Riverside UserManual RevB
Riverside UserManual RevB
Riverside UserManual RevB
Version 1.2
Riverside - Multistage Drive ®
This manual covers the feature set for Riverside pedals running version 1.2 firmware and later. To
check if your Riverside is running version 1.2 firmware, follow the instructions in the note at the
bottom of page 20.
Riverside version 1.2 adds the ability to remotely control your Riverside via a MIDI connection.
If you wish to install the latest update, go to strymon.net/firmwareupdate and follow the directions.
Riverside achieves its sound by passing the signal through a cascade of individual gain stages. Dynamic
complexity and additional harmonics are generated at each stage as the signal travels from one stage to
the next.
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Riverside - Multistage Drive ®
PRESENCE SWITCH
The minus (-) position provides
clarity with a controlled top end
that works well with many amps
that have a brighter voice or
extended top end character. The
enhanced (center) position extends the top end to
allow for more sizzle on high gain tones. This works
well with amps that have a warmer voicing, or if you
want enhanced detail in the uppermost frequencies.
When plugging directly into a power amp, the plus (+)
position further increases high end detail that may
be required. The plus (+) position will also deliver
extended high end detail to the darkest amps.
3-BAND EQ
Riverside’s 3 band EQ, with independent Bass, Middle GAIN SWITCH
and Treble knobs, is designed to complement your
amp’s tone with the flexibility needed to dial in your The ‘low’ channel selects a gain
sound effectively and efficiently. The controls are structure that allows for a wide
post-drive, meaning they effectively sculpt and shape range of low to medium gain sounds
the harmonics generated in Riverside’s gain stages. while still getting heavily overdriven
at maximum Drive settings. The
voicing is dynamic and touch-sensitive, and at high
Drive settings is slightly ‘loose’ like a dimed vintage
PUSH SWITCH amp.
Adding a mid-band EQ push just The ‘high’ channel increases the gain throughout the
after the analog front-end gain signal path and tightens things up. While still staying
results in pushing the subsequent clean at lower Drive settings, the ‘high’ gain mode
drive stages harder, and tightens goes to heavy crunch and high gain as the Drive knob
up the response. This works great is increased.
when looking for fat drive tones, or for pushing a
distorted or on-the-edge amp into further breakup.
For cleaner or more transparent tones, select the
‘normal’ position.
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Riverside - Multistage Drive ®
• GAIN • PUSH
Toggles between the low or Toggles between flat
high gain channel. or enhanced midrange
frequencies.
• DRIVE • LEVEL
Adjusts the amount of Controls the output volume
gain applied to the signal. level when the effect is ON.
Employs continuously
variable circuit tuning
to adjust many circuit
parameters as you turn the • TREBLE
knob. Wide-ranging high frequency
active shelf control.
• BASS
Active shelving/parametric
low frequency control. • MIDDLE
Parametric mid boost/
cut control with optimized
frequency center.
• FAVORITE
Used to recall a single stored on-board favorite setting, which consists of all
knob, switch, and noise gate settings.
• ON
RED LED indicates that the on-board Favorite setting is selected. Press and
hold FAVORITE switch for 2 seconds to save a new on-board favorite sound. Bypasses analog and digital
gain stages. Defaults to
COMPARE MODE relay based true bypass, but
With FAVORITE on, LED turns from RED to GREEN if current position is can also be set to buffered
identical to saved favorite. bypass mode in which the
volume pedal and boost
functionality are preserved.
NOTES:
Saving Presets works differently when using MIDI. (See page 20 for
more info.)
When using MIDI, RED LED still indicates that the on-board Favorite
setting (MIDI Preset 0) has been selected, and AMBER LED indicates
that any other MIDI Preset is currently selected.
Pressing the FAVORITE switch while any MIDI preset is active will
return back to the manual (knobs and switches) setting of Riverside.
The FAVORITE switch will always toggle between the MANUAL MODE
setting and the on-board Favorite setting regardless of whether a
different MIDI Preset was previously selected.
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Riverside - Multistage Drive ®
• IN
Mono instrument input.
