The Boss RV-5 Digital Reverb is a compact reverb pedal from Boss that offers six digital reverb modes: Plate, Hall, Room, Modulate, Spring and Gate1. It is a discontinued product, described as such in a 2016 review, so it is now found secondhand rather than new1. Where its predecessor, the RV-3, combined reverb and delay in one box, the RV-5 slimmed the design down to being just a reverb1.
What the RV-5 does: six digital reverb modes
The RV-5's six modes cover the main reverb types a player reaches for. Plate, Hall and Room modes each give off different spatial reverb qualities and reverberations, in the reviewer's words "some luscious echo sounds"1. Spring mode offers realistic spring reverb sounds, an emulation of the spring reverbs built into vintage amps1. The Modulate mode detunes the reverb sound for added spaciousness1, and the Gate setting is taken from high-end Roland studio gear, for what the reviewer called "a crisp, pristine and professional-sounding reverb"1.
EarthQuaker Devices' beginner's guide to pedalboards summed up the pedal's range: "This does everything but digitally, spring, hall, plate, modulated, gate, and room reverberations"2.
Pedal of the Day's reviewer rated the modes highly:
"These 6 high-quality reverb modes are definitely on par with the expensive rackmount processors, but in a neat and tidy"1
The controls and modes
The RV-5 keeps Boss's usual compact-pedal control set: a Pedal Switch footswitch, E.LEVEL, TONE and TIME knobs, and a MODE switch1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Pedal Switch | Turns the effect on and off |
| E.LEVEL | Sets the level of the reverb sound |
| TONE | Sets the tone of the reverb sound |
| TIME | Sets the time (length) of the reverb sound |
| MODE switch | Selects Plate, Hall, Room, Modulate, Spring or Gate reverb mode |
The reviewer singled out the MODE switch as where the pedal "really shines"1. The enclosure is typical Boss construction, described as "built like a tank, with a rugged enclosure, sturdy control knobs and a big, fat stomp switch"1.
One player who still uses the pedal is James Sharpe, who plays with Sam Smith and Gary Numan's band. Sharpe named the Modulate mode as a favorite and said the stereo function works great for making something more 3D3.
Power and connections
The RV-5 runs on DC 9 V and draws 50 mA1. It accepts a 9 V dry battery or an AC adapter1, so unlike many larger digital reverbs it can run without a power supply, though a 50 mA draw means a battery will not last indefinitely on a pedalboard.
The pedal is stereo-capable. It has INPUT-A (MONO) and INPUT-B jacks, and OUTPUT-A (MONO) and OUTPUT-B jacks, so it can run as a stereo pedal with two inputs and two outputs1. Nominal input and output levels are both -20 dBu, input impedance is 1 M ohms, output impedance is 1k ohms, and the recommended load impedance is 10k ohms or greater1. Residual noise with all knobs at center is -93 dBu (IHF-A, Typ.)1.
History and versions: from the RV-3
The RV-5 sits in a line of Boss compact reverbs. Its predecessor was the Boss RV-3 Digital Reverb/Delay, a pedal that combined reverb and delay in one unit1. In its 2014 review of the RV-3, Pedal of the Day called the RV-5 "the newer version" of that pedal4. The RV-3 was an analog circuit, where the RV-5 is digital5.
The key difference between the two is the effect list. The RV-3 is a Digital Reverb/Delay pedal5, while the RV-5 dropped the delay side and focused entirely on reverb, adding the six modes described above1.
After the RV-5 came the RV-6 Digital Reverb in the compact line3. For a player today, the RV-5 is a secondhand buy: a straightforward six-mode digital reverb in a tank-like Boss enclosure, with stereo operation and a battery option that most modern digital reverbs have dropped.
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Questions
Is the Boss RV-5 discontinued?
Yes. Pedal of the Day described the RV-5 as discontinued in its April 2016 review, so it has been off the market for some time. It was replaced in the Boss compact line by the RV-6, and later by pedals such as the RV-200 and RV-500.
Can the Boss RV-5 run on a battery?
Yes. The RV-5 takes a 9V dry battery as well as a 9V DC adapter, drawing about 50 mA. Like most Boss compact pedals it also runs from a standard center-negative 9V supply, so it fits a normal pedalboard power brick.
Is the Boss RV-5 stereo?
Yes. It has two inputs (INPUT-A MONO and INPUT-B) and two outputs (OUTPUT-A MONO and OUTPUT-B), so it can run as a stereo pedal with two amps or a stereo effects loop.
What does the Modulate mode on the RV-5 do?
Modulate detunes the reverb sound for added spaciousness, according to Pedal of the Day's review. Boss player James Sharpe said he especially likes the Modulate mode, and that the stereo function works well for making a sound more 3D.
What replaced the Boss RV-5?
The RV-6 Digital Reverb followed it in Boss's compact line, and later pedals include the RV-200 (released November 2023 with 12 reverb types) and the larger RV-500. The RV-5 itself was a reverb-only successor to the RV-3 Reverb/Delay.
Sources (5)
- Boss RV-5 Digital Reverb, Pedal of the Day (www.pedal-of-the-day.com), 2016-04-04
- A Beginners Guide To Pedalboards Pt. 1: Choosing Your Pedals, EarthQuaker Devices, 2021-12-06
- Behind the Board: James Sharpe with Sam Smith, Gary Numan, and The Stranglers, BOSS (articles.boss.info), 2026-09-25
- Boss RV-3 Digital Reverb / Delay, Pedal of the Day, 2014-04-01
- RV-3 Digital Reverb/Delay by BOSS, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
J Mascis
