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To configure the EXP/MIDI jack on cloudburst:

• Press and hold the footswitch for at least 2 seconds while connecting cloudburst to power.  Once the LED flashes, release the footswitch.
• Turn the MIX knob to select the function of the rear panel’s EXP/MIDI jack.  The LED will change color to indicate the current status as you turn the knob.
  • Expression Pedal mode: GREEN (default, minimum) – Allows continuous control over any of the knobs in any direction with a standard TRS expression pedal.
  • Favorite mode: AMBER (11 o’clock) – Allows you to recall a Favorite setting using a Strymon MiniSwitch (or a MultiSwitch Plus set to TAP/FAV/BOOST mode).
  • Freeze mode: RED (12 o’clock) – Using a Strymon MiniSwitch (or MultiSwitch Plus** set to TAP/FAV/BOOST mode), allows for infinitely sustained reverberation of the current input signal without new notes played being added to the reverb.
  • Infinite mode: PURPLE (2 o’clock) – Using a Strymon MiniSwitch (or MultiSwitch Plus** set to TAP/FAV/BOOST mode), allows for infinitely sustained reverberation of the current input signal with new notes played being added to the reverb.
  • MIDI mode: BLUE – Allows for the selection of three presets using a Strymon MultiSwitch Plus. Full MIDI functionality is available by sending MIDI Program Change messages via 1/4″ TRS MIDI connection using a Strymon Conduit or MIDI EXP cable. Up to 300 presets are available via MIDI.
• Press the footswitch to store the EXP/MIDI jack mode and begin using cloudburst.

** Please note that MultiSwitch Plus does not have a custom mode for Cloudburst, and will function the same as MiniSwitch when used with Cloudburst to control FREEZE/ INFINITE mode.

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When Cloudburst is set to KILL DRY mode, your dry signal will not process through the pedal, even when you engage the FREEZE function.

When using Cloudburst without KILL DRY enabled, your dry signal will be added back into the output signal if the MIX set to maximum when the FREEZE is engaged.

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To begin using cloudburst with an external MIDI device, connect the MIDI out jack from a pedal, controller, or computer interface to the EXP/MIDI jack on cloudburst. The following devices can be used to send MIDI messages to cloudburst:

• Strymon MIDI EXP cable
• Strymon Conduit MIDI Hub or a compatible 5-pin MIDI to 1⁄4” TRS MIDI Interface
• Connect cloudburst via USB to a USB host device (such as a computer) that sends MIDI

Configuring cloudburst to Use 1/4″ TRS MIDI

Set the EXP/MIDI jack to MIDI Mode

Press and hold the footswitch for at least 2 seconds while powering
up cloudburst. Once the LED flashes, release the footswitch.

Turn the MIX (EXP/MIDI JACK) knob to select the function of the rear
panel’s EXP/MIDI jack. The LED will change color to indicate the
current status as you turn the knob.

MIDI Mode: BLUE – Allows for the selection of three presets using
a Strymon MultiSwitch Plus. Full MIDI functionality is available
by sending MIDI Program Change messages via 1/4” TRS MIDI
connection using a Strymon Conduit or MIDI EXP cable. Up to 300
presets are available via MIDI.

Set the MIDI channel

Turn the DECAY (MIDI CHANNEL) knob to set the MIDI communication
channel. The LED indicates status. Your knob selections are as
follows:

• Channel 1: GREEN (default, minimum)
• Channel 2: AMBER (10 o’clock)
• Channel 3: RED (12 o’clock)
• Channel 4-16: BLUE (maximum) – set by next received MIDI
Program Change message, requires 1⁄4″ MIDI connection
Once the LED turns BLUE, it will blink until the pedal receives a
MIDI Program Change message. Once a message is received, the
pedal will be set to the MIDI channel that carried the message and
exits the Power Up Mode to allow you to begin using cloudburst.

Press the footswitch to exit and store your MIDI Channel setting and
begin using cloudburst.

Set MIDI output mode

Press and hold the footswitch for at least 2 seconds while powering
up cloudburst. Once the LED flashes, release the footswitch.

Turn the PRE-DELAY (MIDI OUT) knob to select what kind of MIDI
data is sent from cloudburst to other MIDI devices. The LED will flash
momentarily to indicate your selection.

