Because using pedal effects is such an integral part of the creative process for guitarists, the ideal way to find the most suitable delay/reverb pedal is to try them out yourself. Product reviews and online demos can also be a great resource in learning what a specific pedal is capable of and how it might best fit into your effects rig. There are, however, some important factors to consider when making your decision.
Reverb/Echo Effects
Reverb does exactly what its name indicates, providing reverberations of the sound coming out of the instrument which results in an echoing effect. If you’ve ever been in a large hall and noticed the way in which the environment alters the sound of someone speaking out loud, you have experienced reverb in its natural form.
Reverb/echo settings in modern guitar pedals emulate the classic methods of reverb from the early days of studio recording and engineering when sounds were routed through plates and springs to produce a warm tone. What you’re getting in your guitar pedal is the same, albeit a much more compact operation which allows for far greater sound control.
Most reverb effects will let you control the reverbs type, tone, amount, and decay time. Some pedals also combine different reverb effects at once, allowing guitarists to tweak the minutiae of the settings and develop their own unique sounds.
Delay Effects
The origins of delay as a processed effect go back to when a signal was sent through a reel-to-reel recorder, copied, and then played back a specific amount of time through a complex tape machine set-up after the original sound was played. Fortunately, there are now guitar pedals emulating this effect, providing guitarists greater control over their sounds and eliminating the need for massive audio setups.
With a delay effect, guitarists can accompany themselves and set up poly-rhythmic repeats ranging from bouncy melodic to dissonantly chaotic. You can also manipulate the amount of delay, length of delay, speed of the sound’s playback, and the mix between the dry “no effect” and wet “with effect” signals, so players can dial in a sound perfectly fitted to a specific song.
Analog Delay vs. Digital Delay
Analog delay obviously came first, providing what many consider to be a warmer tone with greater character. Modeled after its analog predecessor, digital delay has been accused of being “too clean” as the audio signal is run through digital processors before coming back out through the pedal.
If all of this sounds like it’s splitting hairs, these nuances are typically only noticeable to audiophiles or guitarists truly attuned to their sound; luckily, over the last few decades digital delay pedals have developed enough to come significantly closer in capturing the “imperfect” sound of analog delays. This is a good thing because as analog pedals and the parts required for their operation become scarce, their price tag will continue to rise significantly.
Looping Effects
Taking the concept of delay one step further, many guitar delay/reverb pedals also feature a looping function which sets up a permanent repeated delay. This effect truly brings the “one man band” concept to life, as guitarists can build intricate layers of sound in real-time, stacking tracks to achieve a wall of sound, and can be a useful way to thicken up a guitar part.
While several effects companies offer exclusive pedals for handling looping, the ability to create this unique effect still falls into the category of delay and reverb. Guitarists can lay a subtle, repeated loop as a foundation for a piece or use the looping for a more abrasive and ear-splitting effect.
Durability
Durability is definitely a factor to take into consideration when selecting a pedal, especially if it will used continually for live performance. Traveling on the road presents risks for effects pedals even when they are being properly transported. Alternately, if a guitarist intends on using a pedal strictly for studio work, this opens up more options, as the pedal will more than likely experience far less wear and tear.
Intended Use
Deciding on intended use for your new pedal will make finding the right one immensely easier. While many pedals offer complex sound switching and manipulation, these options should be quickly accessible in a live setting, especially considering the guitarist will likely make these changes using only their feet!
Just because a pedal offers deeply expansive editing capabilities doesn’t necessarily peg it as a bad choice for live use since some models offer programmable presets or auxiliary components for easy selection of favored settings. While some pedals may not offer the ideal ability to switch settings during a live stage performance, that’s something of little concern for guitarists looking for something to use solely for recording purposes.