GuitarPlayer Verdict
As an update of Strymon's long-running BigSky multi-reverb pedal, the BigSky MX is a next-level experience, offering new algorithms, dual-reverb capability and more lifelike virtual spaces than ever. The ability to load your own IRs completes the picture. No, it's not cheap, but the MX is a worth-the-money upgrade for BigSky users and a must-try pedal for any guitarist seeking the highest-quality reverbs in a stompbox format.
Pros
- +
Remarkable 3-D reverbs
- +
New algorithms with greater realism and depth
- +
Lets you use two reverbs at once for more expressive ambience
- +
Impulse machine with ability to load user IRs
Cons
- -
Nothing, but the price may deter some users
You can trust Guitar Player. Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Strymon’s BigSky Multi-Reverb pedal has been a staple in my setup since it debuted in late 2013, and for two very good reasons. First, it offers 12 studio-class reverb algorithms that run the gamut from classic to futuristic. Second, those reverbs still sound vibrant, realistic and fresh more than 10 years after BigSky became the gold standard for reverb pedals.
I recently reconsidered that second point for one reason: Strymon’s newly released BigSky MX pedal, which delivers new reverb machines, dual-reverb capability, full IR functionality and much more. Strymon didn’t just revise BigSky’s features for this new incarnation; they used the same kind of neural-tweaking techniques behind A.I. to create lifelike virtual spaces that respond to your playing.
That power comes via an 800MHz Tri-Core Arm processor (versus the BigSky’s 366MHz SIMD SHARC), with 32-bit floating-point processing that makes these reverbs drip and shimmer with uncanny depth and realism. If you’re looking for more natural-sounding and highly detailed ambience effects, as well as more extreme sonic adventures, BigSky MX has them.
WELCOME TO THE MACHINES
Like its predecessor, BigSky MX has 12 reverb engines. They include 10 found on the original pedal — Room, Hall, Plate, Spring, Bloom, Cloud, Chorale, Shimmer, Magneto and Nonlinear — plus two new offerings: Chamber and Impulse, the latter of which employs Impulse Responses (IRs).
In addition, Strymon created new algorithms for Spring, Plate, Hall, Room and Shimmer alongside the voices of the original pedal. Although the Swell and Reflections machines were deleted, the Swell feature can now be found in the Hall machine, while the psycho-acoustically accurate small-space Reflections machine seems unnecessary given the verisimilitude built into the MX.
The Impulse machine comes loaded with 22 impulse responses ranging from vintage and modern gear to acoustic spaces. You can add your own IRs of up to 10 seconds in length and edit them right in the pedal. As for the Chamber machine, it nicely fills a niche between Room and Hall settings. Chamber reverbs are larger than room reverbs and smaller than halls, making them perfect for those times when you want ambience that gets noticed but doesn’t overwhelm.
The Chamber engine in BigSky MX captures the right mix of warmth, focus and density to produce very useable and sophisticated-sounding settings. These have quickly become my go-to reverbs for playing and for mixes where I want to impart ambience that conveys intimacy or adds a splash of depth to my guitar or another instrument. The results sound professional and never crowd the mix.
DEEP DIG
Editing the MX presets is a breeze, thanks to the row of seven controls for decay, pre-delay, tone and modulation, the two user-assignable parameters per preset and the dry/wet mix knob. Going deeper into each preset is equally easy: Just press the Value button at the upper right to open the menu and dig into a host of parameters for every engine. Best of all, you can swap out engines for each preset with a spin of the Type dial to quickly audition other reverb machines.
And while we’re discussing parameters, the new stereo panning control is a useful addition that brings greater dimensions to the effects. Use it to place a reverb off-center or to situate two different reverbs wherever you’d like in the stereo field, whether for creative effect or to open more space in the mix.
Lest we forget among this wealth of new treats, the ability to use two reverbs in series or parallel is a powerful feature that opens up a host of sound design opportunities. For example, place Shimmer in series with a pre-delayed Chorale for a reverb that sings like a heavenly chorus. Or use Plate in parallel with the physics-defying Nonlinear reverb and pan them to opposite sides for a dramatically unusual panorama of sound. The stereo pan control really shines in these dual settings, opening the door to some wildly creative sound designs.
