Strymon NightSky Time-Warped Reverb Pedal

Strymon NightSky Time-Warped Reverb Pedal Overview

The Strymon NightSky is a reverberant synthesis workstation, and a powerful, hands-on experimental sound design platform. NightSky gives you real-time continuous control of reverb pitch/processing rate/core size, harmonics, and even a synth-like resonant filter with multiple modulation waveshapes, plus a step sequencer with variable glide. You haven’t heard a pedal like this before.

Time-Warped Reverberator
Create vast soundscapes with just a few notes from your instrument. Apply mind-bending pitch and harmonic manipulation to your reverb tails, with synth-like filter sweeps. Enter a world of new sounds that blow away the boundaries of what is possible with reverb. With pioneers and adventurous sonic explorers in mind, we created a reverb pedal that can go where none have gone before.

The Rules of Space and Time Have Been Rewritten

New Sonic Territory
NightSky is a reverb pedal you will want to get your hands on. Deep and powerful sound manipulation with instant response knob-tweaking and no menu diving set a new standard in experimental reverb sound design.

Warp Core Reverb
NightSky achieves some of its most mind bending sounds by using a Variable Process Rate for its reverb core, allowing you to simultaneously change the size of the reverb as well as the pitch. This pitch change can be completely smooth, or quantized to a variety of musical scales. And it can be sequenced.

Harmonic Sculpture Machine
Use Shimmer to shift the harmonic structure by selectable musical intervals. Add Glimmer to dynamically enhance the harmonic spectrum. Turn up Drive to generate saturated overdriven harmonics. Then sculpt the resulting signal with NightSky’s synth-like variable-resonance low pass filter.

Inspiration - Challenge The Conventions
NightSky evolved from a desire to push the envelope and challenge the conventions of traditional reverb while also paying homage to the experimental reverberant sounds from decades past.

It started with the variable rate core. Once that was nailed down, we knew we had to complement it with a set of sound-shaping features that could take full advantage of the unique possibilities and expand them exponentially. This led us to a full-featured modulation section, a 4-pole resonant filter, and a unique Voice section to control the reverb’s harmonic structure.

Three Reverb Textures: Sparse, Dense, and Diffuse
NightSky gives you three distinct Reverb textures to choose from: Sparse, Dense, and Diffuse. The Sparse reverb creates reflections that are far enough apart from each other to be audibly distinct. Legato notes create a lush but pleasingly clean sound field, while staccato notes reveal individual echoes in a way that is well suited for sound design and special effects. The Dense reverb texture is an immediate-response reverb with a smooth sound field, featuring sonic characteristics similar to a plate. The Diffuse reverb creates a slow-building, atmospheric wash that excels at ambient, swell, and even reverse-like textures. The Diffuse reverb deconstructs and spreads transients over time to achieve its bloom-like effect.

Size Pitch - Travel at Warp Speed
NightSky jettisons tradition and opens up a new universe of possibilities by using a variable rate process to expand and contract the reverb core size. This changes the reflection density and response of the reverb while retaining the integrity of the audio within the reverb. The result is a reverberated signal that can be transposed, sequenced and pitch modulated for interplanetary approval.

Shimmer - Sonically Beautiful Reverb Repitching
Inspired by the classic shimmer effects pioneered in the ’80s using digital reverbs and pitch shifters, NightSky’s Shimmer voice is carefully created from the reverberated signal itself to generate maximum radiance and beauty. Call forth deep, low ambient string sections with the octave down setting, or spacey ethereal textures with octave up. In between the octaves are several musically interesting intervals available for shifting the harmonic structure of the reverb. The Shimmer processing can be applied at the reverb input only, or can regenerate within the reverb core for ever-ascending or descending pitches as the reverb decays.

Glimmer - Custom Tailored Harmonic Spectrum
Glimmer creates an enhanced harmonic spectrum using an optimally tuned dynamic resonant network. Its high setting accentuates higher frequency harmonics, creating a washy, dreamy, ambient top end. With Glimmer switched to its low setting, lower frequency harmonics are enhanced to alter the perceived harmonic structure and create mysterious synth-like textures.

