Vintage oil can echo devices are electromechanical units that write a static charge onto a rotating disk housed in a can partially filled with oil. The oil serves as a lubricant that helps retain the charge on the disk. The resultant delay signal is very band limited, creating a murky sounding echo. But that’s not the only quality that gives the oil can echo its atmospheric magic.
The units have a record head and typically two playback heads, but generally no erase head, allowing some dissipating charge to remain as the can rotates. This contributes to two unique characteristics of these systems.
First, it creates a regenerating repeat even when no feedback (REGEN) is applied from the playback heads. The static charge has its own decay time constant, so there are always “repeats” from the echo at all settings.
Second, it creates an uneven cadence to the echoes, where the first echo occurs based on the distance from the record head to the playback head. But subsequent echoes occur at the rotational speed of the system as the dissipating signal comes back around on the disk. The resultant off-kilter delay cadence is largely responsible for creating the sense of atmosphere without a strong “rhythmic” element.
By adding feedback (REGEN) from the playback heads, and/or combining the output of the two heads, the atmospheric nature of the echoes increases.
FEATURES
MIDI
Limitless Possibilites.
Olivera features full MIDI implementation and 300 presets, allowing you to control it remotely via a MIDI controller or Digital Audio Workstation via either the EXP/MIDI jack or USB connection.
True/Buffered Bypass
Choose Your Bypass Mode.
Olivera allows you to choose between electromechanical relay-switched true bypass for fully untouched and unprocessed signal when the pedal is not turned on (the default behavior), or our premium buffered bypass, which preserves your signal’s integrity by preventing the loss of high frequencies that can happen due to long cable runs.
JFET Input
Analog Touch.
Our discreet Class A JEFT input preamp is one of our secret weapons, providing the ultimate in dynamics and feel. The preamp circuit prepares the incoming audio to be processed in the most ideal way possible, optimizing for ultra-low noise operation and a flat frequency response.
Stereo
Moving In Stereo.
Olivera features full stereo input and output capabilities, processing incoming stereo signals independently so that you can confidently place it anywhere you like in your signal chain.
There are three different input/output routing options, which are accessible from the dedicated switch 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 out requires a TRS cable of some type for each jack).
ARM Processor
Power To The Pedal.
We are now using ARM processors in many of our products, which are an evolution in technology led by mobile devices and laptop computers. These devices offer the ability to perform more simultaneous processes than ever before, while consuming significantly less current. This provides more horsepower for emulating every sonic nuance, with less current draw from your pedalboard’s power supply.
MultiSwitch Plus
Switch Things Up A Bit.
Connecting a Strymon MultiSwitch Plus to Olivera unlocks expanded control and flexibility. Use Preset Mode to instantly access three favorite sounds, or switch to Custom Mode to toggle Modulation, recall your Favorite preset, and engage Infinite Repeats — all from a single compact pedal.