Everything hardware is software; everything software is hardware. Now you can add Styrmon’s legendary Big Sky reverb, known to boutique pedal fans, in plug-in format.

If you thought this would devalue the hardware, this is US$199 – but then, if you’re broke and really want that Big Sky action, there is a 7-day free trial so you can at least enjoy it a week. It’s a digital effect to begin with, so you get the full sound in your DAW.

For that premium, you get a favorite reverb from a great independent maker –that distinctive Strymon sound in a nice package. Of course, if you don’t have the pockets for this, there are plenty of wonderful alternatives (Valhalla and Sinevibes Hollow, to name just two – and these do all sound really different)! But I do hope to see some studios buy this one.

They also explain why plug-ins are cool, though – hey, we know. It’s true.

We began asking ourselves “What if you could use more than one iteration of BigSky in a mix session at the same time? What if you didn’t have to worry about setup, and could just place BigSky wherever it was needed in a session?”

After years of work, we are pleased to offer BigSky in a format purpose-built for studio use. All of the uniqueness and clarity of the pedal version is perfectly recreated in the plugin. The long exotic tails and tones, the recreations of classic studio machines like springs and plates, and the ease of use are all there.

More examples from them:

Get that film score commission and buy both the hardware and software! (I’ll be interested to see if pedal vendors wind up offering bundles or discounts or something of that sort.)

Alex over at Gear4music has also been playing with this one:

Now, if this is not your thing, Strymon over the summer came up with six terrific-looking pedals – including a baby-sized Blue Sky. These are hardware, not software.