Modern Jazz Noise: In Search of the Perfect Reverb Pedal

You do a great service to the guitar world Tom. It's amazing how little focused attention is to this great guitar "genre". Cheers

Learned a lot about Reverb from this video, Guess I'm still learning from you. Thanks Tom.

You might want to try out the Walrus Audio R1. No real delay in it, but very modern reverbs.

Thanks for the vid Tom, i just ask myself now if the predelay on the Collider is acting the same with every reverb ?

Great video! I like my Earthquaker Devices "Afterneath v.3". I have a limited budget living on a pension......

This is an extremely educational video for someone like me who knows very little about pedals and effects. Obviously there’s a lot I need to learn (E dome? Oil can?) but for playing jazz guitar it seems to me that you can do a lot with just a delay/reverb pedal. Is this true, or am I missing something? Of course I need to compare costs as well).

Great video Tom! Glad to see I am not the only one who compares every reverb to an LXP1 😂

Dreadbox Raindrops has a delay/reverb mode and its divine..

How about the Chase Bliss CXM 1978? It’s based on a Lexicon 224.

GREAT POINT about playing shorter, more percussive notes or noises (along with some more extended notes) to feature the sound of a reverb in a demo (and of course this would be a helpful practice when trying out something new for oneself).

Thanks for this review. I bought the Del Verb mainly for the 3 high quality reverbs, which I feel are better than the other two pedals here. But I wish the Del Verb had presets. My favorite Hall reverb is the Flux Effect Liquid Ambience Sterophonic.

Thanks for this video. You said you have a strymon bigsky,? can get what you are looking for out of that? Just curiouse.

I would think that the Ventris would be the top reverb pedal for jazz because it clearly has the best spring reverb algorythm...

I immensely apreciate your video. The Collider will give you much more if you just take a sit with the manual in hand, but I truly believe you wanted to buy a Ventris instead. It also has echoverb (echoplex tape type delay)

Edit: Manual and Neuro App Desktop that is :-}

Just got the Collider and couldn't be happier with the analog dry through mix possibility. Thanks again.

You picked the perfect pedal for what you’re doing. For your viewers’ reference, you can find the Lexicon algorithms in three vintage DigiTech pedals: the RV7, the Supernatural and the Polara. Other stereo delay-reverb combo pedals are the Fender Reflecting Pool and the new Boss RE-202. No predelay on any of the ones just mentioned.

Two stereo reverb pedals that DO have predelay (but no delay side, just reverb): the Electro-Harmonix Cathedral and the Walrus R[1]. The Chase Bliss Dark World has predelay but sadly it only has mono I/O jacks.

Anyone else find the audio when he's talking kind of hard to hear? The noise floor combined with how bassy the voice audio is make it oddly hard to hear. Maybe it's the bass response on my earbuds.

Thank you for sharing. Very helpful. We need more jazz guitar effects videos like this. Can you get the Big Sky to sound like the Lexicon, and is the pre delay on the big sky the same as the lexicon in terms of not being abrupt. Yes, I need to go down to the store and plug in, but videos like this help me to spend less time in my search. Big Sky has too many parameters but in the end, if one can find the sound one is looking for that is the most important.

Did you try the EarthQuaker Devices Avalanche ? I think Gilad was using that.

I love your playing and although you might not favor the UA Del Verb it sounds so close to the LXP-1. Im sure how the efx responds to you as well as the vibe it gives to you makes a huge difference though. Thanks for sharing!

You can change a lot of stuff on the Collider in the app. You can assign different functions for each switch and set the latch/unlatch time for each function, and add another 4 banks of presets. That's where you mess with the panning of the stereo signal as well.

Excellent, in-depth comparison. Glad I found your review because I’m looking for a good reverb pedal. The Red Panda is defining on my short list. I prefer it to the others you demoed.

Curious if you tried the Strymon Flint? Looks like the current v2 added pre-delay control. I’m not sure if the hall reverb is the same as the lxp1, or as the hall in your big sky. Julian Lager uses it. I’ve also heard people say good things about Meris Mercury 7 and X, but I know nothing about them yet.

Is this pedal have possible to use for microphone users

Found my way here looking for info on the del-verb. I respect your devotion to the lpx1, but titling the video "modern" and then trying to recreate a 30+ year old piece of gear seems a bit ironic. Bill Frisell/Nels Cline/Ben Monder's tones have evolved dramatically over the years and they have always sounded modern. Maybe there's a lesson to be learned there. Anything, I enjoyed the video and did learn a lot. I'm glad you found your sound.

I have an LXP-1 and a PCM 81. Also, an Eventide Eclipse. Plus, an embarrassing amount of others.
I’m in the same position as this guy: I’m looking to get something a little more modern and smaller. The LXP-1 is small, but the 81 and Eclipse are full rack spaces.
I’m looking at the Meris X or the new Poly Verbs.
But if I’m smart, I’ll save my money and quit being an idiot and just play what I’ve got.
I could use the money to take lessons from this guy.

