Tip #1 - Name must be cool Tip #2 - Look for nice graphics and colors Tip #3 - Look for small reverb pedals, you need pedalboard real estate to fit those 3 overdrives, 2 distortions and 6 fuzzes
You remind me of a loving uncle that gave all the kids distortion pedals for Christmas even though none of us even owned guitars, but we loved them anyways because you were so nice.
I‘m soon going to buy my third reverb pedal. I first bought the T-Rex Creamer, cheapest at my local shop. Sounds good if it didnt boost the amp a tiny bit. I replaced it with an Hall of Fame 2. Great pedal. I‘ve also dived into the Toneprint feature but it‘s a lot of work to really make it sound like you want. Over the years I‘ve strived for simplicity in my tone search. Plug in, twist some knobs and find my sound. I just don‘t want to sit hours and hours playing/looping one riff only to get a setting right. The HOF2 also sounds too harsh for me. Toneprint may help but I‘m lazy. Now my third one will be the Boss RV-6. Sounds a bit darker than HoF2 and the modulated reverb is just tasty. As you can see a reverb pedal is quite important even if it is only use subtle, it can make or break your sound. Advise for new buyers of reverb pedals: 1. don‘t go for the cheapest reverb, save up until you can afford the pedal you really want and need! Buying cheap means buying twice or thrice even. The Boss RV-6 will not only cost me its own price but also the money spend on the failed purchases. 2. dont buy blind on the internet based off of reviews. Go to a shop, ask for a few different pedals, you can make your selection based off of reviews, but try them out in person or ask a friend to lend you a pedal but try it out first. You‘ll regret it later if you realise that you didnt like the pedal you bought blind.
I would agree about #2 although it is not always possible to try out some of these boutique pedals. I had one good experience buying blind based on a recommendation - the EHX Canyon. And one bad one - the Walrus Audio Slö, which I had to send back due to terrible noise issues. I would however love to find a place where one could try every reverb pedal imaginable, that would be so helpful because they are all different.
I have seen a few months ago a video of you playing with the Boss RV6, great sound I must say, so I bought it some time after that. In my case, I like the shimmer FX, the hall FX, and modulated FX, so that´s why I choosed the Boss RV6, cause it fits to most of types of music I like to play and it fits to my budget too. This pedal also has a maximum reverb time more than 10 seconds, I am not sure, but it is more than enough to make a great ambience sound, very cool. My gears are old, cheap with low quality, I have an old and cheap amplifier and an old and cheap guitar. The papers say it´s made in Brazil (I bought all my gears in Brazil), but we all know most of guitars for sale on music shops made after the year 2000 are made in China. That's why good pedals can make your precarious sound to sound less precarious, sophisticated or almost perfect..... almost.... Very useful informations in this video! Sorry for grammar mistakes!
Qual a marca da sua guitarra elétrica que comenta acima? Sou brasileiro e quem sabe possa conhecer o seu modelo de guitarra elétrica e te ajudar com alguma informação sobre tal instrumento.
Bought the Boss rv 500 but sold it after 3 weeks because i thought it sounded too digital, and also because it was too in depth for my purpose (home use only) Then bought a second hand Hall of Fame for 60 euro's and am quite happy with it. P.s. Love your channel, thank you for your work.
I've owned the HOF, the Blue Sky and now the Immerse... I gotta say, for the money you can't beat the HOF! I love my Immerse though... it sounds amazing on any of the many settings it offers.
Probably the toughest decision I've ever had to make regarding pedals. Option paralysis! I ended up with a Pedal Projects Marbleverb. It was simple, cheap, and has a great tone - and one feature that really sold me: an FX loop. Everyone was pushing me towards the Neunaber Immerse or the HOF2. But I play wet/dry, not stereo, and I wanted something that would suit my setup. The Marbleverb is right for me.
I wanted a no nonsense pedal for subtle always-on ambience with a tone that I loved, and the Holy Grail Nano did it for me. When and if I need something fancier, I'll go with the Digitech Polara.
I would like to point out another path. If someone can‘t afford a Strymon BigSky and that is what you really want or feel you need then save up until you can purchase it. Don‘t settle (unless settling works for you). Good video - thanx
I have a Digitech Polara and I love it! It took me a while to do some research for the best option, but I finally realized that the creamy shimmers in the Polara it's all I needed.
In my opinion a versatile quality reverb on a budget is the Boss Rv6. Then I like the TC T2 and on the top spec one the Rv500 from boss or the Strymon Flint. I own all of those and use to own much of the reverb on the market. Loved the Flint a lot but in the end the Rv6 is the One to choose
I settled on some "junk" pedals by most folks standards, a Behringer RV600 Reverb Machine & a Berry EM600 Echo Machine. These 2 pedals are great Ambient pedals to work with, have a lot of the "big boy" features, and sound great. Tho I would like some more modern pedals (the Mooer Ocean Machine, Big Sky) these Berry pedals have worked great for the last few years!
thanks for a great run down. i think you covered this over the course of the video, but i would also suggest people consider whether they are using their pedal for live use or just recording or both. for live use only (i.e., a pedal to take to the gig), a cheap one-trick pony that can get kicked around might be all you need. for recording, several options plus the connectivity are big considerations. plus, the budget might be higher for a home or studio-only use pedal because you can lock it up and have less fear of damage or theft. just some thoughts. again, i think you covered these ideas but not necessarily in the "live vs. studio" category. thanks again and i love your videos!
Aside for Fender in amp spring reverb I have a few low cost options ($150 or less). I settled in on the Boss RV for my church pedal board. I would love to try some Strymon options some day, just so many pedals and so little time. For $100 TC has some good options.
There are some pretty decent super-budget pedals around that sound great. The Cuvave Dig Reverb is really surprisingly good if you just need a flexible beater pedal and keep something fruity at home. I really like the mooer shimverb as well. Neunaber WET or the Immerse V2 are just beautiful sounding and I'm struggling to think of a reason not to recommend either of those.
