Strymon BigSKy vs Eventide H9 Space Reverb

Jump to 23:00 for sounds only or 4:58 if you don't need the intro info.

A deep dive into these 2 top notch reverbs. My overall impression being Eventide algorithms have more parameters and can go well beyond lush reverbs into FX territory. The BigSky stays well within lush tones but is easier to find what you need quickly.

Connectivity/Librarian 2:41
Room 5:00
Hall 6:05
Plate 7:26
Spring 7:57
Swell 9:11
Bloom 9:55
Shimmers 11:07
Dynoverb vs Bloom 13:39
Reverse 14:39
Nonlinear 14:55
Chorale 16:02
Blackhole 16:50
Magneto 18:10
Reflections 18:29
Cloud 18:48
Mangledverb 20:00
Tremoloverb 20:32
Dualverb 21:11
Ultratap 21:38
Conclusion 22:08

All BigSky no talking 23:23
All Eventide no talking 29:18

[skullhqx]

One word of advice/warning. The H9’s power input is center pin positive! Very recently, although aware of this fact, I made the mistake of plugging in a regular pedal power plug (center pin negative) and the H9 died instantly. As I have quite a good electronics lab available to me I could safely open up the pedal and concluded the common mode choke (a surface mounted device) was blown. This is used as an AC suppression filter right after the input barrel. To desolder it, you need to have the correct desoldering and soldering equipment. Furthermore you have to desolder the EXP connector (through hole) from the lower mainboard to get the room needed to desolder the broken part. The part itself costs €1... Replacing it has fixed my H9.
Eventide has used a slightly different barrel (2.5 x 5.5 mm vs 2.1 x 5.5 mm) in order to mitigate this problem, however that clearly didn’t help me. For a pedal in this price range I would have expected reverse polarity protection would have been way better, especially in an environment where negative center pins are the norm. Other than that I love the pedal, though some reverbs of my GFI Specular Tempus are nicer imho.
Thanks for the compare! I chose the H9 instead of the BigSky because I found it more flexible and very easy to work with patches using the iOS app. But at that time I already had the Specular Tempus, so reverb bliss was already available. In an ideal world I would get them all! ;)

[MattHalcyon]

The Eventide algorithms sounded more believable and convincing to my ears. It was the ending part where all of the algorithms were played back to back on each pedal that really revealed it, though the rest of the video was quite useful as well. Great testing done! The Eventide presets seemed more usable or practical. There was a noticeable difference in quality of the effects signal between the two pedals. There was higher fidelity in the Eventide effects signal processing, the clarity was noticeable! The Eventide certainly had much less tonal coloration.

The Strymon algorithms had a digital/processed sound, and the lower signal quality containing audible artifacts makes it sound dated in my opinion. I personally didn't enjoy the added coloration that came from the Big Sky.

There is a lot to be learned from this video! Really great ideas for testing. I really liked the part starting at 6:00, the shorter synth sounds make the tails on the effects much more perceivable, it allows for ultra close examination into what is going on in the algorithms without the input getting in the way or distracting. I wish more people did tests like this! Very thorough and well thought out. Well done! I will leave a thumbs up for the time and effort.

[shootfromthehipband]

Thanks saved me the money to dig deeper into my H9 max..

[kierenmoore]

Eventide has been King 👑, since long before Strymon was even born ... 👶

[zeticyang]

BigSky always sounds kind of "sweet", maybe too much sweetness for me... And Eventide Space just got that sci-fi/cinematics kind of aesthetics, which I appreciate a lot. I think I've made up my mind...

[TheNimasan]

have both but the eventide is my fav pedal of all times. love this tool so fucking much!!!!

[turfoid]

Every single time im about to buy something new, be it gear, effects, etc. I search for product y vs lroduct b, and you have already made a pervect video!
You are the KING of x vs y. you seem to buy all the same kit as myself ☺ u have great taste in gear. Lol
Thank you so much for doing these comparison videos. You definitely help my decision before buying. Appreciate it. I always watch your videos through, as I like as much info as possible, and I like learning new things. 👍🏻
So, with these 2, I think I prefer the eventide, so im going to get one tomorrow, hopefully I get to try both in person.

[KevinArdala]

I actually really like the Big Sky...can't wait to have one in my set up! 😜👍

[kierenmoore]

Back again to re-compare / reconsider …
Eventide. For sure. The sounds are better and more diverse, to my ears.
Strymon basic reverb sounds are actually all very, very similar 😏. The one Strymon trick I would miss would be Chorale, which is pretty cool … but like Shimmer, you wouldn’t want to overdo it …

[apislapis]

The chorale on the BigSky would go very nicely with my Behringer VC-340. Looks like I'll have to get both.

[richnewman]

I'm an Eventide guy all the way. Space and Modfactor never leave my board--for synth or guitar. The Strymon stuff does sound good, though. I'm considering a Dig or Deco.

[alfiedotwtf]

The Eventide's shimmer in your video sounds like an orchestra tuning to 440 before playing!

[LB-pppu]

Great video, I would love to see it with also the OTO Bam in there

[alainthiry]

the effect of big sky is a second instrumenty playsin aside (and after), with h9 the instrument is unique and in a real space of its own

[downpatmusic]

Well now this settles it. Best and most telling comparison I've run across. The Big Sky "shines" in the room-plate-reverb comparison @ 23:06 with A fuller and more baked in reverb over the H9 Space reverbs @ 29:25. But the H9 has its advantages in that it is a multi effects unit in one. Neither is a replacement of the other so it seems. For better reverbs I'd choose the Big Sky, for better multi effects unit, I'd pick the H9. The computer apps, and ios and android blue tooth app in the case of the H9, for saving and programming both the Big Sky and the H9 make these two units convenient for studio use for both keyboardists and guitarists. Very helpful review.

[earlsfield]

I love these two. While I most often connect Space to my mixer send and killdy it on, I prefer to use strymon on a single instrument. However stuff like mangledverb definitely go in series...

[badx]

Great Comparison Video! Any chance you do an equal one with TimeFactor and Timeline?

[earlsfield]

literrally just wanted to do this lol. Space vs Big sky.

[meilstone]

Nice comparison. For plates, Little Plate by Soundtoys beats both IMHO...

[Subtronik]

I own both a Bigsky and an H9 Max and to my ears Strymon sounds better.