When Strymon released the BigSky in 2014, the reverb pedal captured players' hearts, minds, and pedalboard real estate with its impeccably designed sounds. So significant was the pedal's impact that it inspired several scaled-down versions and a plug-in emulation to boot. A decade after redefining these reverb expectations, Strymon raises the bar again with the BigSky MX. 

How do you improve on one of the most beloved reverb pedals ever? Strymon does it precisely as you would imagine, with class, style, and power. First and foremost is the onboard processing and stereo reverb options. The BigSky MX features a tri-core 800 MHz ARM processor that increases the resolution of the pedal's sounds and allows for added functionality. Thanks to this boost, it's now possible to use two reverbs simultaneously and route them however you like. You can use the reverbs in Series (one reverb flows into the other), Parallel (no interaction and summed to the outputs), or Split them (one reverb to each output) and adjust the pan control of each engine individually. 

The BigSky MX's onboard reverbs include several new options and classic engines from the previous pedal. The engines on the right side of the selection knob, including Cloudburst, Shimmer, Magneto, Swell, Nonlinear, Chorale, and Bloom, are all returning options. Strymon has significantly updated each of these with exciting new features. For instance, Shimmer has cleaner end-of-chain pitch shifting, and Magneto has a Ping Pong option.

The new engines reside on the left side of the Type dial. These settings are all based on natural spaces and classic reverb tools, including Room, Hall, Chamber, Plate, and Spring. With the exception of the Spring setting, all of these engines run in true stereo. Strymon's innovative designers meticulously captured the essence of real-world reverb environments and then painstakingly elevated them far beyond reality.

At the top of the left portion of the selection dial is Impulse. This reverb mode allows instrumentalists to play with Strymon-created and user-made Impulse Response files based on specific places and classic gear. Some of the 22 impulses offered by Strymon at launch include the Lexicon 480L, EMT140, and AMS RMX16. Unlike most IR products, the BigSky MX can handle up to 10 seconds of IR playback, including running two instances at one time. In addition, you can edit the IR, including altering the timing, attack, direction, and more.

Strymon's onboard controls and connectivity remain top-notch with the BigSky MX. The front of the pedal includes controls for Decay, Pre-Delay, Tone, Mod, Param 1, Param, and Mix, located right above three dedicated footswitches. You can use these switches to engage/bypass Presets, bank up/bank down, and use Infinite Sustain or Freeze mode. The BigSky MX's rear features two discrete Class A JFET preamp inputs, two outputs, a USB slot for connecting to the Nixie 2 app and installing updates, dedicated MIDI input and output, and a communication jack for external control.

Stymon has always been at the cutting edge of effects, and the brand's latest release continues this legacy. The BigSky MX unlocks a vast world of sonic landscapes, one that you can keep updating based on your IR files and other folks who upload them on the web. The possibilities seem endless.

Products in this Article
Navigating through the elements of the carousel is possible using the tab key. You can skip the carousel or go straight to carousel navigation using the skip links.
Strymon BigSky MX Reverb Pedal
Strymon BigSky MX Reverb Pedal
$ 679 .00
View Product