Boss RE-202, Strymon Volante, Line 6 DL4 MkII [Likes, Dislikes & Which Should You Buy?]

[@michaeldorn5925]

Hey guys, Volantes WEAR knob is basically a high-cut filter and you can access 8 presets from the front panel. Just press FAVOURITE and then one of the eight tape head buttons. Cheers!

[@charliepratt]

YES. Pedal shootouts. The reason I started watching you boys in the first place. Glad to see this!

[@michaellucas1102]

Agreed! I feel like it’s been awhile since they’ve done this.

[@alecalfaras5936]

MORE SHOOTOUTS

[@kennethc2466]

A darn fine one too. Quite well done. I thought the Boss sounded so good, I went to buy it...until I saw the price.

[@isaacandhismusic1153]

Shootouts and non paid reviews. It’s what I love on TPS

[@albertplaysguitar]

@@kennethc2466 lol

[@ethandorsett4895]

I would like to take a minute and acknowledge you blokes. During the pandemic you gave me something to look forward to during the worlds craziness. My wife is a nurse and that reality was beyond insane. You guys gave me and I know thousands of others a sense of normalcy. You both make me feel like I’m in the same room hanging with you. I feel a kinship when it comes to that pedal show. Thank you for all that you do. Thank you for also helping me consider all the options for pedals, it makes it much easier on the wallet (most of the time haha) ! Much love! If you both ever make it to Texas, I’m getting you BBQ and tacos!

[@ThatPedalShow]

We’re so there Ethan and thank you for the kind words. And of course to the missus for doing something actually really important. Best! X

[@OmarGearReview]

I was eyeing the 202 for a while and this video sealed the deal for me. It is easily my favourite pedal I’ve ever owned, not only does the delay and reverb just nail it for me, in a way that inspires me to play, but it’s made me strip my board down cause I don’t need anything else besides drive. I never use mod pedals without delay and if I up the wow and flutter, add some verb I can get that warble chorusy spacey thing. The 202, the EQD plumes, the DnM drive and a tuner are now the only pedals on my board and I’m happier with my board than I have ever been! Great review as always guys!

[@grantconnors2496]

Love when Mick raises his finger while Dan's starting to getting into the 202 and Dan goes: "Yes, Michael." and Mick clarifies the reverbs available on each device. I honestly rarely buy effects (got the basics covered and have for years), but the camaraderie between these two is always a joy.

[@MojoJojoMojo]

The Volante actually has 8 presets accessible from the panel. Holding down the Favorite switch turns the 8 buttons that are used for the play and record heads into preset buttons. But you do indeed need a finger for switching between them. Thanks for the great show, been looking forward to it! Now I need to go off and explore my Volante again.

[@ShinyShinyBlack]

Came here to say this!

[@stevensrp2music985]

That’s a sick function. I’ve never heard anyone mention that about the Volante.

[@ChrisTotster]

They cover this in the video.

[@zach_theguitar2472]

They did say that, not very clearly though.

[@zach_theguitar2472]

Even with 2 presets at the foot, it’s the best sounding delay.

[@sabrosapurr]

Thanks!

[@DavidDyte1969]

One thing to mention about the DL4 MkII: it's buried deep in the manual, but you can get analog dry through now. I don't really get why that's not the default, but it's there.

[@grtxyz4358]

The reason is because that cuts off your trails when you turn off a delay... the old DL4 had this analog dry option already.

[@AudioWonderland]

@@grtxyz4358 You turn your delay off? :)

[@Citizen-1a]

On Volante, setting the spacing to Golden Ratio causes the repeats to be well dispersed. Obviously, if each head only produces a single repeat, they won't overlap, but when set to even, subsequent repeats from the first head will coincide with the second, third and forth heads. By using the golden ratio, the repeats don't overlap (so much), and each finds better its own space.

[@MusicFillsTheQuiet]

Aaaah, yes because it's an irrational ratio! Fascinating! (Is that an oxymoron? "Irrational ratio"?)

[@RipIPDime]

​@@MusicFillsTheQuiet It is, more or less, an oxymoron, as irrational numbers are defined as those which can't be represented as a quotient of two integers. It technically can be presented as a ratio, but only by including other irrational terms.

[@Citizen-1a]

@@RipIPDime it’s not an oxymoron, and plenty examples of irrational ratios exist, e.g. Pi, being the ratio of a circles diameter to its circumference, is irrational.

[@RipIPDime]

​@@Citizen-1a Sure, hence the deliberate inclusion of the phrase "more or less". In a strictly definitional sense, anything can be a ratio as long as something can be expressed in term of that thing. My point was that irrational numbers can never escape their irrationality, and that the nature of irrational numbers runs somewhat contrary to our common use cases for ratios (fractions of measurement, time relationships, etc). Pi may be the ratio of diameter to circumference, but taking the ratio of a human's measurements can never yield pi because it's not possible to measure with infinite precision.