The LXP-1 doesn’t have analog dry thru, as far as I know. (I’d have to look it up to be sure.)
One thing I’m surprised I don’t see on many pedalboards is a little line mixer, like the RJM Mini Line Mixer. It’s tiny, it has 4 stereo inputs, plus a dry (guitar) input. Running one of those, your guitars original signal never turns digital. You mix in as much effects as you want. It works better with effects that have mix and an output controls, as you would run the mix at 100% and control how much effect you want by turning up the output.
A lot of pedals don’t have both of those controls.
The Eventide H-9 doesn’t have analog dry thru. So, a mini line mixer is great for a pedal like that.

The 224L was the second flagship reverb from Lexicon. (The 480 was its bigger brother).
The LXP-1 was a budget version of the Lexicon big boi models.
The LXP-1 is a great little reverb box, but it doesn’t compare in quality to a 224L , which is one of the emulations on the Delverb. The 224 and 480 are the reverbs you hear on most recordings from the late 70s, 80s, 90s 2000s and even today and is one of the go-to reverbs in top recording studios. Dry expensive to buy one today. Probably looking at $3000 or more.
I’m just giving you a little bit of history.
I love your playing and your sound.

I was surprised to hear the LXP-1 being spoken about.
I remember using that, and an LXP-5, back in the late 80’s on live gigs. Great sounds!

Damn! When you’re done deciding on a delay/reverb, may I hit you up for a lesson? I love your chord melody style and note choices and would love to gather some tips!

I still own an LXP-1 I bought when it was released. I also own a Lexicon PCM-91. I’m also a jazz guitar player. At one time I had two PCM-91 reverbs and sold one. I agree 100% on everything you said about the LXP-1. I’ve mixed bands back in the 80s with this reverb and was absolutely blown away with the sound. I also had the MRC controller , but that died early on. I wish Lexicon would re-release the LXP-1 with the same DSP, but with of course newer cleaner modern analog circuitry for I/O. This box is pure magic. I believe you can still find modded versions of this reverb.

I am a Jazz player as well. I use a 1952 Gibson L-5 into Context Reverb into a tube amp. I’m super picky about reverb and delay. The Context is great.

Meris Mercury X = perfect reverb pedal

I just want a proper (drum-)delay with tap tempo and reverb in it without being overloaded.
I think they still have to invent the pedal i'm looking for.

Such a fantastic video, thank you! Your playing is so enjoyable as well. I'm curious if you think the other reverb pedals you've been through are sort of a compromise compared to what the Lexicon does, just more convenient given their smaller size. I've been through so many of the current pedals (including a couple of the ones here) and have yet to find one that truly resonates with me. But I've never tried the Lexicon, and I see they're fairly affordable and the Audio Upgrades mods are still being offered....

After watching this video I ordered context Red Panda to use on my wireless sax mic
I'm a sucker lx1 sounds back in the day
I hope red Panda will be my new pet 🙏🙏🙏🙏

Very informative video, thanks! I too have an LXP-1, and the Eventide Space. I have the Collider on order. I needed multiple presets for the types of gigs I'm using the Collider on.

I compared a number of different reverbs over a number of years and landed on my Strymon. I completely get why you were searching for that 2 in 1 pedal, etc. . I have a Nightsky - and it is absolutely insane. I would highly recommend checking one out, because the soundscapes you can create are immense and limited ony by your own creativity. Not for the standard Reverb user or for what you were specifically looking for.

you DONT HAVE TO HOLD DOWN THE DELAY BUTTON YOU CAN GET A SOURCE TAP TO USE TAP TEMPO OR I USE A DOUBLE TAP ONE FOR TEMPO AND OTHER FOR PRESETS THAT WAY I JUST TURN THE REVERB AND DELAY ON AND DONT HOLD DOWN ANYTHING> IF YOUR GOING TO REVIEW A PEDAL PLEASE DO NOT CALL THE SOURCE AUDIO WHICH IS BY FAR THE BEST PEDAL AND WITH NUERO APP YOU CAN SET LOW AND HIGH PASS FILTERS AND EVERYTHING YOU CAN IMAGINE AND YOU HAVE * PRESWETS NOT 4 terrible review I mean we are going for a 80s lexicon sound and then you r calling a collider hard to use by good ness i can imagine a easier delay and verb pedal in the world double tap out the exp 1/4 or source tap has 3.5 jack that goes on top you can use both. the delays crush both those pedals if you know how to use it the modulation is control 1 and 2 whew getting little upset seeing a JAZZ!!!!!!! guy not know how to use apedal

omg the pre delay on ROOM REVERB IS NOT MADE TO BE LIEK THAT THE REST HAVE AS LONG AS YOU WLD WANT WOW

you know what else cool you can add modulation to delay and make the ping pong not 1/2 3/4 however you want or no ping pong you obviously have no idea. get a fn keeley reverb for $100 anbd your fine man]

i own the collider and i use a analog delay boss waza dm-2w reverb i have many but whats amazing is the collider is 56 bit and he doesnt know it can have 2 delays or 2 reverbs its whatver you want. Wow and he goes in the UA app and never opened the source audio app which is so good, buffer or true bypass? want the reverb on from the jump?, i mean watching this the collider I use just for a reverb or just for a delay it not needed to always use both and again the dsp is 56 bit ... 2 engines