The DigiTech Polara Stereo Reverb is a compact reverb pedal from DigiTech, announced on November 4, 2014 and available from mid November that year. It puts seven reverb types in one small box, and its reverbs trace back to a partnership with Lexicon, the company that pioneered digital reverb, whose algorithms DigiTech had already used in its HardWire RV-7 pedal12.
The Polara is discontinued: a 2021 Guitar Pedal X roundup of stereo reverb pedals listed it as such, so it is now a secondhand buy rather than a new one3. At launch it carried a suggested retail price of $187.44 in the US1, with Delicious Audio reporting a street price of around $150 a month later2.
Seven reverbs from Room to Halo
The Polara's Type control selects the reverb type, and there are seven of them: Room, Hall, Spring, Plate, Modulated, Reverse and Halo1. Delicious Audio described the pedal as delivering "seven settings of studio quality reverbs" and noted that it "handles all the basics including Room, Hall, Plate, and Spring reverb with ease"2.
What each mode is for, as described at launch and in press coverage:
| Mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| Room | DigiTech says it "provides intimate warmth"1 |
| Hall | A larger standard space, part of the basic set2 |
| Spring | The classic spring reverb tone, part of the basic set2 |
| Plate | The classic studio plate sound, part of the basic set2 |
| Modulated | Modulation blended into the reverb tail1 |
| Reverse | A reversed reverb, where the tail swells instead of decays1 |
| Halo | The pedal's shimmer-style ambient effect2 |
Halo is the standout of the set. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio called it "a great tone akin to what many reverb pedals describe as their 'shimmer' tone"2, which places it alongside the ambient shimmer modes other makers were building into reverb pedals at the time.
"This is a great tone akin to what many reverb pedals describe as their "shimmer" tone"
Lexicon reverbs from the HardWire RV-7
The Polara's reverbs did not start from scratch. Premier Guitar's launch announcement said the pedal "gives guitar and bass players the depth and dimensionality of seven studio-standard Lexicon reverbs"1, and Delicious Audio reported that "The Polara's primary reverb settings were initially co-designed with Lexicon, the pioneer of digital reverb"2.
The lineage goes back to the HardWire RV-7 Stereo Reverb, an earlier DigiTech pedal in the HardWire series. DigiTech's own history article describes the "Hardwire pedals including the RV-7 Reverb pedal with onboard Lexicon reverbs"4, and Pedal of the Day's review of the RV-7 noted it was "Using genuine Lexicon® reverbs for true stereo processing and operation"5. The RV-7 carried seven modes of its own: Room, Plate, Reverse, Modulated, Gated, Hall and Spring5. The Polara keeps most of that set, drops Gated, and adds Halo as its new ambient mode.
Delicious Audio's review of the RV-7 captured why the Lexicon name carried weight: reviewers "regularly and enthusiastically tout Hardwire's partnership with [Lexicon], a company that makes reverb rack effects and software"6. For a player, the practical point is that the Polara's algorithms come from a studio reverb heritage rather than a generic DSP reverb block.
Controls, switching and the Stomplock knob guard
The Polara is built as an easy-to-use pedal in a compact size1. Its Type control selects the reverb type1, and the pedal uses a newly designed soft-click footswitch that DigiTech said "provides reliable, noise-free operation"1.
The pedal also ships with DigiTech's gen2 Stomplock knob guard. Premier Guitar's announcement described it as "DigiTech's exclusive gen2 Stomplock™ knob guard that locks the player's settings in place and prevents accidental changes onstage"1. For gigging players, that means a cover for the knobs so a knock or a stray foot cannot shift a dialed-in sound mid-set.
The Polara is discontinued3. It was launched in November 2014 at a suggested retail price of $187.441, with Delicious Audio reporting a retail price of around $150 in December 20142. The two figures describe different price points: the maker's suggested retail and the observed retail price.
Stereo, bypass and board placement
The Polara has mono and stereo input and output jacks, which DigiTech said made for "easy integration into any pedalboard and rig"1. In practice that means it works as a simple mono pedal at the end of a chain, or in stereo into two amps for a wide, spacious reverb image.
It is also true bypass. DigiTech stated that "The Polara offers true bypass operation, which keeps the unaffected tone of the instrument intact when the reverb is not" engaged1. For players who leave the pedal off for long stretches, that keeps the dry signal path clean when the effect is disengaged.
Delicious Audio also noted the enclosure itself, calling it "a notably hallucinatory design"2, a departure from the plainer look of the HardWire series that preceded it.
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Questions
Is the DigiTech Polara true bypass?
Yes. DigiTech stated at launch that the Polara offers true bypass operation, which keeps the unaffected tone of the instrument intact when the reverb is not engaged. That makes it a safe fit for players who want the pedal out of the signal path when it is off.
Does the DigiTech Polara work in stereo?
Yes. The Polara has mono and stereo input and output jacks, so it can run in stereo into two amps or a stereo effects loop, while still working as a simple mono in, mono out pedal on a basic board.
What reverb types does the DigiTech Polara have?
Seven: Room, Hall, Spring, Plate, Modulated, Reverse and Halo. The first six cover the standard reverb ground, while Halo is the pedal's shimmer-style effect, an ambient tone with a rising, glowing quality that many reverb pedals call shimmer.
Is the DigiTech Polara discontinued?
Yes. A 2021 Guitar Pedal X roundup of stereo reverb pedals listed the Polara as discontinued, so it is now found secondhand rather than new. It was launched in November 2014 at a suggested retail price of $187.44.
What is the Stomplock knob guard on the Polara?
Stomplock is a DigiTech knob guard, in its gen2 form on the Polara, that locks the player's settings in place and prevents accidental knob changes onstage. It fits over the controls so a stray foot or a knock cannot shift your sound mid-gig.
Sources (6)
- DigiTech Unveils the Polara Stereo Reverb Pedal, Premier Guitar, 2014-11-04
- New Pedal: The DigiTech Polara Stereo Reverb, Delicious Audio, 2014-12-08
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2021-08-16
- History - DigiTech, DigiTech, 2022-12-15
- DigiTech HardWire RV-7 Stereo Reverb, Pedal of the Day (pedal-of-the-day.com), 2019-01-18
- Pedal Review: Hardwire RV-7 Reverb, Delicious Audio, 2010-09-09
