Big Sky was gone. The vibe was broken. Then UAD Pure Plate stepped in.

When the Universe Has Your Back: A Tale of Reverb, Challenges, and UAD Pure Joy

Sometimes, the universe works in mysterious ways. A few weeks ago, I found myself staring down the daunting challenge of opening an old Am.Is. project on a new computer. My current setup is relatively similar to my old one, but over the past decade, I’ve bought and sold a lot of hardware. I was about to feel the consequences.

On opening the project, I discovered I’d used the Strymon Big Sky as my main reverb - a defining element of the track. Listening to the original bounce, it was clear the Big Sky wasn’t just a subtle effect; it was the glue holding the entire mix together. My heart sank. Buying another Big Sky pedal just to finish this track wasn’t realistic, so I had to figure out an alternative solution to recreate its magic.

The Hunt for the Perfect Reverb

I went through my arsenal of reverb plugins, tweaking and testing, trying to match the lush sound of the Big Sky. Nothing quite hit the mark. Frustration set in until I remembered something: Strymon had released a plugin version of Big Sky. Intrigued, I checked out their site.

Seeing the £199 price tag made my heart sink again, but then I noticed they offered a 7-day free trial. At least this gave me a chance to try it out and determine how essential it was to the track. After downloading the plugin, I began exploring the settings.

And there it was - the sound I’d used in the original project. It turned out the Plate reverb setting was the magic ingredient. Clean, clear and lush, the Big Sky plugin delivered the same sonic character I remembered from the pedal. In that moment, I fully appreciated just how incredible this reverb truly is.

A Christmas Miracle from UAD

Although I was relieved to have found the solution, I knew the free trial would only buy me time. Purchasing the Big Sky plugin wasn’t in the cards right now. That’s when the universe stepped in again.

The week before, UAD had gifted their Pure Plate Reverb as part of their Christmas giveaway. With the original Big Sky preset being a plate reverb, I thought, Why not give it a shot? I loaded UAD Pure Plate into the project, set up the aux sends and compared it side by side with the Big Sky plugin.

To my surprise and joy, the two were almost indistinguishable to my ears. The Pure Plate effortlessly captured the lush, smooth character I was chasing. Not only was my heart lifted, but the pressure to buy the Big Sky plugin disappeared.

Lessons Learned

This experience taught me two important lessons. First, there’s almost always a way to solve a creative challenge if you’re willing to experiment and explore. Second, the universe sometimes has a funny way of offering what you need, just when you need it.

The UAD Pure Plate not only saved the day but reminded me of the joy and ingenuity that comes with music production. While the Big Sky remains an incredible piece of gear, the Pure Plate has proven itself to be more than capable of stepping into its shoes.

UAD Pure Plate. UAD Pure Joy.

🔗 Pure Plate by UAD