@@chordsoforion Agreed..The Hall is the most lush algorithm on the Immerse 2 because of the modulation control..and of course the Sustain algorithm is unbeatable for infinite glory.🎸✨
I messed around in the Reaktor plugin, and tried making a "reverb" by using a "delay" module. IIRC, these modules only delay the signal, which means you need to split the main signal into "wet/dry", in order to get 1 single repetition of the sound. If you then loop the signal back into itself, it creates a feedback loop. On its own, this can get very "noisy", which is why you need to put an "attenuator" in the feedback loop. I believe i also used a filter in the loop, and maybe an effect (dont remember). The results did not sound like any other reverb i have heard, but still turned out *really cool* and made me think it is weird that i have not found any similar effects anywhere else, considering how simple and intuitive it was to build. I would *love* to have this as a single pedal, but it may be even cooler to have a small dedicated pedal board, where i can tweak different effects and/or filters in between the delays. This would provide a lot more freedom than i would get with just a single pedal... Or maybe i should just take the plunge into the world of modular, and make myself a small eurorack only for effects and filters. The main issue i have with this, is that im worried i will mess things up by plugging a 10V output into a 5V input, and maybe destroy some circuits... I think its fairly common for 5V to have protection against that stuff, but im not sure exactly HOW common this is... "Whatever *can* happen *will* happen, when given enough time" - and i need something "foolproof", LOL! Pedals seem easier, but it would be a LOT cooler to have a small eurorack... Yeah... Guess ill be looking at eurorack modules for the rest of the day, LOL :P
I have a rack mount Lexicon that I run in the effects loop of my guitar amp. Tons of great reverbs, delay, chorus, phasers, flangers and ambient tones. And Lexicon is studio quality no matter what genre of music you’re into.
And I just put in an order for a reverb pedal yesterday! Haha! Thanks for the video, great things to consider (even if it's a day late, will keep it in mind for next pedal purchase!).
I primarily use reverb pedals for my synths. However, when I need to select one, - I will listen to a guitar player like yourself using it before I'd consider listening to a synth player doing the same. The reason is very simple: synths can be wildly different whereas guitars, although there are differences between them - these are more subtle, and all guitars have one most important feature, - short attack time of the string being plucked or strum which gives you an excellent idea what a particular reverb effect is like.
I have the Big Sky and the Flint from Strymon and the Boss FRV -1 and RV-6 ... and still I want the Strymon Blue Sky and the Night Sky ... So much I love the reverb ... Great video, dear Bill !
Great video as always. I need a "set and forget" verb because my new amp doesn't have one, just to sit on top of the amp and give me the little "on all the time" splash. It doesn't even have to be a spring type either, as long as I have mix and length knobs. Problem is, if it's always on then noise becomes a big issue. Which ones are the most quiet?
Good question. I have the EHX Canyon and find it to be quiet. It doesn't have a lot of reverb options though, there's shimmer and a hall reverb, but it is more a reverb / delay combo. But very good.
these days there are more and more pedals with both reverb and delay simultaneously. is this only budget wise a good option or is this more a limitation than an expansion, compared to buying them separately? greets
The combination pedals can also save space on your pedalboard, which can be useful. But to your point, there are always compromises in combination pedals. For example, the Source Audio Collider is a great pedal with lots of cool sounds in it, but it is not as flexible as having a Nemesis and a Ventris. I think it is best to determine what you are looking for in delay and reverb, and compare your requirements to the combo pedal to see if it will work for you.
@@yawninghyaena I have the EHX Canyon and really love it. I'm looking to get a more advanced reverb / delay pedal in the future, but this one got my feet wet and I use it a lot.
What about not needing a pedal at all? I have the Neunaber Immerse but I find that I rarely have it on. If I need a spring reverb sound I have that in my Princeton Reverb amp. Sometimes it's harder to talk yourself into selling a pedal than it is to talk yourself into buying a pedal.
I have gone through a few and I finally landed on the Strymon Nightsky! Why? I just wanted more control! More experimental stuff etc. to use with guitars, synths and anything else :) for cheaper reverbs! the one I liked was the Boss RV-6
yes you could choose, but you can also do what i did; just buy every reverb you see because they all look amazing and wind up with too many reverb pedals and no money :D
Thanks, you change my mind from the Boss RV6 to the HOF 2 because I heard the Boss is Mono and the HOF 2 is stereo. I already have the H.O.F 2, I need help for a stereo blues spring reverb, any suggestion?
I have a Electro Harmonix Ocean 11 and Canyon. I like Ambient Sound , I like Strymon Big Sky but the price is high , there is many differences between my pedals and the Big Sky that value the high price ?
Unless you want stereo capabilities, the Oceans 11 and Canyon should allow you to create amazing ambient guitar textures. My recommendation is to work with what you have until you identify a feature that they don't provide. Then look for another pedal.
@@chordsoforion That is awesome advice. I have an EHX Canyon and love it. However I am researching other pedals which provide more reverb options. There are so many good options out there but the really good ones are expensive and it is hard to know which one to choose. I also consider resale value just in case I need to move it along.....
Well, this video was not meant to specify which is the absolute best, but rather which is the best for you. That being said, I have heard a lot of good things about the Empress Reverb. Just recently got the Echosystem and started working with it. So far so good!
I know this video is 3 years old but this IS a big problem - there are some superb reverb / delay pedals out there and it is really hard to choose one because they all have interesting features but all have different features than others. I just tried a Walrus Audio Slö and it had terrible noise issues and I had to send it back. So far I only have an EHX Canyon which is excellent but it is more a delay pedal than a reverb pedal.
Yes - agreed that an "apples to apples" comparison can be challenging. That being said, if you know what your requirements for the pedal are (at least the major ones), it can really help in narrowing down the choices.
