Strymon Olivera Vintage Oil Can Echo

Well Oiled Machine

Turn the clock back to a time when audio eects were still uncharted territory, and experiencethe vintage syrupy warble of a true oil can echo.

From dark and modulated repeats to sustaining textures that approach the sound of classicspring reverb tanks, Olivera is the first pedal emulation that truly captures the mechanical yetwildly organic nature of these oddball machines, bringing funky inspiration to anything you runthrough it.

Dierent By Design

The first oil can echoes were made by the Tel-Rey company in 1959, achieving the repeatsusing a small rotating can filled with conductive oil as the dielectric material instead of tape.

This novel approach yields very dierent sounds than what you would hear from a tapemachine, and the results instantly transport the listener to a darker and murkier place thatpositively oozes vibe.

The sheer number of variables in the design made authentic emulation challenging, requiring aton of research and a brand new algorithm to get to the realism that we set out to achieve. Wefeel confident that Olivera captures the true soul of the original units, from the dark repeats withunique rhythmic and decay characteristics to the unreal thick modulation that changes andmorphs as the audio does. No other type of delay can do what an oil can does, and no otherpedal emulation comes close to Olivera.

Vintage Stereo Echo Enhanced With Modern Features

Olivera has a host of powerful features that make it easy to integrate these nostalgic soundsinto your modern rig: Discrete stereo operation for independent processing of the left and rightstereo inputs. A simplified control set and expression pedal and Multiswitch capability. Delayspillover for preserving repeats when the pedal is switched o. Discrete Class A JFET stereoinput preamp for exceptional touch sensitivity and ideal frequency response. MIDI control ofpatch recall and continuous controller data. Premium components, rugged construction thatcan take a beating and a USB jack for performing firmware updates or controlling the pedalfrom your computer. Olivera makes it easy.

Features

MIDI

Olivera features full MIDI implementation and 300 presets, allowing you to control it remotelyvia a MIDI controller or Digital Audio Workstation via either the EXP/MIDI jack or USBconnection.

True Buered Bypass

Olivera allows you to choose between electromechanical relay-switched true bypass for fullyuntouched and unprocessed signal when the pedal is not turned on (the default behavior), orour premium buered bypass, which preserves your signals integrity by preventing the loss ofhigh frequencies that can happen due to long cable runs.

JFET Input

Our discreet Class A JEFT input preamp is one of our secret weapons, providing the ultimate indynamics and feel. The preamp circuit prepares the incoming audio to be processed in themost ideal way possible, optimizing for ultra-low noise operation and a flat frequency response.

Stereo

Olivera features full stereo input and output capabilities, processing incoming stereo signalsindependently so that you can confidently place it anywhere you like in your signal chain.

There are three dierent input/output routing options, which are accessible from the dedicatedswitch on the rear panel: Mono In/Mono Out, Mono In/Stereo Out, and Stereo In/Stereo Out.

The dedicated TRS stereo Inputs and Outputs make patching easy too (stereo in and outrequires a TRS cable of some type for each jack).

ARM Processor

We are now using ARM processors in many of our products, which are an evolution intechnology led by mobile devices and laptop computers. These devices oer the ability toperform more simultaneous processes than ever before, while consuming significantly lesscurrent. This provides more horsepower for emulating every sonic nuance, with less currentdraw from your pedalboards power supply.

CONTROLS

Time– The Time knob determines the delay time for the repeats by adjusting the rotationalspeed of the oil can. Some vintage units had a fixed speed, but weve allowed the rotationalspeed to vary between roughly 200ms to 800ms in total delay time, which can be furthermodified by the Head selection switch.

Heads Control – Vintage oil can echo units had a single record head and two playback heads.The playback heads distance from the record head determined the decay time of the echo,and you can choose from Short, Long or Both with this switch. The Short setting selectsthe head that is the closest to the Record head for the shortest echo, and the Long settingselects the head that is the furthest away from the Record Head for the longest echo. TheBoth setting enables both heads at the same time, giving the repeats a lopsided and complexscenario.

Mix – This control determines the mix of the wet and dry signal, with a 50/50 mix of wet anddry occurring at roughly 3 oclock on the knob.

Rate – controls the speed of the modulation

Intensity – controls the intensity of the modulation, where the modulation becomes much moreprominent in the audio mix the higher the position of the knob.

Regeneration – this control was often labeled reverb on vintage units, and it controls theamount of echo repeats are fed back into the can to be reprocessed. Higher settings of theknob create a reverberant and atmospheric character, which many would say is one of thesignature elements to the sonic character of an oil can echo.

NOTE: Hold the footswitch while turning the Regeneration knob to adjust the tone of the

repeats. Noon on the knob is the character that we captured from our reference units, withlower settings being darker, and higher settings brightening the repeats.