• OUT
Mono signal output.
• BOOST • EXP
Can be used in one of four ways: Can be used in one of four ways:
Boost Switch Mode – Use an external Favorite Expression Pedal Mode – Allows continuous
switch to toggle up to +6dB of post boost on/off control over any of the knobs with a standard
(See page 9 for setup.) TRS expression pedal. (See page 13 for more info.)
Favorite Output Mode – Connect to the EXP Volume Mode – Allows control of the output
input of another Strymon pedal set to work in volume of the effect with a standard TRS
Favorite EXP mode to toggle the Favorite setting expression pedal. (See page 14 for more info.)
of that pedal with Riverside’s on-board FAVORITE
MIDI Mode – Allows a MIDI connection for remote
switch. (See page 12 for more info.)
preset changes and control messages. (See page
Expression Pedal Mode – Allows continuous 18 for more info.)
control over any of the knobs with a standard
Favorite Input Mode – Use a Strymon MiniSwitch
TRS expression pedal. (See page 13 for more info.)
to remotely toggle the saved Favorite setting on
Volume Mode – Allows control of the output and off. (See page 11 for more info.)
volume of the effect with a standard TRS
expression pedal. (See page 14 for more info.)
pg 5
Riverside - Multistage Drive ®
Riverside has a variable-threshold noise reduction feature to tame hum and buzz
when you’re not playing. A downward expander with advanced signal detection
techniques creates a seamless transition to noise reduced silence with all types of
input signal dynamics, including staccato bursts and slowly sustained notes.
2 Turn the DRIVE knob past the 12 o’clock noon position to engage the noise reduction.
The FAVORITE LED will change from GREEN to AMBER to indicate the noise reduction has been
engaged. Turning DRIVE past 12 o’clock increases the noise reduction threshold for louder and
noisier setups. The FAVORITE LED will change from AMBER to RED to indicate the increased
noise reduction threshold level.
pg 6
Riverside - Multistage Drive ®
Connect an external footswitch with a TRS cable to toggle the boost of up to +6dB on
and off.
OR
boost settings.
+3dB
4 Press the ON footswitch to store the new boost
level to Riverside.
+6dB
pg 7
Riverside - Multistage Drive ®
Setting Riverside to Buffered Bypass mode preserves the high frequency response
of your guitar signal through your pedal chain and long cable runs.
1 Press and hold the ON footswitch while 2 Turn the LEVEL knob to select True Bypass
powering up the pedal. Once both LEDs or Buffered Bypass
flash, release the footswitch.
pg 8
Riverside - Multistage Drive ®
pg 9
Riverside - Multistage Drive ®
pg 10
Riverside - Multistage Drive ®
Connect a MiniSwitch with a TRS cable to toggle the on-board Favorite preset on
and off.
1 Ensure that the EXP jack is configured 2 Dial in a setting on Riverside using the
for FAV IN. (See page 10 for more info.) knobs and switches for your desired
sound.
Connect a Switch with a TRS cable to the
EXP jack of Riverside.
or
TRS
pg 11
Riverside - Multistage Drive ®
Use Riverside to recall the Favorite setting of another connected Strymon pedal.
1 Configure the BOOST jack to send 2 Make sure the connected pedal is set to
Favorite Out messages. (See page 9 for Favorite EXP mode.
more detail about configuring the Boost
jack.) Please refer to the favorite switch setup
section of the connected pedal’s owner’s
Connect the BOOST jack of Riverside manual for details. All manuals available at
to the EXP input of another Strymon strymon.net/support.
pedal with a TRS cable.
pg 12
Riverside - Multistage Drive ®
pg 13
Riverside - Multistage Drive ®
pg 14
Riverside - Multistage Drive ®
Factory Reset
2 Turn the BASS knob from 0-100% and back two (2) times (back and forth) to
reset the pedal to factory power up modes and secondary functions.
FACTORY SETTINGS
• EXP Input Jack: Assigned to work in VOLUME PEDAL mode.
• Expression Pedal Mode Assignment: Assigned to control DRIVE.
• BOOST Input Jack: Assigned to work in BOOST SWITCH mode.
