The Seymour Duncan Silver Lake Dynamic Reverb is a multi-mode, fully programmable digital reverb pedal, unveiled at NAMM 2018 as the company's first take on that kind of design1. It runs eight reverb algorithms, holds 128 presets, and is built around Seymour Duncan's trademarked Dynamic Expression system, which lets the pedal respond to how hard you play1. It shipped in 2018 at a list price of $3492.
The eight algorithms
The foundation is a collection of eight reverb algorithms: Room, Spring, Plate, Hall, Shimmer, Swell, Gated, and a combined Delay/Verb1. That covers the standard room and hall spaces players use for everyday sounds, plus the more atmospheric options: Shimmer for octave-up washes, Swell for slow-building ambience, and Gated for the 1980s drum-machine style of reverb that cuts off sharply. The Delay/Verb algorithm pairs a delay with the reverb in one block, which is useful if you would otherwise give up two pedalboard slots to get that combination. Seymour Duncan positioned the Silver Lake as the ambient counterpart to its Andromeda delay, delivered for 20183.
Dynamic Expression
The pedal's unique feature is the company's trademarked Dynamic Expression system, which allows the player to interact with the effect using performance dynamics1. In practice, you can alter settings for Mix, Modulation or Damping on the fly, just by how you play4. Instead of a reverb sitting at one fixed blend, picking harder or softer changes the effect in real time, so the pedal becomes part of your playing technique rather than a set-and-forget block.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Grit | Adds saturation for lo-fi and shoegaze sounds; as you turn it up it adds soft-clipping to the wet signal, adding gain to the reverb trail only13 |
| Damp | Darkens the tone of the reverb1 |
| Tweak | Chorus or vibrato on the echoed signal, as well as Lo Pass and Hi Pass filters1 |
The Grit control is the most unusual of the three. Because the soft-clipping is applied to the wet signal only, your dry tone stays clean while the reverb trail itself gains edge and saturation3. Guitarist Pete Thorn, in his demo of the pedal, said the grit and dampening controls "open possibilities on standard algorithms like spring and plate not found on other reverbs"5.
Presets, MIDI and connections
The Silver Lake is a programmable reverb with banks and memory locations for storing sounds5. It holds 128 presets, and with MIDI In and Through, Seymour Duncan says it can be fully integrated into any rig for any level of player1. Sounds can be recalled via MIDI if you want, or of course just on the unit itself5. On the audio side it has stereo ins and outs1, and it includes a modulation section, which Thorn described as sounding great5.
What reviewers said
MusicRadar reported the pedal available in April 2018 for $349, and noted: "We really dug the Seymour Duncan's Silver Lake Dynamic reverb pedal at NAMM - even including it in our highlights of the best pedals of the show"2. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio called the eight algorithms "beautifully crafted" and highlighted the Tweak knob's "gorgeous chorus or vibrato on the echoed signal"1. Delicious Audio also described the Silver Lake, alongside the Andromeda, as a creative tool that can be inspiring in the hands of any musician playing an instrument with a line out6.
Videos
Premier Guitar
Guitar World
Questions
What is Dynamic Expression on the Silver Lake?
Dynamic Expression is Seymour Duncan's trademarked system that lets the player interact with the effect using performance dynamics. As you play, you can alter settings for Mix, Modulation or Damping on the fly, just by how hard or softly you pick. It means the reverb responds to your attack in real time rather than sitting at one fixed setting under your footswitch.
How many presets does the Silver Lake Dynamic Reverb hold?
The Silver Lake holds 128 presets. It is a fully programmable reverb, with banks and memory locations for storing your sounds, and those sounds can be recalled via MIDI if you want, or of course just on the unit itself.
Does the Silver Lake Reverb have MIDI?
Yes. The pedal has MIDI In and Through, and with its 128 presets it can be fully integrated into any rig for any level of player, according to Seymour Duncan. Sounds stored in its memory locations can be recalled via MIDI.
Is the Silver Lake Dynamic Reverb analog or digital?
It is a digital pedal, powered by a 24-bit/48kHz digital engine. Seymour Duncan describes it as their first take on a multi-mode, fully programmable digital reverb.
What does the Grit control do?
The Grit control adds saturation for lo-fi and shoegaze sounds. Technically, as you turn the control up it adds soft-clipping to the wet signal, meaning it adds gain to the reverb trail only, leaving your dry tone untouched.
Where is the Seymour Duncan Silver Lake made?
Like all of Seymour Duncan's pedals, the Silver Lake Dynamic Reverb is designed and assembled at the company's Santa Barbara, California factory.
Sources (6)
- Seymour Duncan Silver Lake Dynamic Reverb, Delicious Audio, 2018-11-14
- Seymour Duncan releases its “powerhouse reverb workstation”, the Silver Lake Dynamic Reverb pedal, MusicRadar, 2018-04-05
- Inside Seymour Duncan’s "Dynamic Expression" Pedals; The Silver Lake Reverb, Delicious Audio, 2018-04-09
- Seymour Duncan Releases the Silver Lake Reverb, Premier Guitar, 2018-04-02
- SEYMOUR DUNCAN SILVER LAKE REVERB, demo by Pete Thorn, Pete Thorn (YouTube), 2018-04-02
- Seymour Duncan Unveils The Fooz Fuzz Synthesizer Pedal, Delicious Audio, 2018-08-27
