What it does
The pedal's central control is Dwell, which sets how much signal is sent into the spring. On a real tube-driven outboard tank, dwell determines how hard the spring is driven, and that is what produces the dripping, boingy character players associate with vintage spring reverb. Guitar World's description of the pedal as a recreation of that kind of tank, and of its target sounds as "extra-drippy, super-washy," points to the Dwell control as the main way to get there.1
Switching and power
The Super Swell uses true bypass switching, so when the effect is off, the pedal is removed from your signal path entirely. It runs on a choice of 9V battery or power supply operation, which makes it usable on a pedalboard with a standard supply or on its own with a battery.1
Where it sits in Mr. Black's range
Mr. Black has built a range of reverb pedals around different characters, including the Mr. Black SuperMoon, the Mr. Black Heaven's Gate, the Mr. Black Challenger Deep, and the compact Mr Black Mini Reverb Universal Reverberator. The Super Swell is the spring reverb specialist of that group: a pedal designed to recreate a vintage tube-driven outboard spring reverb tank, built around one idea rather than a bank of reverb types.1
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Questions
What does the Dwell control do on the Mr. Black Super Swell?
Dwell sets how much signal is sent into the spring, which is the same idea as the dwell control on a tube-driven outboard spring reverb tank. Turning it up pushes more signal into the spring, and Guitar World described the pedal as being aimed at extra-drippy, super-washy sounds, so higher Dwell settings are where that character lives.
How is the Mr. Black Super Swell powered?
The pedal runs on a choice of 9V battery or power supply operation, and it uses true bypass switching. That means it can run without a power supply on a small board, and when it is switched off, your guitar's signal passes straight through untouched.
Sources (1)
- Mr. Black Unveils the Super Swell Classic Spring Reverb, Guitar World, 2019-04-12