[@ryanmaroney4793]

Familiar with all three but the one that feels the most fun to play and stays on the board each time I reconfigure is the Volante. It’s just more inspiring to play and I find less twiddling and more playing with the Volante. I’ve moved away from “endless” options and find that limitations are the gateway to creativity.

[@gazb2069]

The Volante looks complicated but its so easy to use

[@UMCmetal]

same for me! real pedals, knobs and more playing. Digital is great, but is a bottomless taphole for sound experiments and the last 10% :D

[@deadrituals]

I can see why so many people love the Volante, it sounds beautiful

[@weschilton]

For me the Volante is still king, it just sounds amazing with everything. I do love delays and have a bunch, so when I get a chance to check out the RE-202 in person, I will probably buy it. Right now I am loving running a 1990s Deluxe Memory Man into the new Chase Bliss Habit and then into the Volante! Talk about crazy cool! :) Great video guys!

[@claudioportugal1786]

Deluxe EHX Memory Man into CB Habbit into Volante!!! Jesus!!! Holy Shit!!! ❤

[@LeviBulger]

I am not a huge strymon fan, mostly because of the "strymon sound" that they also mentioned in this video that is in every pedal they put out. It's not a bad tone, but I always know and feel that I'm playing something artificial because of it. That said, I do like the volante and the Capistan quite a bit. The RE202 is the only pedal since the volante that I actually prefer for that particular type of effect. And it's because to me it sounds so incredibly natural. But you can't go wrong with either

[@hawkeye2816]

On the topic of the Strymon sound, I got myself a Volante just the other day and I immediately noticed that "sheen" as Dan put it. It's has a bit of a hi-fi kind of sound that I can imagine doesn't work with certain genres depending on how much level you have dialed in, but I've played it with blues, rock, and even metal and gotten pretty awesome sounds out of it so far. But absolutely it has that shimmery, hi-fi kind of sound.

[@RipIPDime]

The Boss hadn't impressed me (above the others) until you guys ran it with max saturation. The rise time on the distortion and the sweeping sound are truly a special combination. That being said, my money will almost certainly be going to the Strymon - I just love the interface so much, and it really feels much more versatile if you have the luxury of a stand alone reverb. My plan is a Volante and a Boss RV-500, which has (at least, a version of) their Space Echo algorithm, though it doesn't look like it has that saturation control.

[@johncoleman4986]

Things we don't like about the Volante: "it sounds too good"

[@stevengarvey5782]

A cogent and lucid exploration and explanation of a seemingly complex issue. I have avoided the more "involved" delay units in the past but will reevaluate that stance after enjoying your videos. Thank you.

[@aaronandabbie]

Thanks for this episode guys! TC Nova Delay user here, watching you guys use these things is really helpful and inspiring, thanks for sharing. Keep it LOUD (says me, the professional sound guy)

[@chilidogcowboy]

Love my nova delay and I’m just snifffing around to explore what might stack well just ahead of it as a bucket chip thickener....those cheap new tc bucket chip echo (echobrain) maybe the all too easy solution....hmmm...and now memory man is super small...what an era to be making sounds!

[@RobertFisher1969]

With the addition of the extra loop time & mic input, the DL4 Mk2 is the first looper that finally ticks all the boxes for me. Thanks for demoing the MIDI control of the looper on it, by the way. I’ve been wanting to see that in action. Maybe that means I’ll actually explore the delays rather than only using it as a looper. 🙂

[@THEJADAN200]

I listened to the episode on headphones and the stereo imagining differences were VERY noticeable. I think that is why I like the Valante and why I like using it on when I’m mixing. Great episode, killer tons as always!

[@ThatPedalShow]

Thanks Jordan 🙏

[@DavidDyte1969]

The ability of the Volante to alter the spacing of the heads is what wins it for me. It's absurd how much you can change the effect with that one knob.

[@davidsaliba9209]

And...the mechanics and wear knobs modify that effect in endless ways...

[@marcusstrymon693]

Would you say that a volante adds some extra to my timeline? Cannot sell the TL

[@DavidDyte1969]

@@marcusstrymon693 Definitely much more capable than the multi-head delay on the TL, but unless messing with washy soundscapes is your thing (it's my thing), it's not exactly necessary.

