ActionArnie
So I've got the opportunity to have a lil' something brought back from the US for me and I'm in desperate need of a quality delay.
I'm as close as dammit to pulling the trigger on the Strymon Timeline and I've got my itchy finger on the "Buy" button on the Strymon site. So for those that have one and those just generally in the know, the 11th hour question - should I be getting something else?
It's not every day I sink $450 on a pedal so I don't want to make a mistake.
AlanRatcliffe
Hmm... definitely best of breed, especially if you like analog and tape emulations. Only reasons not to buy a TimeLine are if you like your delays simple or small.
ActionArnie
Yeh I guess I know it'll be really good. I just swore after the Boss GT-10 I wouldn't spend that much again on digital (read depreciation prone) gear so I'm a bit nervous.
But digital is really the only option for me as I really need a number patches to make full use of a pedal. The Echo Park I have can actually perform a pretty wide variety of useful tricks, but because I play in a live environment exclusively I tend to set it once and then leave it. Can't bend down and fiddle with the switches and stuff on stage.
Obviously also the Timefactor is in the picture and I was at one point also very keen on the Line 6 M9 (as it offers other modulations I would find useful too), but it seems like the Timeline is the flavour of the moment.
AlanRatcliffe
Single effects units don't depreciate as much as their multi counterparts - particularly on the high end units where they are as good as possible from the get-go, so little need to bring out an "improved" model every year. The old Lexicon and TC rack units are only now starting to drop. I sold my TimeFactor for the same price I bought it for and could have sold it for more.
The first owner of anything almost always takes a hit buying new and selling on, but even there the TimeLine is so in demand and usually on back order, so the secondhand units sell for the same as the new ones (or something silly like$10 cheaper).
ZarK
No... ? ?
#1 on my list of delay pedals to still try for myself...
ActionArnie
Thanks for the replies guys. Thinking of getting one of these MIDI controllers too for it. They're pretty small and look not much bigger than a normal pedal.
They can do bank switching or looper control or whatever:
http://disasterareaamps.com/wordpress/
JeremyE
I have tried out most of the delays besides the Timefactor and the Timeline, and IMO those are the two most desirable. Out of the two I would go with the Timeline simply because its analog sounds are so good. It definitely ticks all the boxes for me!
I say go for it...
aja
Regarding the analogue sounds of the timefactor vs timeline - what exactly makes the timeline "better"? Are the analogue delays warmer or more detailed or what?
I once read that some people say analogue delay modeling pedals tend to exaggerate the character of the delay - the tape delays sound like the tape is melting and then people tend to associate this with a good modeler because it sounds so much like tape... But the argument is that the character should be subtle, not immediately apparent.
So how do you quantify a "good" analogue modeler like the timeline? And why is the timefactor lacking in this department?
ActionArnie
Can't really comment on why popular opinion suggests the Timeline models analogue better than the Timefactor, but what I can say is I don't really care for an "accurate" modelling of either analog or tape. For example the clip I saw with the Timeline tape delay modelling static from impurities on the tape itself holds no appeal for me whatsoever.
I'm just really interested in getting a quality delay pedal that can provide usable, cool effects and spark some creativity, I'm not really trying to sound like anything in particular.
AlanRatcliffe
I think the big advantage with either is they are very high quality. With any digital audio device, the digital/analogue conversions and processing power are crucial for sound quality and while cheaper devices may have a boatload of features, both the Timeline and TimeFactor sound stunning thanks to studio grade D/A.
Eventide have always been famous for their digital delays and the TimeFactor is no exception. However, when it comes to their tape and analog delays, they (Like TC) use relatively simple extensions to their standard algorithms - mostly just adding on some simple high and lowpass filters to cut frequencies to mimic some of what happens with analogue and tape delays. This arguably works pretty well for analogue delay (although it isn't quite the same), but tape is a lot more complex in ways that players love: wow and flutter are both quite different to simple modulation (and different on every tape machine and tape); tape saturation adds a wonderful, natural compression and drive. It's like the difference between a valve amp and a solid state amp EQ'd to have the same frequency response - close, but no banana.
This is where Strymon have made inroads into the crowded digital market - by capturing a lot more detail and throwing a lot more processing power at recreating the vagaries of these classic devices (particularly with their standalone El Capistan and Brigadier - tape echo and analogue delay respectively - the TimeLine has both, but they are scaled back a little). Sure, not everyone prefers the classic analog delays and tape echoes (I'm one of them myself. Leslie simulation on the other hand...), but for those who do, these details matter.
aja
Thanks Alan, +1 karma ?
