The TC Electronic Hall of Fame is a digital reverb pedal from the company's TonePrint series, launched in 2011 as part of a back-to-basics line of compact, pedalboard-friendly, battery-powered stompboxes that departed from the more complex Nova series1. It packs 10 reverb types into one enclosure, from classic hall, spring and plate to a lush cathedral, plus modulated, lofi, tile, ambient and gated settings, and a TonePrint slot for artist and custom reverbs2. It is operable in stereo as well as in a standard mono guitar pedal array, and a 'dry kill' mode means you just get the effect with no dry sound when the pedal is used in an amp's FX loop1.
What the Hall of Fame does
The Hall of Fame is the reverb pedal in the TonePrint range, sharing its form factor with sibling delay, vibrato, chorus and flanger pedals in the same series1. Its simulations of real environments add a realistic sense of space: MusicRadar's reviewer found the spring setting "recreates the flavour very well," and that the ambient setting can usefully add the sort of "air" you might get by moving a microphone a little further from a speaker cab1. The 10 settings cover the reverb types a guitar player could reasonably want, with one gap: there is no reverse reverb among them1.
A dry kill mode, set internally, gives you just the effect with no dry sound, which suits use in an amp's FX loop1. Guthrie Govan is documented as a user2.
The controls: decay, tone, level and a 10-way dial
The front panel keeps things simple: three knobs for decay, tone and FX level, plus a fourth control, a large rotary switch that chooses between the 10 reverb types or the TonePrint12. A small two-way switch sets whether the reverb has a short or long pre-delay, the long setting giving a little more breathing space before the reverb blooms12.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Decay knob | Sets how long the reverb takes to decay1 |
| Tone knob | Makes the effect darker or brighter1 |
| Level knob | Sets the amount of reverb in the mix1 |
| Reverb dial | Chooses one of 10 reverb types or TonePrint1 |
| Pre-delay switch | Short or long pre-delay1 |
TonePrint: artist and custom reverbs
TonePrint is TC Electronic's system for loading signature reverbs designed by artists into the pedal, and it also lets you build your own reverb from the ground up2. The default TonePrint that ships with the pedal is a dynamic spring reverb that turns the reverb level up and down depending on how loud you play1. MusicRadar's reviewer highlighted Troy Van Leeuwen's Vibrato Spring and Paul Gilbert's Otis Fieldsgood TonePrint, which "adds a nice ambience to sustained notes," among the downloads, along with the Chorused Church and Duckingverb presets13.
Power: 9V, 100mA
The pedal runs from a 9V battery or a standard 9V DC adaptor drawing 100mA167. Battery access is by removing the baseplate via a large chromed screw that loosens easily with a coin1. MusicRadar noted when reviewing the TonePrint pedals that while you can use a battery, the power draw is best served by a separate power supply3.
The 100mA draw means a battery is a backup rather than a practical long-term power source; a dedicated 9V DC supply is the better option for a pedalboard3.
History and versions: Hall of Fame 2, Mini and X4
The original Hall of Fame "hit the market and took off like crazy," and TC Electronic has since expanded it into a family of pedals5.
| Version | Year | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Hall of Fame | 2011 | The original TonePrint-series reverb18 |
| Hall of Fame Mini | 2013 | Miniature version, preloaded with the hall reverb, TonePrint enabled910 |
| Hall of Fame 2 | 2017 | Second production model, added a shimmer octave reverb mode and MASH footswitch11412 |
| Hall of Fame 2 X4 | 2019 | Expanded version with 10 modes, four footswitches, six TonePrint slots and MIDI13141 |
| Hall of Fame 2 Mini | 2019 | Mini version of the Hall of Fame 2151617 |
The Hall of Fame 2, announced May 26, 2017, extended the original's legacy with an all-new Shimmer reverb algorithm providing an octave pitch shift, plus Decay, Tone and Level controls, stereo in/out, a pre-delay switch, a MASH-enabled footswitch and selectable true or buffered bypass11412. The Hall of Fame Mini shrank the concept to the Ditto Looper and PolyTune Mini platform, shipping with TC's famous hall reverb as its default sound and loading further reverbs via TonePrint; Guitar World found its sonic performance identical to the full-sized Hall of Fame, clean and properly modulated both in front of the amp and in the loop910. The Hall of Fame 2 Mini followed at the tail end of 2019 with Decay, Tone and Level knobs and MASH footswitch control1819. The Hall of Fame 2 X4 added four footswitches for presets or momentary effects, six TonePrint slots, MIDI in/out, spillover between presets, kill-dry, a selectable buffer and both mono and stereo outputs131420.