[@marcusstrymon693]

@@DavidDyte1969 I am a fanatic to ambient guitar - love fripertronics, chords of orion and pery frank. The endless river was one of my favorite pink floyd albums bc of the ambience. A strymon nightsky was a breath of fresh air to me and it saved me from getting bored. And I like pitch altering sounds e.g. vibrato modulation and especially broken tapes... That is why the volante fascinates me... TL dual is beat and it sounds awesome bit I never use it bc setting a tempo subdivision in the menue is too demanding for me.... Like a multihead delay needs to be at hand immediately, I demand max tweakability from that.. The thing is just.... I have a timeline and I will get a meris hedra pitch shifter delay soon... Another delay might be overkill... But the volante is just fascinating Maybe on sound - does the volante sound different to TL tape machine? I alway feel loke the TL could go obe step further - It doesn’t saturate like real tape and it always reminds me a bit of a digital delay with tape modulation... With the Nightsky I thought it might not add too much in terms of reverb sound but the mod is just supercool... Turns out that the base verbs of noghtsly sound totally different - more realistic but less lush. Wonder if it is the same for volante and Tl thx

[@DavidDyte1969]

@@marcusstrymon693 Oh for sure, you have so much more variation available in the Volante. Wow and flutter, saturation, ratio knob for the playback heads (that gives you all kinds of rhythmic patterns so easily), and choice of which heads feed back. If ambient is your special thing, then save your pennies for a Volante. You won't be disappointed.

[@WhatsUpWhitey]

I have owned many strymon pedals including the Volante. They are fantastic, high quality studio grade gear, but I have found the glossy effect / “strymon sound” is not to my tastes. I would never tell anyone that it is bad, just not my preference. Amazing how we all have a difference of opinion on what we are looking for and also how dependent it is on your amp, guitar and other gear.

[@paulcowart3174]

That's my issue I tried a Deco thinking it would be more organic but just not to my liking The functions were cool but overall sound just not for me either

[@라젠카-y2b]

So, what do you use now??

[@paulcowart3174]

@@라젠카-y2b Lovepedal EPH3 and a Boss DD-5

[@라젠카-y2b]

@@paulcowart3174 I asked What's Up Whitey, but thank you.

[@paulcowart3174]

@@라젠카-y2b gotcha no prob hope he answers Yeah was kinda wondering Have a good day

[@jbgaludhimself]

The Volante is a huge part of my sound with my band, i love it so much ! I'll listen to that video with a lot of attention :)

[@MusicFillsTheQuiet]

I'm in the market for a new delay pedal. I've got to say, I'm probably going to purchase the DL4 mkII, partly because of the added reverbs and looper, making it useful to me as a 1pedal add-on to my synthesizers, but, tape me to a drum and tell me I have 4 heads, but I have to say, the Volante sounds good!

[@DorseyFaught]

Loved this! I could (and have) listen to you two play all day long.

[@ludlow555]

I will forever love the way the DL4 sits with my guitar tone. I’m halfway thru the video and my mind was blown learning that the Euclidean is the new Binson! I’ve been yearning for one in my Helix and it’s been there for months. 😂

[@hishandchips]

No better feeling in the world than sitting down for Friday lunch and seeing an hour-long video waiting for you. Cheers!

[@JamalHRA17]

When mick says let’s pull the strat out and the ‘61 appears can’t help but smile and be genuinely happy for ya! Sounds amazing! And if you read this yes I am related to Steve Albini although we’ve never met, same family tree.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Haha! Cheers Jamal…

[@LWilloxMusic]

As much as I would love having a play about with the Line 6 and especially the Boss RE-202 nothing is going to make me swap my Volante for them. As you say it is spectacularly impressive.

[@ralvknights]

Yeah more gear shootouts please. Fuzz and overdrive episode is my main dessert. Get the Marshalls and LP out more too. New pedals have been kinda scarce, need to feature more of the new pedals coming out. Hope this input gets view as positive suggestions. Keep rocking.

[@timchalmers1700]

Fantastic playing and great information as always !! For those who are budget challenged, as am I, the TC Electronics Flashback II has TonePrints for the Space Echo and Binson Ecrorec. Clearly, neither has all of the capability, but there are some nice sounds nevertheless.

[@samwisegrangee]

While we can half, double, and reverse in the sound on sound looper, I still wish the Volante had a reverse delay mode. Reverse delay is one of the coolest things tape ever gave us and it gives a very musical, almost string-like sound. I can’t believe Strymon didn’t include that with the El Cap or the Volante: it’s a legacy effect that pedals do so much better than a tape unit ever could.

[@peternorth6782]

the line 6 echo park has the best reverse delay ever.

[@btwgg]

The Volante can do reverse delay, even without loop. Just enter sos mode and tab the left button.

[@grimlyfiendish7474]

@@btwgg I’m gonna have to go home and try that!

[@sabrosapurr]

You guys cost me so much money..., but I still love you. For any singer/guitarists out there, I thought I'd offer my 2 cents. I bought the Volante and the DL4MKII. I love them both. But as someone who is primarily a singer, I need fairly simple pedals and presets when performing, so the DL 4MKII is what ended up on my pedal board. The Volante might end up on it as well, but for now I'm leaning towards using it in my studio as an outboard effect while recording, using it on vocals, synths, drums, etc. Also, the Volante feels more delicate that the DL4. I don't mean it's not well-built, it is. In fact, it's gorgeous. And even though the two pedals are roughly the same price, I feel better about pressing on the DL4 in a performance environment. Anyway, that's it. I love them both and if my rent is late, blame these two guys.

