paisleywookiee
Rock Star
- Messages
- 6,138
We are all people, which is what makes my post paradoxical.Hey! I am people, too!
Simple-ish reverb pedals
- Thread starter Boudoir Guitar
- Start date
- Messages
- 7,301
RV-7s fetch well north of $200 on the used market. I can still recall when they blew out ALL of the
Hardwire lineup ($49!!), because no one seemed to want them. Now everyone is like "Lexicon! Lexicon!"
and losing their minds.
Why were they not that good in 2007 and now they are borderline iconic?
I use the DL-8 and RV-7 on our second album, and I've loved them ever since!
- Messages
- 2,052
Keeley Aurora Digital Reverb 2015 - Present - Green | Reverb
Great sounding reverb. Excellent condition.
reverb.com
david57strat
Groupie
- Messages
- 38
I bought a used Hall of Fame 2 (through eBay) and a new Polara at the end of 2018.
They both seemed wonderful - until they didn't.
The honeymoon phase was particularly short-lived with the HoF2.
As I started upgrading my reverbs (first, with an Eventide Space and a Source Audio Ventris), the Polara, Hall of Fame 2, and also an EQD Afterneath v2 were removed from my primary board forever.
As others have mentioned, the Hall of Fame gave me that same brittle-feeling, cold, unconvincing reverb that couldn't compete with the two newer (and far more expensive) reverbs. I knew I'd never play that pedal again, once i played through those, so I sold it. Fortunately, I brought it used so I may have come close to breaking even on it.
The tone knob helped, some; but it didn't really warm up the reverb to my liking.
I also could not stand the 2-position pre-delay switch. If you're going to have a pre-delay option on a reverb pedal, it should be in a continuously adjustable knob; NOT a 2-position toggle switch!
Same with tremolo on an amp. Slow and fast settings, for an effect of this nature, make no sense to me, whatsoever. I actually never owned an amp that had tremolo built into it, but subsequently purchased nice pedals that did the trick, and have been very happy with those, since.
The shimmer algorithm on the HoF2 was horrid (to my ears), compared to that on other nicer reverbs. It sounded cheesy and contrived, to me. Night and day. I found it unusable.
The Polara was nice enough; but I didn't think it had anything, sound-wise, to write home about, compared to the others, which were clearly more serious units that were worth the extra cash. All the rave about the Lexicon algorithms seemed like hype to me, after really using it for a bit. I admit - they were nice. They just weren't fantastic.
Don't get me started on the artwork. Besides being fucking hideous (well....at least, to me), the color scheme made the knob labels extremely difficult to read.
I've never played through that pedal, since. It's been years,now. I should sell it, but I just can't seem to get around to it. It looks nearly new.
The Afterneath v2 gets very rare play. The v3 (that I also have) gets more usage, but I admit I'm spoiled for stereo reverbs, so others seem to get more love than it does.
I'm all on-board with the MXR M300 reverb as a (relatively) affordable, versatile pedal, for all that it offers. It's beautiful-sounding, and dead simple to dial in. Really usable algorithms, and all in a nicely-made compact pedal - in glorious stereo, with the use of TRS cables and a DIP switch change on the inside of the pedal. I've had that pedal since September of 2018. It's a keeper :-).
I've seen some, used, on reverb, at a similar price point to what the OP was wanting to pay.
OP - sorry if I missed any post that mentioned what you ended up choosing, if anything. Did you find what you were looking for?
They both seemed wonderful - until they didn't.
The honeymoon phase was particularly short-lived with the HoF2.
As I started upgrading my reverbs (first, with an Eventide Space and a Source Audio Ventris), the Polara, Hall of Fame 2, and also an EQD Afterneath v2 were removed from my primary board forever.
As others have mentioned, the Hall of Fame gave me that same brittle-feeling, cold, unconvincing reverb that couldn't compete with the two newer (and far more expensive) reverbs. I knew I'd never play that pedal again, once i played through those, so I sold it. Fortunately, I brought it used so I may have come close to breaking even on it.