But perhaps the coolest thing of all is that all this power is available through the handful of controls on the pedals. No parameter is ever more than a couple of button presses away, with no smartphone apps or buggy Bluetooth connection to slow you down.
For greater convenience, Strymon offers the free Nixie 2 software librarian that lets you upload and download patches, load IRs and gain real-time control of parameters from your desktop. The process was intuitive to follow, and once my IRs were imported, they showed up in their own folder in the Impulse engine, where I was able to load and edit them. It couldn’t be easier.
Other noteworthy additions to the BigSky MX include an easy-to-read high-resolution OLED display, discrete Class A JFET preamps for clean tone and less sensitivity to long cable runs, DIN and TRS MIDI jacks (BigSky offers just DIN), USB-C, expression control, and a dedicated Infinite foot switch in place of the third preset foot switch included on the original BigSky.
MX FX
As for its sound, the 3-D realism is remarkable. Comparing my original BigSky to the BigSky MX… well, there is no comparison. The improved detail, sonic nuance and sense of being within an actual physical space is apparent, and the new presets do a good job of demonstrating what this box can do.
Some of my favorites include the Impulse engine’s 250 Long, Gate Reactor and Slinky presets, the Magneto machine’s Moody Bounce and SmartWhales settings, and the Chamber’s Sweet Neck, Pretty Chamber and Warm Chamber offerings.
Among the more extreme selections, I really like the Bloom machine’s Little Burst and Fellowtron (a cool Mellotron emulation), the Chorale engine’s Subtle Choir preset, and — for fun rhythmic playing — the Stutter Butr and ChoppedSprng presets in the Nonlinear offerings. In addition to the 100 factory presets, you can store 200 user presets, and all 300 presets can be overwritten.
The question for players who already own the BigSky will be “Do I need these improvements and new features?” You may not get the full benefit of them if you play onstage and not in the studio. But if you record or simply enjoy playing with the best gear you can afford, then it makes sense to consider upgrading.
For guitarists who are unsatisfied with their current reverb pedal. — or who find the reverb on their multieffects pedal too vanilla — the MX is a must-try contender that will satisfy your ambience requirements regardless of your musical style.
Granted, BigSky MX is not cheap, and players familiar with the original BigSky might miss that third preset foot switch and have no use for the Infinite switch that’s replaced it. Undoubtedly some players may find the original algorithms more to their liking or prefer their less-detailed sound.
But that’s how it goes with gear, and it’s why many guitarists today still use pedals of previous eras. For that matter I own plenty of reverb pedals and have no plans to part with them. They all do something very well or exclusively their own.
But with that said, BigSky MX will be replacing the BigSky as my go-to reverb pedal. I’ve heard nothing that covers all the bases with as much sonic diversity, flexible programming or pristine and detailed audio quality.
SPECIFICATIONS
CONTACT strymon.net
PRICE $679
REVERB MACHINES Room, Hall, Plate, Spring, Bloom, Cloud, Chorale, Shimmer, Magneto, Nonlinear, Chamber and Impulse
CONTROLS Type, Value, decay, pre-delay, tone, mod, param 1, param 2, mix
FOOT SWITCHES Bank A, Bank B (press
A and B for Bank Down) and Infinite (press Bank B and Infinite for Bank Up)
I/O Left in, right in, left out, right out, USB-C, expression/MIDI in and out, power input
EXTRAS Free Nixie 2 librarian (Mac, PC)
to organize presets and load IRs
POWER 9 VDC (adapter not included)
DIMENSIONS 5” x 7” x 1.87” (DxWxH)
BUILT USA
PRO Remarkable 3-D reverbs, new algorithms with greater realism and depth, Impulse machine with ability to load user IRs
CON None, but the price may deter some users
“The pedal is scary good. I haven’t met a guitar player yet who disagrees." Does the new Universal Audio Enigmatic ’82 Overdrive Special Amp pedal capture that Dumble magic? We compared notes with Dumble aficionado Ben Harper
“We found out it had been heavily modified by Cesar Diaz.” Strymon’s new EC-1 Single Head dTape Echo pedal was born from a vintage tube Echoplex modded by the storied guitar tech to Stevie Ray Vaughan