[@sabrosapurr]

Update: I put the Volante on my board as well :) I really just needed to get over how gorgeous it was to feel comfortable enough to put dual lock on the bottom of it and slap it on the board. I like the combination of the Volante and the DL4 since they really are a bit different.

[@ericreaves2536]

The Dual Delay mode on the DL4 is parallel (panned hard left and right). You can also achieve the same in the Crisscross mode with Tweez set to 0.

[@JB_Eckl]

I came here to say this!

[@jamescolunio2801]

I started playing in my first band in 1972 and was one of the first around my neck of the woods to use a tape echo... (I believe it was A Univox... all black and very inspiring). Then, not long after, the RE-201 came out and I got that right away. I fell in love with the sound, but over time, maintaining tapes and heads became very problematic. I got to the point where I was splicing my own tape because Roland no longer made the tape packs. I fell in love with that sound and am still in love with it today. I would say that I've moved on to liking a lot of delays, but I think... IF you're really into delays, then a tape OR a good emulation should be added to your board. Loved the episode.... TPS has helped me "hear" the subtleties that I was missing. Thanks for that!!!

[@doginconfusion]

Hey mate. I am that close buying a real re201 not cheap at all. I am also afraid it will be a pain in the ass with the maintenance. Given that you look like you have a lot of experience with the real thing.. what digital tape echo would you recommend as an alternative? I heard good things about belle epoch..

[@DRChevalier]

Thanks for the interesting episode. I own a Volante, a Timeline and an El Capistan on different boards in different places. The Timeline and Volante are part of a DI only configuration. I love the Volante. For a new use case, I tried out the DL4 Mk II in a store, albeit only for a short time and while it sounded ok, I would need a big sheet just to keep track of things and I am not in love with pedals that you need a phenomenal memory to use well. I don't think that the DL4 fits this comparison, it really is more a Timeline alternative, and honestly both are too much work for live play. I did buy the RE-202 finding the RE2 too cluttered for my vision and fingers. It looks fabulous and sounds really nice. The reverb I can live without, and the secret squirrel dance to change the reverbs is just annoying. And with great respect to Boss, I do not think it actually sounds like a Space Echo. As it is the most expensive option of the three here in Canada, and only does one delay type, I ended up with another Volante. Great user interface, excellent tape sound, terrific drum echo and a really pristine reel to reel multi machine echo. More $$ than the DL 4 but more focused, less than the RE 202 in cost and more useful functionality, the Volante is still the win for my use cases. I do concur with the comment of the lack of usability of the presets, that is annoying, but Strymon could fix that with a firmware change, not that I think that they will do so. I sincerely appreciate the effort that you fellows put into your work. Cheers and be well.

[@darwinsaye]

@Ross Chevalier Where in Canada do you live? The stores I see all have the Re-202 at $559 and the Volante at $588.

[@DRChevalier]

@@darwinsaye prices have settled since my initial response nine months ago. When the RE-202 first arrived it was more expensive than the Volante.

[@sowhulljnr]

I have the Volante and love it for it's simple interface to manipulate which heads are active, which are repeating and the repeat spacing. That is where the inspiration lies for me. Quick and easy adjustments, but not getting bogged down in option paralysis when all I really want is a great sounding tape or drum delay sound.

[@lincolnosiris3665]

I use the Deep Blue Delay in combination with the left side of the Keeley Dark Side. It is a superb combination.

[@vandal_dk]

I bought the Space Echo after last weeks episode (probably would have anyway) and couldn’t be happier. Cheers!

[@paulcowart3174]

Thinking about the small box

[@mcpribs]

If I needed all the sounds, I’d get the DL-4 mkii, but I don’t. The 202 sounds incredible, and looks cool. That phasiness between the heads has always bothered me, though. The Volante blew my doors off when it came out, and has not, of yet, ceased to impress. That is (still) my winner. Really can’t go wrong with any of them. We are certainly spoiled for choice. Thank you for the brilliant questions asked!

[@medor6635]

Lol I just skipped a meeting at my office just to see this video! Never been a big fan of strymon products, but I truly changed my mind when I purchased the Volante! As always you guys Rock.

[@Jamooshoe]

Looooong time watcher, first time commenter. Thankyou for doing pedal shootouts again. Those were my favorite episodes. I’d love to see more of them again (even if it’s a pick n mix). Thanks for all the amazing content :)

[@kentonschroer2347]

Man I miss Pick n Mix, or pedal jams, or any of that stuff that really focuses on a couple pedals just for fun.

[@iwiggs6870]

Fascinating. After hearing these 3...I still prefer the RE-20! Looks like I'll be buying one of those.

[@kasakka]

I really like this format as I think it's important to discuss also the things that a particular pedal does not do well. No pedal is perfect.

