Classic Audio Effects Amethyst Reverb Mini

The last couple of pedals we’ve reviewed have had a sort-of similar theme: expanding on and being more creative towards traditional pedals and the way they look or function. While there are a lot of reverb pedals with tons of functionality and options available today, it would be hard to find one with as many sounds to choose from in as small of an enclosure that the Amethyst Reverb Mini from Classic Audio Effects is able to do, or sound as good, too.

Starting off in the control panel, the Tone knob affects how dark or bright the reverb effect is, while Room adjusts the simulated room size, and how long it takes for reverberation to naturally occur. Feedback feeds the reverb back into itself for a wide range of sounds, including self-oscillation when really cranked up, and Reverb controls the wetness of the signal. There’s a small on/off button to control whether the Expression Input Jack is activated or not as well (more on that later).

The coolest feature of the Amethyst Reverb Mini is the 2 Presets, and the ability to blend them together. Turn the Preset knob to A and set up your favorite settings on the Amethyst, then hit the Save button. Turn the knob to B, and do it all again. Now you have 2 awesome reverb settings to choose from, but you can blend them together for endless possibilities, using the Preset knob or an external expression pedal. This is a great option, as it lets you dial in 2 totally unique sounds, and then be able to recall them both in an instant.

This version of the Amethyst is actually the smaller sibling to the full-sized model, which features a built-in expression roller, another innovation that Classic Audio Effects has become well-known for producing. Don’t worry, though – as we said, there is a nice, accessible expression jack for you to work with, easily hooking up your favorite expression pedal to control either the Feedback, Reverb OR be able to smoothly blend your two Presets together on the fly (all selectable via toggle switch).

The Amethyst Reverb Mini features a wide array of features, tones and options in a friendly-sized pedal, a welcome site for those of us with pedal addictions and large pedalboards, for sure. Hand made in South Carolina, if this pedal is any indication of what’s going to be coming out in the future from Classic Audio Effects, consider us on the edge of our seats with anticipation. Thanks to those guys, too, for letting us check out the Amethyst – go see their website, and check back with us for more reviews of their gear real soon!