Reverb. Your thoughts on single pedal vs multi FX?

[MartinBarre]

Since the Marshall DSL5C doesn't have reverb (why, in this day and age FFS?) I'm looking at my options. I'll only really be using the amp for the odd blast when I've got the house to myself and a few beers in, with, possibly recording down the line when I have more spare time so I'm not needing anything boutique.
Also, I generally play and write either heavier stuff or folky, acoustic stuff so, again, not sure I need anything other than a cheap, simple room reverb effect. I just need something to take away that dead, dry sound.

I already have a Korg 1500 multi-fx pedal which is pretty cool, but I'd rather use a small reverb pedal into the FX loop on the amp that I can basically leave hooked up all the time, almost as part of the amp. Might even be able to stick one right inside the amp on the floor of the cabinet, although I'm not sure about that with regards to overheating (the DSL5C is a semi-open back amp).

However, even the cheapest stand alone pedals like the Biyang are around £40 and don't even come with a power supply so that's another £10 or whatever. £50 for what I'm after? Should I just use the Korg? I have a feeling I'm letting the dreaded GAS pull me into buying something I don't even need.


What do you all think? And, in general, do you think expensive reverb pedals are really worth it when playing stuff like, for example, thrash or even Maiden/Priest kinda metal?

[wilkinsi]

I'd suggest try to program what you've got before you spend any money. Otherwise, you could end up duplicating what you can already do. Only when you can't get the effect you want, then go spend the money.

[Banjowarrior]

I would guess there isn't room for a spring tank, and they would have had to completely re-engineer the DSL circuitry for to fit a digital one in.

But as I'm making that up myself, I could be way off the mark...

The TC Hall of Fame mini pedal would fit your 'compact' needs, and is about £55. But I don't think it can do batteries.
A Behringer could be had for about £30, takes batteries, would allow you to have a footer about. The fact it's plastic might not matter if it's tucked in the back.

[xenophobe]

I don't use reverb... not into the country twanging folky playing personally, but why wouldn't you just use your Korg? Even if the unit is a decade old it probably has an excellent reverb. I've owned numerous Korg products... they all aged really well. Or go somewhere with a generous return policy and try a pedal out? I like to reuse stuff if possible but yeah, sometimes it's not convenient.

[AdRock]

I agree that you should tweak the Korg before spending any money. If you put some time into it you can get a good reverb out of that unit.

[Newc]

Reverb can be set low in the mix to give just a little bit of depth and fullness to the tone, so it's not so dry. It doesn't have to be "Country/Floyd/Surf Or Die!".

[MartinBarre]

Reverb can be set low in the mix to give just a little bit of depth and fullness to the tone, so it's not so dry. It doesn't have to be "Country/Floyd/Surf Or Die!".

Yeah, that's exactly what I'm after.

I do like the Korg, it's just, being multi-FX, it's pretty big. I was thinking of getting something small, basically so I could add a reverb dial to the amp that would stay on (set low) at all times, without the need for a big pedal. The problem they all have, though, is batteries are useless and once you start factoring in a power supply it all becomes rather unwieldy, no matter what size the pedal is!

I played with the amp/Korg last night for a bit and it sounded good. At 11pm at night though, even 1W is too loud! Ended up using the distortion on the Korg so I could get a decent gain sound at lower volumes, and the wife STILL moaned it was too loud.

[Banjowarrior]

I did get a Mooer pedal from guitarguitar in Embra, it's small. I think they were selling off the display ones, don't know if there was a reverb version.

[hotrod128z]

I run the reverb level in my HT-20 amp at noon. It really does keep the sound more full and less dry (I play clean to 80's style metal (think early Metallica and Dokken) , to Slayer and my favorite Sabbath style riffs, dark, heavy). Reverb is a great add on to your sound IMHO.