[@liamballsculpture]

Although similar they all acually have there own niche, the stymon is defo the most Hifi and if you want a choice of tape emulations it’s the one, the 202 is an out and out 201 digital emulation and if you want say to be lee scratch Perry or classic dub or gong this is the best choice, if you want versatile, got to be the dl4 mk2 it’s covers delay looping and reverb for £100 less than the other 2 do no brainier if you have multiple needs for sounds. Good show guys!?

[@samuelxavier2473]

Automatic upvote for mentioning Lee Perry.

[@AnthonyGartung]

202 sound does it for me :) hands down the best sound.

[@joeschlicht]

Thank you guys, this video is very illuminating. In theory, I want to like the Volante, but I just can't get over the Strymon "sheen." I came here for more info in the DL4, but I have to say, I think I'd choose the re202. I really like the saturation control and the independent tones of the repeats all at the twist to f the knob. When you had the DL4 on the Ehcorec Euro whatever setting, that sounded fantastic, and I think better than the Volante (to my ears)... but having to have a cheat sheet is a big turn-off. And like Mick, I don't need all of those delays... I guess in theory it's better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them. But I was really sold on the Re202 when Mick was "selling" it on the strat towards the end. And I thought I wanted just a simple delay like the new $99 JHS or the Echoplex pedal, but I would like something where I can access a couple presets just by tapping. Incidentally, I'd be running (sometimes) stereo in a similar setup. Vox AC30 60th ann and a Tweed Deluxe clone. The added reverbs to these pedals are a big welcome as none of my amps have reverb.

[@isaacandhismusic1153]

Didn’t actually realise just how big the DL4 mk2 was but in saying that if you only have the dollars and space for one big box delay that makes the most sense. Sounds good and is the most versatile. Would love a deep dive on it

[@dahliafiend]

If you have it personally and like it that’s fine. I returned mine and wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

[@isaacandhismusic1153]

@@dahliafiend why’s that?

[@danielherbert8060]

Bit busy today, so I'll be DELAYED in watching. But when I do, I will watch it OVER and OVEr and OVer and Over and over.

[@mark.guitar]

This video explains the TPS lack of love for some digital stuff with dual mono rigs. At last I get it! The DL4 mk1 was such a useful songwriting tool that I have just bought the mk2 for the work flow. The mic input allows it to be used with acoustic instruments (handmade mandolin, mandola, harp, tongue drum etc.) as well as vocals and blues harp which is a game changer. Different mics can give everything from crystal clear to saturated mic pre. tones, inspiring when working through a songs potential. Love the original space echo but the 202 is still just an extremely good one trick pony. Strymon is (just) out of my current birthday prezzy budget so I have been spared the consideration! Thankyou for this. Excellent as always.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Thanks Mark! Love the idea of the mic input on the DL4… I can only imagine being creative enough to actually use it! Ha! Mick here. :0)

[@mark.guitar]

@@ThatPedalShow Don't do yourself down Mick. Your playing ability has inspired me to go back and learn things better. Meanwhile your abilities as a "magazine" contributer / editor over the years require a type of creativity that is completely alien to me!

[@benchan32]

Love that you can change the ratio, really puts you in a different head spacing…

[@ThatPedalShow]

Hahahah!

[@ngsanfo7927]

Your guys opinion always respected, I have no need for a reverb function on a delay pedal. So the multiple reverb option doesn't sway me in any way. Because of this, I'll continue to stick with my volante

[@timons7446]

Thank you for mentioning JayLeonardJ - you're right Dan, his jam in the end is INSANE!!!

[@recklesstoboggan]

I'm about 1:30 in, and the only thing I know for sure is that I need a D&M Drive (and whatever amp and speaker it's going in to). That's the best I've ever heard that pedal sound. Really outstanding.

[@martinvanier249]

I have the original re 201 and i A/B with my Line 6 HX FX cosmos echo I was surprise with the quality of the Line 6 Very good

[@WhiteWizzard]

The tone towards end of D & M into Volante is THE sound

[@deigonz]

can you give me the timestamp please? want to hear it

[@DownByTheRiver234]

Boy oh boy, the Volante is everything I don’t want in a pedal - yes great sounds but all those options, all those decisions to get wrong. I think I’ll find the same in the DL-4. But the Boss? Doing what it says it’s going to do, not messing my head up! It’s bigger than I would prefer but I understand. On the other hand - my Eccos probably does everything I really need!

[@paulcowart3174]

Yeah unless different delays is a huge part of your thing most good pedals do the trick I prefer simple pedals as well

[@Merraldooo]

Amazing as always. I will be buying some merch soon. About to switch to Peavey w/ some spring verb or..fender. Gotta pair it with a delay. Thanks fellas 🎸

[@andsoistopped]

Interestingly the ‘more affordable’ brand NUX also released an RE 201 style alongside a Boss style smaller RE201 pedal. Josh has them on the show this Wednesday and he really liked them. Although is there anything that Josh doesn’t like? For the record that particular show was hilarious.

