Reverb Pedal Frequency Response

[Orvillain]

We talk a lot about amplifier and speaker frequency response, whether real or modelled. But we don't often talk about frequency response of pedals. In my neverending quest to get the perfect Boss RV-5 'Modulate' setting on other bits of gear, I thought I'd do some sweeps of my reverbs - all with the kill-dry enabled, so we're only looking at the wet signal.

Pink is always the RV-5.

Check this out:

This is the UA Golden pedal versus Boss RV-5 set to Modulate mode. I'm sending in sustained pink noise into both pedals. I have the treble absolutely cranked on the Golden and it is set to Hall 224 mode A. I have the tone knob on the RV-5 at 1 o'clock on the knob. Look at how much more high frequency content there is to play with on the RV-5. That's quite an insane difference.

Versus Plate 140 Mode A:

Now of course, frequency response does not tell you everything you would want to know about a bit of gear. But it can be an enlightening comparison.

This is the RV-5 versus the MXR Reverb set to 'Mod' mode with the tone control at max - so the brightest setting:

Whereas this the 'Epic' mode - which is a very cool mode, but doesn't sound anything like a smooth modulated hall like the RV-5 does:

So whilst it might seem like it is closer to the RV-5, it actually isn't. One of the flaws of only using frequency response as a comparison metric.

Here is the Hall of Fame 2 set to a custom toneprint using the Hall mode as a basis (ignore the name at the bottom, I forgot to rename the track):

And one more, the Meris MercuryX on the 78 Hall mode, with some effects processing to boost high frequencies, because by default the algorithm is dark even when you tits the treble:

And for good measure, here is what you get when you crank the tone control on the RV-5 (the pink curve!)

You can actually get an insane amount of treble boost from the RV-5 this way, which when slamming the front of an amplifier, really helps to get you that Kevin Shields style of tone. Think My Bloody Valentine, Mogwai, and those kinds of bands.

For my tastes, I'm always turned off when a reverb pedal is too dark and not capable of doing the bright and brash thing.

 

[James Freeman]

Lexicon 224 had sampling rate of 20kHz (compared to the standard of 44.1kHz) which gave a bandwidth of up to 8kHz, and nothing above that.
The Golden 224 mode is pretty much the Lexicon 224 VST plugin in a pedal which is as accurate as it gets.

Source:

https://www.vintagedigital.com.au/lexicon-224-digital-reverberator/

 

[Orvillain]

Lexicon 224 had sampling rate of 20kHz (compared to the standard of 44.1kHz) which gave a bandwidth of up to 8kHz, and nothing above that.
The Golden 224 mode is pretty much the Lexicon 224 VST plugin in a pedal which is as accurate as it gets.

Source:

https://www.vintagedigital.com.au/lexicon-224-digital-reverberator/

Indeed. Indeed.

I dig all these pedals quite a bit. But there's something really special about the RV-5 for me. In an ideal world, what I'd have is a perfect recreation of the RV-5 Mod mode, with lower noise floor. It is kind of ridiculous how noisy the pedal is. The Golden, MXR, and Meris, are all much quieter!

 

[the swede]

Indeed. Indeed.

I dig all these pedals quite a bit. But there's something really special about the RV-5 for me. In an ideal world, what I'd have is a perfect recreation of the RV-5 Mod mode, with lower noise floor. It is kind of ridiculous how noisy the pedal is. The Golden, MXR, and Meris, are all much quieter!

Helix Ganymede? As i recall it was quite in the same vein as RV-5 with tone/treble up high. It was my most used reverb back in my Stomp days.

You already know the truth Orv babe… RV-5 is RV-5, you’ve tried to force high end modeling reverb pedals to mimic it but it won’t happen.

 

[dbagchee]

Boss pedals seem perfectly engineered to be in front of the amp. The UA/Strymons et al seem more suited for the loop (for conventional tones). Interesting comparison!

 

[James Freeman]

Hall 224 C in Golden:
That's a single sample full frequency impulse 'click' through the pedal.
Nothing above 8kHz, lows and highs decay faster than mids.

Plate C in Golden.

 

[James Freeman]

Flint 80s (Hall):

Flint 70s (Plate):

 

[Orvillain]

Oh nice, I'll do the same sort of thing through the RV-5 later. What are you measuring in?

 

[James Freeman]

What are you measuring in?

Sending a Dirac from my DAW via SPDIF through the AxeFx into the Pedal then back to the AxeFx and back into my DAW via SPDIF.
Exporting a WAV file, importing into Audacity to use its Spectrogram view of the waveform.
---

Interestingly, only the Goldan Hall 224 somewhat preserves the original dirac 'click' or sounds like the source, the other algorithms seem more processed.

 

[Orvillain]

Ah cool. I can use Spectralayers for a spectrogram view.

Interestingly, only the Goldan Hall 224 somewhat preserves the original dirac 'click' or sounds like the source, the other algorithms seem more processed.

Might be to do with some algo's using IR's and some being properly algorithmic? Not sure really.

