The Dr. Scientist Reverberator is a compact digital reverb pedal released in 2014 by Dr. Scientist, a boutique Canadian builder. Delicious Audio called it "one of the first compact digital reverb pedals offering a variety of algorithms," which is what set it apart at the time: instead of one fixed reverb sound, it carries nine patches spanning hall, room and plate styles plus a rotary speaker effect1.
The pedal is aimed at players who want a range of reverb characters from one box. Delicious Audio describes it as suited to garage rock, post-rock and psychedelic tones, "from subtle depth to expansive ambience"1. It is a discontinued product: it was dropped a few years after release because of a chip shortage, and in April 2025 Delicious Audio reported that a reissue was on the way after the company unexpectedly found a stash of units1.
Nine patches: halls, rooms, plates and a rotary
The core of the Reverberator is its patch selection. A Patch Selector switch moves between nine patches: eight reverb settings plus one rotary setting2. Delicious Audio summarizes the range as "eight distinct hall, room, and plate reverb styles, plus a rotary setting for chorus and vibe effects"1.
Pedal of the Day's 2014 product page named five of the patches:
| Patch | What it is |
|---|---|
| Hall 1 | Long bright hall2 |
| Hall 2 | Long warm hall2 |
| Room 1 | Hardwood room2 |
| Plate 3 | Short vintage plate2 |
| Rotary | Rotating speaker effect with room reverb [2 |
The rotary patch is the odd one out: rather than a reverb type, it is a rotating speaker effect with room reverb layered on top, which gives the pedal a chorus and vibe flavor without a separate modulation pedal12. That made the Reverberator more than a straight reverb box for players who wanted one extra texture on the board.
The controls
The control set is deliberately small: one knob for mix, one for level, a decay switch and the patch selector. Pedal of the Day called it a "very organic sounding digital reverb pedal with true bypass and simple controls"2.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Patch Selector | Chooses between the 9 reverb patches2 |
| Decay Time switch | Left position is short decay, right position is long decay2 |
| Mix | Dry at 0, fully wet at maximum2 |
| Level | Op-amp boost, from unity gain to a large boost2 |
The decay switch is the pedal's shortcut for sizing a space. Delicious Audio notes that toggling between short and long decay "mak[es] it easy to dial in anything from tight room" sounds to bigger washes1. The Level knob is worth a closer look for anyone running the pedal into a clean amp: because it is an op-amp boost with a range from unity to a large boost2, it can push the front of the amp harder, not just match volume.
Power and connections
The Reverberator runs on 9V DC at 75mA or 18V DC at 150mA2. The 18V option gives the op-amp boost section more headroom, which matters if the Level knob is used for a large boost. It is a mono pedal throughout: one input, one output, with 500k ohm input impedance and 1k ohm output impedance2.
The Reverberator is mono in and mono out2. Players building a stereo rig should look at stereo reverb pedals such as the Neunaber Immerse Reverberator, which Delicious Audio's multi-mode reverb roundup lists with eight stereo reverbs including Wet, Hall, Plate, Spring, two Shimmer varieties, Wet+Echo and Wet+Detune3.
Where it came from, and where it went
Dr. Scientist released the Reverberator in 20141. At that point, compact digital reverb pedals with multiple algorithms were still a new category, and Delicious Audio credits the Reverberator as one of the first1. Its contemporaries took different approaches: the Strymon blueSky Reverberator, available from 2010, offered true bypass or analog buffered bypass4, while multi-mode workstations like the Immerse packed eight stereo algorithms into a similar footprint3. Universal Audio's Golden Reverberator later went the other direction, reproducing vintage spring, plate and hall reverb5.
The Reverberator was discontinued a few years after release due to a chip shortage1. In April 2025, Delicious Audio reported that the pedal "will soon be reissued, after the company unexpectedly" found a stash of units1, so the original design is set to return rather than being replaced outright.
Videos
Dr. Scientist Sounds
Prymaxe
Gear Confessions
Questions
Is the Dr. Scientist Reverberator true bypass?
Yes. The pedal uses true bypass switching built on a soft touch footswitch and a relay, so the signal passes through untouched when the effect is off. Pedal of the Day listed it as true bypass in its 2014 product page, alongside its simple control set.
Is the Dr. Scientist Reverberator analog or digital?
It is digital. Delicious Audio described it as one of the first compact digital reverb pedals to offer a variety of algorithms, and Pedal of the Day called it a digital reverb pedal in its 2014 coverage. Its nine patches are digital reverb algorithms rather than analog circuitry.
Does the Dr. Scientist Reverberator have stereo outputs?
No. The pedal runs mono in and mono out, with input impedance of 500k ohms and output impedance of 1k ohm. Players who need stereo reverb would have to look elsewhere, for example to the Neunaber Immerse Reverberator, which offers stereo in and out.
Why was the Dr. Scientist Reverberator discontinued?
It was discontinued a few years after its 2014 release because of a chip shortage, according to Delicious Audio. In April 2025 the site reported that Dr. Scientist would reissue the pedal after the company unexpectedly found a stash of units.
Sources (5)
- Upcoming Reissues: Dr. Scientist Reverberator Multi-Mode Reverb, Delicious Audio, 2025-04-29
- Dr. Scientist's Reverberator, Pedal of the Day, 2014-04-11
- 2024 UPDATE: Best Multi Reverb Pedals, Delicious Audio, 2024-10-25
- Strymon blueSky Reverberator Effect Pedal Now Available, Strymon, 2010-06-10
- The best reverb pedals for all styles and budgets, from classic springs to stereo soundscapes, Guitar.com, 2024-10-04
