Strymon Nightsky

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Unicorn Warrior
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Strymon Nightsky

Post by Unicorn Warrior » Thu Sep 17, 2020 7:33 pm

Just saw strymon dropped the Nightsky which is a new reverb pedal. I always thought the Big Sky would be hard to contend with. With having only looking at a picture, I see that this one is laid out differently


Anyone know what makes it unique?

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Tafarel
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Re: Strymon Nightsky

Post by Tafarel » Fri Sep 18, 2020 6:38 am

I am not sure how it is different. I listened to Andy's demo of it on Reverb. However, I had also listened to the Eventide Blackhole just prior. The Blackhole blew me away -- it can sound like notes melting into one another.

Check out Mike Herman's (look ma, no moving fingers!) demo of the Blackhole: https://youtu.be/EzIg2VljRUk

After hearing that, the Night Sky was just meh, for me, at least. YMMV.
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Re: Strymon Nightsky

Post by marqueemoon » Fri Sep 18, 2020 7:37 am

Yeah, the Black Hole looks pretty cool. Less interested in the Strymon thing.

Seems like the pandemic reignited an interest in big atmospheric reverbs?

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Re: Strymon Nightsky

Post by cestlamort » Fri Sep 18, 2020 11:56 am

I'd guess (in standardized test terms) that the Nightsky : Blue Sky as the Magneto : El Capistan (?)

The dedicated Blackhole pedal looks cool (I use that algorithm all the time on my H9 as my primary reverb), especially with the dedicated knobs, but I'd probably just look for a used H9 core for around that price and be able to do a couple more things (or a lot of things) by buying more algorithms, etc. It would be nice, however, to not have to use your phone / iPad / etc to tweak the settings (as you do on the H9).
marqueemoon wrote: Seems like the pandemic reignited an interest in big atmospheric reverbs?
Nothing like being stuck at home to make you want to be able to make your personal space bigger, or at least sound that way. Escapism, now and for the future.

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Re: Strymon Nightsky

Post by sunburster » Fri Sep 18, 2020 1:07 pm

Nightsky has three reverb types with a pitchshifting/shimmer section and synthy modulation built-in. It has a rudimentary sequencer in it too. It sounds good, but the Big Sky is still much better if you just want a lot of different studio-quality reverbs (and it can do lots of atmospheric/experimental sounds too).

Nightsky might be good if you like to fiddle with a lot of knobs as you play and make your guitar sound like a synth, but personally that's not my cup of tea. I'd rather just use a separate synth for a track. Maybe people who play synths will buy this pedal and run their synth through it? I think it will be more popular that way than with guitar.

I wasn't impressed with the new Blackhole pedal either. It makes the dry signal sound digital to me (there is no analog dry through in this pedal), and for nearly $300 it doesn't have enough sound variety in it. The effect itself is nice, but I prefer other reverbs for the price.

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Re: Strymon Nightsky

Post by jorri » Fri Sep 18, 2020 4:15 pm

sunburster wrote:
Fri Sep 18, 2020 1:07 pm

I wasn't impressed with the new Blackhole pedal either. It makes the dry signal sound digital to me (there is no analog dry through in this pedal), and for nearly $300 it doesn't have enough sound variety in it. The effect itself is nice, but I prefer other reverbs for the price.
I love the blackhole on space but know what you mean. I don't find a problem in FX loop. Then again that probably is the analogue mode. The digital i wouldn't go near as it has no headroom. The analogue often stalls to turn on/change preset abruptly but i never need to change them mid-song or suddenly go from zero-verb to totally-ridiculous-verb suddenly (only setting i use it!).

I think you can get a few effects from it and surprisingly versatile, but a long time to find those sounds. Its like all the controls do what a reverb isn't really technically supposed to do, the modulation starts doing downwards slides (not a vibrato, except sometimes?) or they 'decay' only comes with a drier type of signal or gets feedbacky. I like how it can self-oscillate into a sub-bass synth but never found a use for it. But mainly its reversey or early reflections type capability.

