UPDATE: this is the first poll I created on TGP. I wasn't aware of the "everybody can only give one vote" limitation. So I decided to put up a doodle poll. Doodle is normally meant for scheduling dates, but it can be creatively abused, too :-)
So, feel free to put multiple votes here (no registration of any kind required):
http://www.doodle.com/8ev98sxqibe3be5i#table
/END OF UPDATE :-)
The recent Strymon Timeline update 1.23 brought a lot of improvements, like Preset naming, additional looper control via MIDI, global tap and spill-over. Yet, there's still some things that could be improved in future firmware releases. Here's a poll to see what would be the most popular changes/additions. Below there's a list with detailed explanations of the Poll items. Have fun and vote :-)
I've followed most Timeline threads on TGP, so I hope I have included most wishes of my fellow TGP members. There's three things that I deliberately didn't include:
- "Include all El Capistan features, like fixed head delay modes, sound on sound tape delay looper and spring reverb" -- I guess the Strymon people still want to sell the El Capistan, so they will not include all of it's features in the Timeline
- "Make short delay times down to 6 ms available for all delay models" -- same reason: dBucket mode with really short delay times would kinda make the Strymon Ola and Orbit pedals redundant
- "fix the bug in the 'killdry" feature: This will most probably happen anyway, as the Strymon people are good bug-killers :-)
Also, I would really like to keep this thread free from both Strymon bashing ("they should have included these features right from the beginning!") and bashing of people who ask for updates/features ("you shouldn't have bought it if it couldn't do everything you wanted!"). Let's make this a constructive contribution to the further developement of a great pedal.
Here goes the list:
1. Global tap and tempo display
Since the last firmware update, global tap is available; but only "on for all presets" or "off for all presets". Many TGP members including myself have stated that they would prefer a "sync to global tap" setting per preset. This way, non-rhythmic delays (like slapback, or the "Faux Spring Reverb" factory preset) would stay intact no matter what tempo is tapped in other presets. Plus, you could have some presets with fixed BPM settings for certain songs, while you could set up other presets to sync to global tap for a more spontaneous/improvisation use.
Also, currently, pressing the TYPE knob cycles between either preset name or delay time. In Globals Menu, you can select whether delay time is shown in BPM or in milliseconds.
Suggested change in the next firmware update:
- "sync to global tap on/off" setting per preset
- pressing the TYPE knob cycles Preset Name => BPM => ms => Preset Name
2. Better handling of True Bypass
Currently, there's three problems with the implementation of bypass in the Timeline:
- When Timeline is in true bypass and you activate the looper, the looper will not work.
- There's no global setting "activate true bypass for all presets". If you select "True Bypass" in the Globals Menu, it actually means "do either true bypass or buffered bypass based on each preset's 'persist' setting"
- When you are in a preset with buffered bypass and Timeline is disconnected from power, the output will be muted.
Suggested changes in the next firmware update:
- As soon as the looper is set to record or play, it will "wake up" the Timeline from True Bypass (which also means: no true bypass as long as the looper is playing in the background).
- In the Globals Menu, implement three options for the parameter Bypass: "True Bypass" (overrides settings in indivdual presets), "Buffered Bypass" (overrides settings in indivdual presets), "By Preset" ("persist" parameter in the preset on = buffered, off = true bypass)
- if possible without hardware changes: Make the Timeline switch to true bypass whenever it loses power. (Might save you from going muted in the middle of a gig)
3. Changes to Filtering in Tape Mode
As shown in my video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ix-pXLgPLYY, Strymon's dTape Algo cannot reproduce what I love about the Line6 "Tube Echo" model and the Skreddy Echo (haven't played the Skreddy, but saw lots of videos): A bandpass filtering in the feedback loop that takes out lots of low end, but also some treble. Like the echoes often found in reggae and dub music.
Suggested change for the next firmware update: More flexible filtering in the feedback loop of the dTape model to get that sound. Should be an optional setting, so older presets would still sound the same.
4. Looper Undo/Redo for most recent layer
Currently, the looper undo command reverts to the very first recorded layer of the loop. All other layers are trashed. This is cool if you record some basic rhythm in the beginning, add some layers, then want to go back to the original rhythm alone.