Great video...top shelf....!!! For a guy like me looking to set up a pedalboard good job.!!! No actually Great job.!!! As an ambient guy love what you're doing
This is perfect. Seemingly easy topic broken into the key factors. I don't know if 'going for less features' that one wouldn't use is another helpful factor or not? TX!
I’m torn between the EHX Oceans 12 & the TC Electronics Hall Of Fame 2x4,.. have you played them? And what is your opinion on which is a better pedal? I’m wondering if the reverbs on the Hall Of Fame are able to pan cause I seem to be intrigued by the Oceans 12 parallel mode and I’m wondering if the reverbs pan into each other in the tide mode. Both seem very important in technology evolution.
Which ones have the best shimmer, "twinkling stars" type tones? How many different pedals have a huge shimmering tone, as well as the various hall, plate, spring, room, tape echo, reverse echo, in one pedal? Can you post up a video showing that, to help us find the best one or ones, to use with real amps, no midi or computers, just guitar, pedals and amps? I dont want to patch or program anything at all. Just twist a few knobs and get amazing tones. Tell us which pedals do what style of reverb the best.
@@chordsoforion Thanks. I want to get a variety of types of reverbs. I got 4 amps. 3 of them have spring reverb built in. My 1965 Bassman does not. I want to be able to get various types of reverbs, and get a super huge super wet water dripping tone. I am not going to do MIDI or anything real complex, no time or energy for that. I waste all my time practicing and playing, I am not an electronic type guy. I play a variety of styles and mix them all in sometimes. I like ambient, blues, classic rock of all styles etc..
For 150 bucks got me - on a complete oportunistic non-choice base- a Danelectro spring reverb followed by a shimverb by Mooer and put them at the end of my pedal chain with the Carl Martin red repeat. A real issue for me is how to get rid of the electric noises. My chain is 12 pedal long & my electric alimentation might be contaminated by some high voltage lines near my place.
you don't talk about Digitech Polara it the video, What do you think of it? Also, which reverb pedal (not machines ,like the straymon and the ventris) are the best for a classic rock, With a bit of metal and blues?
Chords Of Orion For its price it’s pretty rock solid all around. Great quality of construction. Maybe not the most feature rich reverb pedal out there but it does what it does very well in my opinion. It definitely deserves to be mentioned more often than it is.
i had an RV-5 -- also great bang for the buck as most Boss pedals are. but mine stopped working correctly so i replaced it will the TC HoF. with the toneprint option it's all i need. rock on.
No-one mentioning ehx Holy Grail or Cathedral? I have the Cathedral but haven't had the opportunity to compare it to any others. Anyone got knowledge? I seem to be knee deep in TC's stuff now! HoF comparable?
My very first pedal buy was a neunaber expanse. I wanted shimmer (even though I wasn’t sure what that was) and the expanse seemed flexible and had very good recommendations on UA-cam. I recently purchased a TC HOF mini. Well, I did an ab test the other day with both pedals, using my Katana 50 amp reverb in addition to both signals. The HOF surprised me, and I found myself preferring it over the expanse. I think in my case it was a combination of the simplicity and small footprint that made it standout. If I were to spend time tweaking the neunaber, I might change my mind.
I´ve got two reverb pedals, first one is the Hall of Fame 2 and the second one is a Walrus Slö (The red one) ! What i have noticed is, that the type of Amp has a big influence to the question which reverb is best to use. If i use the Slö on a simple Marshall Bass amp, it is not really the best choice but the HOF2 does its job much better than the Slö. But If i use a Tube amp, the Walrus Slö is a real dream machine, and the HOF2 sounds a bit artificial. In our days there are also a lot of Amps which has build in effects and simulations and all that stuff. I think they are called Modelling Amps. Keep the hands away from these electronic computer monsters which are controlled by a smartphone app. The digital effects all have an artificial sound. And the Amp-Simulation ? Ask your self, how should a 30 x 30 cm plastic Box sound like a big cabinet which has the dimensions of a Refrigerator and where its groundrolls have more weight than the little Plastic-Box.
Hi! I really like the way you explain things and how you do it so humbly (is this a work in English?). I want to ask you if you have any idea about the pedal "Foxgear Rainbow Reverb" as I'm between buying the Hall of Fame 2 or that Rainbow one. Thanks, and keep on doing this amazing videos! Cheers! Shaka (Portugal)
@@chordsoforion thank you for the fast reply! I've been flowing your channel for some time now, and I figured that this particular one about reverb pedals would be the one directly about what I need to know now. Thank you! Stay safe!
I'd say that some have more treble than others. Also, the newest MXR reverb has the best Shimmer effect I have heard for a pedal not as expensive as the blue sky. If you want more controls, then the caverns is a good choice for under the price of a blue sky (older model). One thing about the Caverns pedal that is not on lots of pedals which blows my mind is a warmth knobs which I am guessing controls middle in a guitar tone. Another good way to get lots of reverb is if you have a reverb pedal or an amp with reverb and plug it into a daw and then add some reverb from their ahahh, but as to how much reverb you want, that is your preference. At the end of the day, many reverbs have the same options now, just different tones so you should test some out in an instrument/music store or listen to shootouts available on youtube.
Even with the warmth knob, I find the Keeley Caverns to sound kind of bright and brittle. I considered it for a while and then dropped it from the top 5.
I actually really like the shimmer on the EHX Canyon. However to get stereo you would need to buy the EHX Grand Canyon, which is in the range of $185-$220.
