Strymon Nightsky, the unique, experimental stereo-soundscape reverb pedal, is now available as a macOS/Windows plugin for your DAW.
In 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic, when we were making gear investments instead of going on vacation, Strymon released the Nightsky Reverb pedal. A stereo reverb pedal with an experimental character.
Recently, the US-based company released several of its pedals as plugins, including the best-selling Bigsky, a favorite among synth players. Now, the Strymon Nightsky is also available as a plugin.
Strymon Nightsky Plugin
The Nightsky plugin is based on the hardware pedal of the same name. It uses the same algorithms, but in a DAW plugin.
According to Strymon, Nightsky is not just a reverb FX but a reverberant synthesis workstation, and a powerful platform for experimental sound design.
NightSky’s reverb core uses a variable process rate, allowing you to not only to change the size of the reverb but also the pitch of it as well. Something that is not possible with most reverbs.
This can be done smoothly or quantized to a variety of differently muscial scales, including major, minor, dorian, and more. This change allows for a variety of weird and experimental reverb effects.
Then, you also have your classic parameters, like the reverb decay length, a selectable 3-mode texturizer (sparse, dense, diffuse), and pre-delay. The decay can also be set on hold with two modes: infinite or freeze, giving you two different “endless” behaviors.
Advanced Reverb Shaping
Besides this, it also includes more tools for more intense character shaping: tone, modulation, shimmer, glimmer, and drive. The tone section offers a built-in two-mode resonant filter with controls for low-cut, high-cut, and resonant.
Modulation consists of a multi-wave LFO with two parameters (speed, depth) and three possible targets: reverb, pitch, and filter. It can infuse slight, subtle movements into the reverb, all the way to triggering complete chaos, allowing for very experimental FX.
Use Shimmer to shift the harmonic structure by selectable musical intervals (major, minor…). Next to this is the glimmer parameter that dynamically enhances the harmonic spectrum of your effected sound.
You can set the region you want to affect and adjust it with a simple control. For additional crunch, it also features a drive that produces saturated, overdriven harmonics. Thanks to the pre- and post options, you can even sculpt it with the lowpass filter.
It looks like they didn’t implement the pedal’s sequencer.
First Impression
I think Strymon’s alternative approach with plugins is a positive one. This allows people who might not have the money for a pedal or prefer to work in-the-box to also access Strymon effects.
The Strymon Nightsky plugin is available now for $99. It runs as a VST3, AU, and AAX plugin on macOS (native Apple Silicon + Intel) and Windows. It requires an iLok account and an internet connection for activation.
More information here: Strymon
Available from my partner
Odd that they left the sequencer out when that was such a big part of what made the pedal special. I still think the pedal without the sequencer sounds great, and while I sold it, I’ve often missed it, so this seems like a no-brainer option. Wonder if and when they’ll get around to recreating the Volante!