strymon volante manual

Strymon Volante User Manual⁚ A Comprehensive Guide

This comprehensive guide explores the Strymon Volante’s features, setup, and operation. Discover the depth of its magnetic echo capabilities and delve into its advanced functionalities, including sound-on-sound, live edit functions, and expression pedal integration. This manual will guide you through navigating the front and rear panels, utilizing footswitches, and maximizing the Volante’s potential.

Introduction

Welcome to the world of the Strymon Volante, a remarkable digital recreation of classic magnetic echo machines. This user manual serves as your comprehensive guide to unlocking the full potential of this versatile and powerful pedal. The Volante is not just a delay pedal; it’s a sonic time machine, offering a deep dive into the rich history of magnetic echo technology. With its ability to emulate the distinct sounds of drum echo units, tape echoes, and studio-quality reel-to-reel machines, the Volante provides a sonic palette that spans decades of analog audio history.

Prepare to embark on a journey of sonic exploration, where you can craft ethereal textures, lush ambient soundscapes, and vintage-inspired echoes that will transport your music to another era. The Volante is more than just a tool; it’s a creative partner, offering a wealth of possibilities for both seasoned veterans and aspiring sonic adventurers. This manual will guide you through every step, from the initial setup to advanced techniques, empowering you to harness the power of the Volante and create music that resonates with authenticity and depth.

Key Features and Capabilities

The Strymon Volante is a sonic powerhouse, packed with features that cater to both traditional and experimental approaches to delay and echo effects. Its core lies in its ability to emulate three distinct types of magnetic echo machines⁚ drum echo, tape echo, and studio-quality reel-to-reel tape echo. This versatility allows you to recreate the sounds of iconic gear like the Binson Echorec, Maestro Echoplex, and Roland Space Echo, or craft entirely new sonic landscapes.

Beyond its core echo capabilities, the Volante offers a multitude of features, including sound-on-sound recording, live edit functions, and expression pedal integration. You can layer multiple echoes, manipulate the playback heads in real time, and control parameters using an external expression pedal. The Volante also boasts an independent spring reverb tank, adding an extra layer of depth and texture to your sounds. With its extensive control set, the Volante gives you unparalleled sonic flexibility, enabling you to create anything from subtle delays to complex, multi-dimensional echo textures.

Setting Up and Connecting Volante

Setting up the Strymon Volante is a straightforward process. Begin by connecting your instrument or audio source to the Volante’s INST/LINE input jack. The INST setting is ideal for guitars and instruments with lower output levels, while the LINE setting provides 10dB of headroom for instruments like synthesizers or when placing the Volante in the effects loop of an amplifier or mixer.

Next, connect your desired audio output devices to the Volante’s stereo output jacks. You can use either the left or right jacks for mono operation, or both jacks for stereo output. For added control and expression, connect an optional expression pedal to the Exp jack. This allows you to manipulate various parameters in real time, such as delay time or feedback levels.

To power the Volante, connect the included center-negative 660mA wall-wart power supply to the 9V DC input jack. Once powered on, you’re ready to explore the Volante’s extensive sonic capabilities.

Navigating the Front Panel

The Strymon Volante’s front panel is a user-friendly interface that grants you control over its vast array of echo and delay possibilities. The panel is organized into three functional groups, making it easy to navigate and adjust settings. On the left side, you’ll find four knobs⁚ Rec Level, Mechanics, Low Cut, and Wear. These knobs allow you to shape the character of your echoes, adding subtle nuances or pronounced effects.

The central block features the Type and Speed switches, enabling you to select between Drum, Tape, and Studio modes, and adjust the virtual tape speed. The Time knob sets the delay time, while the four illuminated buttons in the two rows below allow you to control playback head selection, feedback routing, and preset storage. The right side houses the final four knobs⁚ Repeats, Spacing, Echo Level, and Spring. These knobs let you fine-tune the feedback, head spacing, echo volume, and spring reverb mix, respectively.

The front panel layout is designed for intuitive operation, allowing you to quickly access and adjust parameters to craft your desired echo effects. The clearly labeled controls and organized layout make it simple to experiment and discover the Volante’s diverse sonic palette.

Exploring the Rear Panel

The rear panel of the Strymon Volante houses a variety of connections and switches, offering flexibility and expandability for integrating the pedal into your setup. At the heart of the panel is the INST/LINE switch, which allows you to adjust the input level for different signal sources. Use INST for instruments with lower output, such as guitars, and LINE for instruments with higher output, such as synthesizers or when placing Volante in the effects loop of an amplifier or mixer.

Next to the switch, you’ll find four quarter-inch TS jacks for stereo I/O, with the left jacks for mono operation. The Exp jack accepts an expression pedal, an external tap-tempo switch, a quarter-inch TS to MIDI cable, or Strymon’s own three-footswitch MultiSwitch Plus. The MIDI in and out sockets provide control over presets and various parameters via PC and CC messages, while a mini-USB socket allows you to connect to a computer for control and firmware updates. Finally, a non-locking 9V DC input accommodates the included center-negative 660mA wall-wart power supply.

