Strymon Night Sky User manual

QUICK START GUIDE

MOD

Varies a selectable target parameter according to the selected waveform.

TARGET

Selects the process that modulation is applied.

verb: modulates the delay lines within the
regenerating reverb core.

SPEED

Adjusts the rate of modulation
from 0.06Hz (16 second sweep)
to 12Hz (0.08 second sweep).

DEPTH

Adjusts the amount of
modulation. Modulation is off at
the fully minimum position.*

*For env, modulation is off at
noon. Sensitivity increases as
the knob is rotated away from
center. Rotate left for negative
envelope response or right for
positive.

pitch: modulates the size (process rate) of the reverb
core.

filter: modulates the HIGH CUT tone control position.

SHAPE

Selects the modulating waveform.

triangle: rises and falls evenly.

square: jumps between two fixed values.

ramp: rises gradually and falls abruptly.

saw: falls gradually and rises abruptly.

random: jumps between random values.

env: modulation value responds to playing dynamics

(sensitivity set by DEPTH), and returns at a rate set
by SPEED.

DECAY

Selects the reverb architecture and sets the tail characteristics.

LENGTH

Adjusts the reverb decay time from less than one second
to nearly infinite sustain. At long decay settings, decay
time may be impacted by the TONE settings.

SIZE / PITCH

Increases the size of the reverb core to create a larger “space” for reflections as the knob is
turned clockwise which also allows for pitch variations during adjustment.

The pitch range is 2.5 octaves with QUANTIZE set to smooth and two octaves with
QUANTIZE set to half step or scale.

TEXTURE

Selects one of three different reverb types.

sparse: granular-sounding reverb that can
create interesting effects with staccato
inputs, or produce a clean reverb with
sustained inputs.

dense: plate-like reverb with a fast response
and dense reflections that can venture into
ambient territory at high decay times.

diffuse: slow-building, atmospheric wash
that excels at ambient, swell, and even
reverse-like textures.

QUANTIZE

Selects the response and range of the SIZE/
PITCH knob.

smooth: SIZE/PITCH varies smoothly and

continuously over a 2.5 octave pitch range.

half step*: The SIZE/PITCH is quantized into
half-step intervals over a two octave range.

scale*: The SIZE/PITCH is quantized into
selectable scales over a two octave range.

*NOTE

Range is as follows:

12 o’clock = middle of range.

Minimum = one octave up.

Maximum = one octave down.

TONE & MIX

Applies filtering equalization to the high and low frequency portions of the reverb.

FILTER

Selects the response of the HIGH CUT knob.

regen: removes high frequencies from the

regenerating core, creating a reverb that

LOW CUT

gets darker as it decays.

Removes low end content both at the output
and in the regenerating core portion of the
reverb as the knob is turned clockwise.

HIGH CUT

Removes high frequency content from the
reverb with characteristics determined by the
FILTER switch selection.

MIX

Sets the output level of the dry and reverberated signals.

REVERB: sets the output level of the reverberated signal.

low pass: applies a synth-style peaking low-

pass filter to the reverb output to selectively
shape the frequency content.

DRY: sets the output level of the unprocessed signal.

VOICE

Adds pitch, harmonics, and distortion to the reverberated signal.

SHIMMER (button)

Selects the type of shimmer effect.

input: shimmer effect is applied to the input
of the reverb core and does not regenerate.

INTERVAL

Selects the pitch interval of the shimmer
effect from a number of musically useful and
interesting intervals. See user manual for
additional details.

SHIMMER (knob)

Sets the amount of the shimmer effect.
Shimmer effect is off when set to minimum.

regen*: shimmer effect is applied within the
reverb core and the effect is regenerative.

GLIMMER

Creates a harmonically enhanced spectrum
from the reverb output.

high: higher frequency harmonics are
highlighted creating a washy, dreamy top
end.

low: lower frequency harmonics are
highlighted that add mysterious and synth­like textures.

LED off: Glimmer is disabled.

*NOTE

Smaller SIZE/PITCH settings and higher
DECAY settings will result in more

intense pitch regeneration.

DRIVE

Adds saturated overdriven harmonics to the
reverb.

pre: applies drive to the signal before the
reverb core.

post: applies drive after the reverb tank,
allowing the reverb tail to dynamically go into
and out of saturation as the reverb decays.

LED off: Drive is disabled.

FOOTSWITCHES & PRESET BUTTONS

ON

Turns the effect ON or OFF.

morph: press and hold sweeps between the current sound and a set of “morph”
knob settings.