I agree on trying to dial in a decent reverb through your Korg unit, especially since you are not wanting that boing, over the top type of verb. You should have the sound right there with you and not need to purchase another in pedal form. I have used a EH Holy Grail before in the past that sounded really good. You could check those out too.


hotrod

[MartinBarre]

I did get a Mooer pedal from guitarguitar in Embra, it's small. I think they were selling off the display ones, don't know if there was a reverb version.

They do. I've seen them on ebay.

[Jackson8090s]

By Korg 1500 multi fx do you mean the Korg AX1500G ? If that's what you have, from what I've read its a great unit, I'd just have to start programming my own channels if you're bored with the factory presets. I do not have any experience with that exact unit so if you do not have the manual (prolly find the pdf online), figuring out how to set a channel can get pretty frustrating according to some of the user reviews I've read.

[VitaminG]

if you're looking for a set-and-forget reverb, could you just leave the 1500 on top of your amp?

I tried mine in the loop of a JCM900 a couple of times. You might be able to get a decent clean patch with reverb and run it in the loop. If you're going to leave it on, you're not running reverb into your OD channel then.

I don't believe you can run FX only though, so you'll always need to have at least a clean amp model & probably a cab emulation to smooth out any harshness. Downside of that is that it's not just giving you reverb, it's also flavouring your amp a bit.

[horns666]

Hmmmm I never liked reverb really. Sounds kinda cool for clean tone for depth and all. Rverbs/Is pretty much assigned to my amps clean/crunch channel if anything. My metal tones are more dry these days, I have just a hint of delay JFX-1 sounds like best IMO. Rudy bought one before I took a break, and loves it. I think he uses it Marshall rack for his main amp live rig...I would. It is Iron Maiden and newer Preist tone, not that fuzzy late 90's owens shit. That was a failed attempt at to appeal to Pantera fans. A trainwreck.

or just a Ns-2 and DD-3 delay ..and maybe my 535Q. Prolly not the wah tho. I hardly use it these days. Just played for a couple hours and the cleans tones sound a bit to dry. So I always use their amp's reverb be it my Line 6 combos, or 6505+ "12 combo. That reverb with crunch sound soooooo much like early Zep..so I play Jimmy Page kinda shit.

Many 80's and 90's metal recording are so washed out in reverbs. Sounded cool at the time. But alot of those band recordings didn't age too well. Savatage '87 HOTMK it cleary a thin fuzzy Rockman and a shit ton of Reverb. Like his tone playing/tone sooooo much better on '93 Edge of Thorns. He was getting better , and then..poof. RIP.

I like my tone like I like poon..seared on one side, raw on the other. With a dry rub.

[markD]

To the OP - sounds like you should be able to accomplish what you need with your korg unit.

Personally, I am not a fan of reverbs that simulate rooms, halls, etc - studio reverbs - with guitar. I will use them when mixing tracks in the studio, but that is a different ball game.....

For guitar, it is the Fender spring reverb all the way or nothing at all. I have an original spring tank from the 60s that I use at home, and the BOSS pedal version - which is nearly identical when A/B'd with the original - to use live. I ALWAYS run my reverb in front of the amp - even on the high gain channel (when I use it, which isn't often). In fact, one of the BEST doom metal sounds I get is running the Fender reverb in front of a distorted Orange amp. By balancing the level of the reverb and the gain on the amp (neither is maxed) I can get a vicious tone that has a subtle depth and some extra character that doesn't exist with the dry Orange tone on it's own.

[MartinBarre]

By Korg 1500 multi fx do you mean the Korg AX1500G ? If that's what you have, from what I've read its a great unit, I'd just have to start programming my own channels if you're bored with the factory presets. I do not have any experience with that exact unit so if you do not have the manual (prolly find the pdf online), figuring out how to set a channel can get pretty frustrating according to some of the user reviews I've read.

Yes that's the one I have. It IS a pain setting things up. Setting patches is easy enough but using the pedals as individual effects is a pain in the arse - you get one right then it seems to change itself for no reason!