Strymon Magneto Four Head dTape Echo & Looper Effects Module

Strymon Magneto is an interstellar space machine. Create expansive soundscapes and evolving, otherworldly tones. Add layers upon layers of harmonic and rhythmic complexity within an enveloping stereo field. Infuse your rack with vintage warmth and retrofuturistic soul.

Tape delay, looper and more

Packed with powerful features while maintaining intuitive playability, Magneto is a stereo multi-head tape delay that also functions as a looper, phrase sampler, vintage spring reverb unit, phase-aligned clock multiplier, chaotic oscillator, zero latency sub-oscillator and more, all with extensive CV I/O.

Transform your modular

Turn simple monophonic signals into complex orchestrations. Create new oscillator tones using self-oscillation. Add rich stereo dimension to your sound and enjoy the inherent warmth and sweet, subtle distortion characteristics of magnetic tape. Magneto transforms even the smallest rack into a fully expressive, immersive instrument.

Vintage vibe

To capture the full experience and complexity of a vintage tape echo machine, every last tape system attribute was relentlessly studied and faithfully recreated. From the sought-after natural saturation and soft clipping of magnetic tape when driven hard to hands-on realtime controls for tape age, tape crinkle and mechanical wow and flutter, Magneto delivers a rich multi-head delay experience that adds life and vibe to your sound.

Play it like an Instrument

Every function, control, gain stage and signal path component in Magneto works together to respond musically and smoothly, even during the wildest live modular improvisations. All this is combined with a luxurious spring reverb to take the sound of your modular setup to a new level and your sonic explorations into far out territories.

• Tape-voiced delay machine with four playback heads and one record head
• Processor-intense dTape algorithm delivers meticulously nuanced recreations of vintage tape echo systems
• Three operational modes: Echo, Sound on Sound Looper, Phrase Sampler
• Varispeed algorithm with dynamic machine mechanics, 8:1 speed range
• Input record level for clean reproduction to warm, fat saturation
• Self-oscillating for tone generation
• Independent Spring Reverb
• Dedicated control over tape mechanics, machine health, and tone: Low Cut, Tape Age, Crinkle, Wow & Flutter
• Transport controls (buttons and CV inputs) for realtime performance options
• Individual playback head level controls
• Individual head Feedback assignment independent of playback level
• Three stereo head panning options, including user-defined custom panning
• Phase aligned clock out (CLK OUT) CVs synched with clock in (CLK IN) CV

Tape saturation: warm up your rack

Not only does Magneto deliver the warm, luscious delay signals that tape delays are known for, it is also capable of a high degree of saturation. Turn up the Record Level knob to send a hot signal to the record head for any amount of tape saturation you desire. Turn up the Tape Age control for warmer repeats. Add some truly beautiful Spring Reverb. Magneto adds organic heart and soul to the sound of your modular.

Self-oscillation: otherworldly oscillator

Tap in a fast delay time, crank up the Repeats knob and Magneto launches into beautifully singing self-oscillation. Magneto will find evolving tonalities determined by the Speed/Pitch setting and the Low Cut and Tape Age knobs. Press the Infinite transport button to capture a particular tonality. Switch to Pitch Quantize mode and as you turn the Speed knob, Magneto will play within any of 15 selectable scales.

Shift: pitch shifted delays

In Shift mode, Magneto creates rhythmically pitched delays by changing the playback speed of each of the playback heads. Use Shift mode to make things bigger and deeper and to add melodic and rhythmic content. In Shift mode, Magneto is also easily configured as a powerful zero-latency sub oscillator: just run your gate signal to the Restart CV input and blend in only Head 3 with the Dry signal.

Spring reverb

Magneto captures the vintage vibe of classic tape echo machines with small integrated spring reverb tanks tuned to limited bandwidth. The reverb circuit's gain structure is designed so that when pushed hard, it will trash up nicely to hold its own with the funkiest lo-fi units, but when the input level is backed off, the reverb has a gorgeous, gentle character that enhances even subtle passages in a sophisticated and spacious way.

Loop: sound on sound

When you enter Loop mode, the machine is already recording, just like a traditional tape echo machine. Tape head 4 is the looper playback head while tape heads 1-3 provide delay repeats for the incoming signal. To set the length of your tape, press Tap once to set your splice 'in' point, then press Tap again to set your splice 'out' point. All of the tone shaping knobs are active and affect your loop as it plays back and re-records.

Sample: phrase sampler

Magneto includes a phrase sampler for recording a loop that is the length between two taps of the Tap button. Just press the Tap button once to start sample recording, again to stop recording and a third time to clear the sample memory. You can trigger sample playback with the Restart transport button or via the Restart CV input. The Speed knob or Speed CV input determines the pitch and speed of the sample playback.

Infinite echo: infinity and beyond

Want to let Magneto continue to generate a soundscape while you play with some other modules? In Echo mode or Loop mode, just press the Infinite transport button at any time to disable the record head and allow Magneto to continuously play the most recent delay cycle or loop length audio. You can also engage Infinite and use Magneto as an oscillator.

