Strymon's Compact Brig dBucket Analog Emulating Modulated Delay is a worthy follow-up with similar smart features to its Cloudburst predecessor

So the new Brig dBucket Delay is of the same lineage as the former Strymon Brigadier - while not at all a distillation of that pedal, but rather entirely its own thing - where the only thing those pedals properly share is that they are both Analog Bucket Brigade Device Emulating Delays.

At the core of the Brig are 3 different delay voicings :

• 3205 : (left position) 30–300ms Recreates the character of vintage delay pedals that used a single low voltage MN3205 BBD chip for gritty repeats—great for slap back, leads, and sci-fi sounds (e.g. Boss DM-2, Ibanez ADL, and Aria ADL-1)
• 3005 : (middle position) 100ms–1 sec Recreates the character of vintage delay pedals that used two MN3005 BBD chips at higher voltage for longer delay times with a dreamy quality (e.g. EHX DLX Memory Man)
  Multi : (right position) Creates complex soundscapes using two cross-coupled, super-clean BBD delay lines with golden ratio timing

The Brig has exactly the same 6-controls topology as its Cloudburst sibling of course with somewhat different parameters :

Controls - Time (Delay Time 30ms > 1000ms)[Wind all the way back for Chorus Voicing], Voice : 3205 / 3005 / Multi, Mix (Delay Mix, 50/50 @ 3 o’c, Filter (EQ Filtering + Noise + Bucket Loss Artefacts), Repeats (3 o’c for infinite repeats without runaway), Modulation (Speed + Intensity) [Creates beautiful chorus @ 3 o’c+ with Time fully CCW, and 3205 Mode selected].

On the back of the pedal we have the TRS In and Out ports, alongside EXP/MIDI and USB-C ports - and also the 3-way Output Selector : Mono / Mono > Stereo / Stereo.

You can connect all manner of smart remote controls - where using the Strymon MultiSwitch Plus gives you pretty special control capabilities.

By holding down the footswitch you engage the Tap-Tempo mode - where the Time knob doubles as a Tap Division selector : Triplet / Eighth / Dotted Eighth / Quarter.

And finally you have a number of Power-up Functions by holding down the Footswitch on Startup - this allows you to adjust various Modes of Playback - including : Bypass Type, Spillover, Dry Signal / Pass-Thru, LED Brightness, and EXP / MIDI parameters.

It’s another really ingenious device and another surefire winner from Strymon - while not quite as exciting for me as the Cloudburst - particularly in the wake of the recent Boss DM-101. I will for sure be getting one of these eventually for sometime rotation in the chain - while this is unlikely to be a mainstay of the board. Really cool compact delay though all-round - and it’s slightly more keenly priced than its Cloudburst sibling - that one’s at $279 and equivalent, while the Brig is at $259.

By dialling down the Time knob, selection the shorter 3205 Voice mode, and setting Modulation at circa 3 o’c and above - you get a brilliant shimmery chorus too! What’s not to like!

The ’BRIG’ moniker is an odd choice really - typically meaning a 2-masted square-rigged ship, or a military / naval prison. It’s easy to see how Strymon intended it to be a derivation / distillation of ’Bucket BRIGADE’ - much like with their previous BRIGADIER. When the pedal is this good though I will grant them sone leeway on their naming convention!

The Brig should be out at most international dealers already - and is likely to be a brisk seller! As mentioned I’m not in any particular hurry to secure this one, but will definitely add it to the reference collection at some stage as I can see several uses for it! It also goes from beautifully subtle to all-out wild and unruly - just another super versatile Strymon future classic!