What reviewers said
MusicRadar's verdict on the original called it "a pedalboard-friendly reverb pedal that can be constantly refreshed with different versions of the effect," praising it as "dead easy to operate" and noting it takes up less board space than any comparable unit the reviewer could think of1. The same review flagged one divisive setting: some players will like the modulated delay, others may think there is too much chorus effect applied1. Pedal of the Day's reviewer found it extremely easy to dial in a good tone and excellent in front of a clean amp, in a very sturdy and well built housing2.
"The $87 I spent on this used pedal might have been the best $87 I ever spent on anything guitar-related."
On the later versions, MusicRadar called the Hall of Fame 2 "a more than worthy update"12, and found the Mini "sounds as good as its sibling" with TonePrint editing as a reason to buy19. On That Pedal Show, Dan and Mick demoed the Hall of Fame 2 X4 and found it extremely cost effective compared with other multifunction reverbs22.
MusicRadar also produced a video review of the Hall of Fame 2 when it launched, walking through the new model's sounds and features23.
Videos
ProGuitarShopDemos
That Pedal Show
Sweetwater
Questions
Is the TC Electronic Hall of Fame true bypass?
Yes. The original Hall of Fame ships with true bypass as the default, and a pair of internal dipswitches lets you switch to buffered bypass instead. The later Hall of Fame 2 and Hall of Fame 2 Mini also offer selectable true or buffered bypass.
Does the Hall of Fame Reverb run on a battery?
Yes. It runs from a 9V battery or a standard 9V DC adaptor drawing 100mA. Battery access is through the baseplate, held by a large chromed screw that loosens with a coin, though reviewers recommend a separate power supply for the current draw.
Is the Hall of Fame Reverb stereo?
Yes. It has two inputs and two outputs for stereo compatibility, and it handles both instrument and line level signals, so it works in a standard mono pedal chain or a stereo rig.
Can I use the Hall of Fame in an amp's effects loop?
Yes. Its stereo inputs and outputs handle both instrument and line level FX loop signals, and an internal dry kill mode gives you just the effect with no dry sound, which suits effects loop use.
Does the Hall of Fame have a shimmer reverb?
The original Hall of Fame does not. Its 10 settings cover hall, spring, plate, cathedral, modulated, lofi, tile, ambient and gated types. Shimmer arrived with the Hall of Fame 2 in 2017, which added a shimmer octave reverb mode.
Sources (23)
- TC Electronic Hall Of Fame Reverb review, MusicRadar, 2012-04-09
- Guest Reviewer Fridays: TC Electronic Hall of Fame Reverb, Pedal of the Day, 2016-05-06
- TC Electronic Flashback Delay and Hall Of Fame Reverb Toneprint pedals, MusicRadar, 2011-12-20
- TC Electronic Releases the Hall of Fame 2 Reverb, Premier Guitar, 2017-05-26
- TC Electronic Hall of Fame 2 Reverb, Pedal of the Day, 2019-03-01
- Best reverb pedals: Top picks from subtle to extreme, MusicRadar, 2022-04-29
- Best reverb pedals 2026: embolden your guitar tone, GuitarPlayer (www.guitarplayer.com), 2022-10-04
- TC Electronic and Guitar Center Release Arena Reverb, Premier Guitar, 2012-10-26
- TC Electronic Introduces the HOF Mini Reverb Pedal, Premier Guitar, 2013-10-02
- Review: TC Electronic Hall of Fame Mini Reverb Pedal, Guitar World, 2013-11-12
- HALL OF FAME 2 REVERB, TC Electronic
- TC Electronic Hall Of Fame 2 review, MusicRadar, 2017-09-24
- TC Electronic launches the newly expanded Hall Of Fame 2 X4 reverb pedal, MusicRadar, 2019-08-23
- TC Electronic debuts the Hall Of Fame 2 X4, the “most potent” reverb pedal it's ever made, Guitar World, 2019-08-23
- TC Electronic goes big on features with the new Flashback 2 Mini Delay and Hall of Fame 2 Mini Reverb, Guitar World, 2019-12-12
- TC Electronic releases the Hall of Fame 2 Mini and Flashback 2 Mini, Guitar.com, 2019-12-13
- HALL OF FAME 2 MINI REVERB, TC Electronic
- TC Electronic Flashback 2 Mini & Hall Of Fame 2 Mini review, Guitar World, 2020-05-08
- TC Electronic Hall Of Fame Mini Reverb review, MusicRadar, 2013-12-06
- TC Electronic Hall of Fame 2 X4 Reverb, Pedal of the Day, 2020-03-10
- TC Electronic Hall of Fame Reverb, Pedal of the Day, 2014-09-07
- Union T&T Tour Bender, Fender MTG Tube Distortion, Diamond Vibrato, TC Hall Of Fame2x4, That Pedal Show (YouTube), 2019-08-27
- TC Electronic Hall Of Fame 2 Reverb, MusicRadar, 2017-07-17
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