I appreciate this comparison. Bought a V1 due to your videos. As a rock guitarist, I don’t see the new features useful enough to upgrade. Heck, the V1 is probably too much reverb pedal for me (I play mono, distorted, no midi, shimmer, or mod), but the Blue Sky just sounds too good to downsize.
I’m pretty sure I hear subtle improvements to Plate and Hall, while Spring might be a bit less radical, less interesting. In general, excellent and distinctive algorithms.
There's a bit of wrong info here on the V1 Stereo/Mono. You never needed a Split-Cable for Stereo (obviously), as you had the two inputs. And also, the Strymon offical support site states: "The internal jumper on these pedals does not need to be adjusted to work in stereo and should be left in its default position (connecting the left 2 pins when viewed from below)." The jumper is only needed on other Strymon pedals, but not on the blueSky and the Ola. Just in case anyone was wondering. To me, losing that input and having to use a split cable would be a downgrade, as I use synths very often. Apart from that, the new modulation intensity switches and shimmer knob are what I always longed for in my V1, the shimmer is close to unusable in the old one, but I'm afraid it's not enough of an upgrade for me to justify that hefty price.
I’ve got both and after initial disappointment with V2 I’ve now fallen in love with it and I’m selling V1. I think overall it exceeds V1 significantly but those who are used to V1 need to play with the settings more. I also use BlueSky with my Timeline for swell and it’s so good I’m retiring my BigSky to my secondary board. To each his own and YMMV but I’m thrilled with V2 now.
lovely review as always by a pro ... would you please compare the blue sky with the new Boss rv200 ??? that will be a super review thank you for the great reviews
All of the hidden secondary functions + my lack of need for the swell button is what caused me to just sell my Mercury7. I love Bladerunner :( but I think this is probably a better pedal for me!
Very nice demo, and with a very pleasant "smile" all the while. I thought that most of the time, the V1 tonally sounded better; but those last "shimmer" things sold the V2. And stereo is the way to go!
Anyone else feels that the V1 tends to 'eat up' the dry sound of your guitar? Especially in a band mix where the original guitar definition is compromised (maybe because the reverb 'covers' the dry sound more)? Those who have the V1 and V2 - any comments if V2 is improved on that front?
Hi. Thanks for the info. Both great footpegs. In live they are not very usable apart from the one who plays ambient music (see shimmer). I think the sound of a keyboard is better. Let's remember that reverb pulls back the sound and when live it is used to a minimum, favoring the delay. Considering the cost, in live music, a good reverb is found at a lower price. Greetings from Italy
The shimmer in V2 is an octave down. The shimmer in v1 is octave up. They sound different more because of that I think. I have a ventris which allows me to chose the shimmer octave and I found that to make more a difference. The Shimmer mix is a plus in v2 and the V1 definitely has the shimmer more present with the high damp turned down but again the deep shimmer in v2 as Strymon explains, even with your mix seems to be more related to the octave down shimmer. Mostly it doesn't seem worth the upgrade but if given the choice, the v2 is more flexible but they sound so similar and I prefer the spring in v1 =/ Thanks for the vid. I wanted to see the difference between the 2 since I have the V1 and the high damp as a shimmer lvl control works almost as well as the v2 for my taste considering that the V1 is +8ve rather than the -8ve of v2. If they left it as a mix of +8ve with the mix I think that would be better. The v2 seems to cascade upward, the initial -8ve shimmer generated in a some form of feedback which I think is a good element of the algorithm to get the sparkle back to +8ve after the initial -8ve.
The SA Ventris and Collider can dial in octave down/up/both shimmer and combine it with any other reverb since it is a dual pedal. Also has stereo and parallel. Not perfect, but I think a viable alternative to Strymon for around the same price so I’m surprised Antoine doesn’t review or compare.
