MusicRadar Verdict
Another great Black series release. It sounds great, is easy to use and built to last. The ability to save presets is a real boon for gigging.
Pros
- +
Typical Erica Synths build quality.
- +
Versatile, gorgeous sounding, reverbs.
- +
CV controllable.
Cons
- -
A dedicated spacey reverb would be nice.
MusicRadar's got your back Our team of expert musicians and producers spends hours testing products to help you choose the best music-making gear for you. Find out more about how we test.
Erica Synths Black Stereo Reverb: What is it?
Reverb modules may be plentiful but they’re not made equally. Apart from quality differences, there are many factors to take into account, like the type of reverb you want to add to your rig. If you’re looking for a bucket-brigade-type effect, a tape-based reverb, modern clinical digital, or something big and spacey, you may want to save space in your case and get a multi-effects module.
Erica Synths, who have previous form for developing multi-effects, decided with their Black Stereo Reverb to make a dedicated module, aiming to provide quality reverbs only.
Erica Synths Black Stereo Reverb: Performance and verdict
In typical Erica Synths Black-series style, the unit is solidly built with crisp and clear graphics, control up-top and CV patch points along the bottom. The module is 12hp wide and, at just 35mm deep, should fit most cases without any issues.
The problem with reverbs is deciding what flavour to go for, and Erica Synths has opted for a balanced approach, which is controllable enough to cover a lot of ground. There are tape, BBD and dirty BBD options, accessible via a toggle on the left. Each of these can be assigned an overall room size, via a toggle switch on the left. These cover room, hall and cathedral, which is plenty for most, although something larger would have been welcome. That said, huge spacey reverbs are their own beast, so it makes sense not to have that here.
The joy of the Black Stereo Reverb is in how easy it is to dial in a desired effect. The fascia is dominated by a large size control, below which sit controls for tone and feedback and a freeze button, which acts as a save button in shift mode. Which brings us to the fact that ten effects can be saved internally, making this a useful tool for live performances, where different styles of reverb are needed for different tracks. Useful when A/Bing too.
Under these three controls are knobs for CV level and wet/dry. Really, this is all that’s needed to set up a reverb. Simple, neat and intuitive.
The patch point section is comprehensive, with sockets for most controls. At first this feels a shame but seeing as there is a patch point to choose saved patches it is less of a problem. It’s much more preferable to have direct patch points for tone shaping and modulation.
The reverb sounds you can get from this module are excellent in quality and simple to dial in, either manually or via CV.
It’s a well rounded, versatile reverb that covers the tones most people want in a neat package.
MusicRadar verdict: Another great Black series release. It sounds great, is easy to use and built to last. The ability to save presets is a real boon for gigging.
Erica Synths Black Stereo Reverb: Hands-on demos
Erica Synths
Blush Response
ADDAC Cracklebox: Specifications
- KEY FEATURES: Tape, bucket brigade and digital style reverbs, Three different room sizes room sizes, CV controls for key attributes.
- CONTACT: Erica Synths
"It's loud, in-your-face, and has more punch than a kangaroo at boxing practice": What is OTT compression - and how do you use it?
“It was the B-side that became one of the most important pieces of music ever - certainly one of the most sampled”: How breakbeat took over the music world
“Bono took me aside and asked if I was sure I wanted him to sing this line”: Bob Geldof remembers what the U2 singer said to him before he recorded his vocals on Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas?
