Field Test: Boss RV-500 Reverb

Full disclosure: I am a huge fan of reverb. I love using it to wash over guitar solos, or provide a subtle and ghostly presence to chord progressions. So the BOSS RV-500 Reverb ($349 street) is definitely a machine after my own heart, as it offers a huge amount of options, sounds, and parameter control. Drawing on the rich, reverberated history of Roland/BOSS effects throughout the years, the RV-500 includes old and essential favorites such as Plate, Room, Hall, and Spring, as well as some wilder options like Shimmer, Non-Linear, and Space Echo. All of the reverbs sound fantastic, and you can not only use the A/B Simul mode to use two patches simultaneously, but a spill-over function ensures the reverb tails don’t cut off when you change patches. The Hall setting is particularly lush and spacious. My arpeggios drifted far into the ether in the most beautiful ways. On the unconventional side, one of my favorite presets was Storm, which indeed sounds like your guitar signal is being tossed around by a tornado. There is a swoosh and whoosh with every chord you play! I also liked the Lo-Fi preset—especially for giving double-tracked guitars different filtered effects—and Slowverb, which added post-rock drama to a Jazzmaster and fuzz part.

There are myriad control options in the RV-500, and, at times, the amount of available parameter tweaks—as well as navigating the menus and patches—can be overwhelming. Any box with 297 preset locations is going to be a programmer’s dream—as well as a possible point of struggle for players who just want to click a button and get reverb. However, the manual is well-configured and detailed, and it helps smooth out any