Harley Benton MiniStomp Deep Blue

The Harley Benton MiniStomp Deep Blue is a compact digital reverb pedal. Harley Benton describes it as a pedal that "packs a world of digital spaces into its tiny enclosure," with the maker's own words for its range: "From tight, focused pools to shimmering oceans, from bright-sounding tiled rooms to cavernous expanses"¹. It is built for players who want reverb on a small board without a large enclosure or a deep menu system.

The pedal runs three reverb algorithms, Room, Spring and Shimmer, each chosen by its own switch rather than scrolled through on a screen. Harley Benton's pitch for the pedal is simple: "This reverb effect has everything you need, and nothing you don't"¹.

The controls

The control set is minimal. A single Mix control handles mix, tone and decay, and three switches select the reverb type: room, spring and shimmer¹. An on/off footswitch with a status LED shows when the effect is engaged¹.

For players used to reverb pedals with separate knobs for level, tone and decay time, the single Mix control is the main difference here. Harley Benton has folded those functions into one knob, which keeps the enclosure small at the cost of independent adjustment¹.

The three reverb algorithms

Harley Benton says "Three different algorithms are at your command: Room, Spring and Shimmer, each with a unique sonic footprint"¹. In practical terms:

• Room: the maker's description of "bright-sounding tiled rooms" points at shorter, tighter spaces¹
• Spring: emulates the spring reverb tanks found in many guitar amplifiers
• Shimmer: the "shimmering oceans" end of the maker's description, the ambient, expansive option¹

Because each mode has its own switch, switching between them is direct rather than a matter of stepping through modes in order¹.

Power and size

The Deep Blue takes its power from a 9V DC mains adapter with the negative pole inside the barrel, and the adapter is not included with the pedal¹. Current consumption is 20 mA¹, low enough that it places little demand on a shared pedalboard supply. There is no battery option listed.

The enclosure is a solid metal housing measuring 92 x 38 x 32 mm and weighing 133 g¹. That footprint is the MiniStomp format's main selling point: it fits where a standard size pedal would not.

Where it sits in the MiniStomp range

The Deep Blue shares its format with other MiniStomp pedals, including the MiniStomp The Deep, a 5-band bass EQ aimed at bass players. The two pedals have the same 92 x 38 x 32 mm dimensions and the same solid metal housing, and both are true bypass¹².

The comparison shows the range's philosophy: one small enclosure, one job per pedal. Where the Deep gives bassists five EQ bands with plus or minus 18 dB of cut or boost³¹, the Deep Blue gives guitarists three reverb types. RockBoard's PedalPedia entry on The Deep notes its Level control "is always handy to have in your signal chain"³, a convenience the Deep Blue's single Mix control does not offer in the same way.

Questions