However they seem to have introduced it at the same price as i bought my pre-owned Space. I make that a fraction of 11th or however many algorhythms less it has. Minimalism is ok but wouldn't pay more for the concept of minimalism. Presuming its the same effect, as they might have updated it or rounded up more algorythms into a simpler form? less knobs (ehem, EQ, resonance?), shimmer, hall or whatever.. Also, there is a plugin form, order of magnitude cheaper i guess if it suits and an H9 for a smaller customisable one.

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Re: Strymon Nightsky

Post by sunburster » Fri Sep 18, 2020 4:32 pm

Yeah, I'd much rather have a used Space than this, considering they are similar in price. According to Eventide it's the same algorithm as in Space, just tossed in a smaller box.

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Re: Strymon Nightsky

Post by Unicorn Warrior » Fri Sep 18, 2020 5:42 pm

Same. The black hole is great, but the space does that already and so much more. That black hole only pedal is probably more appropriate at a $150 to $175 I’d think if that’s all you wanted. Although it is a great effect

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Re: Strymon Nightsky

Post by jorri » Sat Sep 19, 2020 4:37 am

Unicorn Warrior wrote:
Fri Sep 18, 2020 5:42 pm
Same. The black hole is great, but the space does that already and so much more. That black hole only pedal is probably more appropriate at a $150 to $175 I’d think if that’s all you wanted. Although it is a great effect
Yup. A better price. The space gets all the different standard verb types, shimmer, all these tremolo effects and chorus/flange/delay...then compressor, fuzz. And some reverse effect on at least 4 of those. Etc!
So many good verbs like Meris and Source Audio nowadays. Eventide pushes the blackhole as a "new type" reverb invention. Kind of is, but hardly the only one.

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Re: Strymon Nightsky

Post by Jaguar018 » Sun Sep 20, 2020 7:23 pm

I feel like this super space shimmer reverb drencher thing has passed its zenith and we are now on the decline. Now we are seeing the everything and the kitchen sink pedals, along with the specialized flavor of past hits pedals. This sound will always be floating around somewhere, but it’s lost its vitality for the immediate future.

They are now deep in the weeds.

It’s the sixth studio album with a bloated budget and a drug problem.

It’s the prog rock album with the dorky cover that only the hardcore fans really appreciate.

It’s the super band that you like out of some sense of obligation even though only the single is passable.

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Re: Strymon Nightsky

Post by redchapterjubilee » Mon Sep 21, 2020 4:38 am

(puts on old dude curmudgeon cap)

It seems like a lot of the pedal innovation in recent years has come with pedals that sound amazing for messing around with and getting completely lost for an afternoon making fun sounds. But I look at a pedal like Nightsky (which is also very cool) and I don't really know what to do with it. Admittedly, I am a chord cruncher and play guitar mostly as a songwriter and less as a pure guitar player so certainly take my comment with several grains of salt. It's like a lot of the EQD pedals or the cool Meris things or some of the other small pedalmakers' interesting DSP things. I don't know what to do with them in the context of song. I ducked into the live presentation of Nightsky Thursday night and a lot of what I heard wasn't all that different than using my El Capistan and Flint together. The filmed demos that came later showed the immense breadth this pedal has but I just couldn't wrap my head around applying any of it to my thing. I could see how someone who plays solo might really like having the programmable nature of the reverb pitch and the sequencer.

(takes off old dude curmudgeon cap)

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Re: Strymon Nightsky

Post by javier-san » Tue Aug 30, 2022 9:36 am

Reviving an old thread!

What's the take on these? People like them or was it all hype?

I am thinking about buying one, but reviews seem pretty sparse. Can it do "normal" reverb sounds along with the wild ones?

Or am I better off with a Boss Rv-500?

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Re: Strymon Nightsky

Post by javier-san » Fri Sep 09, 2022 10:09 pm

javier-san wrote:
Tue Aug 30, 2022 9:36 am
Reviving an old thread!

What's the take on these? People like them or was it all hype?

I am thinking about buying one, but reviews seem pretty sparse. Can it do "normal" reverb sounds along with the wild ones?

Or am I better off with a Boss Rv-500?
Ended up buying one. I am not sure how well it would work in the context of a band, but dang is this pedal fun. It's really fun exploring and making quasi-cinematic sounding instrumental music.

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