… and now, my thoughts as to the question of the hour, “How does the Hydra compare to the Flint?” Before answering let me share the methodology of this exercise. To start, the Flint was taken off the board and the Hyrdra was given more than a full week of focused use and exploration. The Flint was then added back to the board, side-by-side with the Hyrda, where all settings were explored and various combinations thereof. Focus was placed as to the controls and, how easy it was to switch between settings and make adjustments. My conclusion as of now? The Hydra easily keeps stride with the Flint and, as to which one is the right choice for the user may simply come down to preferences and priorities.

I found the quality of the reverbs and primary control mechanics to be on par. The Hyrda felt like it had a bit more range, especially with the secondary/bonus control per algorithm. In the larger spaces to be dialed in on the Hall/Room settings respectively, I found there to be more discernible differences in comparison to the other reverb voices. The Hall on the Strymon is a bit softer space (the walls sort of disappear as they virtually move farther out) while the largest rooms on the Hydra sound more cathedral like with crisper reflections as the waves bounce off.

With respect to the tremolo/modulations, the Flint focuses mostly on period-specific flavors of tremolo providing some rich and unique characteristics in each – the Hydra offers more diversity by providing the Vibrato. Each offers the level boost to make up any perceived volume reductions due to the nature of the effect. I do like how the Flint has a dedicated switch for a quicker selection between tremolo types.

As we get to the topic of function and design, it is here where we will see some of the benefits of the coming to the market many years later as the Hydra offers some additional utility functions and controls, specifically: the stereo tremolo can be set to pan between channels and, the stereo outputs for the reverb can be set between either a wet/dry or traditional left/right configuration. The most obvious distinctions are with physical layout — the Hydra is housed in a normal-sized enclosure with side inputs and the Flint is a bit wider with top inputs. Depending on the cables used, any space saved may be negligible.

As I look down at the board, I have a hard time – at least at right now — seeing these as anything but equals, each having just one or two unique strengths they bring to the table and, very honestly, I would have a hard time choosing between the two; this, after owning the Flint for many years. For those interested, here is my review of the Flint from a few years back: NDP: The Strymon Flint | Reverb & Tremolo.