The BIGGEST reason I went with V1, is 1 of the most overlooked pedal comparing oversights: Bypassed signal is weaker and thinner, coming out of V2. Strymon prolly had to change the I/O circuitry design n/or routing for the added features.. Now, if you didn't know that a V1 existed, you prolly wouldn't miss how the V2's sacrifice the tone for functionality, because let's face it, midi n another control knob make the pedals, arguably, unsurpassable. But go and try this with ALL your pedals,tho: without turning the pedal on, put it in your chain and see if there's a degradation or enhancement to your tone. If you have V1 n V2, you may be surprised.. don't link them in the same chain. Plug in and unplug the pedals seperately. It was a deal-breaker for me on the V2. But thats just me.. you do you.. And in all honesty, as you can see from this vid, you can't go wrong with either. Thanks for another fine vid, Antoine😉👍🤙
No disrespect but I’d rather antione speaking as he’s always explaining things. So you know what he’s is talking about. I think my self it helps. Well done 👍 antione. Thanks for sharing man.
Will you do videos on the El Capistan V2 and Dig V2 ? :) I just ordered mines (I will return both V1 that I just bought last week). It's MIDI and presets time !
@@AntoineMichaudGuitar Would love to hear you play with the new ElCap, your videos of the old one are the absolute best, but it makes sense that you have the blue Sky first, seems like a bigger step up, the new one sounds much better imo.
It would be nice if the room demonstration wasn't a giant room with tons of decay and mix. We know that almost every expensive reverb pedal can make tons of decay and almost every demo of all theese pedals is about how long and big, they can get - with big cords and long notes. But what about that little air and space, we need around the dry signal most of the time playing rythm and other standard stuff???
Wooow i just knew this v2. Damn covid and pandemic days. Its been long time im in the market for pedal. Is the big pedal has v2 too?? Or just the compact ones?
I just purchased a Blue Sky pedal off the Musician's Friend used and didn't even realize there was a version 2! I got the v-1 and it's kind of like what you don't know you don't miss sort of thing. I'm super happy with it and for the cost differential I don't think that I would spring for the V2 even though it's more flexible with the Shimmer control and all. I also would add that I have a Boss Tera Echo that is really a fabulous pedal and does some of what the Blue Sky does in a different way. And I can get Shimmer all day long out of the Tera Echo so I think I'm covered. Thanks for the upload man I always enjoy your videos and your energy and information is just next level! Jim from Seattle ✌🎸🎶🔊
not an improvement, just different...I prefer my V1. Thanks for doing this comparison, very cool! Now I know it's not enough change for me to replace. The modulation could have been a potentiometer instead of a switch.
@@shckltnebay part of my answer to this was in my first comment. Strymon is completely replacing V1 with this new format that many people won't necessarily need. I don't use midi (many don't) and for me, it just doesn't warrant the price increase. The same functions (mostly) accessed a different way doesn't warrant the price increase. I'll stick with the simplicity of the V1. simple changes not worth the cost increase and hype. just another opinion...
Thank you so much. May I kindly suggest you not speak between v1 and v2. It’s distracting and disconnects our point of reference. We can see you switch from one to the other :)
So you mean to tell me I wasnt in stereo mode this whole time with my El Capistan? I had no clue you had to unplug the jumper in order to be in stereo mode. So I was in dual mono mode instead?
No! Sorry if I wasn't clear enough. Moving the jumper is if you are using a stereo pedal BEFORE the El Capistan. Let's say you have a Strymon Timeline placed before the El Capistan. Two cables are going from the outputs of the Timeline, but you only have one input on the El Cap. So you would need to move the internal jumper to the ''stereo in'' position and use a stereo breakout cable to plug both ouputs of the Timeline into the only input of the El Cap, to keep the stereo signal of the Timeline intact. If you don't move the jumper in this case, the stereo signal of the Timeline will be summed to mono and resplit into stereo at the output of the El Cap (but not if you move the jumper, once again). If the El Capistan is your first pedal in stereo on your board, you can simply plug your mono cable into the input, and then use both outputs, without having to worry about the jumper. There is no ''dual-mono'' with this pedal. It's just about what's placed before it. Do you you have one or two cables to plug into the input of the El Cap? That's it. Hope that's clearer!
@@AntoineMichaudGuitar perfectly stated. and yeah i also only recently learned of this :D good stuff. tbf tape echo/spring verb are pretty solid, historically, as mono effects. dub, surf, so forth.
