Great reverb, awesome on-board options

Up until a few years ago, I refused to stray away from analog reverb tank-based units. I've never been a fan of digital pedals, because in the 90s everything I came across sounded really thin, anemic, and lifeless. Now that modern pedal manufacturers are leaning more towards the method of blending dry and wet signals in conjunction with higher quality digital technology, I decided to give them a shot.

I purchased one (and eventually two) MXR Reverb pedals, and was really impressed with them. Running a stereo amp set-up, having a pair of these in both amp's FX loops meant I could dial in different types and amounts of reverb to get really ethereal soundscapes. Then I got curious and wondered what else I could try, and that's when I eventually came across the Crazy Tube Circuits Splash Mark IV.

Full disclosure, I had to give it 4 out of 5 stars because some of the mode settings are a little too "digital" sounding, and when you're talking about reverb nothing bruises the signal like a fizzy, choppy sound. However, based on the various knobs that allow you to taper certain settings, there are modes that actually sound really great. The ability to plug in an external expression pedal to control aspects of the reverb, as well as a built-in switch, places this pedal in a higher class of modern reverb pedals. These are features that I have come to expect, and the versatility of the Splash Mark IV keeps this thing off the shelf and on a pedalboard at all times for me.

The decay setting goes from subtle to drastic, which I like. Some pedals have such a limited range on the settings, which is always a bummer. The mix and volume knobs allow you to get a good line level setting, as well as dry/wet blend so you can make the reverb sound way more organic than some cheaper alternative. The excite setting (complimented by a push button switch to swap between decay) is where you get the versatility here. Being able to press down on the excite switch to give your sound those long tails is a great way to have an otherwise usable, traditional reverb sound without it having that wishy-washy drowning effect where your playing just gets lost.

For the money, I say this is a great pedal. While all the modes won't necessarily be your favorite, there are still plenty of settings you'll be able to get some interesting reverb effects out of.

From Gear Setup