Clear Skies Ahead.

Plug into BigSky and instantly lift your sound into the stratosphere. The world below you fades into the distance, and you’re elevated into a glow of lush, glorious, radiant reverbs.

To create a reverb experience as natural, beautiful, and immersive as BigSky required tremendous feats of sound engineering and artistic imagination. Using the fundamentals of acoustical science as our beacon, we carefully studied and scientifically analyzed reverb technology from the past fifty years. We faithfully captured the essence of these classic sounds, and forged ahead to dream up our vision of reverbs from the future.

BigSky Reverb Pedal

Go where no reverb has gone before.

Feel the mechanical tension of the Spring reverbs. Hear the floating particles of the Cloud machine. Defy the laws of physics with the Nonlinear reverbs. Unleash the multi-head reverberations of the Magneto machine. BigSky gives you twelve studio-class reverb machines, each with simple yet powerful controls.

12 Unique Reverb Machines

BigSky gives you twelve studio-class, musically inspirational reverb machines.
  • Hall
  • Plate
  • Spring
  • Swell
  • Bloom
  • Cloud
  • Chorale
  • Shimmer
  • Magneto
  • Nonlinear
  • Reflections
  • Room
  • Diffused reflections and slower-building density are the hallmarks of this beautiful and versatile reverb. The Concert size is well-balanced, spacious and warm, while the Arena size is huge, enveloping and booming.

    Audio Samples

    • I Believe
    • Soundcheck
    • Empty Auditorium
    • Back Row
    • Front Row
    • Arena Rock
    • Closing Time
    • Between Walls
    • Sirens Yamaha DX21
    • Piano Cave Casio MT-520
    • Grand Hall Ableton Live

  • The Plate machine is a rich, fast-building reverb that creates depth without early reflection cues to a specific environment. The Tone knob and Low End parameter are simple but powerful frequency shaping tools.

    Audio Samples

    • Folktale
    • Piled High
    • Jazzbox
    • Distant Sustain
    • Basement Plate
    • Mirror View
    • I Want My
    • Suede Wurlitzer 200A
    • Above It All Ableton Live

  • The standalone spring tank became a staple of surf and spaghetti-western music that developed in the ’60s. The Spring machine allows for complete customization from warm and mellow to splashy and dripping with its Tone and Mix Controls, Dwell parameter, and selectable number of springs.

    Audio Samples

    • Big Wave
    • Bright Repeats
    • Intelligents
    • Cougar
    • Blues Hall
    • Mothra
    • Spring Splash

  • The Swell machine brings in the reverb gradually behind the dry signal for subtle evolving textures, like having a volume pedal on the wet signal. Alternatively, you can choose to have the dry signal swelled into the reverb, for maximum ambience and atmosphere.

    Audio Samples

    • Stratosphere
    • There and Back
    • Volumes Up
    • Only the Ones
    • Canvas
    • Rug

  • In the ‘90s, more diffusion blocks were added to reverbs to ‘smooth out’ the sound. A side effect of this was the tendency of the reverbs to have a slowly building envelope that ‘bloomed’, resulting in big ambient reverbs that sit nicely with the dry signal even at high Mix levels. The Bloom reverb features a ‘bloom generating’ section that feeds into a traditional reverb ‘tank’, and adds a unique Feedback parameter that expands the possibilities exponentially.

    Audio Samples

    • Alternate Octavium
    • Outlast
    • Short Openings
    • Ghosts
    • Falling Cosmos
    • Slow Supports
    • Flowing Even
    • Memories of Home
    • Long Held Mystery Roland Juno-6

  • A gorgeously big, ambient reverb that draws from techniques developed in the late ’70s. Using processing power not dreamed of in those days, the Cloud reverb machine obscures the distinction between reality and fantasy.

    Audio Samples

    • Lift Trails
    • Delayed Puffs
    • Floating Notes
    • Haze
    • Sustainance
    • Misty Morning Hop
    • Light Showers
    • Artificial Intelligence Roland Juno-6
    • Raining Down Roland Juno-6

  • A vocal choir accompanies your music. Choose vowel ranges and intensities to customize your choir as it sings in venues that vary with the Decay knob. As the Modulation is increased, the choir becomes alive with multitude of voices.