That’s a contradiction. Strymon offers basic algorithms that really stand out for quality, justifying some premium price. Then they add their signature styles, ease of operation, and likely lifetime durability. I don’t like buying again, and again. Strymon strikes a perfect blend of cost/quality for many.
@@artysanmobile I can do the very same things with my TC Triple delay and a Neunaber Immerse ,same lifetime durabillity fantastic algorythms for half the price, but I undertsand that Marketing stikes deep 😉
I Think the comparison is unfair, as you should match the filters. In the video every sound on v2 sounds worse than on v1 because of the fact filters in the position you set sound competely different
@@zenn3339 currently debating between the v2 of this guy and the mercury7. Really the only selling point for me is the midi implementation which is a must for me in love settings.
What I hate about Strymon pedals is how close their knobs are to their foot switches. Way too easy to kick a knob on accident when trying to switch on the effect. Great if you play alone in your bedroom, but for live shows on dark stages, it is super annoying. Horrible design - unless you’re just doing demos and move things around with your fingers on a desk. In that case, great.
games remasters first, then this. why bother creating new product when you just release the same pedal with one little visual difference, and all the fanboys (and fangirls) buy it again.
V 2 sounds quite a bit more high ending and V1 maybe "brighter / vintage " in a good way to me, guess better not to sell V1 and think of maybe getting V2 next..🥹
![Strymon's classic reverb has evolved with a renewal [new Blue Sky reverb]](/img/n.gif)
►► Get your Strymon BlueSky here (this Sweetwater affiliate link supports my work at no extra cost to you. Thank you! 😊)
→ sweetwater.sjv.io/9gjr3W
EXACTLY the video everybody WANTED!!!!! I would love to see a part two that compares the clarity and resolution of the long ambient decays.
I appreciate this comparison. Bought a V1 due to your videos. As a rock guitarist, I don’t see the new features useful enough to upgrade. Heck, the V1 is probably too much reverb pedal for me (I play mono, distorted, no midi, shimmer, or mod), but the Blue Sky just sounds too good to downsize.
After the V2 was announced I returned my V1 and bought a BigSky since it’s only $100 higher than the V2.
Completely agree!
I’m pretty sure I hear subtle improvements to Plate and Hall, while Spring might be a bit less radical, less interesting. In general, excellent and distinctive algorithms.
They should have just put a small modulation blend knob in the place of the 3 position switch.
they should have just admit that Ventris does it all, better sounding with much better fine-tuning
Why doesn't Strymon provide the splitter?
I wish I could afford one of these 🤣.
Dreams are free.
Great video as always Antoine!!
Heard of saving?
There's a bit of wrong info here on the V1 Stereo/Mono. You never needed a Split-Cable for Stereo (obviously), as you had the two inputs. And also, the Strymon offical support site states: "The internal jumper on these pedals does not need to be adjusted to work in stereo and should be left in its default position (connecting the left 2 pins when viewed from below)." The jumper is only needed on other Strymon pedals, but not on the blueSky and the Ola. Just in case anyone was wondering. To me, losing that input and having to use a split cable would be a downgrade, as I use synths very often. Apart from that, the new modulation intensity switches and shimmer knob are what I always longed for in my V1, the shimmer is close to unusable in the old one, but I'm afraid it's not enough of an upgrade for me to justify that hefty price.
Thankyou!
I’ve got both and after initial disappointment with V2 I’ve now fallen in love with it and I’m selling V1. I think overall it exceeds V1 significantly but those who are used to V1 need to play with the settings more. I also use BlueSky with my Timeline for swell and it’s so good I’m retiring my BigSky to my secondary board. To each his own and YMMV but I’m thrilled with V2 now.
lovely review as always by a pro ...
would you please compare the blue sky with the new Boss rv200 ??? that will be a super review
thank you for the great reviews
I think I prefer the V1.
All of the hidden secondary functions + my lack of need for the swell button is what caused me to just sell my Mercury7. I love Bladerunner :( but I think this is probably a better pedal for me!