Mathcartney wish he would do a video telling us how he feels about people calling him Sor Davos, or if he likes GoT, called him the Onion Knight many times hhahaha
Sorry if i annoyed him, but hes work is awesome for me and im a huge fan of his playing, and i think hes look like the persona a bit, so Just throw it all togheter, but the right thing to say is: sor Bill, knight of orion
Hope you didn't get me wrong, I don't think he cares at all, just wish he would say if he find it funny or annoying , since I myself have called him the Onion knight many times before
Tiago Ducatti no man, its cool! But it would be great, imagine if he likes the show/books and do a full cosplay to talk about it hahaha (with some 80s guitar in the shape of a sword)
I’m currently using a blue sky, a walrus descent, and a line 6 tonecore verbzilla. The Verbzilla holds up super well against both of these higher brands (as long as you have Iso power; they can get noisy). I can’t recommend the verbzilla enough!
I almost bought the oceans 11, but it's mono only. I can't do that. I came very close to it because of the ambient settings, but just couldn't get myself to do it. I need shape, mono won't produce that.
What I'm looking for is to create ambiance noise in between songs, I'm currently playing in a 'shred' punk band. I'm currently using a Tc electronic triple delay but I need a reverb for that extra kick.
Great question. Typically they say FX loop is best, but I have something else in the FX loop. I do find that my EHX Canyon sounds better in the FX loop though. The effects are fuller and more pronounced.
@@mr.d.572 Yea I disregarded the fx loop for the longest time, on some effects ive noticed it made them sound a little strange.. like I tried delay once and it sounded clearer but also as if you could almost heat that it was added afterwards like it was more in the amp sound that the signal if that makes sense.. but w reverbs id think that wouldnt he a problem as reverb is often incouded w amps and is a natural aftereffect in the first place
Another excellent video thanks Bill ✨ What what be your own personal choice live set up / as few pedals as possible for creating great ambient soundscapes? ie - Little Alligator +......+...... Thanks again from a England ✌️✨🎸
I am not a blues player, but I would think a pedal with a good spring reverb would be good. Source Audio Ventris has some fine sounding spring reverb sounds.
Hi Bill, I play Solo Acoustic guitar and I love The Sound Michael Hedges had on Aerial Boundaries. You talked about the quality of a reverb in this video, and many reverbs I hear sound like they are designed to make an effect noice rather than having the note or chord you are playing ringing out like if you would hear it in a bigger room. Could you recommend a reverb pedal ?
Tip #1 - Name must be cool
Tip #2 - Look for nice graphics and colors
Tip #3 - Look for small reverb pedals, you need pedalboard real estate to fit those 3 overdrives, 2 distortions and 6 fuzzes
Got a good laugh.
Ha!
I mean... who would want a all white pedalboard, different colors and cool graphics are a must have, sound quality is optional hahaha
Chase Bliss Dark World ticks all these boxes. Bought.
Cold Hard FACTS!
I’m saying it again,
This guy is soooo CHILL
This is the Bob Ross of reverb/ambient music. I feel like I can do reverb/ambient music too. Thanks Bob, err, Bill.
You remind me of a loving uncle that gave all the kids distortion pedals for Christmas even though none of us even owned guitars, but we loved them anyways because you were so nice.
Beats another fruit cake
Man I really love watching your videos, your voice is so relaxing
Thank you!!
even better than white noise
Clicked on the thumbnail because I thought this demo was hosted by Ser Davos
exactly.. I came straight to the comments cause i knew I wasn't alone
Bahaha
🤪
The new Onion Night pedal from Keeley
I really enjoy the calmness and wisdom. I can feel myself letting go of stress, watching this
The man is the Bob Ross of ambient guitar.
I am upgrading from the Caline Snake Bite to the TC Hall of Fame 2 for my worship rig. I run an old Alexis Microverb rack reverb on my other board.
Lucid, cogent, and very useful for those on the hunt for the "just right" reverb pedal.
I‘m soon going to buy my third reverb pedal. I first bought the T-Rex Creamer, cheapest at my local shop. Sounds good if it didnt boost the amp a tiny bit. I replaced it with an Hall of Fame 2. Great pedal. I‘ve also dived into the Toneprint feature but it‘s a lot of work to really make it sound like you want. Over the years I‘ve strived for simplicity in my tone search. Plug in, twist some knobs and find my sound. I just don‘t want to sit hours and hours playing/looping one riff only to get a setting right. The HOF2 also sounds too harsh for me. Toneprint may help but I‘m lazy. Now my third one will be the Boss RV-6. Sounds a bit darker than HoF2 and the modulated reverb is just tasty.
As you can see a reverb pedal is quite important even if it is only use subtle, it can make or break your sound.
Advise for new buyers of reverb pedals:
1. don‘t go for the cheapest reverb, save up until you can afford the pedal you really want and need! Buying cheap means buying twice or thrice even. The Boss RV-6 will not only cost me its own price but also the money spend on the failed purchases.
2. dont buy blind on the internet based off of reviews. Go to a shop, ask for a few different pedals, you can make your selection based off of reviews, but try them out in person or ask a friend to lend you a pedal but try it out first. You‘ll regret it later if you realise that you didnt like the pedal you bought blind.
I would agree about #2 although it is not always possible to try out some of these boutique pedals. I had one good experience buying blind based on a recommendation - the EHX Canyon. And one bad one - the Walrus Audio Slö, which I had to send back due to terrible noise issues. I would however love to find a place where one could try every reverb pedal imaginable, that would be so helpful because they are all different.
I have seen a few months ago a video of you playing with the Boss RV6, great sound I must say, so I bought it some time after that. In my case, I like the shimmer FX, the hall FX, and modulated FX, so that´s why I choosed the Boss RV6, cause it fits to most of types of music I like to play and it fits to my budget too. This pedal also has a maximum reverb time more than 10 seconds, I am not sure, but it is more than enough to make a great ambience sound, very cool.
My gears are old, cheap with low quality, I have an old and cheap amplifier and an old and cheap guitar. The papers say it´s made in Brazil (I bought all my gears in Brazil), but we all know most of guitars for sale on music shops made after the year 2000 are made in China. That's why good pedals can make your precarious sound to sound less precarious, sophisticated or almost perfect..... almost....
Very useful informations in this video!
