The Holy Island Audio Tides V2 is an atmospheric pedal featuring a reverb followed by two gain stages1. Instead of treating reverb as the last stop before the amp, the Tides puts it first and then lets you push the reverberated signal through dirt, so swells and ambience turn into what Delicious Audio described as "over-the-top fuzzy walls of sound sprinkled with interesting harmonics and sonic artifacts"1.
The two gain stages
The pedal's dirt comes in two stages with very different characters:
- Gain I is a low gain, opamp-based overdrive with soft silicon clipping, the gentler voice of the pedal1.
- Gain II adds a reverse transistor fuzz circuit to the end of the signal chain, and it can be used in conjunction with the primary drive circuit for thick walls of sound1.
On the V2, Gain II is activated via the left footswitch, which is one of the changes from the original Tides1. If you want to read more about the circuits behind these sounds, the site has pages on overdrive pedals, distortion pedals and fuzz pedals.
Footswitches and the effects loop
The V2 carries three footswitches. The Momentary footswitch, which sits in the center position on the V2 (it was on the left on the V1), makes the pedal self-oscillate, feeding the reverb signal into itself1. Held down, it turns the reverb into a runaway texture; released, it stops.
The effects loop is the other half of the design. It lets you place any effect into your reverberated signal1, so a delay, filter or anything else inserted there shapes only the wet reverb tail, not your dry guitar. That is what makes the Tides work as a platform: the loop feeds the gain stages, so whatever you patch in gets pushed through the dirt along with the reverb.
V2 versus V1
The V2 version of the Tides introduced an Order toggle for circuit routing, a Voicing toggle with a high-frequency cut setting, and Gain II activated via the left footswitch1. The Momentary switch also moved from the left position on the V1 to the center on the V21.
Videos
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Questions
What does the Gain II footswitch do on the Tides V2?
On the V2, Gain II is activated via the left footswitch. In the original Tides, the Gain II switch added a reverse transistor fuzz circuit to the end of the signal chain, and it could be used together with the primary drive circuit for thick walls of sound. The V2 keeps that second gain stage but moves its activation to a footswitch.
What does the momentary footswitch do on the Holy Island Audio Tides V2?
The Momentary footswitch makes the pedal self-oscillate, feeding the reverb signal back into itself. On the V2 it sits in the center position, while on the original V1 it was on the left. Because it is momentary, the oscillation happens only while you hold the switch down.
Can I put other pedals in the Tides V2 effect loop?
Yes. The Tides has an effect loop that lets you place any effect into your reverberated signal, so the loop sits after the reverb and before the gain stages. That means a delay, filter or anything else you insert only affects the wet reverb signal, not your dry guitar.
What kind of overdrive is the Gain I stage?
Gain I is a low gain, opamp-based overdrive with soft silicon clipping. It is the gentler of the pedal's two gain stages, sitting before the heavier Gain II circuit in the signal path.
Where is the Holy Island Audio Tides made?
The Tides is built in Wales. Holy Island Audio is the maker, and as of October 2026 the Tides V2 is listed as available.
Sources (2)
- Holy Island Tides V2 Reverb > Distortion, Delicious Audio, 2024-11-15
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X