#311

That depends completely on how the stereo effects pedal you use works.

Even if an effect pedal has stereo inputs and outputs, this does not necessarily mean that the actual effect processes the signal in true stereo, on the contrary it might just mean

  • that the dry signal from the left input is passed thru to the left output, and
  • that the dry signal from the right input is passed thru to the right output, but
  • that both left and right dry inputs are mixed together (= they collapse to mono), and
  • that this mono signal is processed by the effect (e.g. echo), and
  • that the echo creates a stereo signal (e.g. ping pong echo),
  • which is then mixed with the dry signals according to the wet/dry control.

Sorry for the long sentence.

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#312

Don’t have to apologise, I appreciate it, I did think it probably wasn’t going to be a simple answer.

I was curious because I’ve been watching some videos on YouTube and the person is using nearness but also a Strymon Timeline. Got me wondering if the Strymon processes the stereo input and essentially undoes what happened before it.

I have a Strymon Volante and it has various output modes, link here the signal chain always involves stereo processing though.

I don’t think I’ll get my head around it :sweat_smile:. Maybe I’ll reach out to Strymon and ask.

#313

The Strymon manual shows this signal flow diagram:

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Thin lines indicate mono signals, think lines stereo signals. You can see that the whole delay circuit (starting with the record head) is being fed with a mono signal, that is created by summing (the “+” sign) the left and right input signal.

The individual outputs of each of the four tape playback heads are also mono each, and it is within the box labeled “stereo process” that the monaural signal of each playback heads can be individually panned. But each of this playback head signals is still a mono sum of the L & R input signals.

The “dry” path around the whole “tape head delay” is stereo, but I am unable to tell from the diagram whether or not the left and right input signals will be summed before being processed by sound on sound, reverb and spring.

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#314

Thanks for walking me through that, very helpful. I’ve sent the question over to Strymon so I’ll update on here once I’ve heard back.

#315

I liked Volante a lot but I was disappointed to find out that it does indeed sum to mono.

For effects based on vintage analog (usually mono) processes like tape or drum echoes (Volante, El Cap) or bucket brigade delays (Brigadier), we choose to sum the stereo inputs to mono in order to focus the maximum amount of processing power required to capture the many sonic complexities, using our dTape and dBucket algorithms. We then create stereo images based on the summed input as an enhancement to the effect, and in the case of Volante this includes full panning capabilities. For digital delays we employ fully independent stereo dry and wet paths, and this includes DIG and all Timeline delay engines, except for dBucket and dTape.

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#316

I am pretty sure as with most of the strymon stuff that I’ve tried, they sum to mono for the effected signal and then allow you to mix the unaltered stereo signal/dry back in. This sometimes causes some phasing issues. The diagram seems to show summing to mono to the ‘tape heads’.

Sound on sound also shows a smaller, mono line into the reverb.

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#317

You’re right, here’s what Strymon said

So yes, for the wet signal on Volante, any incoming stereo signal is summed and then processed, before being sent out to both outputs evenly with a psychoacoustic stereo effect to give it a sense of depth and movement. This is only for the wet signal, and any dry signal is left untouched.

So pairing nearness with it looks like a no go.

#318

I’d just like to say a huge thank you for this. It works wonderfully and is so elegant in both concept and execution.

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I’m going to build a second one as a sub-mixer.

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#319

Does anyone know where to get a 2hp nearness prebuilt?

#320

I have a Takaab in 3hp, which suited my case as I had an odd number of up to fill.

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#321

I also have the Takaab one, I bought it off eBay.

There’s a couple of builders of the 2 HP variant on ModularGrid:

https://www.modulargrid.net/e/offers/view/254581

https://www.modulargrid.net/e/offers/view/373096

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#322

I got mine from Siam (in Thailand) and received it surprisingly fast!

EDIT: There are also a few used ones on Reverb right now…

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#323

I also got it from reverb straight from the source. It came surprisingly fast indeed and without too many extra taxes.

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