[@teknomanning]

Bro I’m stealing the poetry rock.

[@markandclairethomas2062]

NUX also do a tape core pedal that simulates 3 heads and has Reverb , plus analog dry through . All for around £50 . It’s been out for a few years but never appears to get mentioned , probably because of its price . NUX do make really decent gear though .

[@andsoistopped]

@@markandclairethomas2062 Yes, I think that’s the one I was referring to that Josh had on the show on Wednesday

[@MrBallynally2]

i am happy with my Nux. Sold my RE20 and went with Nux after various 202 videos including tps. Only drawback: the Nux 'time' does not go slow enough..

[@robertlamb2346]

Not a tape delay but one of my favorite things about the memory boy is its effects loop. I have a behringer 6 band eq in there permanently to eq the repeats. Depending on the occasion dropping or boosting the mids will get me the right balance. Seeing the discussion on re202 eq...

[@Producer4Realz]

The Boss RE-202 is amazing replica of the real tape echo. The Green machine DL4 mk2 is fantastic complex of delays and reverbs. Sure is a classic. The valante sounds very nice but quite different from the original tape echo and sounds a little too clean and lack of character. I've got also the Strymon El capitan mk2 and it has more character than that. But... Boss is an addictive pedal that is simple to operate and yet had a deep route for creating unique sounds. All 128 patches can be stored and recalled with a simple midi cc foot switch pedal.

[@patriotpizzaman]

Paused to watch Jay Leonard Jay's Ghost Busters loop. That was worth it! Nice one Jay! Good looking out Dan!

[@guilhermebatlleyfont7577]

YESSS, oh god haven't even started watching and already know it's gonna be great

[@ColinShanahan]

Great video guys, thanks for taking the time to do it. Been a Volante user for a few years now and absolutely love it. It's a very inspiring pedal and every time I'm noodling around with it I come out with something different. The Boss really caught my eye/ear when launched and hearing them side by side is very interesting. The Boss definitely has a sound and is very cool, but I still think the Volante edges it overall. In saying that I now want the Boss too 🙈😂

[@marcusstrymon693]

how does it compare to timeline tape mode? Unfortunately i cannot get rid of my timeline Volante is fascinating but i dunno if it is worth blowing the bank for another delay Then again that is what i said about nightsky and when I got it i was blown by how much it added to bigsky and how different it sounds

[@richardreyes9604]

I love them all and can work with any. The volante is my go to always, very intuitive and easy to reset at a gig. I have many delay pedals the volante has replaced the timeline, its a elcapistan on steroid. ( Love your Chanel.)

[@nickharrington12]

Great episode. These type of episodes are the reason headphone listening is a must. Just sounds so good! Mick, pupdate for you. Riggs, our german shepherd puppy, has gone from 11 lbs at 8 weeks to 30 lbs at 12 weeks. He is basically a furry shark with legs. Super fun, but a destroyer of all things flesh. Needless to say, he is a challenge. Cheers.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Ha! Good luck with it Nick. Rosie is finally calming down. A little bit.

[@Adventuresingearland]

This is a lovely episode, team - thank you. Listened on the commute home and the spacey sounds really turned the day around. Volante for me, BTW. X

[@Amish_Trivedi]

My feeling last week was that the ability to switch on and off heads on the Volante would be the deciding factor. I guess I was a bit off, but I guess I feel marginally vindicated sticking with it for now! The 202 does seem amazing, but I'll love the one I'm with :)

[@FakeGlasses]

Relatively new volante user. Just figured out how you can change the individual levels of each tape heads by just holding in the head button (the green button) til it turns yellow. That was a big game changer/aha! moment for me.

[@edmiglia]

The MXR Carbon Copy Deluxe is not far from these imo. It has an important feature, for me anyway...The tap division button. The bright switch is huge too, to be able to control where it sits in a mix. To boot, there's speed & depth control for the modulation! I have no idea why Boss didn't put a tap divide on the 202. I really wanted a 202, but no divisions was a deal breaker. For $400 it really should have it. They all should have it imo

[@lightaces]

I mean, the eight buttons of the Volante are doing the job of the tap divisions. The tap switch sets the time of the fourth head - turn that on, it's your quarter note. 1st head is a sixteenth, 2nd head an eighth, and the 3rd head is your dotted eighth. You can have just one, two, three or four, AND you can pan them, and adjust their levels. It's very intuitive, and very versatile.

[@edmiglia]

@@lightaces Good to know. The Volante has tap tempo? Tapping with the drummer with head 3 is a dotted eighth 🤔 good feature

[@lightaces]

@@edmiglia I mean, only if you have the ratio knob set to even, but yeah.

