Saturday, October 9, 2010

Strymon: blueSky

I was at Standard Value to get some guitar spares yesterday (tinkering in progress...) when Mike told me to take a seat & give the Strymons a listen. There were no drive pedals to behold so I was not as enthusiastic but after some trying, the blueSky lifted me up, way up...

This is a reverb unit, an extensive one I might add. It's actually a simple twin feature offering; the reverb TYPE (3 type there on offer- plate/ room/ spring) & MODE (ie. how deep you wish your reverberation to be). The rest of the features are voicing tweaks. I was rooted by the Plate + Shimmer combo for a good... can't remember, maybe 20min or so (might have been longer, he he...)? The objective of a reverb unit is  the addition of depth to your note definition. If you do lots of distortion, reverb might just get in the way; the reason why Van Halen dislike this feature in his tone/ amp. The best appreciation for a reverb effect is to play clean. It helps you acknowledge the value of slowing down & refined listening. The Shimmer feature here adds a chorus tingle at the death of each note. This is definitely Robin Guthrie territory, plunging into dreamscape, turning notes into an art form. 

If you wish for a simple reverb, this pedal is unnecessary, especially at $455 (it's not cheap, mind you...)- you are better off with your amp's default reverb feature. However, if you are adventurous in plying your trade, the blueSky is an astral touch.

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