Drive - Explosions in the NightSky
NightSky’s Drive feature generates saturated overdriven harmonics that can either react to the signal going into the reverb core, or dynamically distort the reverb’s output in a very interactive way. When Drive is applied at the input to the reverb, digging in generates more distorted harmonics, so you can dynamically “play” the distortion going into the reverb core. Placed on the reverb output, Drive acts as a soft-clipped limiter, reacting dynamically with the complexities of the decay of the reverb. This can produce interesting distorted stereo panning effects, as reflections on either side of the stereo image surpass or recede below the amplitude necessary to generate noticeable distortion. The harmonic complexity created by the Drive block is perfectly suited for sonic sculpting via NightSky’s low pass filter.

Filter - Synth-like Low Pass Filter and More
NightSky features a beautifully tuned 4-pole 24dB/octave low pass filter with a user-selectable resonance amount for gorgeous synth-like filter sweeps of the reverb output. The low pass filter is especially effective at shaping the distortion products from the Drive section. When used with NightSky’s Modulation section this filter reveals the inspiring power of subtractive reverberant synthesis. The low pass filter can also be swapped for a high cut filter that removes high frequencies from the regenerating reverb core to create a reverb that gets darker as it decays. Also in NightSky’s TONE section is a low cut filter that removes low end content both at the output and in the reverb core.

Powerful Modulation Capabilities
Add motion to your sounds with NightSky’s Modulation section. Create slowly evolving ethereal textures, or push the limits of wildly experimental sound design. Triangle, square, ramp, saw, random, and envelope waveforms can be used to modulate your choice of targets: Modulate the delay lines within the regenerating reverb core, or modulate the size/pitch (process rate) of the reverb core. Or, for very synth-like sounds, modulate the resonant low pass filter.

Morph - Unlock the Power of Morph
NightSky’s Morph feature allows you to seamlessly go from one set of knob positions to another at the press of a footswitch, at any Morph speed you choose. Use it to gradually vary modulation speed and depth, or morph from a subtle short-decay reverb to a huge, mysterious, modulated long-decay reverb. You can morph between different size/pitch settings or even morph between shimmer intervals. Turn up the resonance on the low pass filter and use Morph to sweep the filter’s center frequency, sweeping through audible harmonics as you go. Morph settings are saved per-preset, making it a powerful live performance tool.

Sequence Your Reverb
NightSky features a powerful and easy to use eight step sequencer. Each step effectively changes the SIZE/PITCH setting and can be easily tuned in half step increments or to notes in the musical scale of your choosing, or can be tuned freely with no pitch quantization. The sequencer can be set to advance a single step each time you press a footswitch, or can run automatically at a tapped tempo. Individual steps can be instantly activated or deactivated as the sequence runs, and you can set a variable glide time for smooth pitch transitions between steps. Sequences are saved per preset.

Infinite Sky
NightSky’s INFINITE footswitch freezes the audio at the input to the reverb core, and any new audio can still be processed by the reverb on top of the frozen audio. Not only does this allow you to create a lush ambient bed to play over, it offers a whole new world of possibilities when used in conjunction with NightSky’s sequencer. Now you can repitch that frozen audio by predetermined intervals stored in your sequence, creating on-demand chord changes to play over, or single note sequences to set a groove.

Deep Editing - Go Beyond
NightSky’s front panel offers an abundance of control over your reverberated signal. Should you desire to venture even further beyond the ordinary, there are several secondary parameters to add to your sound design toolkit.

Infinite Input Mode – With Infinite mode, select whether additional input signal gets processed by the reverb and sequencer or passes through unprocessed:

• Glide Time – Set the Glide (portamento) speed for the sequencer
• Pre-Delay – Adjust pre-delay from 0 to 500ms
• Scale Select – Choose from eight different scales when scale quantize is selected
• Filter Resonance – Vary the resonance from gradual rolloff to sharp peaking response when low pass is selected
• Glimmer Gain – Adjust the intensity of the Glimmer effect
• Drive Gain – Set the intensity of the Drive effect
• Morph Time – Adjust how quickly settings morph between each other

Inspiration - Challenge The Conventions
NightSky evolved from a desire to push the envelope and challenge the conventions of traditional reverb while also paying homage to the experimental reverberant sounds from decades past.

