Strymon TimeLine
The Strymon TimeLine is a programmable stereo delay pedal with twelve delay machines, extensive MIDI control, and enough range to cover clean digital repeats, tape and bucket-brigade emulations, rhythmic patterns, pitch-shifted echoes, and sound-design textures.
History and Design
- Introduction (2011): TimeLine arrived as one of Strymon's first large-format pedals, combining the company's detailed digital signal processing with a stage-oriented preset and footswitch layout.
- Twelve Delay Machines: Digital, Dual, Pattern, Reverse, Ice, Duck, Swell, Trem, Filter, Lo-Fi, dTape, and dBucket modes each change the role of the secondary controls and provide a distinct delay architecture.
- Core Controls: Time, Repeats, Mix, Filter, Grit, Mod Speed, and Mod Depth keep the most musical changes on the front panel. Deeper parameters allow each machine to be tailored further.
- Preset System: The pedal stores 200 presets and supports MIDI program changes, MIDI clock, expression control, tap tempo, and configurable delay trails.
- Built-In Looper: A 30-second stereo looper can run before or after the delay. External control opens access to reverse, half-speed, undo, and redo functions.
- Analog Dry Path: The dry signal remains analog while the delayed signal is processed, preserving zero-latency response and allowing the pedal to blend naturally into a larger rig.
Popular Settings
- Tape Echo: Select dTape, set Time around 350-450 ms, Repeats for three or four audible echoes, Mix around 20-25 percent, and add moderate Tape Age and Wow & Flutter for movement.
- Analog Lead Delay: Choose dBucket, use a quarter-note or dotted-eighth time, keep Repeats around 3, lower Filter for darker echoes, and set Mix just high enough to support sustained notes.
- Rhythmic Dual Delay: Select Dual, sync to tap tempo, and use two complementary subdivisions such as quarter-note and dotted eighth. Keep Repeats controlled so the patterns do not obscure the next phrase.
- Ambient Ice: Choose Ice, use a long delay and moderate pitch-shifted regeneration, reduce Grit, and keep Mix below halfway. Placing reverb after TimeLine smooths the pitched repeats into a pad.
- Ducked Rhythm: Select Duck, set the threshold so delays recede while playing and rise between phrases, then use a moderate feedback setting for clarity in a dense arrangement.
Notable Players
TimeLine is common in touring rigs that require multiple synchronized delays, especially in pop, worship, progressive rock, and ambient music. Its broad MIDI support also makes it a practical choice for players whose presets change from a switcher or playback system, while studio musicians value the ability to move quickly between recognizable delay families.
Legacy
The Strymon TimeLine became a benchmark for full-size programmable delay pedals. It paired deep editing with a control surface that remains usable on stage, influencing a generation of multi-algorithm delays and continuing to serve as the center of many MIDI-controlled pedalboards.