Strymon StarLab Z120-STLB User manual

USER MANUAL

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Introduction
Signal Flow Diagram
Audio Inputs and Outputs
Reverb Controls Controls and Connections
DELAY/KARPLUS Controls and Connections
Harmonics Controls and Connections
FILTER Controls and Connections
LFO Controls and Connections
Features
Specifications
Secondary Functions
Power Up Functions
Control Voltage Inputs
Strymon Non-Transferrable Limited Warranty
Table of Contents
3
4
5
6
13
17
19
21
24
25
27
31
33
37

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StarLab expands the sound of your Eurorack rig with lush reverbs as
well as chorus, flanging, and modulated delays. StarLab is also a full-
featured Karplus-Strong string synthesis voice module that allows
freely alternating bowing and plucking as well as dynamic string
damping. Complete with LFO with multiple waveforms and targets,
StarLab is packed with powerful features and extensive CV I/O all while
maintaining intuitive playability.
Introduction

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GLIMMER
DELAY
KARPLUS
HI
DAMP HI DAMP
ECHO ON
REGEN
SHIMMER
INPUT
SHIMMER INFINITE LOW
DAMP
LOWPASS
FILTER
OUTPUT
REVERB
STRUCTURE
INPUT
DRY
WET
REGEN DECAY
VARIABLE PROCESSING RATEALTERNATE LOCATION
Signal Flow Diagram

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Audio Inputs and Outputs
StarLab’s full stereo I/O allows for both mono or stereo operation.
LEFT/RIGHT IN: Left and right audio
inputs. Use LEFT IN for mono input.
LEFT/RIGHT OUT: Left and right
audio outputs.
TIP: With mono input (LEFT IN), output can be mono (LEFT OUT) or
stereo (LEFT OUT, RIGHT OUT).

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TEXTURE Switch
Selects one of three different reverb structures.
sparse: Granular-sounding reverb that can create interesting effects
with staccato inputs, or produce a clean reverb with sustained inputs.
dense: Plate-like reverb with a fast response and dense reflections
that can venture into ambient territory at high decay times.
diffuse: Slow-building, atmospheric wash that excels at ambient,
swell, and even reverse-like textures.
Reverb Controls and Connections
StarLab features a multi-textural, highly configurable, variable process
rate stereo reverb with adjustable tail characteristics.

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INPUT GAIN
Controls the gain of the input
signal fed to the reverb through
a soft clipping input stage.
LED indicates signal level from
GREEN for clean reverb to RED
for soft-clipping distortion. BLUE
LED indicates the input signal
to the reverb is muted via the IN
GATE CV.
(See page 9 for details.)
Reverb Controls and Connections (cont.)
DRY
Sets the output level of the dry
signal. Dry signal is an analog
path throughout. No dry signal
at minimum, unity gain at 12
o’clock, and +3dB boost of the
dry signal at maximum.
WET
Sets the overall reverberated
signal level sent to the output.
WET CV: Modifies the WET level.
WET knob position acts as an
offset.
• CV range: +/-5V
DECAY
Adjusts the amount of time for
the reverb to fade out. At higher
DECAY settings, decay time
may be impacted by the FILTER
settings.
DECAY CV: Modifies the DECAY
level. DECAY knob position acts
as an offset.
• CV range: +/-5V

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SIZE / PITCH
Changes the process rate and size of the reverb structure while
maintaining the integrity of the reverb audio. This allows for
‘pitching’ of the regenerating reverberated signal as well changing
the dynamic response of the reverb. Turning clockwise increases
the size and lowers the pitch of any regenerating audio in the reverb
structure. Range from center is +/-1 octave (1/2x size at minimum to
2x size at maximum).
SIZE/PITCH CV: Modifies the SIZE/PITCH setting at 1V/octave. SIZE/
PITCH knob acts as an offset.
CV range: +/-2V
• -2V = 2 octaves down
• 0V = No SIZE/PITCH change
• +2V = 2 octaves up
NOTE: -1 octave = one-half size at minimum
+1 octave = double the size at the maximum
Reverb Controls and Connections (cont.)
In Karplus-Strong Mode, SIZE/PITCH CV tunes the string to a
range of 4 octaves at 1V/octave. DELAY/TUNE knob acts as fine
tune control over 1 octave range. (See page 15 for details.)
• CV range: 0-4V

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Reverb Controls and Connections (cont.)
CLEAR CV: Clears audio data from reverb buffer when rising edge
detected.
• CV range: 0-5V Rising edge triggered
IN GATE CV: Gates the input to the reverb when CV is high. BLUE
INPUT GAIN LED indicates audio input is gated and not sent to the
reverb.
• CV range: 0-5V Rising edge triggered
• Can be set to latching response by pressing and holding the
REGEN button at power up. Set to momentary response by default.
(See page 31 for Power Up Functions.)
In Karplus-Strong Mode, IN GATE CV continuously excites or
‘bows’ the string in latching or momentary operation.
(See page 15 for details.)

