Strymon BigSky MX

The Strymon BigSky MX is a ground-up rebuild of one of the most celebrated reverb pedals ever made. Released in 2024, it takes everything that made the original BigSky legendary and pushes it further—new algorithms, dual reverb engines, impulse response loading, and a more powerful processor under the hood.

At its core, the MX runs on a tri-core 800 MHz ARM processor (more than double the original's 366MHz), delivering 32-bit floating-point processing. This translates to improved detail, smoother tails, and less digital artifacts. The 12 reverb engines include 10 from the original—Room, Hall, Plate, Spring, Bloom, Cloud, Chorale, Shimmer, Magneto, and Nonlinear—plus two new additions: Chamber and Impulse. Seven algorithms have been rebuilt from scratch using neural fine-tuning techniques.

The headline feature is dual reverbs. You can run two engines simultaneously in Series, Parallel, or Split configurations, with individual panning per engine. This opens up complex ambient textures that weren't possible before. The Impulse mode lets you load your own IRs via the Nixie 2 app—22 come preloaded, with room for custom captures.

Hardware improvements include a larger OLED display, dedicated Infinite/Freeze footswitch, discrete Class A JFET input preamps, and full stereo I/O. USB-C handles firmware updates and MIDI control. The footprint is nearly identical to the original (just 1/8" wider).

Who Is This For?

• Original BigSky owners looking for meaningful upgrades in sound quality and features
• Ambient guitarists who need dual reverbs and IR loading
• Studio musicians wanting pristine, detailed reverb with maximum flexibility
• Pedalboard builders who want one reverb to cover every style

At $679/£599, the BigSky MX sits at the premium end of the market. If you already own the original and it covers your needs, the upgrade isn't essential—the original still sounds excellent. But if you want the best multi-reverb pedal currently available, with room to grow via IR loading, the MX delivers.