    Audio Samples

    • Backup Singers
    • Reverence
    • Angry Mob
    • Voce Plente
    • Faint Voice
    • Vocal Pad
    • Pearl's Gates
    • Dark Chant Yamaha DX21
    • Big Ensemble Yamaha DX21

  • Two tunable voices add pitch-shifted tones to the reverberated signal, for resplendent, unearthly ambience. The voices are carefully created from the reverberated signal itself to generate maximum radiance and beauty. The Amount and Mode parameters allow for a range of shimmer effects from laid-back and subtle to full-blown majestic splendor.

    Audio Samples

    • Sci-Fi Ending
    • Dissenting Opinion
    • Single Sparks
    • Yellow Globes
    • Synthetic Follows
    • Title Track
    • Drops
    • Sunrise Yamaha DX21
    • Glass Houses Yamaha PSS-480
    • Pegs Yamaha PSS-480

  • A new style of music emerged in the late ’50s, featuring the guitar as the ‘lead voice’ enhanced by the reverberated wash of a multi-head echo. The Magneto machine sets up a multi-head echo with all heads on, while the PreDelay knob adds feedback. The Diffusion parameter adds a new dimension of ambience, smearing the response of the heads and blurring the line between delay and reverb.

    Audio Samples

    • Magnetic Sun
    • Dark Caverns
    • A Few Cents More
    • Old Playback
    • Wicked Match
    • Rhythmic Hits
    • Craft Singles
    • Bouncing Echo
    • Bathroom Walls
    • Crimson
    • Warped Heads Roland Juno-6

  • A variety of physics-defying reverb shapes are available for special effects and unique textures. Choose from three ‘backwards’ shapes (Swoosh, Reverse, and Ramp), or a Gate and more. Feedback control, Late Reverb, and Diffusion parameters allow for a vast array of time-warped possibilities.

    Audio Samples

    • The Other Side
    • Canyon
    • Frontier
    • Giants
    • Putting
    • Chiming In
    • Stop Signs Roland Juno-6
    • Mirrors Wurlitzer 200A

  • The Reflections machine is a psycho-acoustically accurate small-space reverb that allows you to move your amp anywhere in the room. The Reflections algorithm precisely calculates 250 reflections based on the source position within the chosen room shape. The psycho-acoustic modifiers adjust for human auditory perception to create unparalleled ambient-space realism to dry instrument or vocal tracks

    Audio Samples

    • Tore Down
    • Around the House
    • Muensters
    • Bubba Bad
    • Velvet Drapes
    • Shapes

  • A versatile room algorithm that creates environments ranging from well-tuned studio ambience to larger night club acoustics. The Tone knob, Diffusion and Low End parameters adjust the damping and scattering effects of room materials, furniture, and people.

    Audio Samples

    • Mellow Out
    • Rhythm House
    • Lingering Thoughts
    • Rockbox
    • More Decay
    • Color Void
    • Sky Palace
    • Fill the Room Ableton Live

Control and Routing

Click (+) for details.
  • Front Panel Controls
  • Ins & Outs
  • The Display can show your Decay time, Preset name or Preset bank number. When editing a sound it will display your reverb parameters.
    Value gives you complete control over reverb parameters, global settings, and fine-tuning of Decay time.

    Each reverb machine type has it's own set of easily adjustable parameters.
    Decay controls the Decay time of the reverberated signal. The range can depend on the selected reverb machine.
    Pre-Delay adjusts the time between the dry signal and the onset of the reverb, from 0 to 1.5 seconds.

    For the Nonlinear and Magneto machines, this knob controls the amount of Feedback.
    Mix controls the balance of your analog dry signal and your wet signal, from 100% dry at minimum to 100% wet at maximum. The mix occurs entirely in analog.

    50/50 mix occurs when the Mix knob is set to 3:00.
    Type allows you to select your reverb machine type.

