The Neunaber Audio Effects Slate V2 Stereo Effect is a compact stereo multi-effect pedal, part of the maker's Expanse series, that puts a range of time-based effects into a standard-sized enclosure. Its core is a set of five reverb types, and around that it adds echo, shimmer, chorus or detune, flanging, phasing, phased doubling and tremolo1. For a player, it is a single pedal that can stand in for a reverb, a delay and a modulator, in mono or stereo.
Effects and modes
The pedal's reverb section offers five types: wet, hall, plate, spring and modulated1. On top of the reverb, the Slate covers:
- Shimmer
- Echo, which can run with or without reverb
- Chorus or detune, which can also run with or without reverb
- Flanging, phasing, phased doubling and tremolo1
Because echo and chorus/detune can each run independently of the reverb, the pedal can serve as a plain echo or modulation unit, or stack those effects with any of the five reverbs1.
Controls and bypass
The Slate V2 has three control knobs whose functions change depending on the effect selected1. The mix knob goes all the way to 100% wet, which matters if you run the pedal through an amp's effects loop or a parallel setup where you want only the processed signal1.
Bypass and footswitch behavior are selectable: you can choose true bypass, which cuts the reverb trails off when the pedal is switched out, or buffered bypass, which lets the trails decay naturally after you disengage the effect1.
If you like reverb or echo trails to ring on after switching the pedal off, set it to buffered bypass. In true bypass mode the trails stop1.
The ExP Controller
An optional ExP Controller expands the pedal's full Expanse-series functionality. It adds four programmable effects with two presets each, three expression inputs, one for each of the pedal's knobs, and a Preset Morph expression input for sweeping smoothly between settings1. Players who want preset-style control over the Slate's effects would add this controller; the pedal works without it.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day reviewed the Slate V2 favorably in January 2019, praising how much it fits into a normal-sized enclosure1:
"The Slate Stereo Effect from Neunaber Audio Effects is a definite HIT, cramming a ton of tonal candy and functionality i"1
The review highlighted the pedal's range of effects, its software editing and its compact format1.
Videos
Neunaber Audio
Eli Friedmann
James Low
Questions
Is the Neunaber Slate V2 true bypass?
The Slate V2 lets you choose between true bypass, which leaves no reverb trails when the pedal is switched off, and buffered bypass, which keeps the trails ringing out. Footswitch behavior is selectable as well, so you can set the pedal up to suit how you like to use it on a board.
Does the Slate V2 work in stereo?
Yes. The Slate V2 has both mono and stereo inputs and outputs, so it can sit in a mono rig or take a stereo send and return. That makes it usable as a single stereo reverb and modulation unit at the end of a pedalboard.
Can the Slate V2 run echo without reverb?
Yes. Echo can run with or without reverb, and the same is true of the chorus or detune effect. That means the pedal can act as a straight echo or modulation unit on its own, or combine those effects with any of its five reverb types.
Does the Slate V2 have a 100% wet setting?
Yes. The mix knob goes all the way to 100% wet, so the pedal can be used with an amp's effects loop or in a parallel setup where you want only the effected signal and none of the dry guitar.
What is the ExP Controller for the Slate V2?
The ExP Controller is an optional add-on that expands the Slate V2's Expanse-series functionality. It adds four programmable effects with two presets each, three expression inputs, one for each knob, and a Preset Morph expression input for sweeping between settings.
Sources (1)
- Neunaber Audio Effects Slate V2 Stereo Reverb Chorus, Pedal of the Day (www.pedal-of-the-day.com), 2019-01-25
