Not long after announcing a Booster/Preamp pedal called BP-1W, they’re launching a brand-new pedal, the RV-200 Reverb. The new unit is a continuation of their 200 Series which is taking over the pedal market. And the 200 Series itself is the successor of their previous versatile pedals that were focused on a specific effect but provided players with a variety of options.
So, alongside six other effects, or groups of effects, the RV-200 is the seventh one, bringing multiple reverb options to choose from. The pedal bears the same larger casing and a very similar interface. As the press release reads, it “delivers inspiring reverbs and exceptional sound in a streamlined, pedalboard-friendly design,” and it brings “everything from subtle spatial color to complex, dreamy textures for ambient explorations.”
The unit features a total of 12 different reverb types, all with their own flexible parameters for further versatility. Within these 12 reverbs is also the company’s very new Arpverb. The device’s cleverly conceived interface also brings a quick way to access sounds and presets. It also allows for up to 127 favorites. These 12 reverberation modes are:
- Room
- Hall
- Plate
- Spring
- Shimmer
- Arpverb
- Slowverb
- Modulate
- +Delay
- Lo-Fi
- Gate
- Reverse
The new Arpverb mode is a pretty specific one. It’s kind of like getting that “water-ish” sound, like a weird combo of delay and reverb, giving a completely new dimension to the tone. It’s difficult to fully describe so here’s a brief demo.
The pedal has two footswitches, one for turning the effect on and off, while the other is for accessing memory and the “hold” control. There’s also the dual input and dual output configuration for both mono and stereo operation. What’s really interesting is that the pedal allows for external parameter control, stuff like expression pedals.
There’s a total of seven knobs on the top panel. These are:
- Mode
- Time
- Pre-delay
- Effect level
- Parameter (or “PARAM,” function changes with different reverb modes)
- Low (bottom-ends)
- High (treble)
In addition, it also comes with Density and Memory buttons.
Apart from that, it’s worth noting that the unit features Boss’ own DSP technology, which has proven itself over the last decade or so. The analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion is at the usual 32 bits, and the same can be said about processing. The sampling frequency is 96 kHz.
As for advanced features, the RV-200 has the MIDI in and out, allowing for some complex rig functionality. It’s especially useful if you run multiple 200 Series pedals, sync them all up, and select memorized presets all at once. Apart from that, there’s also USB connectivity.
The recommended price is currently set at $269.99, and the pedal is now available through your usual authorized Boss retailers. For more info on the RV-200 Reverb, visit Boss’ website here.
Photos: Boss
