QUICK START GUIDE

MOD

Varies a selectable target parameter according to the selected waveform.

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.

TARGET

Selects the process that modulation is applied.

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

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.

LOW CUT

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

FILTER

Selects the response of the HIGH CUT knob.

regen: removes high frequencies from the regenerating core, creating a reverb that gets darker as it decays.

low pass: applies a synth-style peaking lowpass filter to the reverb output to selectively shape the frequency content.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

USB

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

OUTPUTS

Low impedance stereo outputs. Use

LEFT OUT for mono output. See user manual for additional details.

MIDI IN / OUT

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

PRE

DELAY

VARIABLE PROCESSING RATE

DIFFUSION

PRE

DRIVE

INFINITE

OUTPUT

DRY GAIN

DRY SIGNAL

DELAY

NETWORK

REGEN

SHIMMER

REGEN

FILTER

POST

DRIVE

REVERB GAIN

LOWPASS

FILTER

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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