Sorry for grammar mistakes!
Qual a marca da sua guitarra elétrica que comenta acima? Sou brasileiro e quem sabe possa conhecer o seu modelo de guitarra elétrica e te ajudar com alguma informação sobre tal instrumento.
You’re the best men !!! Thanks for your videos !! 🎸
Bought the Boss rv 500 but sold it after 3 weeks because i thought it sounded too digital, and also because it was too in depth for my purpose (home use only) Then bought a second hand Hall of Fame for 60 euro's and am quite happy with it.
P.s. Love your channel, thank you for your work.
Just bought the NU-X,ATLANTIC. Very nice.
Dig the sincerity of your videos....Bob Ross of pedals
These videos are EXCELLENT. I can play you at double speed and you sound perfectly understandable.
I've owned the HOF, the Blue Sky and now the Immerse... I gotta say, for the money you can't beat the HOF! I love my Immerse though... it sounds amazing on any of the many settings it offers.
The HOF 2 is certainly a lot of pedal for the money!
I own the Mini HOF. I like it for the ability to download any one of many different reverb sounds and it's compact size.
James Busch is that what TC calls tone prints? I’m just reading the manual to get a better understanding..
@@r-e-s-o-n-a-n-t yes tone prints you can edit the effects via app (works on most tc pedals)
Freddy Twiehaus thanks for the reply. Looks like a great feature.
The Bigsky got all my bases covered. Glad i got one when the budget still allowed it 😎
Thank you very much, Bill. I enjoyed your video, and found it helpful.
Probably the toughest decision I've ever had to make regarding pedals. Option paralysis!
I ended up with a Pedal Projects Marbleverb. It was simple, cheap, and has a great tone - and one feature that really sold me: an FX loop.
Everyone was pushing me towards the Neunaber Immerse or the HOF2. But I play wet/dry, not stereo, and I wanted something that would suit my setup. The Marbleverb is right for me.
Sounds like you made the right decision!
I wish I had option paralysis. Instead I have wallet paralysis.
i wanted to get the blue sky but i settled for the mxr reverb its a great pedal!
Definitely want to try the MXR at some point.
I have owned quite a few of reverb pedals up to 200 dollars. The EHX Oceans 11 was the best of the bunch for me.
I should try that one.
Second on the Oceans 11. I love it!
I wanted a no nonsense pedal for subtle always-on ambience with a tone that I loved, and the Holy Grail Nano did it for me. When and if I need something fancier, I'll go with the Digitech Polara.
Thank you, Ser Davos!
I would like to point out another path. If someone can‘t afford a Strymon BigSky and that is what you really want or feel you need then save up until you can purchase it. Don‘t settle (unless settling works for you). Good video - thanx
That is an excellent plan!
@@chordsoforion Thank you!
Yes, you are right, Big Sky forever ! ❤️😽♥️💝
I have a Digitech Polara and I love it! It took me a while to do some research for the best option, but I finally realized that the creamy shimmers in the Polara it's all I needed.
Agree. Polara is a great choice and great value for the money. Fancy pedal indeed!
The Polara is so underrated
@@oshikiri999 Great pedal! And greatly underrated because doesn't have "vintage", "boutique" or any of those marketing slang in the box.
In my opinion a versatile quality reverb on a budget is the Boss Rv6. Then I like the TC T2 and on the top spec one the Rv500 from boss or the Strymon Flint. I own all of those and use to own much of the reverb on the market. Loved the Flint a lot but in the end the Rv6 is the One to choose
I've been trying to decide between the RV6 and Flint for a while, don't really like the HOF2
I settled on some "junk" pedals by most folks standards, a Behringer RV600 Reverb Machine & a Berry EM600 Echo Machine. These 2 pedals are great Ambient pedals to work with, have a lot of the "big boy" features, and sound great.
Tho I would like some more modern pedals (the Mooer Ocean Machine, Big Sky) these Berry pedals have worked great for the last few years!
It doesn't sound like they are junk to me, as you are getting sounds you like out of them!
thanks for a great run down. i think you covered this over the course of the video, but i would also suggest people consider whether they are using their pedal for live use or just recording or both. for live use only (i.e., a pedal to take to the gig), a cheap one-trick pony that can get kicked around might be all you need. for recording, several options plus the connectivity are big considerations. plus, the budget might be higher for a home or studio-only use pedal because you can lock it up and have less fear of damage or theft.
just some thoughts. again, i think you covered these ideas but not necessarily in the "live vs. studio" category. thanks again and i love your videos!
Very cool thanks for sharing 👍
Aside for Fender in amp spring reverb I have a few low cost options ($150 or less). I settled in on the Boss RV for my church pedal board. I would love to try some Strymon options some day, just so many pedals and so little time. For $100 TC has some good options.
It doesn't have shimmer though, correct?
@@mr.d.572 NO Shimmer on the lower priced TC pedals that I have, modulation though. Boss seems to include shimmer on there reverb pedals
With TC tone prints you can download different reverbs so that is a Pro
Thank you Sir Davos for presenting these great reverb pedals!
There are some pretty decent super-budget pedals around that sound great. The Cuvave Dig Reverb is really surprisingly good if you just need a flexible beater pedal and keep something fruity at home.
I really like the mooer shimverb as well.
Neunaber WET or the Immerse V2 are just beautiful sounding and I'm struggling to think of a reason not to recommend either of those.
I am with you on the Immerse. Love the hall reverb type.
