Strymon might well have raised the bar for pro-quality delay pedals with the launch of the TimeLine MX, looking to do for delay what it did for reverb when the BigSky MX blew our minds in 2024.
It’s calling the TimeLine MX “the most powerful delay pedal ever” – and there is a body of evidence to back that claim up.
The TimeLine MX comes strapped with a suite of new features, including a five-minute stereo looper with added functionality of one-button mode, and an all-new reverb engine that can be used to add ambience to your repeats.
Strymon has spruced up many of the delays from the original TimeLine, wholly reengineering the MultiTap engine (you can add up to eight taps with individual level and pan controls, opening up the possibility of super-complex rhythmic repeats), and adding new delays.
There are some very cool news sounds, such as the vintage-sounding Oil Can and Drum Echo, and the tantalising Spectral, a granular delay that can split your signal up into little fragments and render it in “glitchy patterns” and weird textures.
Swell and Duck were once separate delays but not they can be added to every delay engine on the menu here. Add Swell to a delay to soften the attack with a fade-in effect applied to the repeats. Choose Duck when you want the repeats to fall back in the mix when you are playing and come forward a little when you’re not.
Thanks to the tri-core 800 MHz ARM processor is more power under the hood. The TimeLine MX now allows players to run two delay engines at the time – hitherto you would have to use the Dual delay engine on the original TimeLine if you wanted to combine delays.
Strymon has expanded our routing options, with the new unit configured to run the delay engines in series, parallel and split – and you can really manipulate that stereo field with its independent panning mode.
This is a $679 unit, a delay for pro players’ pedalboards and serious amateurs, so it’s no surprise we have full stereo support with switchable I/O configurations to accommodate all kinds of setups, including wet/dry and wet/dry/wet rigs, or that there’s full MIDI control over your parameter changes and presets.
The pedal is expandable. There is a 1/4” input for an expression pedal, and a configurable insert loop so that you can place pedals in between delay engines, presenting players with another rabbit hole to fall down. Imagine the possibilities…
Things could get really weird when adding modulation between the delays.
But it also allows you to do some studio-style audio tricks from the, err, comfort of your pedalboard, applying a mild overdrive to the repeats while your electric guitar’s signal stays clean. You could use an EQ pedal to fine-tune how those big delays sit in a mix… And so on.
There is a lot going on. Those demo videos sound incredible. The TimeLine MX is officially here and priced £699/$679. For more details, head over to Strymon.
