The Eventide Blackhole is a digital reverb pedal that puts Eventide's Blackhole algorithm in a stompbox. The algorithm first appeared in Eventide's DSP4000 Ultra-Harmonizer hardware processor and has been a regular inclusion on Eventide multi-effects processors since12. Eventide announced the pedal in September 2020 at $279, as the first entry in its dot9 series of dedicated pedals342.
Where most reverb pedals aim at realistic rooms and halls, the Blackhole is built for big, unnatural spaces. Eventide describes it as a reverb pedal "as big and mysterious as the cosmos," and the reverb size ranges from a cartoonishly small room to a limitless universe5. Modulation is built into the reverb structure itself, and the pedal offers what one product write-up calls a journey from cathedral-esque spaces to a new frontier of aural experimentation25.
The controls
The front panel carries tone shaping that goes beyond the usual mix and decay controls, with the Q control adding resonance to a frequency controlled through the Lo and Hi knobs, and Gravity affecting the direction of the decay, forward or inversed, replacing the "size" function12.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Size | Sets the size of the space, from a cartoonishly small room to a limitless universe5 |
| Gravity | Affects the direction of the decay, forward or inversed; replaces the "size" function found elsewhere; alt function dials in PreDelay Gravity512 |
| Lo, Hi, Q | Lo and Hi set a frequency and the Q control adds resonance to it, fine-tuning the tone212 |
| PreDelay | Offsets the onset of the reverb2 |
Gravity is the control that sets the Blackhole apart. Rather than only shrinking or growing the space, it changes whether the reverb tail decays normally or in reverse, which is what gives the pedal much of its otherworldly character. Delicious Audio's writers called it "the most original control here"12.
A rear-panel Guitar/Line Level switch matches impedance with guitars, synths, FX loops or DAW interfaces, so the pedal sits as comfortably in a studio rig as on a pedalboard2. Any combination of parameters can be mapped to an expression pedal, and Catchup Mode helps dial in your sound while toggling between presets or parameters54.
Footswitches, presets and Freeze
The pedal carries five onboard presets, named Blackhole, Dark Matter, Nebula, Singularity and Pulsar, with dozens more available through Eventide Device Manager (EDM) software52. Presets are recalled from a latching dual-action Active Footswitch that can run in latching or momentary mode and uses LEDs to show which preset is selected54.
The second footswitch is the Freeze switch, which gives instant access to Freeze mode. Freeze holds the effect in stasis, letting you play over the suspended reverb tail, and MusicRadar's reviewer found the ergonomic switch on the front panel "an intuitive and fun way of using the pedal dynamically"213. Beyond Freeze, Infinite mode continuously layers new sound on top of a suspended reverb, building evolving textures rather than a single held chord2.
Players who want preset switching without MIDI can add a three-switch auxiliary unit such as the American Loopers Aux Switch, which connects to the Blackhole's Expression jack and provides Bank Up, Bank Down and preset Load functions14.
From the DSP4000 to the dot9 series
The Blackhole algorithm is a historic element of Eventide's sound, introduced in the DSP4000 Ultra-Harmonizer hardware processor1. It later became one of the standout presets in Eventide's flagship Space reverb unit; MusicRadar noted that of all the algorithms in the Space, "none captured the imagination so much as the Blackhole preset"13. It also exists as a pro audio plugin, and the pedal is a stompbox version of that plugin5.
The pedal kicked off Eventide's dot9 series in September 2020, a line of dedicated pedals inspired by the company's pro audio plugins7152. The series later took its name and grew to include the UltraTap and MicroPitch Delay pedals, effects that had previously lived together in the H9 multi-effects unit716. On That Pedal Show, the Blackhole was grouped with the Strymon NightSky and Chase Bliss CXM 1978 as one of the three big reverb releases of 20208.
