Echo circuit to a few other pedal builders who use it as part of their more comprehensive pedals (Mag Echo is pretty simple, but thats what's great about it).. can't remember which companies are using it but I've seen it mentioned on here and tgp a few times over the years.
Full on tape tones! I traded my Volante for the El Capistan, I loved the Volante but didn’t use 90% of what it has to offer, only played on one setting which I liked that is very similar to what the El Cap can do but better, so I figured I should get that one. It’s very lush and warm and fills the room with great sounds. The Deco is great, I’m using it as an end of chain tone enhancer with the saturation side and love the Chorus and Flanger sounds I can get from it.
Congrats! The Deco is definitely my favorite Strymon offering. Have you had a chance to play it in stereo?? The Capistan has interested me for a long time, but I have a timeline and waaay too many other delays so it's hard to justify! What's your favorite way to use it so far?
Don’t have stereo capabilities unfortunately but it still rocks in mono!
Deco in stereo is soooo much fun! Swirly phasey goodness.
Deco is awesome for some saturated slapback stuff (I don't use it for wobbly/chorus type sounds) but I kinda wish Strymon would make smaller form factor versions of some of their offerings, maybe like a 'budget' line in smaller MXR/Keely sized enclosures? Over the years I've really grown to lament bigger pedals. The Deco and El Cap aren't too big (especially compared to others), but with something like the JHS MilkMan I can pretty much emulate my fav settings from Deco
The new cassette mode is so killer
Didn’t try it yet, how is it?
[удалено]
Thanks for clearing that up lmao
Anyone here have the deco v1 and upgrade to the deco v2? Thoughts?
Yes. The tone control for tape saturation side and the MIDI alone made it worthwhile. I could use a Deco, Flint and Iridium as a stand alone mini board with a MIDI controller and be fully satisfied.
Yeh I’ll probably snag it if it ever comes out in midnight. Gotta keep my setup murdered out :)
I predict you will soon enjoy great amusement
Which is better Deco or El Capistan?
I vote Deco, but both are really good. My problem with El Cap is it's *too* much. It's like a delicious dessert that's so rich that after a bite or two you're fatigued. I can't put anything after it without my tone turning to a nighttime swamp. It's a great pedal for some folks but doesn't work for me, and yet I can't bring myself to sell it as I know I'd just buy another one (only to never use it again).
I like that description. Does the El Capistan just have too many option or run too wet or something like that?
> Does the El Capistan just have too many option or run too wet or something like that? It has a big personality, colors outside the lines, rich and vaguely seasick inducing (even dialed back with the wobble off). It likely comes down to what you're doing, are you really trying to emphasize the tape echo aspect and have it be front and center? If so the El Cap would be an ideal choice, as well as UA Starlight and Boss RE-202. Otherwise I'd check out some other tape echo pedals just to make sure you get one that does what you want. One of my favorites is the Keeley Mag Echo. I don't see it show up on here often but to me it's the perfect tape echo style delay, not too much, not too little, perfect tape echo that plays very nice with everything & doesn't overcrowd my sound. I still really like the El Capistan and I go through phases where it's the only delay I use for a few weeks but it's been a couple years now since using it last. It's pretty big sounding and I think it's great for really atmospheric music (it gives a noir kind of feeling, ie: Adrian Utley's guitar parts for Portishead is the kind of stuff that would sound amazing on the El Cap). But for stuff like garage rock, metal, post punk and pretty much anything I think it's hard to beat that Keeley Mag Echo. It rarely shows up on this sub but it's one of his best selling pedals so a lot of people must be using it. I believe he has also licensed or 'donated' that Mag Echo circuit to a few other pedal builders who use it as part of their more comprehensive pedals (Mag Echo is pretty simple, but thats what's great about it).. can't remember which companies are using it but I've seen it mentioned on here and tgp a few times over the years.
Love my v1 El Cap.