BOSS has introduced the RV-200, a hardware reverb pedal that offers 12 versatile reverb types, for “everything from subtle spatial color to complex, dreamy textures”.
Here’s what they have to say about it:
“The RV-200 delivers inspiring reverbs and premium sound in the streamlined BOSS 200 series design. Twelve versatile reverb types—including the newly developed Arpverb—provide everything from subtle spatial color to complex, dreamy textures for ambient explorations. Quickly dial in sounds with the fast-access interface. Save favorites in 127 memories. And take performances to the next level with flexible onboard footswitches, deep external control support, and head-turning creative tools like Warp, Twist, and more.”
Features:
- “Class-leading sound quality” with 32-bit AD/DA, 32-bit floating point processing, and 96 kHz sampling rate
- Twelve distinctive reverb types, including the newly developed Arpverb
- Fast, easy operation with hands-on controls
- 127 user memories for storing sounds
- Density control with six stages
- Param knob to access extended functions within each reverb type
- Selectable carryover for maintaining reverb trails when switching presets or bypassing the effect
- Stereo I/O with wet/dry and dry mute output options
- Two assignable footswitches
- Expressive Hold, Warp, and Twist effects available via footswitch control
- Deep external control support via footswitches, an expression pedal, and TRS MIDI I/O
- Connect and control multiple 200 series pedals at once via MIDI
- Panel lock function to avoid accidental sound changes
- Powered via three AA batteries or optional AC adaptor
Pricing and Availability:
The BOSS RV-200 reverb pedal is available now for $269.99.
So does this mean we’ll get a firmware update for the RV-500 for any new features or algos, or do we have to BYAP (buy yet another pedal)?
I have to admit, I really do like the “Arpverb”!
Affordable?? Why in my day, a boy could walk into a Guitar Center and buy a BRAND NEW Boss DS-1 distortion pedal for FORTY DOLLARS…and we liked it! We loved it.
Now GET OFF MY LAWN…
I think that the “affordable” was in reference to the Strymon Big Sly and Night Sky products which seem to be the obvious competition and cost about $200+ more.
Preach. Now you get to wait on a 6 month pre order and pay $260-500 and an obnoxious Sweetwater rep will harass you with phone call for the next 6 months. ? ?
We must ban “shimmer” (octave up) reverb in 2024!
I would expect in 2023 all reverb pedals/fx to be able to morph betweetn their presets and offer additionaly impulse response/convolution algorithms. Until then…
Always liked the boss reverb sound. It is beautiful reverb giving a sense of space without drowning the original signal. Still never owned a RV pedal because: The RV-6 was too minimal and the rv-500 too complex.
RV 200 offering a lot of flavours without menu diving is just what i need!
I’ve never been a fan of Boss’s reverb algorithms. I find them unnatural and not musical. Maybe I hear patterns that don’t sound like a real space. It seems like they’ve taken their approach (which you either like or you don’t), and made it more hi-fi. Boss does make good hardware and provides a great level of tweakability.
I suppose take my criticism with a grain of salt. I also don’t like the sound of Strymon reverbs either.
My favorite hardware reverbs are in that Lexicon kind of sound. Neunaber’s Immerse MkII is a nice reverb, but it’s high passed so there’s no low end. I’m curious to learn more about their Illumine pedal. That looks like a beast.
The various pedals that use Lexicon reverbs (Digitech Polaris, Hardware RV-7, and various RP multis) all sound quite good.
The reverbs in the Fractal FM3 are next level. Seems dumb to get an FM3 just for reverb, everything else in there (amps, cabs, FX, dynamics, EQ, filters) is top notch.
Quick Shimmer tip: turn the MIX to 1%, then turn it down from there. So yea, for the record, I’m with Frank. The worst part about Shimmers is that they waste a slot that could be used by a a reverb. But yea, you can leave ’em on there for the kids. Best practices though? Make it hideable. Better yet, just add a shimmer button that can be enabled for any reverb, then I’ll put hot-glue on it.
The Illumine is just gorgeous.
Yea, that Illumine looks/sounds like a winner.
i love boss pedals but the thing that drives me crazy is the “E Level” knob, they need to switch to a mix knob so things can be fully wet instead of just adding in more of the effect in parallel with the dry signal.
My Digitech RP360 (which has nice reverb) has the same thing.
It’s worth seeing if Boss has a dry level knob. Having separate level controls is nice because with just a one knob wet/dry balance the sum must equal 100.
wait – E level fully clockwise is not the same as fully wet?
E = effect = wet Boss sometimes let’s you set dry level and effect level separately. E Level fully clockwise just means the effected signal is up, dry level (controlled separately) may still be present. Wet/Dry knob means Wet Dry = 100. 100 0 —> 50 50 —>
100+0 —> 50+50 —> 100+0
I read the manual.
You can set the dry level in three ways:
Dry 100% or dry 0% – or use the stereo outs as one mono wet and one mono dry.
E-Level always controls the level of the wet signal.
No standard “Mix” from 100% dry to 100% wet.