The AC noises AMA V.2 is a reverb pedal with an oscillator and a bit crusher, built for players who, in the maker's words, "love a gently modulated and oscillating spring reverb in front of a bit crusher"1. The reverb comes first in the chain and the bit crusher sits after it, so what gets crushed is the reverberated signal, and a toggle switch lets you bring that crusher in or take it out1. Pedal of the Day described the V.2 as AC Noises venturing "off into modulation/ambient territory," adding that "the tones are an ambient experimenter's dream"2.
The first version of the AMA was released in early 2018, and the V.2 is the result of two years of feedback from players around the world12. AC noises says the original quickly became the top seller of its catalog3. The name comes from Italian: AMA is a verb meaning "love" in the second person imperative, "tu, ama!" meaning "you, love!"1.
The maker's product page lists the AMA V.2 as sold out, at £184.00 GBP, with the first version having launched at £150.00 GBP13. A limited RETRO Series version also exists3.
How the signal flows
The circuit topology is straightforward: the reverb portion comes first, and the bit crusher is placed after it2. Delicious Audio's round-up of hybrid reverbs sums up the signal path as "an ambient reverb followed by a switchable Bitcrusher (Crush toggle) and a modulation section (OSC knob)"4. The CRUSH toggle switch is what engages the bit crusher circuit downstream of the reverb23.
On the original AMA, the bit crusher worked the same way in the chain, and Pedal of the Day noted in its 2018 review that turning on the Bit Crusher toggle switch is where you get "into the meat of the AMA"5.
The controls
The AMA V.2 offers up to four control parameters for the reverb, OSC, MIX, REVERB and RAMP, and two for the bit crusher, RESOLUTION and SAMPLE RATE1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| REVERB | Controls the decay's length; turning it clockwise makes the reverb tail longer3 |
| MIX | Controls the balance between dry and wet signal; clockwise increases the percentage of reverberated signal3 |
| OSC | Sets how much oscillation is heard on the reverb tail, from no oscillation fully counterclockwise to self-oscillation mode fully clockwise3 |
| RAMP | Footswitch related to the reverb's oscillator; its work speed depends on the OSC knob setting3 |
| RESOLUTION | Controls the amount of the oscillation pulse; clockwise makes pulses wider and the signal less crushed3 |
| SAMPLE RATE | Bit crusher control with an expression input that bypasses the knob1 |
| CRUSH | Toggle switch that engages the bit crusher circuit placed after the reverb3 |
The OSC knob is a new feature of the V.2. In the first version, the reverb oscillator was only switchable ON/OFF and strictly related to the decay2. The original also had an OSC footswitch that added a fully analog oscillation generated immediately after each note played, feeding back into the reverb decay5.
Pedal of the Day called the RAMP footswitch "one of the most exciting feature of the AMA V.2," noting it is related to the reverb's oscillator2. Delicious Audio describes it similarly: a RAMP footswitch that speeds up the OSC settings4.
Inside the bit crusher section there is also an internal trimmer that controls the effect's gate, though AC noises suggests leaving it as it comes from the factory3.
Expression and power
The expression input is connected to the sample rate, which lets you bypass the knob and control the frequency's cut with an external expression pedal; AC noises recommends a 10k value1. Pedal of the Day confirms the same arrangement on the V.22.
Power is 9V DC center negative with a current draw of 100 mA minimum1. That draw rules out a battery and makes a dedicated or isolated supply the practical choice over a small daisy chain.
How it compares
Where a pedal like the Strymon blueSky offers a spring mode described by its maker as "a re-creation of the best vintage spring reverbs"6, the AMA V.2 takes the spring-style reverb idea somewhere else entirely, adding an oscillator that can be pushed into self-oscillation and a bit crusher after the tail. Delicious Audio groups it with hybrid reverbs that combine reverb with other effects in one box4.
For the full history of the circuit, see the pages for the original AC Noises AMA and the AC Noises AMA Reverb Bit Crusher V.2.
Videos
AC noises
Pedal of the Day
Pedal of the Day
Questions
Is the AC noises AMA V.2 true bypass?
Yes. AC noises specifies a true bypass switching system managed by a soft switch plus a programmed relay, and Pedal of the Day describes the AMA V.2 as a true bypass pedal. The relay-based switching means the soft footswitch engages and bypasses the pedal without coloring your dry signal.
What power does the AMA V.2 need?
It runs on 9V DC with a center negative plug, and AC noises specifies a current draw of 100 mA minimum. That draw is high enough that you will want a proper isolated or dedicated supply rather than a small daisy chain.
Does the AMA V.2 have an expression input?
Yes. The expression input is connected to the sample rate control of the bit crusher, letting you bypass the knob and control the frequency cut with an external expression pedal. AC noises recommends an expression pedal with a 10k value.
What does the RAMP footswitch do on the AMA V.2?
The RAMP footswitch is related to the reverb's oscillator, and its work speed depends on the OSC knob setting. Pedal of the Day called it one of the most exciting features of the AMA V.2, since it ramps the oscillator behavior in real time under your foot.
Is the bit crusher before or after the reverb on the AMA V.2?
The bit crusher sits after the reverb. AC noises places the bit crusher circuit downstream of the reverb, so the spring-style reverb tail is what gets crushed, and a CRUSH toggle switch engages or disengages that circuit.
What does AMA mean in AC noises AMA?
AMA is an Italian verb meaning love in the second person imperative, as in tu, ama, you, love. The name fits the pedal's aim at players who love a gently modulated and oscillating spring reverb in front of a bit crusher.
Sources (6)
- AC noises AMA V.2, AC noises (acnoises.com)
- AC Noises AMA Reverb Bit Crusher V.2, Pedal of the Day, 2021-03-26
- B-STOCK: Limited RETRO Series, AC noises
- The Best Reverb Pedals With Modulation Or Fuzz/Distortion In 2023, Delicious Audio, 2023-01-30
- AC Noises AMA Reverb Oscillator Bit Crusher, Pedal of the Day, 2018-10-12
- blueSky V2 Reverb, Strymon (www.strymon.net), 2026-08-12