• BOOST Amount: Set to 50%.
• Noise Reduction: OFF
• Bypass Mode: True Bypass
• MIDI channel: 1
• MIDI Expression On/Off: On
• MIDI Output Mode: Off
pg 15
Riverside - Multistage Drive ®
Features
• Custom cascading multistage distortion topology • Expression pedal input allows the connection
provides a wide range of tube-inspired drive tones an expression pedal for simultaneous morphing
control over multiple parameters (Expression
• Digitally controlled analog class A JFET input gain
mode), or logarithmic taper for smooth volume
stage maximizes headroom while adding up to
control (Volume mode)
20dB of pure analog gain
• Boost pedal input allows connection of an external
• Precision crafted DSP gain stages provide detailed
footswitch for up to +6dB of analog boost, or
complexity and responsiveness
to toggle the Favorite preset on other Strymon
• Low gain channel for smooth classic overdrive pedals (Favorite Out mode)
• High gain channel for modern saturated distortion • MIDI accessible via EXP Jack for remote
• 3-band EQ with independent Bass, Middle and parameter control and access to 300 preset
Treble controls locations
• Selectable post-analog gain mid-band EQ push • Ultra low noise, high performance 24-bit 96kHz
A/D and D/A converters provide uncompromising
• Presence switch to tailor the sound for use with all audio quality
amplifiers from dark to bright
• Premium analog front end and output section
• Optional variable-threshold noise reduction helps
tame noisy guitar pickups • Super high performance SHARC DSP in a compact
form factor
• High impedance mono input
• 32-bit floating point processing
• Mono output
• True Bypass (electromechanical relay switching)
• Favorite footswitch to save and recall a favorite
setting • Designed and built in the USA
Specifications
Input Impedance 500k Ohm
Output Impedance 100 Ohm
A/D & D/A 24-bit 96kHz
Max Input Level +8dBu
Frequency Response 20Hz to 20kHz
DSP performance 1585 MegaFLOPS
Bypass Switching True Bypass (electromechanical relay switching)
Dimensions 4.5” deep x 4” wide x 1.75” tall
(11.4 cm deep x 10.2 cm wide x 4.4 cm tall)
pg 16
Riverside - Multistage Drive ®
Appendix 1
MIDI Functionality
pg 17
Riverside - Multistage Drive ®
Using MIDI unlocks a set of tools that can be used to load any of Riverside’s 300 preset locations and
automate knob changes using a suitable MIDI controller or interface connected to Riverside’s EXP jack.
This requires a MIDI controller/interface with at least one quarter-inch output or a Strymon MIDI EXP
cable. (Check strymon.net/support/riverside for a list of compatible devices.)
Step 1 – Set EXP jack to MIDI Mode • Press and hold the FAVORITE footswitch while
powering up the pedal.
(See page 10 for an illustrated guide to configuring
the EXP jack for MIDI communication. Steps reprinted • Turn the LEVEL knob until the ON LED turns BLUE to
here.) set the EXP jack mode to MIDI Mode.
NOTE: To select channel 4-16, you will need to connect Riverside to a MIDI device.
1 Press and 2
hold the ON
footswitch while Turn the DRIVE knob on the to set
powering up the MIDI receive channel. Both
the pedal. Once LEDs will flash momentarily as the
both LEDs flash, channel is changed.
release the
footswitch. GREEN - Channel 1 (default)
AMBER - Channel 2
RED - Channel 3
This determines what kind of MIDI data is sent out by Riverside. Note that if you are only sending MIDI
data to Riverside – the most common configuration – the MIDI Output mode must be set to OFF.
pg 19
Riverside - Multistage Drive ®
This setting selects whether Riverside will respond to incoming MIDI Expression
messages. If your rig uses MIDI Expression messages with multiple pedals that are
set to the same MIDI Channel, this setting can be used to determine which pedal(s)
will respond to expression messages for a given preset.
pg 20
Riverside - Multistage Drive ®
2) Standard ¼”
TRS Cable
OR
pg 21
Riverside - Multistage Drive ®
MIDI – Specifications
MIDI CC Numbers
PARAMETERS CC# RANGE NOTES
MIDI Patch Bank 0 0-2
Volume Pedal 7 0-127
Level 12 0-127
Drive 13 0-127
Bass 14 0-127
Mid 15 0-127
Treble 16 0-127
Boost Level 17 0-127
Boost Off/On 18 0, 127 (0=off, 1-127=on)
Gain (low/high) 19 1-2 (1=low, 2=high)
Push 20 1-2 (1=norm, 2=mid)
Presence 21 1-3 (1= +, 2= -, 3=middle)
Noise Gate 22 0-127 (0=off)
MIDI Expression Off/On 60 0,127 (0=off, 1-127=on)
Expression Pedal 100 0-127
Bypass/On 102 0,127 (0=off, 1-127=on)
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Riverside - Multistage Drive ®
Appendix 2
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Riverside - Multistage Drive ®
Below is a list that details how to access all secondary parameters that are adjustable
from Riverside’s interface that do not have dedicated knobs or switches. All secondary
control parameters are saved per-preset.
Press and Hold the ON footswitch until both LEDs start blinking to enter Live Edit mode.
Release and use knobs as described below.
Press ON again to store your changes and exit Live Edit mode.
MIDI EXPRESSION Turn TREBLE knob - BOTH LEDs show status momentarily
ON/OFF Off = Red (default)
(Off= ignore CC100) On = Blue
(See page 20 for an
illustrated description)
pg 24
Riverside - Multistage Drive ®
Power Up Modes
Below is a list of global parameters and functions that are accessed via a power up
procedure. All power up functions persist through power cycles.
GENERAL SETTINGS Press and Hold the ON footswitch at power up until the LEDs flash. Release and
use knobs as described below. Press any footswitch to store settings & exit.
SET MIDI CHANNEL Turn DRIVE knob - status shown on FAVORITE LED
(See page 18 for an 1 = Green (default)
illustrated description) 2 = Amber
3 = Red
4-16 = Blue (channel set by next MIDI Program Change message)
FACTORY RESET Sweep MIDDLE knob twice to RESET - status shown on FAVORITE LED
(See page 15 for an Turn 1 = Amber
illustrated description) Turn 2 = Red
Turn 3 = Amber
Turn 4 = Both LEDs flash Red, pedal resets & power cycles
JACK OPTIONS Press and Hold the FAVORITE footswitch at power up until the LEDs flash.
Release and use knobs as described below. Press any footswitch to store
settings & exit.
MIDI OUT MODE Turn TREBLE knob - both LEDs show status momentarily
(See page 19 for an On = Green
illustrated description) Through = Amber
Off = Red (default)
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Riverside - Multistage Drive ®
Appendix 3
Sample Settings
pg 26
Riverside - Multistage Drive ®
Sample Settings
pg 27
Riverside - Multistage Drive ®
Warranty
Strymon warranties the product to be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of two (2)
years from the original date of purchase when bought new from an authorized dealer in the United States of
America or Canada. If the product fails within the warranty period, Strymon will repair or, at our discretion,
replace the product at no cost to the original purchaser. Please contact your dealer for information on warranty
and service outside of the USA and Canada.
Exclusions
This warranty covers defects in manufacturing discovered while using this product as recommended by
Strymon. This warranty does not cover loss or theft, nor does the coverage extend to damage caused by
misuse, abuse, unauthorized modification, improper storage, lightning, or natural disasters.
Limits of Liability
In the case of malfunction, the purchaser’s sole recourse shall be repair or replacement, as described in the
preceding paragraphs. Strymon will not be held liable to any party for damages that result from the failure of
this product. Damages excluded include, but are not limited to, the following: lost profits, lost savings, damage
to other equipment, and incidental or consequential damages arising from the use, or inability to use this
product. In no event will Strymon be liable for more than the amount of the purchase price, not to exceed the
current retail price of the product. Strymon disclaims any other warranties, expressed or implied. By using the
product, the user accepts all terms herein.
REV B - 08.21.2018 pg 28