The rear panel provides comprehensive connectivity options, enabling you to integrate the Volante into various setups and control its vast array of functions with ease.

Foot Switches and Their Functions

The Strymon Volante features three footswitches, each with multiple functions that provide hands-free control over various aspects of the pedal. The first footswitch, labelled On/Reverse/Hold, engages the effect and allows you to toggle between normal and reverse playback. Holding the footswitch down activates the Hold function, which freezes the tape at the current position, creating a sustained echo loop. The second footswitch, labelled Favorite/Pause, enables you to access and recall your favorite presets. Pressing the footswitch once engages the Favorite mode, allowing you to recall eight presets without actively using the onboard presets. Holding the footswitch down activates the Pause function, which temporarily stops the tape playback, allowing you to create rhythmic pauses or create more dynamic echo patterns.

The third footswitch, labelled Tap/Splice/SOS, provides functions for tempo setting, sound-on-sound recording, and tape splicing. Tapping the footswitch sets the tempo for the delay, while holding it down activates the Splice function, which allows you to seamlessly insert new audio into the existing echo loop. Pressing the footswitch twice activates the Sound-on-Sound (SOS) mode, enabling you to layer multiple audio tracks over each other, building complex and textural soundscapes. The footswitches on the Volante offer a wide range of functions, empowering you to create dynamic and expressive delay effects with ease.

Sound On Sound Mode

The Strymon Volante’s Sound On Sound (SOS) mode allows you to create intricate and layered soundscapes by recording multiple audio tracks over each other. This feature is activated by pressing the Tap footswitch twice, triggering the SOS mode. Once activated, you can record new audio signals onto the magnetic media, creating a layered echo effect. The Volante’s SOS mode offers a variety of parameters for customizing the recording process, including the repeat and loop volume levels. These parameters allow you to fine-tune the balance between the original signal and the recorded loops, creating a rich and dynamic sound. The SOS mode can be used to create a variety of creative effects, such as building dense and textured soundscapes, adding rhythmic variations to your existing tracks, or creating unique looping patterns.

The Volante’s SOS mode is a powerful tool for exploring the creative possibilities of delay and echo. By layering multiple audio signals, you can create complex and expressive sounds that are not possible with traditional delay pedals. Whether you’re a guitarist, keyboardist, or any other musician, the Volante’s SOS mode offers a wealth of creative possibilities for expanding your sonic palette and creating unique and unforgettable sounds.

Live Edit Functions

The Strymon Volante’s Live Edit functions empower you to manipulate and refine your echo sounds in real-time, creating dynamic and expressive sonic textures. These functions are accessed by holding down the Feedback buttons 1 and 4 simultaneously, enabling you to adjust various parameters, including the spring reverb decay length, MIDI Clock on/off, Pause ramp speed, and Sound On Sound repeat and loop volume levels. This allows you to fine-tune the character of your echo and create evolving soundscapes without needing to stop your performance.

The Live Edit functions extend the Volante’s versatility, offering a hands-on approach to shaping your sound. You can experiment with different reverb lengths, adjust the tempo of the Pause function, or fine-tune the volume balance between the original signal and the layered loops in real-time. This level of control allows for a seamless transition between different sonic textures and dynamic performances, adding a layer of depth and interactivity to your musical expression.

Expression Pedal Integration

The Strymon Volante embraces the expressive possibilities of an external expression pedal, allowing you to control various parameters in real-time, adding a dynamic dimension to your sound. The Volante features a dedicated ¼” TRS jack labeled “Exp” on the rear panel, which accepts a standard expression pedal, an external tap-tempo switch, a ¼” TS to MIDI cable, or Strymon’s own MultiSwitch Plus. By connecting an expression pedal, you can unlock a world of dynamic control, transforming your performance from static to interactive.

When an expression pedal is connected, the Volante allows you to create two distinct sets of knob positions within a preset. One set is assigned to the heel position of the pedal, while the other is assigned to the toe position; This allows you to smoothly transition between two sonic landscapes, creating sweeping changes in delay time, feedback, or other parameters as you move the expression pedal. This hands-on control enables you to shape your sound in real-time, responding to the dynamic demands of your performance.

Power Up Modes

The Strymon Volante incorporates several power-up modes, offering flexibility and control over its initialization behavior. These modes determine how the Volante behaves when it is powered on, affecting preset recall, MIDI communication, and other functionalities. The default power-up mode sets the Volante to MIDI channel 1, ensuring seamless integration with MIDI-controlled setups. To activate this mode, simply connect the Volante to power and let it initialize.

Alternatively, you can enter a special power-up mode by holding down the TAP footswitch while connecting the pedal to power. Once the LEDs light up, release the footswitch and turn the REC LEVEL knob to set the input level. This mode allows you to adjust the Volante’s input level, ensuring optimal signal handling for various instruments and sources. The power-up modes provide a convenient way to tailor the Volante’s behavior to your specific needs, offering flexibility in how it interacts with your setup.