It started with the variable rate core. Once that was nailed down, we knew we had to complement it with a set of sound-shaping features that could take full advantage of the unique possibilities and expand them exponentially. This led us to a full-featured modulation section, a 4-pole resonant filter, and a unique Voice section to control the reverb’s harmonic structure.

Three Reverb Textures: Sparse, Dense, and Diffuse
NightSky gives you three distinct Reverb textures to choose from: Sparse, Dense, and Diffuse. The Sparse reverb creates reflections that are far enough apart from each other to be audibly distinct. Legato notes create a lush but pleasingly clean sound field, while staccato notes reveal individual echoes in a way that is well suited for sound design and special effects. The Dense reverb texture is an immediate-response reverb with a smooth sound field, featuring sonic characteristics similar to a plate. The Diffuse reverb creates a slow-building, atmospheric wash that excels at ambient, swell, and even reverse-like textures. The Diffuse reverb deconstructs and spreads transients over time to achieve its bloom-like effect.

Size Pitch - Travel at Warp Speed
NightSky jettisons tradition and opens up a new universe of possibilities by using a variable rate process to expand and contract the reverb core size. This changes the reflection density and response of the reverb while retaining the integrity of the audio within the reverb. The result is a reverberated signal that can be transposed, sequenced and pitch modulated for interplanetary approval.

Shimmer - Sonically Beautiful Reverb Repitching
Inspired by the classic shimmer effects pioneered in the ’80s using digital reverbs and pitch shifters, NightSky’s Shimmer voice is carefully created from the reverberated signal itself to generate maximum radiance and beauty. Call forth deep, low ambient string sections with the octave down setting, or spacey ethereal textures with octave up. In between the octaves are several musically interesting intervals available for shifting the harmonic structure of the reverb. The Shimmer processing can be applied at the reverb input only, or can regenerate within the reverb core for ever-ascending or descending pitches as the reverb decays.

Glimmer - Custom Tailored Harmonic Spectrum
Glimmer creates an enhanced harmonic spectrum using an optimally tuned dynamic resonant network. Its high setting accentuates higher frequency harmonics, creating a washy, dreamy, ambient top end. With Glimmer switched to its low setting, lower frequency harmonics are enhanced to alter the perceived harmonic structure and create mysterious synth-like textures.

Drive - Explosions in the NightSky
NightSky’s Drive feature generates saturated overdriven harmonics that can either react to the signal going into the reverb core, or dynamically distort the reverb’s output in a very interactive way. When Drive is applied at the input to the reverb, digging in generates more distorted harmonics, so you can dynamically “play” the distortion going into the reverb core. Placed on the reverb output, Drive acts as a soft-clipped limiter, reacting dynamically with the complexities of the decay of the reverb. This can produce interesting distorted stereo panning effects, as reflections on either side of the stereo image surpass or recede below the amplitude necessary to generate noticeable distortion. The harmonic complexity created by the Drive block is perfectly suited for sonic sculpting via NightSky’s low pass filter.

Filter - Synth-like Low Pass Filter and More
NightSky features a beautifully tuned 4-pole 24dB/octave low pass filter with a user-selectable resonance amount for gorgeous synth-like filter sweeps of the reverb output. The low pass filter is especially effective at shaping the distortion products from the Drive section. When used with NightSky’s Modulation section this filter reveals the inspiring power of subtractive reverberant synthesis. The low pass filter can also be swapped for a high cut filter that removes high frequencies from the regenerating reverb core to create a reverb that gets darker as it decays. Also in NightSky’s TONE section is a low cut filter that removes low end content both at the output and in the reverb core.

Powerful Modulation Capabilities
Add motion to your sounds with NightSky’s Modulation section. Create slowly evolving ethereal textures, or push the limits of wildly experimental sound design. Triangle, square, ramp, saw, random, and envelope waveforms can be used to modulate your choice of targets: Modulate the delay lines within the regenerating reverb core, or modulate the size/pitch (process rate) of the reverb core. Or, for very synth-like sounds, modulate the resonant low pass filter.