@@chordsoforion Agreed..The Hall is the most lush algorithm on the Immerse 2 because of the modulation control..and of course the Sustain algorithm is unbeatable for infinite glory.🎸✨
I messed around in the Reaktor plugin, and tried making a "reverb" by using a "delay" module. IIRC, these modules only delay the signal, which means you need to split the main signal into "wet/dry", in order to get 1 single repetition of the sound. If you then loop the signal back into itself, it creates a feedback loop. On its own, this can get very "noisy", which is why you need to put an "attenuator" in the feedback loop. I believe i also used a filter in the loop, and maybe an effect (dont remember). The results did not sound like any other reverb i have heard, but still turned out *really cool* and made me think it is weird that i have not found any similar effects anywhere else, considering how simple and intuitive it was to build. I would *love* to have this as a single pedal, but it may be even cooler to have a small dedicated pedal board, where i can tweak different effects and/or filters in between the delays. This would provide a lot more freedom than i would get with just a single pedal... Or maybe i should just take the plunge into the world of modular, and make myself a small eurorack only for effects and filters. The main issue i have with this, is that im worried i will mess things up by plugging a 10V output into a 5V input, and maybe destroy some circuits... I think its fairly common for 5V to have protection against that stuff, but im not sure exactly HOW common this is... "Whatever *can* happen *will* happen, when given enough time" - and i need something "foolproof", LOL! Pedals seem easier, but it would be a LOT cooler to have a small eurorack... Yeah... Guess ill be looking at eurorack modules for the rest of the day, LOL :P
I have a rack mount Lexicon that I run in the effects loop of my guitar amp. Tons of great reverbs, delay, chorus, phasers, flangers and ambient tones. And Lexicon is studio quality no matter what genre of music you’re into.
Sounds great!
And I just put in an order for a reverb pedal yesterday! Haha! Thanks for the video, great things to consider (even if it's a day late, will keep it in mind for next pedal purchase!).
The fluorescence Shimmer reverb from TC Electronics is my favorite
Thanks Bill your a star, some really good info...............
love your work and the way you say things. cheers from Germany!
Man this guy has a peacefull voice
I primarily use reverb pedals for my synths. However, when I need to select one, - I will listen to a guitar player like yourself using it before I'd consider listening to a synth player doing the same. The reason is very simple: synths can be wildly different whereas guitars, although there are differences between them - these are more subtle, and all guitars have one most important feature, - short attack time of the string being plucked or strum which gives you an excellent idea what a particular reverb effect is like.
Great information. Im between jazz and heavy metal. Any suggestion?
Always awesome logical helpful content 🙏🏼
I would like to hear your opinion abiut the Electro Harmonix Oceans 11 Reverb.
For ambient excursions, the EQ TRANSMISSER is GREAT. I use mine own conjunction with the EQ AVALANCHE RUN. You get the idea.
Nice!
I'm sitting here pushing the Avalanche Run on reverse mode into an Afterneath. I get the idea.
Great video and well explained thank you
All hail the Wampler Ethereal. Bringer of infinite plate and master of polyrhythmic delay.
I’m happy with my Hall of Fame 2, it has everything I need.
Richard Aaron agreed the TonePrint is great option to increase / open-up your presets
I like my Hall of Fame 2 pedal on my Rhodes and Korg MS20.
Ok
I have the Big Sky and the Flint from Strymon and the Boss FRV -1 and RV-6 ... and still I want the Strymon Blue Sky and the Night Sky ... So much I love the reverb ... Great video, dear Bill !
Why would you need the Blue Sky if you have the Big Sky?
Didn't knew Davos Seaworth was a reverb expert
could you do a review of the reverb MXR300? Or a comparison between the MXR and Neunaber?
Great video as always. I need a "set and forget" verb because my new amp doesn't have one, just to sit on top of the amp and give me the little "on all the time" splash. It doesn't even have to be a spring type either, as long as I have mix and length knobs. Problem is, if it's always on then noise becomes a big issue. Which ones are the most quiet?
Good question. I have the EHX Canyon and find it to be quiet. It doesn't have a lot of reverb options though, there's shimmer and a hall reverb, but it is more a reverb / delay combo. But very good.
these days there are more and more pedals with both reverb and delay simultaneously. is this only budget wise a good option or is this more a limitation than an expansion, compared to buying them separately? greets
The combination pedals can also save space on your pedalboard, which can be useful. But to your point, there are always compromises in combination pedals. For example, the Source Audio Collider is a great pedal with lots of cool sounds in it, but it is not as flexible as having a Nemesis and a Ventris. I think it is best to determine what you are looking for in delay and reverb, and compare your requirements to the combo pedal to see if it will work for you.
@@chordsoforion thx a million. I'm leaning more and more towards the ESX grand canyon. reverb will be for lator
greets from Brussels!
@@yawninghyaena
I have the EHX Canyon and really love it. I'm looking to get a more advanced reverb / delay pedal in the future, but this one got my feet wet and I use it a lot.
What about not needing a pedal at all? I have the Neunaber Immerse but I find that I rarely have it on. If I need a spring reverb sound I have that in my Princeton Reverb amp. Sometimes it's harder to talk yourself into selling a pedal than it is to talk yourself into buying a pedal.
I think that is a very valid point. No need to purchase if you are getting the sound you want.
I have gone through a few and I finally landed on the Strymon Nightsky! Why? I just wanted more control! More experimental stuff etc. to use with guitars, synths and anything else :) for cheaper reverbs! the one I liked was the Boss RV-6
I use my vapor trail analog delay to make reverb. Short delay time, raise the repeats and mix and there you go, analog reverb :)))))))
yes you could choose, but you can also do what i did; just buy every reverb you see because they all look amazing and wind up with too many reverb pedals and no money :D
I will not do that because I'm too frugal. Plus it is not easy selling pedals when you want to.
Thanks for this video. You are an imaginative soul.
Thanks, you change my mind from the Boss RV6 to the HOF 2 because I heard the Boss is Mono and the HOF 2 is stereo.
I already have the H.O.F 2, I need help for a stereo blues spring reverb, any suggestion?
Should try the JOYO atmosphere, a really awesome reverb
I've heard mixed things. I do like their products in general but they tend to be noisy.