    Choose from Room to Shimmer and everything in between. Press to toggle the display between Bank and Time. Press and hold to save a preset.
    Tone adjusts the high end content of the reverb.

    Lower settings create darker, warmer reverberation, higher settings are bright and crisp. Set at 12:00 for a nicely balanced top end.
    Param 1 is assignable to any menu parameter for the current reverb machine, assignable per preset.
    Param 2 is assignable to any menu parameter for the current reverb machine, assignable per preset.
    Mod adds modulation to the reverberated signal.

    Lower settings modulate the delay lines lightly for a subtle and natural movement, higher settings tastefully add stronger modulation.
    A Footswitch activates or bypasses your preset.

    Press and hold for Infinite Sustain or Freeze, assignable per preset. Press A and B simultaneously to Bank Down through your presets.
    B Footswitch activates or bypasses your preset.

    Press and hold for Infinite Sustain or Freeze, assignable per preset.
    C Footswitch activates or bypasses your preset.

    Press and hold for Infinite Sustain or Freeze, assignable per preset. Press B and C simultaneously to Bank Up through your presets.
  • Left Input - Plug your instrument in here. Acts as a mono input when only one channel is being used.
    Right Input - Plug your instrument in here.
    Left Output - Connect to your amp, mixing board, etc. Acts as a mono output when only one channel is being used.
    Right Output - Connect to your amp, mixing board, etc.
    Expression Pedal Input - Connect to an expression pedal and control any knob or combination of knobs. Can also be used with an external tap switch.
    Cab Filter provides a sophisticated speaker response curve, for use with a full-range PA system or while direct recording.
    MIDI Input - Connect to external MIDI controllers.
    MIDI Output - MIDI CCs can be sent out of the MIDI output whenever a knob is turned or a switch is pressed.
    Power - 9VDC (center negative), 300mA minimum.

Features

Presets, Expression Pedal Control, Cab Filter, Assignable Knobs, and more.
  • Simple Controls
  • Presets
  • Expression Pedal
  • Cab Filter
  • Assignable Knobs
  • Infinite / Freeze
  • Spillover / Persist
  • MIDI

  • Simple Controls

    Simple Yet Powerful Controls

    We’ve gone to extraordinarily lengths to craft BigSky to empower your creativity without getting in the way of it. We’ve hand-picked the most essential reverb controls, and tailored their range and functionality so that sounds can be created effortlessly without extended tweaking.

  • 300 Presets

    300 Built-In Presets

    BigSky gives you the option to instantly save and recall up to 300 of your own presets. Easily bank up or down through your presets using the front panel switches. Give each preset its own custom name to appear on the display. You can even select presets via an external MIDI controller.

  • Expression Pedal Control

    Expression Pedal Control

    Plug in an expression pedal and control any knob or combination of knobs, including parameters assigned to Param knobs, all saveable per preset. Or plug in an external momentary Tap switch for remote control of Pre-Delay (or Decay time with the Magneto and Nonlinear machines).

  • Cab Filter

    There are occasionally times as guitarists where we don’t use guitar amplifiers. You might be using a full-range PA system, recording direct, or using headphones. Because reverb pedals are usually placed last in your effects chain, we felt that BigSky could provide more utility for these situations. Just turn on the selectable Cab Filter to engage our sophisticated speaker response curve. Your dirt pedals will sound amp-like, and your clean guitar will have a present yet rounded response.

  • Assignable Knobs

    Assignable Knobs

    Do you like to tweak some knobs more than others? BigSky gives you the ability to assign custom parameters to the two Param knobs on the front panel, all saveable per preset. Bring your most used menu parameters to the front panel, allowing a very quick way to tweak your sound on the fly.

  • Infinite Sustain / Freeze

    Press-and-hold your active preset footswitch to activate either Infinite Sustain or Freeze, configurable per preset. Infinite Sustain allows your reverbs to continue infinitely, with each new note you play adding to the reverb signal. Freeze also delivers infinite sustain, but allows you to play new notes on top of the sustain without adding to the reverb.

