El Capistan- putting the fun back !

dogload

Not very often that I get too excited about pedals these days. I've had things like Electro Harmonix Micro Synths and POGs but they just left me feeling a bit like a leopard at a salad bar.

Then I finally took the plunge and bought a Strymon El Capistan. Cheers @TimmyO  

Sometimes getting a new pedal is like getting a new hammer, this one is like getting a new bike! Since receiving it last week, I have spent ages just exploring it, noodling, making 'soundscapes' and sub-Hillage doodling for hours on end. Using my other pedals to explore exciting sonic vistas and re-kindle the zeal of youthful discovery... ahhh... and then the drugs wore off.

No, but really. Isn't it great when you get a bit of kit that enthuses you again?

streethawk

It's a cracking pedal and no mistake. Makes you sound like a recording artiste.

Problem (for a bedroom warrior like me) is that they've managed to cram a thousand permutations into a relatively small box, got pissed off with having to 'hold down button A and massage knob C to engage wookie wookie mode'.

I would've preferred something rack sized with idiot proof function buttons.

Ended up with a Carbon Copy, recorded with both and would have liked to have kept both.

dogload

I think that the secondary functions (once I get over the new-fangledness of it all) will be most likely left alone once set. Although I like the fact that there is reverb there too, so although I usually have reverb on my amps and a reverb pedal on my board, there may be times when that function is required (for example, when the reverb on my amp isn't working!).

They're a bit pricey, but I was looking at replacing my Copicat (which I had the brilliant idea of selling a year or two ago, only to recently realise that it was a stupid idea) and discovered that it was cheaper to get an El Cap and be able to put it on my pedalboard. 

welshboyo

I've now got 3 Strymons on my board, the sound quality is unbelievable from these pedals...my favourite out of the 3 is the Flint which is Trem/Reverb..

I just wish sometimes the smaller pedals had midi to match the bigger pedals.

streethawk

Be interesting to hear from people who regularly use one in a live setting.

Carbon Copy is analogue and quite dark, El Cap pretty 'hifi'. 

dogload

streethawk said:

Carbon Copy is analogue and quite dark, El Cap pretty 'hifi'. 

Well I've been largely using digital delays since 1989 so the El Cap sounds much nicer. Plus it has the knob for altering Tape Age, so it very 'un-hifi's' it.

welshboyo

I'm out 3 times a week and no complaints at all...however, I don't have the El Cap, but do use the Tape Emulations on the Timeline..best sounding delays I've ever had...

streethawk

dogload said:

streethawk said:

Carbon Copy is analogue and quite dark, El Cap pretty 'hifi'. 

Well I've been largely using digital delays since 1989 so the El Cap sounds much nicer. Plus it has the knob for altering Tape Age, so it very 'un-hifi's' it.

Yeah I didn't mean 'hifi' in any derogatory sense, if anything the tape emulation has clarity and character, which is a good thing. 

In fact I'm confusing the El Cap with the other one Strymon do, I had that too, the green one. 

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dogload

I really didn't expect to be so blown away by it, to be honest. And it looks very cute in the corner of my pedalboard...

streethawk

dogload said:

I really didn't expect to be so blown away by it, to be honest. And it looks very cute in the corner of my pedalboard...

And that's precisely why it's worth the money.

There's some vids on youtube where people do all kinds of tricks with el cap's. You could get very creative on a rainy sunday.

TimmyO

streethawk said:

Be interesting to hear from people who regularly use one in a live setting.

Carbon Copy is analogue and quite dark, El Cap pretty 'hifi'. 

Couldn't agree less re hifi comment :-/ 

ROOG

My flint is my favourite strymon, I've not really got full control over my Bigsky as yet

monquixote

I'm also a big fan of the flint.

Would like to try an El Cap

streethawk

TimmyO said:

streethawk said:

Be interesting to hear from people who regularly use one in a live setting.

Carbon Copy is analogue and quite dark, El Cap pretty 'hifi'. 

Couldn't agree less re hifi comment :-/ 

It's all about opinions!

Maybe it depends on what you're comparing it against? 

hugbot

I miss my el capistan, I sold it because playing in a loud rock band I felt like I wasnt getting the most out of it. But I really liked the way the knobs worked and how it felt musical at pretty much any setting.

dogload

Well I haven't got bored with it yet.

@hugbot, I know what you mean about the knobs. They have a very smooth sweep compared to many delay pedals I've used, which seem to go from v-e-r-y-l-o-n-g delay to ridiculously fast with all of the ones that I seem to need to find in a hurry being squeezed into a few millimetres of sweep. It certainly makes dialling-in a tempo on the fly a lot easier. i do keep forgetting about the tap-tempo button.

It also seems to be a lot more tremolo pedal-friendly than most of my previous delay pedals, although I suspect I may just be still enjoying the first flush of love on this one! 

Wazmeister

A brilliant, creative, inspirational pedal !

not_the_dj

Wazmeister said:

A brilliant, creative, inspirational pedal !

For "Left Brain Artists, Innovators, Thinkers" as it says on the box ;-)

streethawk

not_the_dj;336176" said:

Wazmeister said:

A brilliant, creative, inspirational pedal !





For "Left Brain Artists, Innovators, Thinkers" as it says on the box ;-)

Bloody hell, that's awful!

ThePrettyDamned

not_the_dj;336176" said:

Wazmeister said:

A brilliant, creative, inspirational pedal !





For "Left Brain Artists, Innovators, Thinkers" as it says on the box ;-)

What the hell is a left brain artist?! Shit, I have two halves! And they work in tandem!

dogload

not_the_dj said: Wazmeister said: A brilliant, creative, inspirational pedal ! For "Left Brain Artists, Innovators, Thinkers" as it says on the box ;-)
Does it really say that? Never noticed. Wow, I feel even more special now!