• OFF: RED (default, minimum) – No MIDI messages are sent out of
cloudburst.
• THRU: BLUE (11 o’clock) – Incoming MIDI messages are sent to
the MIDI Out without any additional MIDI messages generated by
cloudburst.
• SEND CC, OTHER: GREEN (1 o’clock) – MIDI CC and Sysex
messages generated by cloudburst are sent to the MIDI Out.
• SEND OTHER: AMBER (maximum) – Sysex messages generated
by cloudburst are sent to the MIDI Out.

Press the footswitch to store the MIDI Out Mode and exit.

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Performing a Factory Reset restores the pedal to its factory default Power Up functions, and replaces all stored presets with their factory default settings.

• Press and hold the footswitch for at least 2 seconds while powering up cloudburst. Once the LED flashes, release the footswitch.
• Press and hold the footswitch again and sweep the PRE-DELAY knob from minimum to maximum and back two times. The LED will change colors at the extremes of the knob range and flash RED to indicate when the reset is taking place.
  • TURN 1, from minimum to maximum: AMBER
  • TURN 2, from maximum to minimum: RED
  • TURN 3, from minimum to maximum: AMBER
  • TURN 4, from maximum to minimum: The LED flashes RED, cloudburst resets and restarts

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On cloudburst, the Dry Signal can be set in one of three different ways:

• By default, the Dry Signal mode on cloudburst is set to Digital mode which uses a converted dry signal and allows the MIX knob to dial out the dry signal when turned past the 3 o’clock position.
• Analog mode keeps the dry signal in analog where the MIX knob acts as a level control for the reverb effect and no longer dials out the dry signal when turned past the 3 o’clock position.
• Kill Dry mode mutes the analog dry path signal, allowing the MIX knob to strictly control the “wet” effect output level.  This setting is recommended if using cloudburst within an amplifier’s parallel effects loop or a mixer’s aux or effects send.

To set the Dry Signal mode on cloudburst:

1. Press and hold the footswitch for at least 2 seconds while connecting power to cloudburst.  Once the LED flashes, release the footswitch.
2. Turn the TONE knob to select one of the three DRY SIGNAL options.  The LED will change color to indicate the current status as you turn the knob.
   1. Digital Mode:  GREEN (default setting, minimum)
   2. Analog Mode:  RED (12 o’clock)
   3. Kill Dry Mode:  BLUE (maximum)
3. Press the footswitch to store the Dry Signal setting and begin using cloudburst.

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From the factory, with the rear I/O Mode Selector set to mono, cloudburst is set for True Bypass as the default.  There are several benefits to setting cloudburst to Buffered Bypass mode:

• Preserves the high frequency response of your guitar signal through your pedal chain and long cable runs.
• Helps maintain signal levels when  the pedal is both bypassed and engaged when there is an impedance mismatch between the pedals’ output and the device it is connected to.
• If there is DC offset in the audio signal, it helps eliminate popping in the audio when engaging and bypassing the pedal.

To change the bypass mode on cloudburst:

• Press and hold the footswitch for at least 2 seconds while connecting power to cloudburst. Once the LED flashes, release the footswitch.
• Toggle the ENSEMBLE switch to choose between True Bypass or Buffered Bypass modes. The LED will change color to indicate the current status as you toggle the switch.
  • True Bypass: GREEN (default, LEFT switch position)
  • Buffered Bypass: RED (RIGHT switch position)
• Press the footswitch to store the Bypass mode and begin using cloudburst.

NOTE:  With the rear I/O Mode Selector set to mono -> stereo or stereo, the bypass mode is automatically set to Buffered Bypass.

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Cloudburst is an expanded version of the Cloud reverb algorithm found in our BigSky effect pedal and plug-in.  There are a few differences between the two:

• Relative to the original Cloud algorithm, the short DECAY times on Cloudburst have been greatly expanded and refactored to extend the versatility of the reverb. These changes provide much shorter DECAY times to simulate smaller spaces, so along with the vast ambient DECAY characteristics of the original BigSky Cloud you also get great small and mid-size reverbs on Cloudburst.
• A new ENSEMBLE feature was added to Cloudburst, which generates a harmonically rich pad or soundscape reminiscent of an orchestral string section. ENSEMBLE is unique in that it follows your playing, so if you use a different pickup or play in a different part of the neck it will sound different.
• BigSky Cloud has LOW END and DIFFUSION parameters that are not adjustable in Cloudburst. These parameters are automatically adjusted “under the hood” and are determined by the position of Cloudburst’s DECAY knob, and we chose settings that we felt would create the best user experience.