It’s not a pedal, but if you’re looking for an original delay effect, you have to give consideration to Thyme (shipping in April 2018), a new desktop effects processor from Bastl Instruments, an innovative company based in Brno, Czech Republic.
Bastl describes Thyme as a “robot-operated tape machine.” The device is based on a tape delay with multiple heads, and it includes a wealth of controls that let you explore, in the company’s words, “the boundless depths of time-based effects processing—in stereo!”
To be clear, Thyme doesn’t sound like a tape delay, at least not in the company’s video of the device, shown below. Its sound is distinctly digital, in a good way. Bastl describes it as “hi-fi,” and there is an undeniable clarity in its signal processing.
However, Thyme’s multiple-head arrangement is definitely analogous to how tape delays operate, and the inclusion of an LFO for modulation, a Tape Speed control, and high- and low-pass filters suggests that, with a little tweaking, Thyme might be capable of creating tape-like delay. And if not, so what? There are plenty of other pedals that can do that. Thyme is in a class by itself.
Thyme features nine parameters, all with a dedicated “Robot” (i.e., modulation source) that can be phased in different ways for the left and right channels. This capability makes the Thyme perfect for the creation of unabashedly psychedelic sonic effects and perfect for those kaleidoscopic desert ventures.
The Robot itself can be oriented in a variety of ways: as a multi-shape LFO, external CV source, or even an envelope follower. Users can access all of these features and more via the unit’s front panel interface, which provides eight buttons (for preset selection) and a meta-sequencer. The sequencer, Robots, and delay effect can be synchronized via internal or external clock source. Beyond that, the unit features MIDI and CV capabilities, a switchable mono/stereo input, stereo output, level controls, and a footswitch input.
You can learn more about Thyme in the video below. While many of the examples are demonstrated with synthesizer, the first portion of the demonstration is created using a guitar.
For more information, visit Bastl’s website and Perfect Circuit Audio.