What reviewers said
Reception was positive across the press. GuitarPlayer's reviewer called it "a great pedal for the adventurous tone-seeker," offering "an array of extra-terrestrial ambience, with modulation to pull you through the wormhole"11. Gearnews found it "a highly tweakable, MIDI compatible reverb effect that's like a studio rack-unit condensed into a tiny box" and considered it surprisingly cheap for the features it packs in4.
"It's a highly tweakable, MIDI compatible reverb effect that's like a studio rack-unit condensed into a tiny box."
MusicRadar highlighted the value of having the effect in a standalone pedal "with knobs to turn plus programmable presets," and noted it can be used as a mono or stereo unit10. Delicious Audio placed the Blackhole on its Best Ambient/Shoegazer Pedals and Best Stereo Reverb Pedals lists, and included it in its best pedals of 2020 coverage512.
Videos
Pete Thorn
Sweetwater
Eventide Audio
Questions
Is the Eventide Blackhole stereo?
Yes. The Blackhole can be configured as a mono or stereo unit, and it accepts mono and stereo signals on TS and TRS plugs respectively. It has mono and stereo outputs, so it works on a simple mono board or in a stereo rig.
Does the Blackhole pedal have MIDI?
Yes. MIDI capability is available over TRS, using a MIDI to TRS cable or converter box, or over USB. Presets and parameters can also be controlled from a computer through Eventide Device Manager software.
What is the Gravity knob on the Blackhole?
Gravity affects the direction of the reverb decay, forward or inversed, and replaces the size function found on most reverb pedals. Its alt function dials in PreDelay Gravity. Reviewers have called it the most original control on the pedal.
Is the Blackhole pedal the same as the Blackhole plugin?
The pedal is a stompbox version of Eventide's Blackhole reverb plugin, and the algorithm itself goes back further, to Eventide's DSP4000 Ultra-Harmonizer hardware processor. The pedal puts the same effect on a pedalboard with knobs, presets and footswitches.
What bypass options does the Blackhole have?
Four: Buffered, Relay, DSP+FX and Kill dry. Kill dry mutes the dry signal entirely, which is useful when the pedal is placed in a parallel effects loop. The multiple options let players match the pedal to how their board is wired.
Can the Blackhole be used with synths?
Yes. It is set up to be used by guitar, bass or synth, or run through an FX loop or DAW. A rear-panel Guitar/Line Level switch matches impedance with guitars, synths, FX loops or DAW interfaces.
Sources (16)
- Eventide Releases the Blackhole Reverb Pedal, Premier Guitar, 2020-09-15
- Eventide BlackHole® Reverb, Pedal of the Day, 2020-09-15
- Send your guitar tone through time and space with Eventide's Blackhole Reverb, MusicRadar, 2020-09-15
- Eventide pulls out all the stops with new Blackhole Reverb pedal, www.gearnews.com, 2020-09-15
- Eventide Blackhole Reverb, Delicious Audio, 2023-03-09
- Eventide Blackhole review, Guitar World, 2020-12-18
- Eventide Unveils New MicroPitch Delay Pedal, GuitarPlayer, 2021-03-12
- Spectacular Reverbs! Strymon NightSky, Chase Bliss CXM 1978, Eventide Blackhole, That Pedal Show (thatpedalshow.com), 2020-11-27
- Eventide Makes It Big with New MicroPitch Delay Pedal, MusicPlayers.com, 2021-03-11
- Eventide Blackhole review, MusicRadar, 2020-11-17
- Eventide Blackhole Review, GuitarPlayer.com, 2020-12-03
- Best Stereo Reverb Pedals For Synths For Texture, Ambiance, And Automation, Delicious Audio, 2024-02-23
- 5 great reverb pedals guitar players need to try, MusicRadar (www.musicradar.com), 2021-10-12
- Aux Switch for Eventide Blackhole, American Loopers
- Eventide MicroPitch Delay, Delicious Audio, 2021-11-26
- Eventide UltraTap review, Guitar World, 2021-09-02