  • Spillover / Reverb Persist

    Engage Spillover to allow reverb decays to “spill over” from one preset to the next. You can also turn on Reverb Persist to allow your reverb decay trails to continue even after you hit bypass.

    Reverb Spillover

  • Extensive MIDI Support

    Have a more complex rig? BigSky offers a complete MIDI implementation to connect to your MIDI gear. Remote control any knob, parameter, or switch. Select your presets via MIDI. Organize and back up your presets to your Mac or PC using a MIDI to USB adapter and our Librarian software.

    MIDI Implementation

Specs

  • Sound Design
  • Hardware
  • Ins & Outs
  • Audio Quality
  • Processor
  • More

  • Sound Design

    • Hand crafted, studio-class reverb algorithms deliver lush, gorgeous, and musically inspiring reverb experiences
    • Twelve reverb machines to choose from: Room, Hall, Plate, Spring, Swell, Bloom, Cloud, Chorale, Shimmer, Magneto, Nonlinear, Reflections
    • Seven front-panel tone shaping knobs: Decay, Pre-Delay, Mix, Tone, Mod, Param 1, Param 2 (Param knobs assignable per preset)
    • Additional menu parameters allow for easy customization of reverb sounds
    • 300 easily accessible and namable presets
    • Press-and-hold Infinite Sustain and Freeze functions, saveable per preset
    • Spillover and Reverb Persist modes, saveable per preset
    • Selectable Speaker Cabinet emulation for direct-to-PA gigs or recording applications

  • Hardware

    • Three rugged metal footswitches for preset selection and effect bypass
    • LED display for preset info, reverb decay time, and extended parameter control
    • Multi-color preset LEDs (green for active preset, amber for edited preset)
    • Full MIDI implementation allows extended control for those with more complex rigs
    • Sturdy and lightweight light blue anodized aluminum chassis, with laser-etched artwork
    • Durable black anodized aluminum knobs
    • Studio-grade audio input and output jacks

  • Ins & Outs

    • Stereo input and output
    • Expression pedal input with selectable control over any knob or combination of knobs, saveable per preset (also configurable as external tap input)
    • MIDI input and output
    • Included 9V center-negative power supply (300mA minimum required)

  • Audio Quality

    • Analog dry path for a zero latency dry signal that is never converted to digital
    • Premium analog front end and output section
    • Ultra low noise, high performance 24-bit 96kHz A/D and D/A converters
    • 115dB typical signal to noise at 50% wet mix (120db at 100% dry mix, 109dB at 100% wet mix)
    • 20Hz to 20kHz frequency response
    • +8dBu maximum input level easily handles instrument and line signals

  • Processor

    • Super high performance DSP in a compact form factor
    • 32-bit floating point processing
    • 366MHz SIMD SHARC processor core, capable of 2.4 Gigaflops peak performance

  • More

    • True Bypass (electromechanical relay switching)
    • High quality, tranparent Analog Buffered Bypass mode
    • +/- 3dB Boost/Cut, saveable per preset
    • Optional Kill Dry mode mutes dry signal, for use in parallel effects loops
    • Dimensions: 6.75″ (171mm) wide, 5.1″ (130mm) deep
    • Designed and Built in the USA

Design

  • Research
  • Sound Design
  • Analog Design
  • Analog Dry Path
  • Audio Quality
  • SHARC Processor
  • Manufacturing

  • Research

    Research

    “Project BigSky” started as a journey of diligent research. We studied, reviewed and examined physical reverb units, algorithm architectures, academic papers and programming techniques from the past five decades. Within BigSky, we utilized traditional reverb elements such as feedback-delay networks, allpass-delay-filter loops, Schroeder reverb sections, multi-tapped delay-lines, as well as all-new reverb elements that we developed along the way. The goal was to find the best starting point for each reverb sound, and then elevate it into the 21st century.