Reverse: flip it and reverse it

In Echo mode, the entire tape contents – not just the current delay time – are played backwards when you press Reverse. This allows for some very trippy effects when playing back sections that included Speed manipulations or Pause events. In Loop or Sample modes, the loop or sample length will play in reverse. You can continue recording new audio to layer with the reversed audio from the tape.

Phase aligned clock multiplier/divider

Each of Magneto's four tape heads has its own Clock CV output, phase aligned with incoming Clock or Tap CV signals. In Echo mode with Even head spacing, Head 1 outputs 4/1 (16th notes), Head 2 outputs 2/1 (8th notes), Head 3 outputs 3/4 (dotted 8th notes), while Head 4 is 1/1. Different values are available in Triplet and Shift head spacings.

Mechanical tape stop/start effect

The Pause transport control is part of Magneto's faithful recreation of a varispeed tape delay, with mechanical slowdown when pausing and mechanical speedup when coming out of pause. The speed of this mechanical slowdown/startup effect is user definable.

Scrub your audio clean

When the transport has come to rest after Pause is engaged, the Speed knob acts as an audio scrub tool. The length of audio in the scrub buffer is determined by the position of the Speed knob when Pause is engaged, from 750ms at maximum speed to 6 seconds at minimum speed.

Stereoize your modular

Even if everything else in your rack is mono, plug into Magneto's left input and enjoy instant stereo gratification. Each of Magneto's four playheads can have their outputs panned hard left or right (or center). There are three pan modes: LRLR, LRRL and (customizable) Center. With all heads centered, a psycho-acoustic stereo image is produced. Adding Wow and Flutter or the built-in Spring Reverb enhances the stereo field even further.

Module controls

• MODE button: Select Echo mode for four head tape delay, Loop mode for sound-on-sound looper or Sample mode for phrase sampler.
• TAP button: In Echo mode, tap in delay time. In Loop mode, tap to splice in, splice out and clear loop. In Sample mode, tape to start recording, stop recording and clear sample memory.
• SPEED/PITCH knob: Sets the speed of the tape machine. Tape speed also affects fidelity of delay repeats.
• DRY knob: Sets the level of DRY input signal sent to the output.
• REC LVL knob: Controls the level of the incoming unprocessed signal fed to the Delay Line Record head.
• PLAYBACK LEVEL 1-4 knobs: Set the playback level for each tape head.
• LOW CUT knob: Controls low frequency shaping of echo repeats.
• TAPE AGE knob: Controls the bandwidth of the tape. Set to minimum for a fresh, full bandwidth tape. Turn clockwise for warmer repeats.
• WET knob: Sets the level of delay signal sent to the output.
• REPEATS knob: Controls the feedback level of the delay repeats for the tape heads that have their FEEDBACK toggles set to ON.
• CRINKLE knob: Controls the amount and severity of tape irregularities including friction, creases, splices, and contaminants. Set to minimum for a fresh, clean tape. Set to maximum for a tape that has been mangled and chewed.
• WOW & FLUTTER knob: Controls the amount of mechanically related tape speed fluctuations. Turn the knob fully counterclockwise for a perfectly tuned tape machine or fully clockwise for a tape machine in need of service.
• SPRING knob: Controls the output mix of the integrated spring reverb tank. DRY and WET knobs control signals feeding into the spring reverb effect.
• HEADS switch: Selects among even spacing, triplet spacing and rhythmic shifted pitch modes for the tape heads.
• PAN switch: Selects among three different stereo panning modes for the tape heads.

Patch points

• LEFT/RIGHT IN audio inputs: Left and Right audio inputs. Use LEFT IN for mono input.
• LEFT/RIGHT OUT audio outputs: Left and Right audio outputs. If only one output is connected, Delay output sums to mono.
• SEND audio output: Summed input signal + delay repeats are sent out to be processed by other devices.
• RETURN audio input: Externally processed signal is returned and fed to the Record Head.
• SPEED CV input: Controls the tape speed.
• WET CV input: Modifies the WET level.
• REPEATS CV input: Modifies the REPEATS level.
• SPRING CV input: Modifies the SPRING reverb level.
• CLK IN gate input: Sets the delay time in quarter notes.
• REC GATE gate input: Toggles the record head on and off.
• SHIFT gate input: Toggles the SHIFT effect for the Playback heads on and off.
• INFINITE gate input: Toggles INFINITE transport control on and off.
• FORWARD/REVERSE gate input: Toggles the FORWARD/REVERSE transport function.
• RESTART gate input: Engages the RESTART transport function.
• PAUSE gate input: Toggles the PAUSE transport function.
• TAP gate input: Controls the function of the physical TAP button.
• CLK 1-4 gate outputs: : Send clock outputs of Playback heads 1-4. Dependent on the HEADS switch setting and the ECHO/LOOP/ SAMPLE mode setting.

Physical specifications

• Size: 28hp
• Module depth: 41mm
• Power usage: 210mA @ +12V, 210mA @ -12V