Boss RV-6 Digital Reverb

I actually never owned or even tried out the BOSS RV-5, which was the predecessor to the RV-6, and a popular industry standard. But I had some interest in trying another compact reverb to use with my amps that don't have on-board reverb, and having an option in a BOSS enclosure is instantly appealing because they're so compact and durable. Seriously, BOSS gear may not have the "cool" factor of boutique gear, but that form factor is tried and tested, and you'll never hear anyone rip BOSS gear for being unreliable or flimsy.The BOSS RV-6 has 8 modes, so I'll go through each briefly and give my impressions. There are also 3 knobs for effect level, tone, and time. Compared to the RV-5, most of the same reverb styles are available - including the popular modulated reverb mode which helped give the RV-5 such lasting appeal - but they removed the gated reverb and added "Dynamic", "Shimmer", and "Reverb + Delay". My primary basis for comparison is my DigiTech Hardwire RV-7 Stereo Reverb, which incorporates Lexicon algorithms and is excellent. It is a bit bulkier and heavier than the RV-6, to the extent that matters to you.----------SPRING - This is a classic style of reverb found on many vintage amps (notably Fender, but many others), and while it's often associated with surf, it's broadly featured in countless subgenres within pop and rock. That being said, it isn't always easy to capture the metallic response of the spring as you hit strings more aggressively with a digital spring reverb, but I thoguht the RV-6 did a great job with it.PLATE - Another vintage style of reverb, particularly popular in the 60's and 70's and noted for its pairing with higher gain rock sounds. Features a moderate amount of decay with a brighter tone than spring. I've actually started to appreciate it more and more, and it's done well on the RV-6.HALL - Digital reverbs generally have no trouble simulating large hall reverberations, and the same applies to this pedal. Again, 5 of these modes were borrowed from the RV-5, but with some minor revisions/updating.ROOM - It's great that the RV-6 features room reverb because it's an excellent alternative to the washed out sounds you get from so many other digital reverbs. It features a very short decay that sounds more like you're playing in small-to-medium-sized room, as opposed to an effect applied afterwards. My Hardwire RV-7 excels at this, but I thought the RV-6 did a great job as well.MODULATE - This is the reverb mode perhaps most associated with BOSS reverb pedals, as it's somewhat unique from most vintage-inspired reverbs. It has a longer, dreamy decay with chorus-like modulation that swells and warbles subtly and extends the life of your notes and chords. It's really a beautiful effect, and a nice addition to the options found on this and other reverb pedals I've tried.DYNAMIC - The Dynamic reverb on the RV-6 was an interesting concept, but one that didn't gel with me. Perhaps it's something you need to continue to tweak and get used to. The idea is that the amount of reverb increases when you play fewer notes, but decreases when you play a bunch of notes in succession. I think the goal is to dial back reverb at times when it would cause your tone to wash out, but I felt like it made chords and certain notes jump out in an artificial way.SHIMMER - Shimmer is sort of the newer popular feature that so many reverb and delay pedals are scrambling to add (TC Electronic just added it to their Hall of Fame Reverb 2). It's difficult to describe, except that it sort of generates a polyphonic, harmonized accompaniment to your notes - almost like having a backing orchestra.+ DELAY - This "reverb plus delay" mode is a cool feature that harkens back to the BOSS RV-3 Digital Reverb/Delay pedal. I wasn't sure what to expect out of it because BOSS was a little vague in describing how it works, but it's actually a very straightforward reverb pedal that gives you control over the "feedback" (number of repeats) using the "TONE" knob, while the effect level increases the volume/intensity of the repeated notes. This is then layered on top of a reverb effect (which I believe is a "hall" reverb). The result is sort of an analog style delay, as the echoed notes themselves are subject to additional reverberation. I found it surprisingy easy to dial in, and quite convenient to be able to grab a single BOSS pedal, throw it in front of an amp or a mixer and have delay and reverb mixed in one pedal. Obviously, you'd get much greater depth throwing the delay pedal of your choice in front of the RV-6, and using the latter strictly for reverb.----------CONCLUSION:The BOSS RV-6 is just a solid unit considering that it retails for $150.00. It certainly has the depth of features and quality of reverb to be considered a professional piece of gear, but if you're a semi-pro or even just a novice player looking for a solid reverb pedal that will last you for a long time, it's hard to find any fault with the RV-6. Especially considering that super-cheaper reverb pedals of any quality are usually pretty bad, or still around $100, so the RV-6 might be worth a look for just a bit more money. I should also mention that the current draw on a 9V power supply is only 65mA, which (I think) is surprisingly low for a digital reverb pedal. They actually claim 5 hours of battery life, which may be just enough to bother with it. All in all, this is an excellent reverb pedal, and just like any other BOSS pedal, it's hard to imagine not having use for it 10, 20, or even 30 years down the road.

Another incredible Boss pedal. The default settings out of the box are incredible and this thing has numerous other Reverb types for many different sounds. It really is one of those multi-function pedals that does multiple types of effects flawlessly. The dynamic mode is a bit of a weird one, not sure the best setup for that but it was easily the least of the modes, yet still fine. There is also a delay and chorus option that, while fine, are not nearly as full-featured as the legit Boss Chorus and Delay Pedals (specifically the Waza ones which are out of this world). However, these are free add ons and are really nice to have on here considering that the Reverb effects are so good. This could easily do the job of three pedals if you just want to use one effect at a time. 10/10 pedal.

The sound is obvious and wonderful. It also has many different settings to choose from. It might be slightly more expensive than the average Boss pedal, but that might be because they know what they have here. Without a doubt the best pedal I've ever owned. If you're on the fence, I hope this review inspires you to jump over it. Thank me later.

Pedal arrived packaged well to protect it from damage. It worked flawlessly.EDIT* After owning this pedal that I originally purchased to update an all Boss Board. I did compare it to a few other reverbs I have, the Strymon Blue Sky came the closest I had to give a good comparison. Both are stereo input and output. The Boss RV-6 is more compact than the Blue Sky, their functions are similar with the edge for tone control and wet dry mix going to the Strymon. One of my favorites modes is Shimmer, with the tone, treble in particular, give a wonderful ambient tone, and the Boss wins that area. The Boss is slightly more versatile than the Strymon, while both are built with a solid metal, Boss pedals are built like a tank. Nearly indestructible. I bought my first Boss pedal in 1981 and still have it functioning to this day.

Boss pedals are always solid. Apart from my wah and compressor pedals, my goto pedals are made by Boss - delay, chorus, tuner, overdrive. With the RV-6, I can create ambient sounds or dress up clean tones. I use it with a bit of overdrive and delay for rock. Simple, sturdy, and versatile. Great for live playing.

Versatile reverb for lush big sounds and also normal rock n roll. Built like a tank.

BOSS have the very best pedals. I like the RV-6, but am still holding onto my RV-3s. I think I like the RV-3 more, but the RV-6 is nice.