PSA: The Timeline MX is NOT the upgrade you thought it was!

This is not a drill, but what I’m about to tell you may not be a problem for you. One of the neat functions of the original  @strymon  Timeline (the OG) is that it had the ability to have a feedback loop. You could place another effect or effects in the loop to be applied to the delay repeats only. With a feedback loop you don’t affect the dry signal! This can give some really unique and interesting delay sounds and I’m here for it!

I was pleasantly surprised to see with the release of the Timeline MX that Strymon touted a “stereo FX Loop for connecting external effects, where the TimeLine MX’s wet signal is processed through them.” (Source: Page 66, https://www.strymon.net/manuals/TimeLineMX_UserManual_RevA.pdf)

Lo and behold when I went to test this out I found it didn’t work as advertised! I scrambled to find out what I was doing wrong! I checked all my cables. I updated the firmware on the MX. I even phoned a friend. Nothing. Well…not nothing. I found the effects in the FX loop were being applied to the dry signal and I couldn’t figure out how to get them on the wet signal only!

So I took the road less traveled and email Strymon support. They said the MX didn’t operate the same as the OG and they could see how the manual and website weren’t clear. The FX loop was NOT a Feedback Loop on the MX and it was intentionally done this way.

They’ve since updated the website and manual to be more accurate, but I wanted to take a moment in this video and share what I discovered, where the FX loop actually sits, and how to use it, in hopes that anyone thinking the MX is an upgrade in every way to the OG would know what they’re getting into in regards to the feedback loop NOT being present on the MX.

Maybe you don’t care. Maybe that function isn’t a priority for you. Now you have me curious. What’s the upgrade with the MX you’re most excited to see? Drop a comment and let me know!

NOTE: Current manual for the MX can be found here: https://www.strymon.net/support/Timeline-mx/