Strymon Dig? Who has used one for steel?

[Marc Jenkins]

I’m considering grabbing one for steel use. I have a bunch of analog delays (Maxon AD-900, Moog Minifooger, Malekko Ekko 616, and the digital but analog-voiced Earthquaker Disaster Transport Jr.) that are all varying degrees of excellent. However, I find them all quite hissy for use with pedal steel, and a bit redundant too as they are are similar-sounding.

Please chime in with pros and/or cons if you’ve tried with pedal steel. Thanks in advance!

[Ron Lykins]

I have a Strymon Flint and I love it with my Little Walter or my Nashville 400 . I only play pedal steel & banjo . My last unit I had before the Flint was a Benado Virgo . Hope this helps . Ron

[b0b]

I use one. It's the best delay unit I've ever had. Seriously great. It's 2 delays in one. After setting the tap tempo, the second delay can be a fraction of that. Works just great on shuffles, where the echo is 2/3 of the way to the next beat. You can easily mix the two to your preference.

As for noise, I never heard any. It's clean. The only thing I've found that compares is the Neunaber Echelon.

[Charley Paul]

I have used all of the pedals you have listed. They are all good. The DiG is a very very cool pedal, and is great with steel. The two delay lines can be used to create standard echoes, or into sounds that have a very reverbesque quality. You can also set the two lines to create a cool chorus effect. I like the DiG better on steel than any of the delay pedals you mentioned. The Minifooger is a close second to the DiG....I am a big Moog user, but I prefer them on 6 string guitar.

However, the El Capistan replaced the DiG on my pedal steel board almost a year ago. I didn’t even buy it to use with steel, I was so happy with the DiG. But the El Capistan is THAT GOOD. The DiG lives on my acoustic board now.

All of the pedals you mentioned will sound great on steel. If you don’t mind twisting knobs during a gig, then the DiG will work excellently for you. If you want to set and forget it, your other delays already have you covered.

[Marc Jenkins]

I use one. It's the best delay unit I've ever had. Seriously great. It's 2 delays in one. After setting the tap tempo, the second delay can be a fraction of that. Works just great on shuffles, where the echo is 2/3 of the way to the next beat. You can easily mix the two to your preference.

As for noise, I never heard any. It's clean. The only thing I've found that compares is the Neunaber Echelon.

Great review, thanks boss!

[Marc Jenkins]

I have used all of the pedals you have listed. They are all good. The DiG is a very very cool pedal, and is great with steel. The two delay lines can be used to create standard echoes, or into sounds that have a very reverbesque quality. You can also set the two lines to create a cool chorus effect. I like the DiG better on steel than any of the delay pedals you mentioned. The Minifooger is a close second to the DiG....I am a big Moog user, but I prefer them on 6 string guitar.

However, the El Capistan replaced the DiG on my pedal steel board almost a year ago. I didn’t even buy it to use with steel, I was so happy with the DiG. But the El Capistan is THAT GOOD. The DiG lives on my acoustic board now.

All of the pedals you mentioned will sound great on steel. If you don’t mind twisting knobs during a gig, then the DiG will work excellently for you. If you want to set and forget it, your other delays already have you covered.

Very interesting, thanks Charley, especially since you’ve played through all I mention. I like the Moog on steel, but can’t handle the hiss level once it’s on. Malekko is the quietest of the bunch, and curiously the one digital here, the Earthquaker, is by far the worst.

I might try rent a Dig and an El Cap to A/B. I’d like to have something around that compliments what I already have, and would be good for recording too.

[Michael Harrington]

+1 for the DIG. No noise, tap tempo, plenty of options for different delays and sounds great on pedal steel. A lot of versatility in one pedal, like most things Strymon.

The only con I can think of is that the secondary functions can be a little complicated if you don't read the manual before hand. GO FOR IT.

[Marc Jenkins]

+1 for the DIG. No noise, tap tempo, plenty of options for different delays and sounds great on pedal steel. A lot of versatility in one pedal, like most things Strymon.

The only con I can think of is that the secondary functions can be a little complicated if you don't read the manual before hand. GO FOR IT.

Thanks Michael - I just this minute booked a session gig for a couple 12+ minute ambient pieces, very timely!

[Mitchell Smithey]

I’ve been using the Source Audio Nemesis with great results. I do like the Strymon stuff too. Nice to have so many choices!

[Charley Paul]

I have used all of the pedals you have listed. They are all good. The DiG is a very very cool pedal, and is great with steel. The two delay lines can be used to create standard echoes, or into sounds that have a very reverbesque quality. You can also set the two lines to create a cool chorus effect. I like the DiG better on steel than any of the delay pedals you mentioned. The Minifooger is a close second to the DiG....I am a big Moog user, but I prefer them on 6 string guitar.

However, the El Capistan replaced the DiG on my pedal steel board almost a year ago. I didn’t even buy it to use with steel, I was so happy with the DiG. But the El Capistan is THAT GOOD. The DiG lives on my acoustic board now.

All of the pedals you mentioned will sound great on steel. If you don’t mind twisting knobs during a gig, then the DiG will work excellently for you. If you want to set and forget it, your other delays already have you covered.

Very interesting, thanks Charley, especially since you’ve played through all I mention. I like the Moog on steel, but can’t handle the hiss level once it’s on. Malekko is the quietest of the bunch, and curiously the one digital here, the Earthquaker, is by far the worst.

I might try rent a Dig and an El Cap to A/B. I’d like to have something around that compliments what I already have, and would be good for recording too.

I am a pretty die hard believer in analog music gear. However, there is something magical in those Strymon boxes. In my experience, while 6 string guitar loves the murky sound of an analog delay, psg seems to prefer the clear repeats of a digital delay. I tried using an analog delay with steel, and it can sound quite good, but I always find myself adding modulation on to make the sound a bit crisper.

[Marc Jenkins]

Thanks again for all the input here. I just traded 4 pedals I haven’t used in years for a DiG,and it is glorious! The 12 bit mode is the sound I’ve been looking for, especially for ambient stuff. Success!

And very low self-noise will be great for the studio, as will the near-silent switching, hooray!

[Charley Paul]

Thanks again for all the input here. I just traded 4 pedals I haven’t used in years for a DiG,and it is glorious! The 12 bit mode is the sound I’ve been looking for, especially for ambient stuff. Success!

And very low self-noise will be great for the studio, as will the near-silent switching, hooray!

Check out the online demos. One of my favorite settings for the DiG isn’t a delay at all....it’s running the two delay lines at slightly different times to create a lush chorus effect!

[Marc Jenkins]

Thanks again for all the input here. I just traded 4 pedals I haven’t used in years for a DiG,and it is glorious! The 12 bit mode is the sound I’ve been looking for, especially for ambient stuff. Success!

And very low self-noise will be great for the studio, as will the near-silent switching, hooray!

Check out the online demos. One of my favorite settings for the DiG isn’t a delay at all....it’s running the two delay lines at slightly different times to create a lush chorus effect!

Thanks Charley, I’ll check that out!