Very nice demo, and with a very pleasant "smile" all the while. I thought that most of the time, the V1 tonally sounded better; but those last "shimmer" things sold the V2. And stereo is the way to go!
V2 indeed sounds more high res, but also a bit thinner and more digital. V1 more organic. However V2 more thought through.
Might also be to the knob settings? Low seems a bit of.
As you listen to it through compressed CZcams
Anyone else feels that the V1 tends to 'eat up' the dry sound of your guitar? Especially in a band mix where the original guitar definition is compromised (maybe because the reverb 'covers' the dry sound more)? Those who have the V1 and V2 - any comments if V2 is improved on that front?
Hi. Thanks for the info. Both great footpegs. In live they are not very usable apart from the one who plays ambient music (see shimmer). I think the sound of a keyboard is better. Let's remember that reverb pulls back the sound and when live it is used to a minimum, favoring the delay. Considering the cost, in live music, a good reverb is found at a lower price. Greetings from Italy
The shimmer in V2 is an octave down. The shimmer in v1 is octave up. They sound different more because of that I think. I have a ventris which allows me to chose the shimmer octave and I found that to make more a difference. The Shimmer mix is a plus in v2 and the V1 definitely has the shimmer more present with the high damp turned down but again the deep shimmer in v2 as Strymon explains, even with your mix seems to be more related to the octave down shimmer. Mostly it doesn't seem worth the upgrade but if given the choice, the v2 is more flexible but they sound so similar and I prefer the spring in v1 =/
Thanks for the vid. I wanted to see the difference between the 2 since I have the V1 and the high damp as a shimmer lvl control works almost as well as the v2 for my taste considering that the V1 is +8ve rather than the -8ve of v2. If they left it as a mix of +8ve with the mix I think that would be better. The v2 seems to cascade upward, the initial -8ve shimmer generated in a some form of feedback which I think is a good element of the algorithm to get the sparkle back to +8ve after the initial -8ve.
on V2 only in spring mode the shimmer is 1 octave down, in the other modes is 1 oct up
@@jairguitarrologia what a strange quirk
The SA Ventris and Collider can dial in octave down/up/both shimmer and combine it with any other reverb since it is a dual pedal. Also has stereo and parallel. Not perfect, but I think a viable alternative to Strymon for around the same price so I’m surprised Antoine doesn’t review or compare.
The BIGGEST reason I went with V1, is 1 of the most overlooked pedal comparing oversights:
Bypassed signal is weaker and thinner, coming out of V2. Strymon prolly had to change the I/O circuitry design n/or routing for the added features..
Now, if you didn't know that a V1 existed, you prolly wouldn't miss how the V2's sacrifice the tone for functionality, because let's face it, midi n another control knob make the pedals, arguably, unsurpassable.
But go and try this with ALL your pedals,tho:
without turning the pedal on, put it in your chain and see if there's a degradation or enhancement to your tone.
If you have V1 n V2, you may be surprised.. don't link them in the same chain. Plug in and unplug the pedals seperately. It was a deal-breaker for me on the V2.
But thats just me.. you do you..
And in all honesty, as you can see from this vid, you can't go wrong with either.
Thanks for another fine vid, Antoine😉👍🤙
Sir Antoine, who make the videos people want to watch! Any chance you can do a video on the V1/V2 Strymon Flint? Keep up the great work… cheers.
Looks like the V2 is going to be better for acoustic with the added clarity and functions
Great review. Highly recommended!
Perfect review dude!
Thanks for this review as I am considering the Blue Sky and think I would enjoy the V2 and the ability to have more control on the use of the shimmer.
Shimmer is still annoying. Great demo.
so basically youre saying that Amy Shimmer isnt funny
@@rickdeckard1075this comment is funnier than any joke she’s ever told.
There’s always more top end on V2. Maybe too bright too. Still prefer v1
Think that’s because the new jfet buffer actually affects the original dry sound less.
Still prefer v1, more simple more organic
No disrespect but I’d rather antione speaking as he’s always explaining things. So you know what he’s is talking about. I think my self it helps. Well done 👍 antione. Thanks for sharing man.