I have a Electro Harmonix Ocean 11 and Canyon. I like Ambient Sound , I like Strymon Big Sky but the price is high , there is many differences between my pedals and the Big Sky that value the high price ?
Unless you want stereo capabilities, the Oceans 11 and Canyon should allow you to create amazing ambient guitar textures. My recommendation is to work with what you have until you identify a feature that they don't provide. Then look for another pedal.
@@chordsoforion
That is awesome advice. I have an EHX Canyon and love it. However I am researching other pedals which provide more reverb options. There are so many good options out there but the really good ones are expensive and it is hard to know which one to choose. I also consider resale value just in case I need to move it along.....
What about the empress? maybe the best if not the most interesting reverb out there
Well, this video was not meant to specify which is the absolute best, but rather which is the best for you. That being said, I have heard a lot of good things about the Empress Reverb. Just recently got the Echosystem and started working with it. So far so good!
I know this video is 3 years old but this IS a big problem - there are some superb reverb / delay pedals out there and it is really hard to choose one because they all have interesting features but all have different features than others. I just tried a Walrus Audio Slö and it had terrible noise issues and I had to send it back. So far I only have an EHX Canyon which is excellent but it is more a delay pedal than a reverb pedal.
Yes - agreed that an "apples to apples" comparison can be challenging. That being said, if you know what your requirements for the pedal are (at least the major ones), it can really help in narrowing down the choices.
Great video...top shelf....!!! For a guy like me looking to set up a pedalboard good job.!!! No actually Great job.!!! As an ambient guy love what you're doing
Which is better for neoclassical metal shred? Idk which i'll choose.
This is perfect. Seemingly easy topic broken into the key factors. I don't know if 'going for less features' that one wouldn't use is another helpful factor or not? TX!
I’m torn between the EHX Oceans 12 & the TC Electronics Hall Of Fame 2x4,.. have you played them? And what is your opinion on which is a better pedal? I’m wondering if the reverbs on the Hall Of Fame are able to pan cause I seem to be intrigued by the Oceans 12 parallel mode and I’m wondering if the reverbs pan into each other in the tide mode. Both seem very important in technology evolution.
Which ones have the best shimmer, "twinkling stars" type tones? How many different pedals have a huge shimmering tone, as well as the various hall, plate, spring, room, tape echo, reverse echo, in one pedal? Can you post up a video showing that, to help us find the best one or ones, to use with real amps, no midi or computers, just guitar, pedals and amps? I dont want to patch or program anything at all. Just twist a few knobs and get amazing tones. Tell us which pedals do what style of reverb the best.
I did do a Hall reverb shootout a few years ago: ua-cam.com/video/nD_77bytxC8/v-deo.html . But yeah, I could plan out some more along those lines.
@@chordsoforion Thanks. I want to get a variety of types of reverbs. I got 4 amps. 3 of them have spring reverb built in. My 1965 Bassman does not. I want to be able to get various types of reverbs, and get a super huge super wet water dripping tone. I am not going to do MIDI or anything real complex, no time or energy for that. I waste all my time practicing and playing, I am not an electronic type guy. I play a variety of styles and mix them all in sometimes. I like ambient, blues, classic rock of all styles etc..
Nice Bill good points on getting a reverb pedal . Well any type of pedal for that matter ..
For 150 bucks got me - on a complete oportunistic non-choice base- a Danelectro spring reverb followed by a shimverb by Mooer and put them at the end of my pedal chain with the Carl Martin red repeat. A real issue for me is how to get rid of the electric noises. My chain is 12 pedal long & my electric alimentation might be contaminated by some high voltage lines near my place.
you don't talk about Digitech Polara it the video, What do you think of it?
Also, which reverb pedal (not machines ,like the straymon and the ventris) are the best for a classic rock, With a bit of metal and blues?
i have no opinion on the Polara, as I have not tried one out.
Chords Of Orion
For its price it’s pretty rock solid all around. Great quality of construction. Maybe not the most feature rich reverb pedal out there but it does what it does very well in my opinion. It definitely deserves to be mentioned more often than it is.
Amit Sapir
The Polara crosses genres very well.
Have one, love the Halo shimmer and the spring setting is excellent in my opinion:)
I have one and it is not as flexible as some but it sounds great...better then the hall of fame...tried them side by side and chose the Polara
To me the Boss RV6 is the best bang for the buck reverb hands down. Love that pedal.
i had an RV-5 -- also great bang for the buck as most Boss pedals are. but mine stopped working correctly so i replaced it will the TC HoF. with the toneprint option it's all i need. rock on.
I'm a big fan of my strymon flint
Who says you have to choose one? I ended up with 3 on my board. The strymon Cloudburst, MXR M300, and the TC Trinity T2.
No-one mentioning ehx Holy Grail or Cathedral? I have the Cathedral but haven't had the opportunity to compare it to any others. Anyone got knowledge? I seem to be knee deep in TC's stuff now! HoF comparable?
My very first pedal buy was a neunaber expanse. I wanted shimmer (even though I wasn’t sure what that was) and the expanse seemed flexible and had very good recommendations on UA-cam. I recently purchased a TC HOF mini. Well, I did an ab test the other day with both pedals, using my Katana 50 amp reverb in addition to both signals. The HOF surprised me, and I found myself preferring it over the expanse. I think in my case it was a combination of the simplicity and small footprint that made it standout. If I were to spend time tweaking the neunaber, I might change my mind.
I´ve got two reverb pedals, first one is the Hall of Fame 2 and the second one is a Walrus Slö (The red one) ! What i have noticed is, that the type of Amp has a big influence to the question which reverb is best to use. If i use the Slö on a simple Marshall Bass amp, it is not really the best choice but the HOF2 does its job much better than the Slö. But If i use a Tube amp, the Walrus Slö is a real dream machine, and the HOF2 sounds a bit artificial. In our days there are also a lot of Amps which has build in effects and simulations and all that stuff. I think they are called Modelling Amps. Keep the hands away from these electronic computer monsters which are controlled by a smartphone app. The digital effects all have an artificial sound. And the Amp-Simulation ? Ask your self, how should a 30 x 30 cm plastic Box sound like a big cabinet which has the dimensions of a Refrigerator and where its groundrolls have more weight than the little Plastic-Box.
