“Still the reverb/tremolo pedal to beat”: Strymon Flint V2 evaluation

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What is it?

Strymon is to the reverb pedal world what Gibson and Fender are to electrical guitar. There is no brand name out there that commands such a stake in this area; there is no equivalent to its impact. And for excellent factor. I can’t even start to picture the variety of pedalboards the shop impacts pedal professional has actually discovered itself on around the world.It isn’t simply reverb, naturally. The United States pedal maker likewise concentrates on hold-up, modulation, drives and more. Its ‘verb pedals practically sit in a classification of their own. The BigSky MX is the premium reverb workstation to beat. The smaller sized BlueSky tops finest reverb pedal lists throughout the web.

And after that there’s the Flint. Strymon’s twofer ambient pedal that has actually ended up being the first-choice reverb-tremolo option for gamers around the world. It’s practically absurd the number of prominent gamers have– or have actually had– it on their pedalboards for many years.

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( Image credit: Future)John Mayer, Noel Gallagher, Billy Corgan, Gary Clark Jr., Graham Coxon, Chris Shiflett … the list goes on. For Mayer fans in specific, it is among the most vital parts of his rig.

All of that is to state, the Flint is a preferred pedal, one that has actually stood the test of time thanks

to its tonal supremacy and sure-fire performance. It’s got its reasonable share of competitors. This time, does its most current model still hold up to

analysis?Specifications

( Image credit: Strymon)

Contact: “>Strymon

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(Image credit: Future)Develop quality ranking: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★The expression’ it’s developed like a tank ‘gets bandied about far too quickly nowadays, however we need to make an exception for the Flint. I would not advise screening this theory.

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Now, this is an evaluation of the V2– which I have actually invested a lot of time with– however before that I’ve had the V1 on every permutation of my pedalboard over the previous 2 years. I can state with some self-confidence that I’ve discovered it to be one of the most hard-wearing workhorse pedals cash can purchase.

I’ve had it on pedalboards huge and little, and dragged it to places of all sizes and shapes. Approved, it’s not the stompbox in my rig that has the greatest stomps-per-night ratio, however it’s never ever revealed any indications of weak point or any rifts in the armour.

( Image credit: Future)What’s more, the robust box-like chassis has a great brushed-aluminum surface that feels well geared up to secure the circuits inside. The toggle switches are firm with a reliable’ breeze’ in between modes– safe from any unintentional switches when tweaking the innermost knobs– and the specifications all have a healthy sweep with a good quantity of resistance.

In between the V1 and the V2, the develop quality and general parts are the very same: top-notch. The appearances is tidy and timeless– a Strymon calling card– and everything can be found in a neat plan that, while not precisely on the little side, does not use up excessive pedalboard realty thinking about the 2 impacts it hosts. And any area you may compromise will deserve it.

Use and functions

( Image credit: Future)Use and functions ranking: ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

If the sight of a BigSky MX provides you cold sweats, the Flint is an outstanding entry point into high quality Strymon impacts

Another reason that the Flint has stood the test of time is since of how instinctive it is. If, like me, the sight of a BigSky MX provides you cold sweats, the Flint is an exceptional entry point into premium Strymon results.

The reverb and tremolo impacts get their own sides. Left wing, you get a bypass footswitch for the tremolo, in addition to a three-way voice toggle and controls for Intensity and Speed. On the right, reverb has its own bypass switch, another three-way toggle, and Mix, Decay and Color criteria.

On the face of it, that’s all you require. For some, that may be restricting. The V2 included MIDI connection, implying you can conserve and save up to 300 presets that can be remembered utilizing an external MIDI controller.

( Image credit: Future)It can be a faff to establish, and for gamers( like myself) who attempt to prevent MIDI at all expenses, the absence of any onboard pre-programmed slots is a little bit of a pity. Regardless, typical operation is so simple you might almost do it in your sleep, so as long as your modifications aren’t too extreme, you might most likely get away with doing it on the fly.

There are likewise some secondary controls worth keeping in mind concealed away, consisting of Pre-Delay, Tap Division, and Boost/Cut. To access these, you require to either press and hold both footswitches, or engage Live Edit mode by holding a single switch.

It can be a discomfort if these secondary functions are crucial to your tone, and it’s not the most user-friendly design for them. Some extra tagging on which knob does what would be useful here.

Sounds

( Image credit: Future)Sounds ranking: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

The great aspect of the Flint is that, thanks to the independent toggles, you can mix-and-match any reverb and tremolo combo you like

Naturally, Strymon pedals stand out when it pertains to sound. And there are lots of exceptional reverb and tremolo tones to unload here. For my cash, you will not discover a twofer reverb/tremolo pedal that sounds much better.

