GFI Specular Reverb V2

The GFI Specular Reverb V2 is a programmable stereo reverb pedal from Indonesian maker GFI System. Premier Guitar called it "the deceptively simple-looking Specular Reverb from Indonesian outfit GFI," a menu-less stompbox aimed at "players who yearn for a variety of programmable stereo 'verbs in a menu-less stomp"¹. It packs seven 24-bit reverb modes, stereo ins and outs, and eight presets into a box the reviewer described as "scarcely bigger than an old MXR"¹.

For a player, that combination is the pitch: studio-style reverb variety without a screen, deep editing without menus, and a footprint small enough to sit anywhere on a board¹.

Seven reverb modes and eight presets

The Specular Reverb V2 carries seven reverb modes, all running at 24-bit resolution, and stores eight presets¹. The modes are arranged into three banks, and presets and modes are reached through tapping methods or combinations of the two footswitches rather than through any menu system¹. That menu-less design is the pedal's defining trait: everything happens under your feet and with the knobs.

One of those functions is infinity mode, which Premier Guitar described as "essentially a footswitch-activated note-hold function"¹. Hit it and the reverb tail sustains, letting a chord bloom underneath what you play next, a familiar trick for ambient and soundscape work.

The controls and footswitches

Control comes down to four knobs and two footswitches. Premier Guitar noted that "four knobs (whose parameters vary by mode) govern each sound"¹, so a knob that sets decay in one mode may shape a different parameter in another. The two footswitches are dual-function: beyond bypass, they handle the tapping methods and combinations that move you between the three banks of modes and the eight presets¹.

Where it came from

The Specular Reverb V2 sits in the middle of a line of GFI System reverb pedals. It was built for players who want a variety of programmable stereo reverbs in a compact, menu-less stompbox, with four knobs whose parameters vary by mode governing each sound¹. Its sounds were described as lush and hi-fi, ranging from subtle to intriguingly out-there, all in a box scarcely bigger than an old MXR¹.

GFI also expanded the concept into a combined reverb and delay unit, the Specular Tempus, which Delicious Audio described as "an expanded, more powerful version of their very well received Specular Reverb"². Pedal of the Day's review of the Tempus counted 36 algorithms made up of 13 reverbs, 17 delays and 8 combination settings, with 32 presets and stereo ins and outs³⁴.

How it differs from the V3 and the Tempus

The clearest difference from the V3 is the preset system. Delicious Audio reported that on the V3 "the preset system has been greatly simplified," with its seven reverb algorithms savable into any of eight preset locations organized in two banks⁵. The V3 also brought stereo I/O with two inputs and two outputs in a 12 x 6.5 cm enclosure⁵.

The Specular Tempus goes the other direction, adding delay to the reverb, expanding to 32 presets, and offering four expansion interfaces: Aux-In, Aux-Out, an effects loop and MIDI In⁴. Where the V2 is a focused, compact reverb, the Tempus is a larger reverb and delay workstation.

What reviewers said

Premier Guitar's quick-hit review in March 2021 was positive, listing as a pro the "impressive variety of studio-quality sounds in a small footprint"¹. On the sound itself, the reviewer found that "Specular's sounds are lush, hi-fi, and can go from subtle to intriguingly out-there"¹.

Reviews of the related Specular Tempus point the same direction. On That Pedal Show, Dan and Mick said of the Tempus that "it sounds amazing," calling it extremely cool, small and easy to edit, and great for soundscape and movie-style sounds⁶. Pedal of the Day called the Tempus "one of the more versatile and options-laden reverb and delay machines we've ever encountered"³, which speaks to the family DNA the V2 shares.

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