The tone knob helped, some; but it didn't really warm up the reverb to my liking.
I also could not stand the 2-position pre-delay switch. If you're going to have a pre-delay option on a reverb pedal, it should be in a continuously adjustable knob; NOT a 2-position toggle switch!
Same with tremolo on an amp. Slow and fast settings, for an effect of this nature, make no sense to me, whatsoever. I actually never owned an amp that had tremolo built into it, but subsequently purchased nice pedals that did the trick, and have been very happy with those, since.
The shimmer algorithm on the HoF2 was horrid (to my ears), compared to that on other nicer reverbs. It sounded cheesy and contrived, to me. Night and day. I found it unusable.
The Polara was nice enough; but I didn't think it had anything, sound-wise, to write home about, compared to the others, which were clearly more serious units that were worth the extra cash. All the rave about the Lexicon algorithms seemed like hype to me, after really using it for a bit. I admit - they were nice. They just weren't fantastic.
Don't get me started on the artwork. Besides being fucking hideous (well....at least, to me), the color scheme made the knob labels extremely difficult to read.
I've never played through that pedal, since. It's been years,now. I should sell it, but I just can't seem to get around to it. It looks nearly new.
The Afterneath v2 gets very rare play. The v3 (that I also have) gets more usage, but I admit I'm spoiled for stereo reverbs, so others seem to get more love than it does.
I'm all on-board with the MXR M300 reverb as a (relatively) affordable, versatile pedal, for all that it offers. It's beautiful-sounding, and dead simple to dial in. Really usable algorithms, and all in a nicely-made compact pedal - in glorious stereo, with the use of TRS cables and a DIP switch change on the inside of the pedal. I've had that pedal since September of 2018. It's a keeper :-).
I've seen some, used, on reverb, at a similar price point to what the OP was wanting to pay.
OP - sorry if I missed any post that mentioned what you ended up choosing, if anything. Did you find what you were looking for?
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- Messages
- 7,301
I ended up going all out and getting a Fractal VP4. I was on the fence for a few months, but I finally decided to get it. My reasoning was:
- I have an Axe FX III already, and I LOVE the reverbs on it.
- The board I was setting up was just increasingly getting bigger and bigger, given the occasional effect I wanted to add. I hit a limit because of the floor real estate I have to hand, so a multi-effect seemed to be the best way to solve this.
- I picked up a Foxy fuzz by Warm Audio, and while it was good... it wasn't GREAT... and Fractal have updated the drive block with some new fuzzes recently, and those sound great! (the pedal is going back this week)
- I can still have the RV-5 and MXR Reverbs on the board if I so choose. Although I've not decided which pedals to pair with the VP4 yet to be honest.
I'm probably going to sell my Meris MercuryX, because the love affair is kinda over. I'm not sure about the LVX though. There are things I like about it that the VP4 doesn't do. Like the ability to add loads of effects to the feedback loop; notably the granular effect, which I really dig... but... will I ever actually use it!! That is the question.
EDIT - I'm not OP.
Blame the tiredness and back pain!!
- Messages
- 7,301
As for the HoF2 ... shimmer sucks, yes. But I kinda like the nastiness of their hall algorithm. It really hits the front of a crunch tone in an interesting way.
The Polara (rehoused Hardwire RV-7 as I understand it) is cool, but nothing special really. I've owned it in the past, as well as the RV-7, and it was my main reverb pedal at one point. I did love it for a time. But I eventually found it very limiting.
The Boss RV-5 has always been a pedal I loved.
The Polara (rehoused Hardwire RV-7 as I understand it) is cool, but nothing special really. I've owned it in the past, as well as the RV-7, and it was my main reverb pedal at one point. I did love it for a time. But I eventually found it very limiting.
The Boss RV-5 has always been a pedal I loved.
The way I have things set up atm, I have a Bad Cat Black Cat combo sitting on top of a Black Cat extension cabinet – but that’s 1 of 2 1x12’s I have my AE50 connected to (Marshall 1912 is the other).