Morph - Unlock the Power of Morph
NightSky’s Morph feature allows you to seamlessly go from one set of knob positions to another at the press of a footswitch, at any Morph speed you choose. Use it to gradually vary modulation speed and depth, or morph from a subtle short-decay reverb to a huge, mysterious, modulated long-decay reverb. You can morph between different size/pitch settings or even morph between shimmer intervals. Turn up the resonance on the low pass filter and use Morph to sweep the filter’s center frequency, sweeping through audible harmonics as you go. Morph settings are saved per-preset, making it a powerful live performance tool.

Sequence Your Reverb
NightSky features a powerful and easy to use eight step sequencer. Each step effectively changes the SIZE/PITCH setting and can be easily tuned in half step increments or to notes in the musical scale of your choosing, or can be tuned freely with no pitch quantization. The sequencer can be set to advance a single step each time you press a footswitch, or can run automatically at a tapped tempo. Individual steps can be instantly activated or deactivated as the sequence runs, and you can set a variable glide time for smooth pitch transitions between steps. Sequences are saved per preset.

Infinite Sky
NightSky’s INFINITE footswitch freezes the audio at the input to the reverb core, and any new audio can still be processed by the reverb on top of the frozen audio. Not only does this allow you to create a lush ambient bed to play over, it offers a whole new world of possibilities when used in conjunction with NightSky’s sequencer. Now you can repitch that frozen audio by predetermined intervals stored in your sequence, creating on-demand chord changes to play over, or single note sequences to set a groove.

Deep Editing - Go Beyond
NightSky’s front panel offers an abundance of control over your reverberated signal. Should you desire to venture even further beyond the ordinary, there are several secondary parameters to add to your sound design toolkit.

Infinite Input Mode – With Infinite mode, select whether additional input signal gets processed by the reverb and sequencer or passes through unprocessed:

• Glide Time – Set the Glide (portamento) speed for the sequencer
• Pre-Delay – Adjust pre-delay from 0 to 500ms
• Scale Select – Choose from eight different scales when scale quantize is selected
• Filter Resonance – Vary the resonance from gradual rolloff to sharp peaking response when low pass is selected
• Glimmer Gain – Adjust the intensity of the Glimmer effect
• Drive Gain – Set the intensity of the Drive effect
• Morph Time – Adjust how quickly settings morph between each other

• Instant Access to 16 Presets: NightSky gives you instant front panel access to 16 presets. Of course, if 16 is not enough, 300 preset locations are available via MIDI.
• Core of your MIDI Rig: With full MIDI control of every parameter plus 300 preset locations, NightSky is designed to be the center of sonic expressiveness for your MIDI pedalboard. Control sequencer tempo and pitch via MIDI. Modulate NightSky’s filter with beat-synced modulation envelopes from your DAW. Let NightSky provide the inspiration, and the possibilities are as unlimited as your imagination. NightSky transmits and receives MIDI over 5-pin DIN, USB, and even the Expression jack (via our MIDI EXP cable)—perfect for your pedalboard or in your studio.
• Morphing expression control: Connect an expression pedal and enjoy a whole new level of instantaneous, continuous control. Set as many knobs as you like for the heel position and toe position of your expression pedal, and all settings will simultaneously morph throughout the full range of the expression pedal.
• Dedicated Instrument/Line Input Level Switch: NightSky offers an input level switch to work perfectly with a variety of input sources. Set the switch to the INST position when using a guitar level input. Set to LINE when using NightSky in the effects loop of a guitar amp, or when driving NightSky with a hot output from a synth or mixer insert. The LINE input mode gives you an additional 10dB of clean headroom, and is also perfect for using NightSky as a send effect or insert effect in the studio.
• Additional Control with MultiSwitch Plus: Connect MultiSwitch Plus to NightSky’s Expression Pedal jack for additional footswitchable control. Use MultiSwitch Plus to instantly select between three presets, or scroll through the 16 onboard presets and engage or bypass the preset you have selected. Or set MultiSwitch Plus to individually engage or bypass the MOD, TONE, or VOICE sections of NightSky.