The V1 and V2 share the very same core results algorithms, however with hardware distinctions around them that I will get to. On the ideal side, you get ’60s Spring Tank Reverb, ’70s Electronic Plate Reverb and ’80s Hall Rack Reverb, while the tremolo provides you ’61 Harmonic Tremolo, ’63 Power Tube Tremolo and ’65 Photocell Tremolo. The good feature of the Flint is that, thanks to the independent toggles, you can mix-and-match any reverb and tremolo combo you like. The V2 likewise lets you identify the order of impacts.

On the reverb side of things, the Flint can be utilized as a ‘set it and forget it’ end-of-chain or impacts loop ‘verb, or you can have a good time with it and move in between modes depending upon what you require.

( Image credit: Future )

I utilized the Flint when I dipped into Portman Road Stadium, and the idea of those reverbs still provides me goosebumps

I’ve done both, and the Flint can do them quickly. Initially, I utilized it comparable to how Mayer did: locked on the ’60s reverb mode, with Decay and Color around twelve noon and Mix simply below. With that, you get a no-nonsense, strong spring-style reverb similar to classic tube amps. It’s digital, however it might trick anybody, with a charming three-dimensional vibrant feel that leaves some lower reverb pedals.

The tremolo I at first utilized for subtle lead lines, once again comparable to how Mayer releases it. Strength around midday, speed around 9 o’ clock, simply for a tone tonic that can thicken and include a little character and character when you require something to protrude in the mix. Lead lines, for instance, or jangly tunes that would otherwise fail.

When I went ampless and began utilizing the reverb in my Nano Cortex, I then released the Flint in a more ambient function, leveraging the speculative tones you can receive from the reverb and tremolo results.

Particularly, I relocated to the ’80s Hall setting, cranked the Mix and Color, and utilized it for soundscaping: textural parts and climatic pads that sounded definitely amazing in the mix. This is how I utilized the Flint when I dipped into Portman Road Stadium in the UK with a band, and the idea of those reverbs still provides me goosebumps. It filled the 30,000 cap location definitely superbly.

The Color control actually enters its own when you offer it flexibility, too. When it’s bumped, you get a darker ambiance that practically provides your chain a little grit. It impacts the decays, so when your reverb time is bumped, you get this alluring split that strains in an amazing musical method.

( Image credit: Future)

You can truly crank the controls to enter gnarly, choppy area

The tremolo can get more included, too. As those abovementioned subtle warbles, you can truly crank the controls to get into gnarly, choppy area. Penny the Intensity and it will make you feel seasick, such is the responsiveness of the control. Up the Speed and it might provide you whiplash.

Once again, I’ve followed the Mayer school of idea, however I’ve likewise matched it with fuzz pedals and overdrives for more bit-crush-y, shoegaze-y tones. Approved, it’s hard changing in between all those various impacts without a MIDI controller, however it’s great to have those alternatives. There’s likewise the alternative of utilizing the Strymon MiniSwitch ($ 49, offered individually) to remember a preferred setting and switch in between that what’s called into the Flint at the time. You can likewise tap in tremolo speeds with it too. If that appeals, you’ll simply need to make additional area on your pedalboard in addition to your wallet.

For this V2 variation, Strymon likewise includes a Mono/Stereo input signal switch. A little bit of a gamechanger, particularly for gamers like myself, who rather battled with the V1’s positioning, offered the reality it had a sum-to-mono input. Not perfect, specifically when you’re running it together with stereo impacts in advance– like I would with choruses and ping-pong hold-ups.

I need to likewise point out the premium analog JFET input circuit of the V2, which is stated to use enhanced responsiveness to your playing. An A/B test with both reveals there’s definitely a difference there, with a fantastic receptiveness to vibrant playing– especially when rolling back the volume on your guitar.

Decision[19659094]
(Image credit: Future)

The marketplace leader for a factor

It’s simple to see why the simple Strymon Flint has actually played a starring function in John Mayer’s rig for such a very long time, and end up being the go-to reverb/tremolo pedal for gamers throughout the world. As a standalone reverb pedal, you ‘d be tough pushed to discover 3 much better algorithms in one system. Set that with 3 completely unique tremolos, and the capability to match them as you please, and it actually is a winning formula.

Often, the easiest options are typically the very best, and while the Flint V2 did present some extremely useful functions– MIDI compatibility, USB-C connection, and a stereo input switch– it would most likely have actually kept its title without them. That stated, as a devoted fan of the V1, I ‘d certainly be wanting to make a long-term switch to the V2.

It’s one pedal that has actually never ever left Mayer’s pedalboard and other than for some really small cases, I question it will ever leave mine.

Guitar World decision: And still the reverb/tremolo pedal to beat, the Flint V2 updates a currently world-beating two-in-one that has little to show in this day and age. It’s great enough for a few of the most specific toneheads in the world, it’s excellent enough for me.

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