Hi! I really like the way you explain things and how you do it so humbly (is this a work in English?). I want to ask you if you have any idea about the pedal "Foxgear Rainbow Reverb" as I'm between buying the Hall of Fame 2 or that Rainbow one. Thanks, and keep on doing this amazing videos! Cheers! Shaka (Portugal)
Glad you enjoyed the video! I am not familiar with the Foxgear pedal, so do not have an opinion.
@@chordsoforion thank you for the fast reply! I've been flowing your channel for some time now, and I figured that this particular one about reverb pedals would be the one directly about what I need to know now. Thank you! Stay safe!
I could sit and listen to this dude read the phonebook.
I'd say that some have more treble than others. Also, the newest MXR reverb has the best Shimmer effect I have heard for a pedal not as expensive as the blue sky. If you want more controls, then the caverns is a good choice for under the price of a blue sky (older model). One thing about the Caverns pedal that is not on lots of pedals which blows my mind is a warmth knobs which I am guessing controls middle in a guitar tone. Another good way to get lots of reverb is if you have a reverb pedal or an amp with reverb and plug it into a daw and then add some reverb from their ahahh, but as to how much reverb you want, that is your preference. At the end of the day, many reverbs have the same options now, just different tones so you should test some out in an instrument/music store or listen to shootouts available on youtube.
Even with the warmth knob, I find the Keeley Caverns to sound kind of bright and brittle. I considered it for a while and then dropped it from the top 5.
What do people consider to be some of the best "shimmer" reverbs out there? Looking for stereo with a $150. max price point.
The Behringer Reverb Machine RV600 is essentially the Line 6 Verbzilla. $85 vs $150. Space is the RV600 shimmer setting of the Verbzilla.
I actually really like the shimmer on the EHX Canyon. However to get stereo you would need to buy the EHX Grand Canyon, which is in the range of $185-$220.
Great video! Thank you
Thank you for your awesome work, sor davos!
Mathcartney wish he would do a video telling us how he feels about people calling him Sor Davos, or if he likes GoT, called him the Onion Knight many times hhahaha
Sorry if i annoyed him, but hes work is awesome for me and im a huge fan of his playing, and i think hes look like the persona a bit, so Just throw it all togheter, but the right thing to say is: sor Bill, knight of orion
Hope you didn't get me wrong, I don't think he cares at all, just wish he would say if he find it funny or annoying , since I myself have called him the Onion knight many times before
Tiago Ducatti no man, its cool! But it would be great, imagine if he likes the show/books and do a full cosplay to talk about it hahaha (with some 80s guitar in the shape of a sword)
Mathcartney would be awesome hahahaha
Maybe he could start by making a ambient version of the opening theme
I actually really like the marshall reflector pedal's plate reverb setting
I’m currently using a blue sky, a walrus descent, and a line 6 tonecore verbzilla. The Verbzilla holds up super well against both of these higher brands (as long as you have Iso power; they can get noisy). I can’t recommend the verbzilla enough!
Thanks Bill!
Ocean 11 price and tone
I almost bought the oceans 11, but it's mono only. I can't do that. I came very close to it because of the ambient settings, but just couldn't get myself to do it. I need shape, mono won't produce that.
I have the Cathedral but would love the Oceans 11 for the Shimmer, MOD & (Gated) Dyna reverbs.
Bill, what brand of motorcycle do you have in your garage ? I'm thinking probably Norton cafe or full on Hondabago.
No garage, no motorcycle. :-)
Has your music ever been on KBCS Flotation Device Sunday nights at 10PM Pacific Time?
thank you Sir Davos!
What I'm looking for is to create ambiance noise in between songs, I'm currently playing in a 'shred' punk band. I'm currently using a Tc electronic triple delay but I need a reverb for that extra kick.
Have you considered the freeze function on a Boss Tera Echo?
I'm not sure if you mentioned but what is the best affordable reverb pedal for an acoustic guitar?
My question isnt which reverb pedal but whether to run it in front or in the fx loop
Great question. Typically they say FX loop is best, but I have something else in the FX loop. I do find that my EHX Canyon sounds better in the FX loop though. The effects are fuller and more pronounced.
@@mr.d.572 Yea I disregarded the fx loop for the longest time, on some effects ive noticed it made them sound a little strange.. like I tried delay once and it sounded clearer but also as if you could almost heat that it was added afterwards like it was more in the amp sound that the signal if that makes sense.. but w reverbs id think that wouldnt he a problem as reverb is often incouded w amps and is a natural aftereffect in the first place
Thoughts on Joyo R-14 Atmosphere 9 Modes Multi Reverb Pedal?
Get a Zoom Multistomp and make ambient noise with it!
Ahah he dont want to do a review of ms 70 cdr. Made a video about it...
Another excellent video thanks Bill ✨
What what be your own personal choice live set up / as few pedals as possible for creating great ambient soundscapes? ie - Little Alligator +......+......
Thanks again from a England ✌️✨🎸
What reverb pedal would you rec for a blues guitar player? Thx
I am not a blues player, but I would think a pedal with a good spring reverb would be good. Source Audio Ventris has some fine sounding spring reverb sounds.
Hi Bill, I play Solo Acoustic guitar and I love The Sound Michael Hedges had on Aerial Boundaries. You talked about the quality of a reverb in this video, and many reverbs I hear sound like they are designed to make an effect noice rather than having the note or chord you are playing ringing out like if you would hear it in a bigger room. Could you recommend a reverb pedal ?
How about digital or analog?
What is the best reverb type for R&B?