Is a Strymon BigSky an embarrassment in 2021?

[Digital Larry]

The sound quality is not the issue. The effect is. You'll recall how Cher's voice sounded cool with the autotune effect 20 years ago and the effect became trendy for awhile and gradually fell out of favor.

Well... about time for a comeback, right? Just like talk box. One hit with talkbox allowed every 10 years. Talkbox + autotune + Big sky = step aside Billie Eyelash!

 

[Hired Goon]

Well... about time for a comeback, right? Just like talk box. One hit with talkbox allowed every 10 years. Talkbox + autotune + Big sky = step aside Billie Eyelash!

Well, I'm guilty. Ordered a Lexicon PCM 70 and a Yamaha SPX 90 recently. Going for the retro cheese for a bit

 

[RockDebris]

Essentially has it become a victim of it's own success, a cliche?

There's a VST soft-synth, I'm sure many of you are familiar with, called Nexus. A popular one in which you can hit a single note and instantanly be presented with a complex orchestral, evolving deep full spectrum sound trickling with reverb and delay. It's as if you'd stumbled upon a movie sound track. It's typically derided by more of the hardcore synthesists and written off as a noob plug.

Is Strymon in danger of following suit? I see some of these giant boards with 4 Strymons (and 3 Analogmans) and it's starting to get comical.

Maybe Strymon can save face by putting out a firmware update to remove the Shimmer effect before it's too late. You should alert them to the situation.

 

[your name here]

This thread is weird.

It’s a pedal. It sounds good, so people who know that use it to make music. All opinions, projections and manifestations thereof notwithstanding.

The end.

 

[your name here]

It's an embarrassment that no other reverb pedal is even in it's class.

 

[jrockbridge]

I think the Big Sky is only an embarrassment for a player who has no skills, nor taste. It's definitely overkill for me. I prefer subtle reverb or delay instead.

I recall when Rabea Massaad first got his Strymon pedals (Mobius & Timeline) and put together a video demo of his favorite sounds. Those sounds are still relevant today and are anything but embarrassing when he plays them. Again, those effects would be overkill for me and what I play so, perhaps, in that context it would be embarrassing. But, Rabea has the chops to pull it off.

This is TGP, so we tend to overemphasize the role of gear. Playing is more important than the specific gear. IMO a skilled player can make heavy effects work and sound spectacular, where a minimalist might sound a bit cheese.

In the final analysis, I think it does come down to being tasteful with the fx and the playing. But, there will always be those who dislike your choice of gear, fx or riffs. I choose gear for my personal inspiration, not for what others might think of it.

 

[warren3333]

The answer is no. The Big Sky is phenomenal and a modern classic. Is the Analogman Sunface an embarrassment? How about the Timmy? Smh...

wisdom here.

What is an embarrassment is the childish clickbate thread title...

 

[babbyb]

Jesus loves shimmer!

 

[ChromeCrescendo]

Perhaps it's not the pedals fault, just the way it's overused. More just the effect itself although Strymon seems to be the poster boy for it. It's so often on YT with a slow chord followed by the big washy sparkly sound. Cool the first time, ok the second, and by the third time it's become a caricature.

So, is your issue with the pedal itself, meaning, the fact it is a Strymon and is so ubiquitous....or, the type of sound it creates (ambient, washed)?

 

[Sam Xavier]

The sound quality is not the issue. The effect is. You'll recall how Cher's voice sounded cool with the autotune effect 20 years ago and the effect became trendy for awhile and gradually fell out of favor.

I get your point. A bit like, way back, you could always spot a Yamaha DX-7 or a Korg M-1 patch in a song.

Although, since Cher's (allegedly accidental) use of hard quantized auto tune, IMO, the only worthwhile thing anyone did with it is Sia, who at least found a creative way to use it.

 

[PorkChop]

It’s like salt. You gotta use adequate force. If the effect isn’t serving the song then the song won’t serve it.

 

[cosmic_ape]

It’s only embarrassing if you don’t run a wet/dry setup. It makes the sound come alive!

 

[Hired Goon]

So, is your issue with the pedal itself, meaning, the fact it is a Strymon and is so ubiquitous....or, the type of sound it creates (ambient, washed)?

I'd say 80% the ambient church sound, 20% the ubiquity. You see a lot of pedal boards around stuffed to the gills with these Strymon behemoths. Wouldn't be surprised if there was a Strymon fan club.

It's become unimpressive. I'd rather hear someone with just a guitar and a clean dry amp where your soul is laid bare rather than someone who paid a lot of money for a 1 note orchestra machine.

 

[Astronaut FX]

So you don’t like ambient. Noted.

I would point out though, that I find it interesting that we’d have a thread about a pedal, and its associated sounds, that are apparently played out and “an embarrassment” after only being around for like a decade, while about 90% or more of the discussions around here centers on music that is either five times that old, or sounds like it is.

 

[Empros]

I'd say 80% the ambient church sound, 20% the ubiquity. You see a lot of pedal boards around stuffed to the gills with these Strymon behemoths. Wouldn't be surprised if there was a Strymon fan club.

It's become unimpressive. I'd rather hear someone with just a guitar and a clean dry amp where your soul is laid bare rather than someone who paid a lot of money for a 1 note orchestra machine.

Maybe stop caring about the gear someone used to create something, and judge it more on the creation itself.

I've heard players sound generic/boring with a BigSky on their board. I've also heard players sound generic/boring with no pedals at all... It's the player, not the pedal.

And even then, who cares? if someone is having fun playing guitar, they're playing the right way. What sounds Generic / Boring to me could be inspiring to someone else.

 

[Tri Pedal Reviews]

I promise not to laugh at you as long as I don't see you with a bottle of Strymon branded hot sauce.

Dabbling in hot sauce is a distant second hobby of mine. If Strymon had their own sauce, I'd probably be slathering it on Tacos.

 

[5F6-A]

It has its places... for me this is enough for my needs. Mixer 10 o'clock; tone minimum; dwell 12 o'clock

 

[Phil3]

I can't even show my face in public anymore having owned it.

You're saying you actually let people see that thing even before you owned the pedal?

 

[Hired Goon]

So you don’t like ambient. Noted.

I would point out though, that I find it interesting that we’d have a thread about a pedal, and its associated sounds, that are apparently played out and “an embarrassment” after only being around for like a decade, while about 90% or more of the discussions around here centers on music that is either five times that old, or sounds like it is.

Except they've already had their day. We talk about them more in reminiscing about the good old days. They live on but not anywhere close to what they once were. This is natural.

I expect the ambient effect will follow the same bell curve in popularity. Perhaps some kids will return to it in a decade or two.

 

[markjsmith]

For those who think Howe was/is the best ever... you never grew up listening to Jeff Beck of The Jeff Beck Group.

Also, my dad can beat up your dad.

Essentially has it become a victim of it's own success, a cliche?

There's a VST soft-synth, I'm sure many of you are familiar with, called Nexus. A popular one in which you can hit a single note and instantanly be presented with a complex orchestral, evolving deep full spectrum sound trickling with reverb and delay. It's as if you'd stumbled upon a movie sound track. It's typically derided by more of the hardcore synthesists and written off as a noob plug.

Is Strymon in danger of following suit? I see some of these giant boards with 4 Strymons (and 3 Analogmans) and it's starting to get comical.

Troll post?
Use what you want screw what anyone thinks!