Strymon BigSky VS NightSky (Comparison)
Our pick: Strymon BigSky
The BigSky and NightSky are two very different pedals. While the BigSky is a pure digital reverb, the NightSky is more of reverb/ambience/synth combination effect unit. In most cases, the BigSky is going to make the most sense for electric guitar players.
Some comparisons don't leave us with a lot of differences to highlight. But the Strymon BigSky and NightSky are not that kind of comparison. While both are technically reverb pedals by Strymon, they're dramatically different in terms of their sound type, intent, and functionality.
In short, the BigSky is a pure reverb pedal while the NightSky is a "Reverberator" with tons of augmentation options like pitch shifting, filtering, shimmering, and varying textures that you can apply.
This makes the NightSky far more of an effects tool and ambient noise creator, capable of working with a wider range of instruments, including keyboard.
But which one is right for you?
We'll do a quick comparison as well as a more detailed look into each pedal.
For guitar players, the BigSky probably makes more sense
Though up front we can say that most guitar players will probably do better with the BigSky, since the NightSky is designed for a far heavier effect and ambience profile. But if you don't want to take our word for it, we'll get into the reasoning in the following sections.
Pedal | Audio | Browse |
|---|---|---|
| Strymon BigSky | |
 | Strymon NightSky |
Audio demos of each pedal tell a lot of the story. You can hear that the NightSky is far more of a synth station than just a reverb pedal.
Detailed Spec Sheet
In other words, it's a pure reverb pedal versus an ambience station. The controls - in particular - reflect this distinction.
Header | BigSky  | NightSky  |
|---|---|---|
Effect Type | Reverb | Reverb |
Analog/Digital | Digital | Digital |
Algorithms | 12 total | 3 x Reverbs, Glimmer Dynamics, Shimmer Pitch Shift, Drive Saturation, Waveform Modulation |
Knobs | Type, Value, Decay, Pre-Delay, Mix, Tone, Param1, Param2, Mod | Mod/Speed, Depth, Decay/Length, Size/Pitch, Mix/Reverb, Tone/Low Cut, High Cut, Voice/Interval, Shimmer, Dry |
Presets | 300 onboard | 16 x Presets (onboard), 300 x Presets (via MIDI) |
Inputs | 2 x 1/4" stereo, Expression pedal | 2 x 1/4" |
Outputs | 2 x 1/4" | 2 x 1/4" |
MIDI | In/Out | In/Out |
Height | Not listed | 1.75" |
Width | 6.75" | 7" |
Depth | 5.1" | 4.5" |
Weight | Not listed | Not listed |
One is pure reverb and the other is an ambience workstation.
Strymon BigSky Details
You want just reverb? The BigSky is your final stop.
The Strymon BigSky is a pure digital reverb pedal, housing 12 reverb algorithms and a litany of control. With over 300 presets you have a ton of creativity and functionality at your disposal, which makes the BigSky ideal for players that use a lot of reverb and want some variety to work with.
As we've already seen, this is different from the NightSky because it's entirely reverb focused, without the additional sounds and synth-like effects.
If you're looking for just reverb and you don't care about the heavier ambience in the NightSky, the BigSky is all you need to focus on.
Strymon NightSky Details
The NightSky is more properly categorized as a reverb/ambience/synth pedal.
On the other side of that coin:
Those looking for a reverb pedal that puts emphasis on synth sounds and heavy ambience might consider the Strymon NightSky, which is named/described as a "reverberator."
This means you have a little bit of reverb packaged with a ton of additional sounds, including the following:
- Modulation
- Pitch-shifting
- Shimmering effects
- Intervals
- Filtering
The result is a massive amount of ambience that is ethereal, deep, and reminds us more of a synth than a reverb pedal. That's the biggest difference between the BigSky and the NightSky, which means it's going to come down simply to which type of effect you're looking for.
Our Conclusion
Do you want pure reverb or an ambience/synth pedal? The answer will determine which one of these effects you go with:
- Strymon BigSky: Pure reverb
- Strymon NightSky: Ambience/synth effects
Yes, they're both reverb pedals, but the NightSky is taking you in a different direction - going more broad with less depth, while the BigSky is more narrowly focused on reverb but with more depth and subtlety.
Our opinion is that the BigSky is more likely to be the fit you're looking for. In fact, the NightSky almost gets you away from purely guitar sounds and into more synth/keyboard territory.
So for that reason alone, we'd recommend the BigSky to most guitar players.
But again, only you can tell for sure which type of effect you're looking for. Just make sure you know the difference between these two pedals before you pull the trigger.
Questions and Comments
Do you have questions about the BigSky or the NightSky? Better yet, maybe you've used or owned one (or both) of these pedals and want to share your experience. Either way, drop us a line in the comments section below and we'll chat about it.
More Strymon BigSky Comparisons
Written by Bobby Kittleberger on Pedals & Comparisons
Written by Guitar Chalk on Pedals & Comparisons
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Our disclosure↬
When will you be doing a Cloudburst review? I have the Nightsky and the Cloudburst together on a recent build and currently exploring. Highly recommend you experiment with that setup. I think it matches your statement of synth, fusion with a reverb modeler.
As always, really appreciate your reviews!
Yeah the Cloudburst looks good. You talkin’ pure review or comparison?
A little of both perhaps although there are a quite a few of those (videos and articles) out there already it would seem. I think something that would be helpful to those of us that have one would be suggestions on how to combine the Cloudburst with say the Nightsky, Timeline, etc. Or yeah, perhaps a comparison with the GFI Specular Tempus or Specular Reverb.
Either way, thanks for what you do!
Oh ok, interesting. How to use them in tandem?
That’s a good angle that I haven’t really considered. The issue with that is that I can usually only test one at a time.
I’ll see if I can get my hands on the Cloudburst.
Hi, I am a guitarist but enjoy a lot to work with synths. I do mainly fusion and indie rock but also develop climate soundscapes. So I feel tempted to go for the nightsky but I wonder if it can cover somehow the scope of sounds achieved by the bigsky. Can you expand your thoughts having that in mind? Thanks a lot.
MartÃn from Argentina
Hey Martin – I think the NightSky is more so in business for itself. Certainly it has a ton of ambient flexibility, but I’d say the BigSky is just a different, albeit more conventional reverb pedal with a ton of flexibility. If you’re into synth and fusion, I think the NightSky would be a better option, then just add a less expensive reverb modeler than the BigSky.