But when in stereo with the AE50, just for convenience/testing, with an EQD Dispatch Master in the FX Loop of the Engl, I get a very interesting stereo sound with the Tremolo on the Black Cat where the speakers are – delay underneath the tremolo, literally. I adjust the speed of the Black Cat tremolo to match the delay in the AE50.
Serendipity/novelty or misuse of the amps?
I can’t get the same effect with a Volante, Timeline or any other delay/reverb pedal combo I have.
Agree completely.
david57strat
Groupie
- Messages
- 38
Your amp/tremolo situation sounds extremely unorthodox - but if it's giving you what you want - why not? Rules were meant to be broken!
The three trem pedals that are making me happy are these:
The Latitude Deluxe v2 was the first one I ever bought. I love this pedal. This is the very first "boutique" pedal I ever purchased. Have had it a little over six years.
Useful and extremely versatile parameter adjustments allow for you to get surgical with its sonic capabilities. But, it's mono, and I really wanted stereo capabilities (Been doing stereo setups since 1997), or my search would probably have ended, right there.
Brian, when you gonna make a stereo Latitude (v3) pedal????
The Supa-Trem2 v2 is basic, but gorgeous-sounding panning tremolo. Yes, it is analog. Stellar tones!
Both, the SupaTrem2 v2 and the Keeley Hydra offer up stereo inputs and outputs, but the Hydra also has some different trem algorithms and has some digital reverbs, which can be combined, or used separately. It also has memory slots, right on the pedal.
I have their Eccos and Halo Delays, and they deliver.
I must admit I didn't warm up very quickly to using knobs with secondary functions, but the slight learning curve is worth the trouble.
They're a blast to use :-).
This is an effect that, up until maybe six or so years ago, I never thought I'd find myself using, on my original pieces. But I was wrong.
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david57strat
Groupie
- Messages
- 38
Congratulations on your new VP4 purchase! Looking forward to hearing all about it, once you've had a chance to put it through its paces.I ended up going all out and getting a Fractal VP4. I was on the fence for a few months, but I finally decided to get it. My reasoning was:
- I have an Axe FX III already, and I LOVE the reverbs on it.
- The board I was setting up was just increasingly getting bigger and bigger, given the occasional effect I wanted to add. I hit a limit because of the floor real estate I have to hand, so a multi-effect seemed to be the best way to solve this.
- I picked up a Foxy fuzz by Warm Audio, and while it was good... it wasn't GREAT... and Fractal have updated the drive block with some new fuzzes recently, and those sound great! (the pedal is going back this week)
- I can still have the RV-5 and MXR Reverbs on the board if I so choose. Although I've not decided which pedals to pair with the VP4 yet to be honest.
I'm probably going to sell my Meris MercuryX, because the love affair is kinda over. I'm not sure about the LVX though. There are things I like about it that the VP4 doesn't do. Like the ability to add loads of effects to the feedback loop; notably the granular effect, which I really dig... but... will I ever actually use it!! That is the question.
EDIT - I'm not OP.
If I was to go back to rack processing, I think the Ax FX III would be the ticket for me. But about six years ago (and for better or worse), I decided to veer back towards using all dedicated pedals, instead.
No regrets, so far!
I had an RV-5 that I loved. I bought it when I was building up a dedicated system for my acoustic/electric. I later bought the GT-3 and that became my main acoustic processor, combined with some rack stuff, for a while.
I think that may have been the only dedicated BOSS reverb pedal I purchased. Went through many of their multi-effects processors though, over the years (GX-700, GT-3, GT-10, and now the GT-1000 Core). Miss having the DD-3, BF-2, PH1-R, and other MIJ pedals, back in mid-80s, which I sold off around 1997, when I picked up the GX-700, thinking I'd never need pedals again.
Big mistake.
Re-purchased a near-mint BF-2 Flanger just this past week. Had to have it!
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