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INFINITE
Holds the current audio input to the reverb while allowing new audio
to continue to be processed by the reverb when the button is pressed
or INFINITE CV is triggered. Great for generating ambient pads.
Reverb Controls and Connections (cont.)
PITCH QUANTIZE mode changes the response of the SIZE/PITCH
knob to values that are restricted to the selected scale. Scales can
be selected via the SIZE/PITCH Scale Quantize secondary function.
• Press and hold the INFINITE button until it blinks AMBER to
enable PITCH QUANTIZE mode.
• Press and hold the INFINITE button again until it blinks GREEN
to exit PITCH QUANTIZE mode.
SIZE/PITCH Scale Quantize: Changes the response of the SIZE/
PITCH knob to be quantized to one of 15 available scales (see next
page). To change the selected scale:
• Turn the SIZE/PITCH knob while holding the INFINITE button
to select from 15 different scales. The selected scale is shown
through the 4 center button LEDs in binary. The following
binary sequence corresponds to the scale list:
INFINITE CV: Engages the
infinite effect to hold the input
signal going into the reverb.
• CV range: 0-5V Rising
edge triggered
• Can be set to latching
momentary response
by pressing and holding
the REGEN button at
power up. Set to latching
response by default.
(See page 31 for Power Up
Functions.)

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octave
root, 5th
pentatonic
minor blues
Major
Dorian
Phrygian
Lydian
Mixolydian
Aeolian
harmonic minor
whole-tone
minor chords extending top
down with monotone input
Major chords extending top
down with monotone input
chromatic
Reverb Controls and Connections (cont.)
Scale Portamento: Sets the amount of portamento when using
the SIZE/PITCH knob to scroll through the notes of the selected
scale while PITCH QUANTIZE is enabled.
• Hold LOW PASS button while turning SIZE/PITCH to adjust
Scale Portamento.
TAP/TRIG
DELAY/TUNE
REGEN
SHIMMER
HIGH BAND
GLIMMER
ECHO ON
FEEDBACK

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FAVORITE
There are four onboard presets that are accessible using the FAVORITE
button. Press FAVORITE to recall the currently selected Favorite
preset.
• SWITCHING PRESETS: To switch between presets, press and
hold FAVORITE, then, press one of the four center buttons. The
currently selected preset will illuminate RED while holding down
the FAVORITE button.
• SAVING A PRESET: Press and hold FAVORITE until the button
flashes GREEN, then:
Press FAVORITE to save to the current location.
OR
Press one of the four center buttons to save to a different
preset location.
Spillover: Effect spillover between the Favorite
presets and the manual setting of the module can
be enabled by setting DIP switch 1located on the
back of the module to ON.
Reverb Controls and Connections (cont.)
ON
1 2
FAVORITE CV:
Toggles between the
physical knob/switch
settings of the module
and the selected Favorite
preset setting.
• CV range: 0-5V
Rising edge
triggered

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DELAY/KARPLUS Controls and Connections
StarLab features a DELAY/KARPLUS section that provides pre-delay
and traditional digital delay effects along with a Karplus-Strong mode
which provides a delay-based monophonic string synthesizer.
TAP/TRIG: Allows the delay time to be set by tapping in a tempo.
TAP/TRIG CV: Sets the delay time with clock CV input. DELAY/TUNE
knob acts as a clock divider/multiplier.
• Clock minimum - 25 milliseconds, clock maximum - 3 seconds
• CV range: 0-5V Rising edge triggered
DELAY/TUNE
Adjusts pre-delay (or delay when ECHO ON is engaged) from 0 to 1.5
seconds max. The control is logarithmic taper for finer resolution at
lower DELAY/TUNE setting.
TIP: Maximum delay time is 7.5 seconds with TAP/TRIG CV receiving
a 3 second clock input and DELAY/TUNE set for 5/2 multiplier.
NOTE: When ECHO ON is bypassed and the FEEDBACK is at
minimum, the DELAY/TUNE knob functions as a traditional pre-delay,
adjusting the time between the DRY signal and the onset of the reverb.
When TAP/TRIG clock CV is detected, DELAY/TUNE acts as a
clock divider/multiplier with the following ratios around the knob
(min to max): 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, 1/1, 3/2, 5/3, 7/4, 2/1, 5/2.

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DELAY/KARPLUS Controls and Connections (cont.)
FEEDBACK: Applies regeneration to the delay, resulting in more
repeats with longer delays, or more resonance with shorter delays.
FEEDBACK CV: Modifies the FEEDBACK level. Knob position acts as an
offset.
• CV range: +/-5V
ECHO ON: Busses the delay output to the WET output to mix with the
reverb signal. When ECHO ON is bypassed, delay section operates as a
pre-delay for the reverb.
(Refer to Signal Flow Diagram on page 4.)
ECHO ON CV: Toggles the ECHO ON button on and off.
• CV range: +/-5V
• Can be set to momentary response by pressing and holding the
ECHO ON button at power up. Set to latching response by default.
(See page 31 for Power Up Functions.)
TIP: For ‘delay only’ without any reverb effect at the WET output,
set DECAY to minimum with DELAY ON enabled.