Will you do videos on the El Capistan V2 and Dig V2 ? :) I just ordered mines (I will return both V1 that I just bought last week). It's MIDI and presets time !
I just got access to the BlueSky only for now. Maybe in the future!
@@AntoineMichaudGuitar Would love to hear you play with the new ElCap, your videos of the old one are the absolute best, but it makes sense that you have the blue Sky first, seems like a bigger step up, the new one sounds much better imo.
@@AntoineMichaudGuitar yes, I hope you do El Capistan V1 vs. V2!
It would be nice if the room demonstration wasn't a giant room with tons of decay and mix. We know that almost every expensive reverb pedal can make tons of decay and almost every demo of all theese pedals is about how long and big, they can get - with big cords and long notes. But what about that little air and space, we need around the dry signal most of the time playing rythm and other standard stuff???
Are they different color?
In the new versión the high frecuencies of the guitar and the effects sound very metallic to me. I preffer the oldest version
i am looking to use on drums sounds so this is advantage for me
Thanks man. You prevented me from buying V1
Argh - the v2 are a nice improvement ... but the upgrade of my Bluesky and El Capistan are going to break the bank :) I might have to wait...
Wooow i just knew this v2. Damn covid and pandemic days. Its been long time im in the market for pedal. Is the big pedal has v2 too?? Or just the compact ones?
Can the Bluesky V2 approximate the cloud setting on the bigsky?
So, in V2, you can mix mod with shimmer together?
Yes!
Is the modulation like a tremolo in this instance? Is it modding volume?
V1s are going to be cheap very soon, is V2 bigger size?
no they increase the prices 🙁
@@AchA-fu2jw Im taking about the old Version 1
I just purchased a Blue Sky pedal off the Musician's Friend used and didn't even realize there was a version 2!
I got the v-1 and it's kind of like what you don't know you don't miss sort of thing.
I'm super happy with it and for the cost differential I don't think that I would spring for the V2 even though it's more flexible with the Shimmer control and all.
I also would add that I have a Boss Tera Echo that is really a fabulous pedal and does some of what the Blue Sky does in a different way.
And I can get Shimmer all day long out of the Tera Echo so I think I'm covered.
Thanks for the upload man I always enjoy your videos and your energy and information is just next level! Jim from Seattle ✌🎸🎶🔊
not an improvement, just different...I prefer my V1. Thanks for doing this comparison, very cool! Now I know it's not enough change for me to replace. The modulation could have been a potentiometer instead of a switch.
Why is it NOT an improvement?
@@shckltnebay part of my answer to this was in my first comment. Strymon is completely replacing V1 with this new format that many people won't necessarily need. I don't use midi (many don't) and for me, it just doesn't warrant the price increase. The same functions (mostly) accessed a different way doesn't warrant the price increase. I'll stick with the simplicity of the V1.
simple changes not worth the cost increase and hype. just another opinion...
@@MatthewSwasta V1s are going to be cheap very soon
Thank you so much. May I kindly suggest you not speak between v1 and v2. It’s distracting and disconnects our point of reference. We can see you switch from one to the other :)
Too late, I guess :-) but thanks!
@@AntoineMichaudGuitar love your channel. Thanks for all you do.
A prediction -
Guitarists in 2032: What was the 2010 to 2025 obsession with shimmer on reverbs?
1982 - Chorus
2016 - shimmer
haha agreed, dislike shimmer too
yeah I don't think i'd consider buying the old version now unless it was super cheap
they should replace the favorite button with a modulation on/off
Can you do an el cap vs el cap v2????
oooh owh do the el cap please
Anyone, shall I sell a TC helicon m One XL for this? I wonder if blue v2 has a better processing than the m One.
So you mean to tell me I wasnt in stereo mode this whole time with my El Capistan? I had no clue you had to unplug the jumper in order to be in stereo mode. So I was in dual mono mode instead?
