The Sky-Fi digital delay/reverb was one of the first Alexander Pedals to put the company on the industry’s map, becoming a favorite of shoegazer-type guitarists looking for a portable version of the rack units of the ’90s that were so crucial in creating the wall of sound that defines that movement.
Shortly after that release, the company created a format for their new stompboxes called NEO, which included a series of modern features like preset functionality, morphing between knob settings through the Ramp footswitch, multi-function footswitches, and a USB port for Midi connectivity and firmware updates.
The new Sky 5000 finally updates the Sky-Fi to the NEO format, keeping the simplicity of the original while improving the audio quality and adding a few new options.
The most obvious additions are tempo and presets (you can store up to 4). A Select button in the center of the pedal allows the player to access secondary settings for each of the four knobs, indicated in parenthesis.
The Reverb, built on the famous slow-building ‘90s style reverb units, now gives you the option to add an upper or lower octave, for shimmery and/or droney effects.
The Delay side of the circuit now features two extra modes next to the original one (named “DIG” for Digital). “BBD” is a Darker analog-sounding delay effect, while “OIL” is an algorithm based on those rare vintage oil can delay units and sounds murky and a little distorted.
A feature not immediately evident is the auto-trails, which can be set to last from 0 to 10 seconds.
This seems like a cool evolution of an already classic pedals, and we are looking forward to adding it to our popular shopping list of Ambient/Shoegazer Reverbs.
Here are a few demo videos of the Alexander Pedals Sky 5000, more info and specs can be found at the bottom of the page.
The Sky 5000 features dual Reverb and Delay engines, routed internally in a parallel configuration. This allows you to combine the two effects without having the reverb wash out the delay, or the delay muddy up the reverb.
Each engine has three separate settings, and you can combine them in any way you like. If you want to use only the reverb or only the delay, you can set their levels to zero using the pedal knobs.
REVERB ENGINE:
RVB Slow-building ‘90s style reverb effect. Capable of huge washes or subtle ambience, you decide.
+1 Classic “shimmering” upper octave effect. We add in the octave both before and after the reverb for maximum effect.
-1 Adds an octave down to the reverb effect. We think it sounds like a cello playing along with you.
DELAY ENGINE:
DIG Bright and present digital delay, taken from our original Radical Delay pedal. Use this when you need to cut like a knife.
BBD Darker analog sounding delay effect. Rich and creamy, pairs nicely with the +1 engine for maximum unforgettable fire.
OIL DARK sounding delay, murky and a little distorted. Based on our fave vintage electrostatic “oil can” delay unit.
