When I first got really into doing these reviews, reverb was sort of a take-it-or-leave-it effect. Now, before you chastise me too much, I have seen the proverbial light, and reverb has slowly crept up on my subconscious, and become one of my favorite effects to use. Especially when you have one like today’s pedal, the Polara Reverb from DigiTech, that’s loaded with a ton of options and a ton of great sounds as well.
The Level control starts things off, and acts as a volume of sorts for the reverb effect. Liveliness is a cool feature for a reverb pedal, in that it adjusts the high frequencies present in the effect, allowing for a nice balance in the EQ department. Decay is like a feedback control, as it adjusts the time the reverb takes to fade out, from abrupt to a long, winding fade. Speaking of fading out, there’s a toggle switch up top as well, which lets you turn the Trails function on or off, allowing for a quick, sharp cutoff when the pedal is bypassed, or a delay-like trail instead when you turn the Polara off.
The real gem of this pedal (besides being stereo) is the Reverb Mode knob. This controls the type of reverb sound the pedal produces, and consists of 7 Lexicon® reverb algorithm types: Room (a touch of ambience), Plate (studio-emulated reverb tones), Reverse (duh), Modulated (a hint of a chorus-y effect), Halo (shimmering octave reverb), Hall (large and warm) and Spring (classic surf and rockabilly reverb). With this vast amount of options to choose from, you’ll be able to dial in a great setting with each mode, and use them as little or as often as you need. From a slight effect to lush, haunting walls of reverberation, the Polara has got all your bases covered…and then some.
This fantastic work of art is true bypass as well, and works great in the effects loop of any amplifier. The Stereo ins and outs make it a dynamite addition to any 2-amp setups, and the included (and perfectly cut) velcro will ensure you can plug and play almost immediately after you take it out of the box. DigiTech has been making classic effects for a long time now, and if the Polara is any indication, they just keep getting better with age.
Specs:
Input: Separate Left and Right ¼” Unbalanced (Tip-Sleeve)
Input Impedance: Effect on: >1 MΩ (stereo), >500 kΩ (mono); Effect off: True hardwire bypass
Output: Separate Left and Right ¼” Unbalanced (Tip-Sleeve)
Output Impedance: Effect on: 1 kΩ; Effect off: True hardwire bypass
Controls: Level, Liveliness, Decay, Reverb Type
Switches: Soft Click, Vacuum Style Footswitch; Reverb Tails On/Off Toggle Switch
Power Requirements: 9 VDC external power supply (required)
Power Consumption: 675 mW (< 75 mA @ 9 VDC)
Current Draw: 75 mA (typical at 9 VDC)
Power Supply Model: PS0913DC-01 (US, JA, EU); PS0913DC-02 (AU, UK)
Power Supply Output: 9 VDC 1.3 A
Dimensions: 4.40” (L) x 2.65” (W) x 2.0” (H); 11.18cm (L) x 6.73cm (W) x 5.08cm (H)
Weight: 1 lb; 0.453 kg
Submitted by Mike B, Website
Demo Rock pedalboard by West Coast Pedalboard
GET EXCLUSIVE UPDATES, CONTEST INFO, SEE OUR LATEST DEMO VIDEOS AND MORE:
