Strymon StarLab Reverb Eurorack Module - Black Panel

Modular Transformation Machine.

Expand the sound of your modular rack with incredibly lush, ethereal reverbs. Enhance signals with gorgeous chorus, flanging, and modulated delays. Create uniquely expressive synth voices with Karplus-Strong string synthesis. Turn simple mono audio signals into vast stereo soundscapes. StarLab is a single module that will completely transform your modular rack.

Singular Modular Reverb.

From perfectly voiced room ambience to vast, immersive, nearly infinite decays, StarLab offers the pinnacle of premium reverb sounds with unparalleled depth and spaciousness. Add musical intervals to the reverb signal with Shimmer, and enhance the harmonic spectrum with Glimmer, while enjoying real-time control over the size/pitch of the reverb process.

Modulation And Delay Effects.

StarLab has vastly expanded what reverb pre-delay can do by allowing you to bus the pre-delay signal to the output while making the pre-delay time a modulation target. This results in the ability to create rich choruses, sweeping flanger effects, and beautiful modulated delays, while also processing signal through the reverb.

Karplus-Strong String Synthesis.

In addition to input signal processing, StarLab is a powerful Karplus-Strong string synthesis voice module that allows freely alternating bowing and plucking as well as dynamic string damping. This results in an astoundingly expressive and lifelike instrument with a unique voice all its own, which can be enhanced and expanded by the full range of StarLab’s reverb capabilities.

Intuitive Creation Station

From patch creation to live performance, StarLab’s powerful features are easily accessible at the turn of a knob or the touch of a button. With no menus to wade through, StarLab’s interface is designed for intuitive hands-on sonic exploration, while every function and control works together to respond musically and smoothly.

What is StarLab?

StarLab In Arturia Rack

Development for StarLab began with one goal in mind: to provide the highest quality reverb possible for modular systems, perfectly tuned for immersive electronic soundscapes with a high degree of flexibility and creative control.

The seemingly simple idea of allowing the pre-delay signal to be fed directly to the module’s output led to the development of rich sounding delay, chorus, and flanger effects, all of which can be used together with or independent of the reverb.

While experimenting with short delay times using feedback and filtering, we began finding very musical and expressive Karplus-Strong string synthesis sounds, and realized that StarLab could move beyond signal processing and become a truly unique voice module as well.

All this ultimately resulted in the creation of a module that is equal parts reverb, delay/modulation, and playable instrument.

Delay

Over and Over Again.

Strymon StarLab Delay/Karplus CloseupStarLab’s Delay section is actually a vastly expanded reverb pre-delay.

When used as a reverb pre-delay, delay FEEDBACK is still available, allowing for the creation of even longer reverb decays, while the ability to modulate the pre-delay time allows even further creative possibilities.

Press the ECHO ON button, and now you can create a wide variety of classic delay and delay-reverb effects.

Echoes can be synced to an external clock with the DELAY/TUNE knob acting as a clock multiplier/divider for the echo repeats. Delay time can also be set by tapping a tempo using the TAP/TRIG button.

Modular Modulation.

Strymon StarLab LFO Controls CloseupStarLab provides a wide range of modulation effects to add fatness and movement to your sound, all available on their own or in addition to StarLab’s reverb.

The short-delay portion of the DELAY/TUNE knob is tapered to make it easy to dial in a variety of rich chorus and swirling flanger effects when modulated by StarLab’s internal LFO. Use the dedicated FEEDBACK knob to add resonance and musical harmonic sweeps to flanger effects. Make your oscillators sound huge with lush, shimmering organic chorus. Set the DRY level to minimum for classic vibrato effects.

Moving Targets.

StarLab LFO Section Closeup

StarLab’s LFO features triangle, square, ramp, saw, random, and envelope waveforms that can be used to modulate your choice of three targets:

Send the LFO signal to the delay section for modulated echo effects or for modulated pre-delay signal within the reverb. You can also create classic modulation effects such as flanger, chorus, and vibrato. In Karplus-Strong mode, the string tuning is modulated.

Send the LFO signal to modulate the SIZE / PITCH (process rate) of the reverb core for effects ranging from mild to wild and even on to music-generating: In Quantize mode, signal from the LFO will be quantized to any of 15 different scales as it modulates the SIZE / PITCH parameter.

Or send the LFO to the filter for a variety of effects. Activate the 24dB/oct low pass filter for classic filter mod effects, or achieve more subtle filter modulation of the reverb’s HIGH DAMP. In Karplus-Strong mode, modulating the HIGH DAMP parameter creates lifelike dynamic string damping.

When clocked externally via CV, the LFO SPEED knob becomes a clock multiplier/divider. You can also connect an external LFO or function generator to StarLab’s EXT LFO IN and direct that signal with StarLab’s Target switch, controlling amplitude with the DEPTH knob.

In Karplus-Strong mode, StarLab becomes a delay-based CV-tunable monophonic string synthesis voice module with a uniquely musical character. 

Press the TAP/TRIG button to pluck the string, or hold the TAP/TRIG button to bow the string.

Using StarLabs CV inputs, it is possible to alternate plucking and bowing, while CV control of the HIGH DAMP parameter creates lifelike dynamic string damping.

This string voice can be processed through StarLab’s reverb to create a mesmerizing variety of sounds.

It is also possible to feed an input into the Karplus-Strong circuit and vibrate the string with an external drum sound or other audio signal to create tuned resonances and interesting evolving harmonics.

Expanding Universe Reverb.

StarLab Size/Pitch Closeup

StarLab opens up a universe of possibilities by using a variable rate process to expand and contract the reverb core size.

This changes the reflection density and response of the reverb while retaining the integrity of the audio within the reverb.

The result is a reverberated signal that can be transposed, pitch modulated, and creatively tweaked for an endless variety of sonic characters and hypnotic soundscapes.