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Quick Hit: Cusack Reverb SME Review

Quick Hit: Cusack Reverb SME Review

Access a wormhole’s worth of quality reverberations with only four knobs.

CAPTION

Cusack’s Reverb SME (size modulation emulator) is a rather simple ’verb with a surprising number of variations neatly tucked into a four-knob setup. Generally speaking, reverb is the one effect I tend to “feel” more than, say, a delay or some other wavy modulation effect. That sense of space is central to a usable reverb pedal and Cusack’s take on it is a dual-path setup with individual controls for both the wet and dry signal. Many times I find that my original signal gets lost in the wash, which can sometimes be cool, but is pretty unfavorable in many band settings. Thanks to the Reverb SME’s dry knob, the pedal offered more clarity and definition, even in more esoteric and ambient settings.

The texture dial is billed as a way to control different textures on the imaginary room you create via the size knob. As I turned it clockwise, I found the affected signal becoming a bit more harsh and metallic. The sweet spot for my ears was at noon with the size knob at 3 o’clock. With some experimentation, I was able to quickly dial in a short, spring-like reverb that would work great in a Stax cover band and even more lush explorations for introspective noodling. The wormhole that Cusack has created with the Reverb SME is one well worth exploring.

Test gear: Test Gear: Fender Telecaster, Fender Deluxe Reverb

Ratings

Pros:
A wealth of 'verb flavors. Independent dry and wet controls.

Cons:
No expression pedal function. No battery option.

Street:
$185

Cusack Music Reverb SME
cusackmusic.com

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