A brief look at the basics of the beautiful Strymon Magneto

Published on Mar 24, 2018 Sunshine Jones

"STRYMON MAGNETO
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Here's a series of clips going over some of the basics of the beautiful Strymon Magneto - 4 Head Tape Delay Module:

1. REVERB
The reverb by itself

2. DELAY
Each delay by itself, feedback on head 4, and then head 1 and 4 together.

3. SHIFT MODE
Listening to how the heads create melodic accompaniment in shift mode. This mode is a simple switch on the left. Not a press and hold alternate mode. So it's immediately accessible mid performance. Nice touch.

4. QUANTIZE SHIFT
Here an arpeggio is created with heads 2, 3 and 4 in hold quantize mode, and then the tape speed is turned down, then up to hear pretty far out pitch changes.
This can be played via CV at 1V/Oct.

5. TRANSPORT
The delay is established , and then looped with the transport, reversed, and then paused and resumed.

I've been done a lovely favor and this module has been left in my care for the next two weeks. I haven't been able to find one of these for myself and have been seriously interested in what it's capable of.
Right out of the box I was not immediately delighted. But with a little study and some acknowledgement of how the device works I've come to see it as completely inspirational.

Things to explore:
- Playing it as an instrument via cv
- Creating feedback loops with the send and return
- Overdubs
- Cutting samples and using it as a looper

I haven't done these things yet, but as a delay, reverb (which you can set the dip switches and convert magneto into two independent effects of you like - but the stereo output --which I'm not positive you will be able to hear here-- is so beautiful that as cool as that is, you're gonna want stereo) are peaceful, authentic, warm, and so deeply textured that once you understand the way the delay times are distributed it becomes immediately absorbing and just superb.
I love this thing.

It's only day one and I'm already very sad that I'm going to have to give it back.

I hope this morning exploration illustrates this module clearly for you, and helps you see what it does, how it sounds, and inspires and informs you.

LOVE"