Our latest version of the BTR has improved access to the footswitch by placing it to the front right spot on the pedal, while also making it easier to change the battery when needed. The art has been upgraded, and the circuit has been fine-tuned and expanded to work well with a wider range of guitars and amplifiers. A new FILTER knob has been added to the controls, and the reverb now has two settings that are easy to understand.
Adjust the balance between the dry (original) sound and the wet (effect) sound with the REVERB knob. The more you turn this knob clockwise, the stronger the wet signal becomes and your signal will be almost all reverb decay. If you set it to the maximum, the sound will continue to decay from a small note, and you can make beautiful sustaining tones like strings. The DECAY knob will make the reverb extend from a short reverb (sounds like a bathroom) to a much longer reverb (sounds like a church). If you set it for a long decay, you will be transported to an outer space cathedral that is vast and fantastic.
The FILTER knob adjusts the brightness of the reverb tone. Interior spaces with hard walls tend to sound brighter, while softer spaces like wood sound softer. You can change the texture of the reverb space by adjusting this knob. And most importantly, the switch will give you a choice between SPRING and HALL reverb sounds. The SPRING sound is the classic reverb tank heard in amplifiers all over the world and features in genres like surf, classic rock, and 50s. The HALL setting is more of an open and spacious sound that can sound like a small room to a great cathedral.
What IS the Reverb Effect?
Reverb is an effect that simulates complex sound reflections so that sound echoes in real space by applying a randomly set delay to the guitar sound. In the vernacular of guitar tones, “echo” is a delay-style effect. However, on Karaoke machines and home stereo systems, “echo” is more of a reverb effect. It was an effect aimed at creating a spatial spread of sound, and in the past the studio engineers would mic the room to capture the reverb reflections. After this, there was “plate reverb” using a thin sheet of metal that was 3 x 9ft – however, such a large device was expensive and only large studios could have one. Spring reverb is the best-known analog reverb effect. The swing of the spring added a mechanical reverberation to the sound and was small enough to install on many classic guitar amplifiers. Especially favored in surf music, you can hear it in classic songs by instrumental guitar groups like The Ventures and Dick Dale.
As technology marches on, the digital delays start to appear and make it much easier to recreate all sort of reverb, from small bathroom-style plates to large cathedral spaces. This is the current style reverb pedal. THE LARGE SPREAD OF SOUND THAT USED TO BE MADE IN LARGE HALLS CAN NOW BE MADE WITH THE PALM-SIZED DEVICE LIKE THE BATH TIME REVERB!
Bath Time Reverb allows you to choose two types of reverb sounds that guitarists need the most. You can apply reverb on any riff, and I hope you enjoy it – but as a simple way to use the BTR, adjust the switch to HALL and set DECAY to the center/noon. For slower tempo songs such as ballads, choose HALL and fully enjoy the gorgeous sound spread. For surf music, southern rock, classic rock, choose the SPRING which makes the sound of the spring reverb as used in the classic 50s and 60s tube amplifiers.
--Kaz
The foot switch is true bypass. It's powered by a 9V battery or a standard center minus DC9V adapter. Because of the high current consumption, it is recommended to drive with an adapter.
Jonas Claesson, a surf art painter active in Australia, oversees the design.
I dropped the bathroom into the design where I can feel the reverb effect the most. Enjoy the unbalanced design of the bathroom and polar bear.