The Alabs Cetus is a compact stereo reverb pedal from ALABS Audio, offering nine reverb modes: Hall, Room, Church, Spring, Plate, Swell, Shimmer, Cloudy, and Wave1. It is a digital pedal, running on a 32-bit floating-point DSP with an analog dry-through circuit, so your dry signal stays analog while the reverb is generated digitally2. Alongside the standard modes it carries a Freeze function, adjustable modulation on every reverb type, and an Explore mode with gesture control, all in a small enclosure132.
Guitar Pedal X called it "truly one of the finest of its kind" among compact reverbs, and Pedal of the Day reviewed it alongside other reverb pedals they had covered12.
What it is and what it does
The Cetus covers the classic reverb bases, Hall, Room, Church, Spring, and Plate, then stretches into more atmospheric territory with Swell, Shimmer, Cloudy, and Wave. Guitar Pedal X described the last two in more evocative terms, calling Cloudy "Floating" and Wave "Lapping Sea Shore"1. Every reverb type can achieve adjustable modulation effects, set from the front panel2.
It runs in true full stereo in and out, using what Pedal of the Day described as true stereo generation algorithms to achieve a spacious sound field for the reverb12. Delicious Audio grouped it with ALABS Audio's other affordable, multi-algorithm, full stereo, compact effects pedals3.
The controls
The front panel keeps things simple: four knobs, a mode selector, and a 2-way toggle switch351.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Decay | Sets the reverb trail length1 |
| Bright | Controls the high end of the reverb3 |
| Mix | Dry to wet balance13 |
| Mod | Controls modulation depth and speed of the reverb tail, or another parameter in some of the more creative modes3 |
| Mode | Selects one of the nine reverb types1 |
| Toggle switch | Up: PreDelay. Down: Freeze, or a secondary setting of your choice35 |
The Mod knob is where the pedal gets more flexible than its knob count suggests. In the standard modes it shapes the modulation of the reverb tail, and in the more creative modes it maps to another parameter instead3.
Freeze and the Explore mode
Holding down the footswitch triggers the Freeze function, which prolongs the reverb's tail until you release the footswitch3. With the toggle in the down position, Freeze can be traded for a secondary setting of your choice3.
The down position also opens up what ALABS calls the Creative Explore Mode, which Delicious Audio described as letting you create dynamic variations and complex creative momentary effects involving multiple parameter transformations3. Guitar Pedal X detailed it further as an Infinity Explore Mode with 5 seconds of gesture control, or expression ramping, of the four main parameters: holding the footswitch in this mode activates gesture control over Decay, Bright, Mix, and Mod1.
The fourth pedal in the Adam Adventure Series
The Cetus is the fourth pedal in ALABS Audio's Adam Adventure Series, a range Guitar Pedal X covered as taking budget pedals into new territory for quality and innovation25. Pedal of the Day came to it after already being impressed by the series' Orbital Stereo Pitch Shifter2.
The series sits at an affordable price point. The Cetus launched at $99.99, and by February 2024 its price had risen $10 to $109.99, matching the Orbital14.
What reviewers said
Reviewers were consistently positive across the press coverage.
"I would pretty much have it over any other current Compact Reverb - including the excellent Strymon Cloudburst1."
Guitar Pedal X, February 20241
Guitar Pedal X's reviewer called the Cetus one of his favorite reverb pedals, particularly at its compact size, and noted that the Cloudy mode is not far from the Strymon Cloudburst, while Swell and Wave are "endless ethereal delights"1. He had already named it his runaway favorite of the ALABS Adam Adventures Series in his 2023 time-based effects roundup, saying the pedal is worth it almost for the Wave mode alone4, and at the series launch he called it "quite brilliant really"5.
Pedal of the Day was equally enthusiastic:
"The CETUS Stereo Reverb is one of the best reverb pedals we've seen here, too - if you're a fan of this genre, you're gonna be blown away by what this blue beauty is capable of2."
Pedal of the Day, June 20242
Delicious Audio added the Cetus to its roundup of the best multi-algorithm pedals in September 20243.
Videos
Perry Frank
Mike Hermans
Riffs & Rig
Questions
Is the Alabs Cetus true bypass?
It offers selectable relay-based true bypass, with a transparent analog buffered bypass as the alternative. You choose between the two, so it works both on a pedalboard where you want the pedal fully out of the chain when off and in setups where a buffer helps drive long cable runs.
How does Freeze work on the Alabs Cetus?
Hold down the footswitch and the reverb's tail is prolonged, or frozen, until you release it. With the 2-way toggle switch in the down position, Freeze can instead be traded for a secondary setting of your choice, which is where the Creative Explore Mode lives.
Does the Alabs Cetus work in stereo?
Yes. It runs true full stereo in and out, using true stereo generation algorithms to build a spacious reverb sound field. It is a compact pedal, but it is built for stereo rigs rather than as a mono-only budget option.
How does the Alabs Cetus Cloudy mode compare to the Strymon Cloudburst?
Guitar Pedal X's reviewer, who has played both, said the Cetus Cloudy mode is not far from the Cloudburst, and that he would take the Cetus over any other current compact reverb, the Cloudburst included. It is one reviewer's view rather than a consensus.
Sources (5)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-02-09
- ALABS Audio CETUS Stereo Reverb, Pedal of the Day, 2024-06-01
- Alabs Cetus Multi-Mode Stereo Reverb, Delicious Audio, 2024-09-11
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2023-12-20
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2023-11-27