  • Sound Design

    Sound Design

    Our intensive study of reverb history and acoustic science was combined with many critical listening sessions in a variety of environments. We tweaked in front of amps, with synths, and in recording studios. We listened with fanatical attention to the early part of the reverb. We tweaked some more. We listened with fanatical attention to the late part of the reverb. We tweaked some more. We listened with fanatical attention to the middle part of the reverb. We tweaked some more. Then we did it all again. There were no deadlines—just an obsession to make it as good as we could possibly imagine.

  • Analog Design

    Analog Design

    Transparency. That is the foundation behind the analog circuitry in BigSky. Only the reverb algorithms color your sound and your analog signal remains untouched. Our True Bypass circuit accomplishes this with a mechanical relay to switch the input signal directly to the output, with absolutely no components connected. Our Analog Buffered Bypass circuit features a 1Meg input impedance, keeping the character of your guitar pickup unaltered. The output impedance is 100 Ohms and can drive hundreds of feet of cable without coloring the sound. Our noise specs are so low they’re about the same as the thermal noise of a guitar pickup.

  • Analog Dry Path

    Analog Dry Path

    In a typical digital reverb pedal the dry signal gets converted to digital, causing conversion noise and latency. Even worse, signals are often attenuated before combining digital dry and wet, with makeup gain amplifying the conversion noise. To avoid this terrifying scenario, we’ve equipped BigSky with a completely analog dry path. To our knowledge, we’re the only company to provide an analog dry path with a programmable mix control. Not only does your dry signal never get converted to digital, it also allows the configuration of your signal to be stored and recalled with presets. Why go to all this trouble? Because the improvements in dynamic range and reduction in noise are so dramatic.

  • Audio Quality

    Audio Quality

    With careful attention to detail, and by utilizing top-shelf, studio-quality 24-bit 96kHz A/D and D/A converters, we are able to achieve typical 100% wet dynamic range performance of 109dB, outperforming many rack reverb units. Mixing the dry and the wet signals externally in analog allows us to achieve a dynamic range of 115dB at a 50% wet mix. What do all of these numbers mean? None more better.

  • SHARC Processor

    SHARC Processor

    Reverbs are one of the most processor intense effects. That’s why we’ve outfitted BigSky with an insanely powerful Analog Devices SHARC ADSP-21369 processor, which provides a 366 MHz core instruction rate, and an incredible 2.4 Gigaflops of peak performance. You don’t need to be an engineering nerd to understand just how important that is. The result is in what you hear. Thanks to this high-powered technology platform within BigSky, we had the freedom to craft the reverbs without compromise.

  • Manufacturing

    Manufacturing

    BigSky, like all of our products, is built right here in Los Angeles, California. There are many advantages to building our pedals within minutes of our design shop. Most importantly, we control every aspect of manufacturing to ensure quality and consistency at every step of the process. Every potentiometer, encoder, switch, display, LED, and audio component on every pedal is tested and re-tested. Using the latest Audio Precision audio analyzing gear, each pedal must exceed our exacting audio quality standards.

Reviews

  • BigSky is something of a triumph, producing hyper-realistic rooms, ambient space trips and everything in between with ease and finesse.
    Ingmar Kiang
    Sound on Sound Magazine
  • …a virtual mad-scientist lab for those who are endlessly fascinated with the possibilities of audio signals bouncing off unseen objects—and then being twisted, warped, chopped, and vaporized.
    Shawn Hammond
    Premier Guitar Magazine
  • While the functionality is staggering, it’s the sounds that make your jaw drop and your playing soar…
    It makes us want to write poetry to the soundtrack of its glorious ambience…
    Michael Brown
    Guitarist Magazine
  • Not only is studio quality reverb on offer, with just about every parameter and variable you could dream of, but the ability to manipulate this pedal in real-time as a creative tool is just on a different level to any reverb we’ve tried before.
    SonicState
  • The quality of the Big Sky’s reverb sounds is simply phenomenal and actually much better than many famous digital reverb rack units from the past three decades. The reverb tails are incredibly smooth, and the special effects rank right up there with those usually found on studio gear costing well over $2,000.
    Chris Gill
    GuitarWorld

Awards

All Strymon pedals are Designed and Built in the USA.