No! Sorry if I wasn't clear enough. Moving the jumper is if you are using a stereo pedal BEFORE the El Capistan. Let's say you have a Strymon Timeline placed before the El Capistan. Two cables are going from the outputs of the Timeline, but you only have one input on the El Cap. So you would need to move the internal jumper to the ''stereo in'' position and use a stereo breakout cable to plug both ouputs of the Timeline into the only input of the El Cap, to keep the stereo signal of the Timeline intact. If you don't move the jumper in this case, the stereo signal of the Timeline will be summed to mono and resplit into stereo at the output of the El Cap (but not if you move the jumper, once again). If the El Capistan is your first pedal in stereo on your board, you can simply plug your mono cable into the input, and then use both outputs, without having to worry about the jumper. There is no ''dual-mono'' with this pedal. It's just about what's placed before it. Do you you have one or two cables to plug into the input of the El Cap? That's it. Hope that's clearer!
@@AntoineMichaudGuitar perfectly stated. and yeah i also only recently learned of this :D good stuff. tbf tape echo/spring verb are pretty solid, historically, as mono effects. dub, surf, so forth.
All this time I just found out V1 doesnt have an expression jack wow
Strymon stuff is good but...it's too expensive.
Yes, they are too expensive!!
That’s a contradiction. Strymon offers basic algorithms that really stand out for quality, justifying some premium price. Then they add their signature styles, ease of operation, and likely lifetime durability. I don’t like buying again, and again. Strymon strikes a perfect blend of cost/quality for many.
@@artysanmobile I can do the very same things with my TC Triple delay and a Neunaber Immerse ,same lifetime durabillity fantastic algorythms for half the price, but I undertsand that Marketing stikes deep 😉
Still like the Empress Reverb better.
I can clearly hear a new algorithm and better processor
Whaou !
And how you could ear a difference with « a poor algorithm on a stellar processor » ? 😅
@@incognito2246 It's been a year since I listened to this video, but to my ears the difference was clear.
@@incognito2246 however, these days I use Meris Mercury 7, which is really awesome reverb. It's my new favourite.
The originals are going to be the sought after “vintage” version very soon..
I like v3 best
Looking forward to the el Capistan comparisons next
Interesting… I feel like there is a bit more high frequency clarity in the newer model.
The only shimmer I really like is on the Boss DD 8, it is not as ice picky and overbearing sounding as most others.
Its expensive already and this year they increase prices i think 20% ,Here in my country Bluesky V2 = Bigsky 😅
I Think the comparison is unfair, as you should match the filters. In the video every sound on v2 sounds worse than on v1 because of the fact filters in the position you set sound competely different
Manito compramos eso o no
Old knobs are way more beautiful
No real sonic difference, just a great opportunity to pick up v1 with better prices on used market 🤙
New pedal is £359!!
version 1 sounds better, fulle,r fat, lashy version2 metallic, too digital and thin...
exactly!
lol
Let's spend a lot of money on a new knob. There's a sucker born every minute.
Meh I have an Immerse Mk 2,CKk infinite reverb and Dreadbox Darkness..No need for this although I have the Zelzah which is great...
@@patrickr6505
I have Meris Mercury 7- Walrus audio SLO- Foxgear,Rainbow- Line 6 m5 - EarthQuaker devices Dispatch Master...to much stuff😏😏😏
@@zenn3339 He he I've the Polymoon for ambient pad smeared swells and the Walrus Audio Lore arriving in a few days..😀
@@zenn3339 currently debating between the v2 of this guy and the mercury7. Really the only selling point for me is the midi implementation which is a must for me in love settings.
@@Michael_Is_Avg
It's all in fun.
What I hate about Strymon pedals is how close their knobs are to their foot switches. Way too easy to kick a knob on accident when trying to switch on the effect. Great if you play alone in your bedroom, but for live shows on dark stages, it is super annoying. Horrible design - unless you’re just doing demos and move things around with your fingers on a desk. In that case, great.
V1 is thicccc.
V2 is meh
games remasters first, then this. why bother creating new product when you just release the same pedal with one little visual difference, and all the fanboys (and fangirls) buy it again.
V 2 sounds quite a bit more high ending and V1 maybe "brighter / vintage " in a good way to me, guess better not to sell V1 and think of maybe getting V2 next..🥹