See user manual for details on programming morph setting.

FAVORITE

Toggles between the active onboard preset and the
current state of the knobs and switches. GREEN LED
indicates that the preset is engaged.

save favorite: Press and hold until the FAVORITE LED
blinks BLUE. To save in the current preset location, press
FAVORITE once again. To save in a new preset location,
press one of the 8 preset buttons and press FAVORITE
once again to save.

Press the same preset button twice before pressing the
FAVORITE footswitch again to save to a different preset
bank.

INFINITE

Holds the input to the reverb
tank while also allowing new
audio to be processed by the
reverb on top of the “frozen”
audio.

Press and hold switches into
sequence mode.

PRESET BUTTONS 1-8

Selects the corresponding preset and enables FAVORITE footswitch if not already enabled.
Press a lit PRESET BUTTON to switch between two banks. GREEN LED indicates presets 1-8,

AMBER indicates presets 9-16.

REAR CONTROLS AND CONNECTIONS

INPUTS

Stereo high impedance ultra low-noise
discrete Class A JFET preamp inputs.
Use LEFT IN for mono input.

OUTPUTS

USB

Use for connecting to a computer
for controlling via MIDI and updating
firmware.

MIDI IN / OUT

Low impedance stereo outputs. Use
LEFT OUT for mono output. See user
manual for additional details.

Full featured MIDI input and output
supporting MIDI CCs, program changes,
etc. See user manual for additional
details.

REAR CONTROLS AND CONNECTIONS

INPUT MODE

Use INST for guitars or instruments with lower output.

Setting to LINE adds 10dB of clean headroom for use with synthesizers, or
when placing NightSky in the effects loop of an amplifier or mixer, or for
guitar rigs with high output levels if more clean headroom is desired.

EXP

Can be set to work in one of the following
modes. See user manual for additional
details.

Expression Pedal Mode: Allows continuous
control over knobs with expression pedal.

MIDI Mode: Access to three presets using
MultiSwitch Plus or 300 presets via MIDI.

Preset Up/Down Mode: Scroll through
the 16 onboard presets and engage or
bypass the preset you have selected with
MultiSwitch Plus.

MOD/TONE/VOICE Bypass Mode: Engage
or bypass the individual sections of
NightSky with MultiSwitch Plus.

9VDC

Use the included power supply
or an adapter with the following
rating: 9VDC center negative.
300mA minimum.

SEQUENCE MODE

Varies the Size/Pitch parameter as programmed at regular or stepped time intervals.

Press and hold INFINITE (sequence) to enter Sequence mode. The ON LED will turn RED.

Use the presets 1-8 to set independent SIZE/PITCH settings for up to 8 steps to be played
in sequence.

Press a PRESET BUTTON to enable/disable the step for the sequence.

Press and hold a PRESET BUTTON button and turn the SIZE/PITCH knob to set the value
for each step.

Press turns step ON or OFF.

Press, hold, and turn SIZE/PITCH - adjusts pitch of the step and
automatically enables step if not already enabled.

sequence step:

Advances the sequence
to the next step on each
press. If a sequence is
playing, pressing the step
footswitch once will stop
the sequence from playing
and return to the first step.

sequence tap:

Sets the rate of the
sequencer through
two taps. Resets the
sequencer to Step 1 on
single tap.

infinite:

Holds the input to
the reverb core in the
same manner as in
normal mode. Press
and hold switches out
of sequence mode.

SIGNAL FLOW

This diagram shows the complete routing of audio through NightSky.

Keep in mind that DRIVE, FILTER, and SHIMMER can be located in only
one of the shown locations.

INPUT

GLIMMER

INPUT

SHIMMER

VARIABLE PROCESSING RATE

PRE

DELAY

DIFFUSION

PRE

DRIVE

INFINITE

DRY SIGNAL

DELAY

NETWORK

REGEN

SHIMMER

DRY GAIN

REGEN
FILTER

POST

DRIVE

REVERB GAIN

LOWPASS

FILTER

OUTPUT

LOW CUT

FILTER

FACTORY RESET

Press and hold the ON footswitch while powering on the
unit. Sweep the LENGTH knob from left to right twice. The
FAVORITE LED will turn AMBER when full left and RED when
full right. All three LEDs will flash RED when the unit resets.

NOTE: This will replace all presets with the factory defaults.

>> Download the complete manual at strymon.net/support/nightsky <<

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