Strymon releases El Capistan V2 with MIDI and spring reverb

February 1, 2023 · 4 sources

Strymon released the El Capistan V2, an updated version of its digital tape echo pedal. That Pedal Show, which compared the V2 with the V1 and a Roland RE-201 Space Echo in a video published January 13, 2023, said the V2 update from 2022 introduced more powerful processing, functionality upgrades and MIDI¹².

According to Strymon, the V2 keeps the original sound and functions and updates the interface for expanded input/output and control³. The changes Strymon lists are a fully controllable SPRING knob for the onboard reverb, an externally mounted mono/stereo input switch, an externally mounted USB-C connection for updates, and full MIDI capability using 1/4-inch TRS MIDI via the EXP/MIDI jack³.

Guitar World, in a tape echo guide published February 7, 2023, reported that the pedal has full MIDI implementation, with control of almost every element via a controller or DAW through the EXP/MIDI jack or USB-C connection, and 300 MIDI preset locations for loading and saving settings⁴. It also reported that Strymon added a spring reverb, which it compared to those found on vintage echo machines⁴. That Pedal Show said the V2 has up to 300 preset locations, that the reverb has its own knob where the old one did not, and that the input preamp is now a JFET design and is true stereo².

Guitar World listed the controls as Time, Tape Head, Flutter, Mode, Tape Age, Repeats and Spring, with true bypass and 9V power⁴. It described the pedal as providing three tape machine types in one box⁴. That Pedal Show said the original El Capistan had three tape echoes in it: fixed, multi-head and single-head modes².

The two outlets differ on timing. That Pedal Show dates the V2 update to 2022¹²; Guitar World's February 2023 guide calls the V2 the "new and improved" version and the "newly updated version" without giving a release date⁴. No US price was given in the available material.