[@edmiglia]

@@lightaces So tap divide is essentially being able to choose between 4 heads? But, the Carbon Copy Deluxe doesn't allow more than one to be on at the same time

[@lightaces]

@@edmiglia The Volante lets you have multiple at once. Its a really strong device.

[@smelltheglove2038]

Great stuff so far gents! Great to make a show thanks to rain! Cheers

[@TheFlutecart]

Volante is King of MIDI tape tone. That "sheen" you guys speak of is the Premium input JFET buffers. Though, the others are really cool too. I think the Boss has a more convincing tape tone and finesse than the Line 6. It is on par with the convincing sound of Volante but different as it should be. That DL4 is cool with the mic input, great feature. I've had my Volante for a couple years, I'd be hard pressed to move on from it. I got a Nightsky to go with it in stereo parallel, they program the same hands free way with a program message. - very convenient for my brain.

[@fallenshallrise]

Not a criticism of you or the show but it's interesting how adding some high end "sparkle" or "sheen" at 16 or 18 k is called premium now. Or we call it detailed or hi-fi. It used to be called "ice pick" because at high volumes it'll rip your head off. Different use cases now.

[@ionobelisk]

I just ended up wanting all three!

[@guitarnutbolinuli5788]

I swore off Line 6 a few years ago, it is just too much. The Strymon seems more intuitive to me and I love the 4 heads thing. Fun episode guys, thanks.

[@philf4086]

The right hand button on the RE-202 should be labeled "make Dan laugh"! Great fun, thanks guys!!

[@beeflin]

I heard degradation of the Strat's core sound using the Volante when the effect was dialed in, and didn't hear that with the Boss.

[@mikecito1717]

There was some upper end distortion on that volente at the end of the vid that's a bit yucky through headphones. I got my DL4 and pretty much does the job. Subdivision issues are a disappointment. That 202 though... Possible buyers remorse. Thanks for the great vid!

[@DAZ0204]

Regarding not hearing the “Strymon sheen” and difference between the Volante when on and off, do you have the buffered bypass enabled in the pedal? If you dial in your amp EQ with the pedal off and true bypass on, that would explain why Mick heard such a difference the first time you tried the Volante. On the other hand, if you’re not hearing a difference this time (like in this video), the buffered bypass is enabled. Personally, I think the Strymon sounds really good in buffered bypass mode with the pedal off. I feel it has a bit of an EP-3 preamp flavor of sorts, with that fat bottom end and clear top end. If you’re not hearing a difference in the sound off or on, chances are you have the preamp on! :)

[@federicokemp6109]

I see you mentioned the thing we talked on the last video about the re202 preamp, nobody seems to remember it's a big part of the Space Echo sound :)

[@gazzy_burns]

They all sound great. The saturation on the RE-202 seems a bit…like early digital distortion….and I’m a Boss fan boy!

[@Rolf_D]

Great Video guys. I own a Volante, and it is great. I am missing the panning on the 202.

[@phillipasby9202]

They all sound great - I have a DD500 and a H9 max so not sure I'm seeking out a different delay ... if I were the 202 really does have some quality to it that I find appealing.

[@cloydibones1709]

Perfect timing! Been wanting a comparison, particularly from you guys, on these pedals

[@Alchemyrecordingstudioatl]

Amazing episode . This is exactly the comparison I was looking for .. I already own the Volante , Im getting the DL4 MK2 for my anniversary ( only because the RE 202 isn't available yet ) . The RE 202 Sounds unbelievable . Would love to see a deep dive on the DL4..

[@bigleafwoodcraft1453]

The re-202 is available!

[@jeffreyradick6486]

I had an El Capistan d'Tape, then I got the Volante a few years back ... now I feel like I have to get the RE-202 and the DL4 too! And the Belle Epoch, and the Future Factory, and .. and ... I'm feeling a little gassy ...

[@ZeBubba]

- DL4 (and MkII), the 1st real do-it-all is the best for looping - Timeline is the better sounding do-it-all vs DL4, imo - RE-202 and Volante are more about one thing, different beasts altogether BTW, I've owned DL4, Timeline, RE-20 and Volante. All cool in their own way.

[@ggkohler]

Volante has 'tweak n tweez' by holding down head buttons 5/8. For example, if you want to adjust Reverb decay, hold 5/8 and turn Reverb knob.

[@dorianford6227]

Damn I straight up sold Volante for Habit. I surprisingly do not regret doing that but I do miss having it on my board such a gorgeous delay.

[@proteusswarm7291]

Not to be too hyperbolic, but... Volante gets my vote for best guitar pedal ever. SOS mode is the fantastic.

[@silvertongues2]

I hear what you’re saying about Strymon, they always feel they too ethereal to me. I was happily using my RE20 but I bought an El Capistan as I was after something smaller, I ended up keeping the Re20.

[@stilllifewithguitar184]

I think that's true about some of the big box Strymons but not the El Cap.