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DELAY/KARPLUS Controls and Connections (cont.)
Karplus-Strong Mode
Karplus-Strong mode provides a monophonic, delay-based string
synthesizer which can be plucked or bowed like a stringed instrument.
When in Karplus-Strong mode, the DELAY/KARPLUS controls have a
different functionality set than in delay mode.
To enter Karplus-Strong mode: Hold the ECHO ON button and turn the
DELAY/TUNE knob clockwise until the TAP/TRIG button turns RED.
For normal delay operation, hold the ECHO ON button and
turn DELAY/TUNE knob counterclockwise until the TAP/TRIG
button blinks GREEN.
FEEDBACK: Affects string decay and structure resonance.
ECHO ON: Mixes in the dry string signal with the WET output. If ECHO
ON is not selected, only the reverberated string will be heard at the
WET output.

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DELAY/KARPLUS Controls and Connections (cont.)
SIZE/PITCH CV: Controls the string pitch interval at 1V/octave
over a 4 octave range.
• CV range: 0-4V
IN GATE CV: Continuously excites or ‘bows’ the string in
latching or momentary operation. (See page 31 for Power Up
Functions.)
• CV range: 0-5V
DELAY/TUNE: Sets string tuning over a continuous 4 octave range.
When SIZE/PITCH CV is detected, it sets fine tuning of 12 semitones.
TAP/TRIG (quick press): Triggers or ‘plucks’ string.
TAP/TRIG (hold): Continuously excites or ‘bows’ the string.
TAP/TRIG CV: Triggers or ‘plucks’ the string.
Karplus-Strong Pitch Tracking Adjustment: Adjusts the V/oct
tracking to compensate for calibration errors in external
control module voltages.
• Press and hold LOW PASS and turn the INPUT GAIN knob
to adjust.
• Default tracking for accurately calibrated signals is at 12
o’clock. Pitches track flatter at lower settings and sharper
at higher settings.

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HARMONICS Controls and Connections
SHIMMER: Adds pitch shifting to the reverberated signal. Effect is OFF
when the SHIMMER knob is fully counterclockwise.
SHIMMER CV: Sets shimmer level. Knob position acts as an offset.
• CV range: +/-5V
REGEN: Selects regenerative shimmer which applies the pitch shifting
within the reverb structure (REGEN LED GREEN) or input shimmer
which applies the pitch shifting at the input before the reverb structure
(REGEN LED OFF).
SHIMMER INTERVAL: Secondary function on the SHIMMER
knob to select the interval of the pitch shifting effect. Provides
two octaves of total range from -1 octave at minimum to +1
octave at maximum. Two additional interval options of -detune
(-10 cents) and +detune (+10 cents) are available around the 12
o’clock position of the SHIMMER knob.
• To select the SHIMMER INTERVAL:
Turn the SHIMMER knob while holding
down the REGEN button.
INTERVAL CV: Sets pitch interval for the
shimmer effect. Quantized to 1/2 steps over
+/- 1 octave range.
• CV range: +/-5V
StarLab’s HARMONICS section includes pitch shifting shimmer and
harmonic accentuating glimmer effects.

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HARMONICS Controls and Connections (cont.)
GLIMMER: Dynamically enhances aspects of the input signal’s
harmonic spectrum. Effect is OFF when GLIMMER knob is fully
counterclockwise.
HIGH BAND: Selects the harmonics to be enhanced by the glimmer
effect. When engaged (HIGH BAND LED GREEN), the high band
harmonics are enhanced. When bypassed (HIGH BAND LED OFF), the
low band harmonics are enhanced.

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FILTER Controls and Connections
LOW DAMP: Removes low end
content both at the output
and in the regenerating core
portion of the reverb as the
knob is turned clockwise.
In Karplus-Strong Mode,
LOW DAMP removes the
low frequency content of
the string.
HIGH DAMP CV: Affects the high end filtering of the wet signal. Positive
voltage opens the filter. Knob position acts as an offset.
• CV range: +/-5V
HIGH DAMP: Removes high frequency content from the regenerating
reverb structure as the knob is turned clockwise.
StarLab’s filter section targets the signals going into the reverb tank
applying filtering to the high and low frequency content of the reverb.
Includes a variable resonance (Q) low pass filter.
In Karplus-Strong Mode, HIGH DAMP is used to dampen the
high end harmonics as the string decays.

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FILTER Controls and Connections (cont.)
LOW PASS: Changes the HIGH
DAMP function to a 24dB/
octave low pass filter applied
at the output of the reverb.
LOW PASS Resonance: Secondary function for the HIGH DAMP
knob to adjust the resonance (Q) of the low pass filter.
To adjust the LOW PASS Resonance:
• Press and hold the LOW PASS button and turn the HIGH
DAMP knob.
• Turning the knob clockwise increases the sharpness of
the resonant frequency resulting in a peaking response.
Lower values create a gradual roll-off.