Strymon Drops All-Analog La Brea: Analog Tape Drive Pedal
Strymon's La Brea is a fully analog tape drive pedal for $199. Multi-stage saturation, Shift voicing, and dry blend—no digital processing.
Renowned effects pedal manufacturer Strymon has expanded its "Series A" lineup with the La Brea Tape Drive, a fully analog pedal designed to capture the elusive sound and feel of magnetic tape saturation. Priced at $199 (£199.99), the La Brea promises to deliver everything from subtle, warm compression to full-blown fuzz without a single line of digital code.
Strymon La Brea: New Analog Tape Drive Pedal Emulates Classic Reel-to-Reel Saturation
The brainchild of Strymon's Senior Analog Design Engineer, Josh Forbes, the La Brea is the culmination of a decade-long obsession with recreating authentic tape-style saturation entirely within the analog domain.
Inspired by the Deco
Inspired by Pete Celi's original whitepaper for the popular Strymon Deco pedal, Forbes set out to capture the behavior, character, and feel of a well-biased reel-to-reel tape machine in a standalone stompbox.
Tape-Inspired Tones from Crunch to Fuzz
The La Brea uses multi-stage tape saturation techniques to deliver a wide spectrum of drive tones. A dedicated Gain switch lets players tailor the Tape Saturation range, making it easy to dial in edge-of-breakup warmth, high-octane drive, or aggressive, fuzz-like textures.
To further sculpt the tone, a Shift switch adds voicing options, offering either a focused treble boost or a combination of extra mids and enhanced highs for more clarity and punch.
A fully variable Dry control lets users blend their unaffected signal back into the mix, ensuring articulation and low-end definition are retained even at extreme saturation settings.
Crucially, this dry signal is kept perfectly in phase with the pedal's output.
Inside Strymon's "Series A"
While Strymon is globally recognized for its world-class DSP (Digital Signal Processing) effects, the company is keen to highlight the importance of its analog foundation.
The "Series A" line, which the La Brea joins alongside the previously released Canoga and Fairfax pedals, serves as a blank canvas for Strymon's analog design team. These pedals feature no MIDI, no USB, no firmware updates, and zero digital processing—just pure analog circuitry focused on feel, responsiveness, and tone.
To ensure exceptional headroom, a wide gain range, and ultra-low noise performance, the La Brea operates at an internally boosted 24V, despite being powered by a standard 9V DC supply (requiring a minimum of 500mA).
Key Specifications:
- Signal Path: 100% analog, no digital processing
- True Bypass: Yes
- Saturation Control: Multi-stage tape saturation with a two-position Gain switch
- Tone Shaping: Shift switch (high-frequency boost or combined high-frequency/midrange boost)
- Dry Path: Fully variable, permanently in phase with the wet signal
- Internal Voltage: Boosted to 24V for increased headroom and low noise
- Connectors: 1/4" mono input & output
- Power Requirements: 9V DC, center-negative (500mA minimum)
- Price: £199.99 / $199
Tape Drive Saturation
With its focus on an authentic, tape-inspired drive and a completely analog signal path, the Strymon La Brea Tape Drive is poised to become a fast favorite among tone aficionados seeking classic, responsive saturation.
Pricing is typically in that $200 range, as with the rest of the Strymon Series A models, including the Canoga and Fairfax Drive, which is high, but you know the build quality and component choices should be top-tier.
One for Strymon fans, no doubt.
- +Pure analog circuitry with no digital processing
- +Multi-stage tape saturation from subtle warmth to aggressive fuzz
- +Variable Dry control maintains phase coherence and clarity
- +Gain and Shift switches offer flexible voicing options
- +True bypass for signal integrity
- +24V internal boost provides headroom and low noise
What makes the Strymon La Brea different from other drive pedals?
The La Brea is entirely analog with no digital processing, MIDI, USB, or firmware updates. It uses multi-stage tape saturation techniques inspired by reel-to-reel tape machines to deliver authentic saturation from subtle warmth to aggressive fuzz, with tone shaping via Shift and Gain switches.
Does the Strymon La Brea have true bypass?
Yes, the La Brea features true bypass. It also includes a fully variable Dry control that blends the unaffected signal back into the mix while keeping it in phase with the wet output, preserving articulation even at extreme saturation.
What are the power requirements for the La Brea?
The pedal requires a 9V DC, center-negative power supply with a minimum of 500mA. Internally, the circuit is boosted to 24V to provide exceptional headroom, low noise, and a wide gain range.
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