[@silvertongues2]

@@stilllifewithguitar184 maybe ethereal isn’t the right word, they just sound artificial compared to the last 30 years of equipment I’m used too.

[@stilllifewithguitar184]

@@silvertongues2 I kind of agree - if you've used a real tape echo there's nothing like it, none of these really have that magic. But amongst the non-physical tapes I do like the El Cap the best. I haven't heard anything from the new Boss ones that make me think they're any better sounding yet, although I like the interface of the 202 a lot. One I haven't tried yet is the Boonar one...

[@artwerkmedia8616]

They are all nice pedals. But for me it’s the Volante hands down. Love the drum delay. And I agree, it is so powerful and versatile that you need more than 8 presets. I added a DMC micro midi foot switch (10 sec setup) and now I have 128+ presets.

[@Giovy-Perez]

SUPER CLEARLY! THE REVIEW IS ON POINT!!

[@chrisquinn9104]

One of the things that I treats me about the comparison is the perceived prestige of each brand.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Our perception is all different. But Strymon is probably the brand of highest prestige. Boss of longest prestige and Line 6 of great value for money. Come on, fight me! ;0)

[@chrisquinn9104]

@@ThatPedalShow I would agree with you on that. Boss has become more posh. I have been plagued by typos in my KZbin life

[@alphanuevo]

Hello, I'm rather late to the party here. Great video! I wonder if a follow up combining the boss BP-1W & the 202 would be interesting? Analog preamp with digital 202? Cheers.

[@truthfactreality6814]

Hoping they have some 202 at the guitar show this weekend

[@santrixhimself3679]

my personal Echo King at the moment is the late great Behringer Echo Machine. A very obvious copy of the Line 6 Echo Park. Sadly discontinued it remains the best sub 50$ Echo Pedal ever in my book. Even got stereo unlike the Re-202

[@mark.guitar]

Mine is late. Very late. Died in the middle of a gig and all the resurrection skills in the world couldn't put the silicon back together again. Replaced with a dd200 (clunky but great sounds once you have set up your preferred sounds) on the live board and I have a DL4 mk2 on route at the moment for the looper stuff.

[@santrixhimself3679]

@@mark.guitar the behringer died on you? what you mean by 'late' and which silicon?

[@mark.guitar]

@@santrixhimself3679 Sorry about the obscure language. "Late" is a joke from Douglas Adam's "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy". "Come with me Arthur Dent or you will be late". "Late for what?". "No, late as in the late Arthur Dent. It's a threat. I'm not very good at threats." The main chip stopped working after several years of use. My friend is an electronic engineer and, over a beer, he showed me that the main chip was at fault. I was sad to lose what was a really useful delay pedal!

[@santrixhimself3679]

@@mark.guitar damn i thought i know my hitchhikers guide ;) now i am scared that mine will break too lol. might get a backup from the used market. sometimes they show up for around 40$ used, sometimes for 90$ used. we will see how long it takes to find one for cheap

[@mark.guitar]

@@santrixhimself3679 I listened to the original Radio 4 series back in the 1970's. Brilliantly stupid. Meanwhile back in the present, check out the Boss delays. Compacts are really good, I like the DD3, DD5. There are loads to consider on the second hand market for around £100 in the UK. Also check out the cheapo pedals. Great analogue 0.5second delays and some halfway decent multi-delays for sub $60. Check out 60cyclehum and the "affordaboard". Happy hunting!

[@MeAlexSenna]

Sticking with the Volante and that Hi Def sound

[@goobiedebber5059]

Man I like the idea of recreating classic machines. I've tried a Roland 501, so i am biased on getting the boss. But the strymon echorec is note worthy too. For now i am sticking to my wampler tape echo and catalinbread echorec.

[@scottakam]

Thanks guys!

[@andydoom5171]

Whilst the boss has midi, I'm not a fan of midi via trs as it seems to keep adding cost to my board. Boss sounds ace, I kinda feel the line 6 should have been pitted against a timeline though but great overview of the latest delays released. Happy with my volante for the time

[@JamesOnGuitar]

I don't even use delays... why am I here? Oh... because you make it sound so good! 🤘

[@ThatPedalShow]

Ha! Thanks James!

[@SergioAureo]

For your style of playing I bet you would like some slapback delay once in a while. Love your channell, especially how it's evolving, James. Keep up the good work. Cheers

[@JamesOnGuitar]

@@SergioAureo cheers Sergio! You know, i really should try it out a bit more 👍🏼 i have the volante and the mad prof deep blue… gathering dust!

[@SergioAureo]

@@JamesOnGuitar I have the Mad Professor Deep Blue too :-) it’s great even in front of an overdriven amp. Some cool sounds used that way. You should give it a chance. I’m sure the Volante is also killer though I never had the chance to try one.

[@JamesOnGuitar]

@@SergioAureo yeah the mad prof sounds great and is nice and reasonably simple to use! The volante has so much potential and then i feel a little lost!