 

[FuzzyAce]

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[Orvillain]

A brief message from our sponsor:

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[AlbertA]

You can use REW too (https://www.roomeqwizard.com/)

 

[AlbertA]

Not familiar with the RV5 there - but that much high frequency energy seems like a model of an unusually bright place no?

 

[Orvillain]

Not familiar with the RV5 there - but that much high frequency energy seems like a model of an unusually bright place no?

I wouldn't necessarily expect the RV-5 to align with real places. They're more likely to be "ideal" places, which in 2002 probably meant something very different to what it means in 2025.

You might have noticed, a lot of reverb algorithms made in the last 5-10 years or so, have gone for a very smooth textured, with a reduced emphasis on metallic overtones and brightness. There's a general tendency to attenuate high frequencies these days, which was not always the case - and in my opinion, is part of the reason some old gear still sounds fantastic to this day.

 

[laxu]

For my tastes, I'm always turned off when a reverb pedal is too dark and not capable of doing the bright and brash thing.

I'm the opposite - but I also always put my reverb pedals in the effects loop.

I don't like when reverbs or delays become too prominent, like it is overtaking my dry sound. I currently use the SA Collider with my BluGuitar stereo rig, and the Strymon Flint V2 with my Mesa Mark V. The Flint is always so easy to work with, it just blends in with whatever base sound without making much of a fuss.

The Collider sounds "better" but it tends to veer more on the bright side, so I often set its tone knob pretty low, and cut a good chunk of the bass too.

 

[Orvillain]

The Collider sounds "better" but it tends to veer more on the bright side, so I often set its tone knob pretty low, and cut a good chunk of the bass too.

I got the Nemesis ADT a while back, and I really dig it - apart from noticing that I have a really nasty habit of kicking the feedback knob whenever I go to enable or bypass the pedal with the footswitch!

You can do a bunch of tone tweakery stuff in the app too.

I'm the opposite - but I also always put my reverb pedals in the effects loop.

If you think about it, when running these effects up front, not only are you looking for mush and space to be applied to your guitar, you're also kinda using it like a boost. So bright tails on reverbs work really well for that.

In the effects loop I'd probably want to dial in to taste too.

 

[laxu]

I got the Nemesis ADT a while back, and I really dig it - apart from noticing that I have a really nasty habit of kicking the feedback knob whenever I go to enable or bypass the pedal with the footswitch!

You can do a bunch of tone tweakery stuff in the app too.

I have the non-ADT Nemesis, picked it up dirt cheap used in Japan last year. It's a fine pedal, but it's maybe too many options for me, and often it's hard to remember what the knobs do for each algorithm.

I tend to always just go for my Strymon Volante or El Cap V2 for delay sounds because those are much more purpose built and do just the right things for me.

The Nemesis "secret" Binson Echorec models buried in the editor software are pretty good though, just can't do all the multitap goodness of the Volante. I have replaced some of the standard algorithms I never use with the Binson models.

For me the Collider is just about perfect for reverb - not too many options but enough variety, sounds great with little effort. The delay side is more pedestrian.

I lament that the Collider the Nemesis extra controls. I'd rather have e.g the Collider Tape algorithm use the Nemesis' wow/flutter than the generic modulation. The Collider Tape is "fine and good", but it's no Volante/El Cap, or even Nemesis when used with all the controls. It's just generally brighter, cleaner, less vibe to it.

I should probably start configuring the Collider as dual reverb instead since it can do that in a single preset. Dual delay too, even though it gets kinda hard to manage both for a cohesive sound.

If you think about it, when running these effects up front, not only are you looking for mush and space to be applied to your guitar, you're also kinda using it like a boost. So bright tails on reverbs work really well for that.

In the effects loop I'd probably want to dial in to taste too.

For sure! Maybe I need to try the Collider up front...

 

[the swede]

Like Orv, i tend to prefer being able to have my reverb prominent in the highs region. I can appreciate a long dark mushy reverb tail sometimes, for clean mellow scenarios. Both my reverbs (early and last) are set quite bright. It’s a preference that stems from creatively using effects in certain orders straight into an amp and it all ends with the amp. It’s very much an interaction between several elements.

The tails of a reverb being bright from the start doesn’t necessarily mean they come out just as bright in the end.

For instance, my first in chain reverb needs to pass through an overdrive and a fuzz. What these do to the reverb is one aspect, but what the reverb does to the following pedals are also an aspect (could be viewed as an extension of the instrument).

But a dark mushy reverb simple can’t “drive” the first part of my equation.
Very often when I have turned the first stage into a complete mess/wall of noise/thunder storm type of thing, the end reverb doesn’t do anything if it’s a dark one, in that case delays are mostly used to transport the storm further.

The importance of a bright end reverb for me is that it embellishes pads that mostly are clean, or just guitar and a touch of reverb. Or alternatively it is used to push the end amp (another form of noise creation) coming in hot with other effects hitting the reverb then pushing the amp.

So Orv is quite spot on with the trend analysis. The reverb trends has become more mellow, dark, modulated even in ambient genres. “Old school” post-rock has other requirements though. Imo.