However, many Timeline users would prefer an undo command that only deletes the last recorded layer. So that, if you have recorded four beautiful layers and then make a mistake while overdubbing layer #5, you can trash layer #5 without losing layers #2, #3 and #4, too.
So a option in the Globals Menu "Looper Undo" with either "Revert to 1st" or "Delete last" settings would be perfect.
I've had a debate with Ethan from Strymon on their blog whether or not this would need more memory than the current "revert to first layer" implementation. I'm pretty sure that it would NOT :-)
5. Better Modulation
Several people who have owned the old Damage Control Timeline have stated that modulation sounded way better on that unit. I've played the Damage Control Timeline only once for some hours, can't remember the modulation, but I also think that the modulation on the Timeline could sound better. It's quite okay to my ears, but not as good as my bandmates Deluxe Memory Boy or the Skreddy. Also, maxed out modulation depth is still quite shallow. Wider range of mod depth would be great.
6. Changes to Swell Mode
As shown in my video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY45HV5IX5c, Timeline Swell mode is prone to trigger errors (hard attack coming through), much more than the Line6 "Auto Volume Echo" model. Also, the volume swell affects only the delayed part of the signal, whereas Line6 "Auto Volume Echo" also swells the dry part.
Suggested changes in the next firmware update:
- better swell algo with less trigger errors
- additional parameter "swell dry". When set to "on", you would of course lose the analog dry path for that preset.
7. Additional Tap subdivisions
The Line6 M5/M9/M13 boxes offer 19 different tap subdivisions, from whole note (400%) to 32th triplet (2,0833%). Okay, I guess nobody needs THAT much. Timeline has 5 of the most commonly used subdivisions: quarter (100%), dotted 8th (75%), 8th (50%), 8th triplets (33,33%) and 16th (25%). What I really miss is 4th triplets (66,66%). I use them a lot when playing reggae/dub music. Others here on TGP have asked for dotted 4th (150%). Yep, there's always the workaround of tapping half notes instead of 4th, but it's more difficult to tap an exact tempo that way.
Suggested changes in the next firmware update: Implement some additional time subdivisions, at least these two: dotted 4th and 4th triplets.
8. Looper on board control
Since the recent firmware update, you can control looper undo/redo, reverse and half/normal speed via midi control. Matt from
http://www.disasterareaamps.com makes great little boxes that can remote control the Timeline looper via MIDI. However, it would be great to have access to those commands also directly from the Timeline.
Now, in Looper mode, "press footswitches A + B simultaneously" and "press footswitches B + TAP simultaneously" are unassigned commands. Those commands could be used for, say, reverse and half/normal speed commands.
Also, only those people who restart loops while playing need seperate play and stop switches. For all others, there could be an alternative looper control mode assigning play/stop to footswitch B and undo/redo to the TAP footswitch.
9. "Reverse Mode C"
In general, I would take the Timeline over the Empress Superdelay any time. That's why I didn't keep the Superdelay, while the Timeline will stay on my board :-)
However, one thing I always regretted about ditching the Superdelay was losing the "Reverse mode C": A reverse delay with the delay signal played back at double speed. A bit similar to the Strymon Ice model, but backwards and, well, cooler. It would be great if Strymon implemented a "double speed playback" option to the Reverse model.
10. Improved preset naming
Naming presets works quite well on the Timeline, better than, say, on the Line6 M5. Still, it would be great to add a little comfort and more characters here:
Suggested changes:
- add a minus ("-") and a dot (".") as available characters for naming, plus maybe some others
- make it easier to add a blank (" ") by putting additional blanks in the "Timeline alphabet" before the "A" and after the "Z"
- add an insert/delete mode (as implemented in some Johnson/Digitech devices): when in name edit mode, push TYPE pot to enter insert/delete mode. Push again to leave insert/delete. When in insert/delete mode, turn VALUE knob CCW to delete characters left of current cursor position. Turn VALUE knob CW to insert blanks at current cursor position.
That's it ... rant over :-)
Linear Mode
