The Universal Audio Heavenly Plate Reverb is a compact digital reverb pedal that puts the sound of 1950s German-made studio plate reverbs on a pedalboard. Universal Audio describes it as delivering "the rich, immersive textures of 1950's German-made studio plate reverbs, with a dense and moody sound" in a compact stompbox1. It is part of the UAFX Compacts line, four smaller and more affordable pedals Universal Audio announced in August 20232.
A plate reverb, in the original sense, was a large steel plate suspended in a frame: a driver vibrated the plate and pickups captured the resulting reverberation. The Heavenly Plate models this electronically, putting the haunting ambience of the classic 1950s studio plates heard on countless hit records into a compact stompbox1. Universal Audio built it on the algorithms of its award-winning Golden Reverberator, and a Vintage Dark mode provides a warmer, more subtle ambiance314.
Three plate types
A mini toggle switch on the pedal selects between three plate settings, which Universal Audio names Vintage Bright, Vintage Dark, and Modern Full1. MusicRadar's reviewer mapped these to three Plate 140 algorithms, Plate A, Plate B, and Plate C, and described the differences between them as "more subtle than the modes offered on the other compacts" in the UAFX line6.
| Plate type | Character |
|---|---|
| Vintage Bright | Ideal for bright, snappy plate sounds3 |
| Vintage Dark | Provides a warmer, more subtle ambiance3 |
| Modern Full | A more modern take on the classic plate sound3 |
MusicRadar's reviewer also characterized Plate A specifically: "Plate A is based on an older type: bright, softer response and a shorter decay"6.
The controls
The control panel is built for fast dialing. Pedal of the Day noted it has a similar control layout to the Evermore Studio Reverb, Universal Audio's other compact reverb, "for easily dialing in your perfect ambience"5.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Decay | Sets the length of the reverb tail6 |
| Mix | Blends dry and wet signal6 |
| Plate type A/B/C | Mini toggle selecting the plate algorithm6 |
| Predelay | Spaces the reverb behind the dry signal15 |
| EQ | Tones the reverb tail15 |
| Mod | Adds a liquid character to the reverb's trails via the modulation circuit2 |
| Slow/Fast switch | Adjusts the Mod speed5 |
| Bypass footswitch | Engages and disengages the effect6 |
| Trails/True Bypass switch | Chooses whether the tail rings out or cuts off6 |
The Mod control is the pedal's distinctive extra. Pedal of the Day found it "lets you subtly increase dispersion and reduce ringing, and make the reverb tail noticeably thicker with more movement"5. Delicious Audio summed up the design intent: "Craft perfect reverbs quickly with simple Mod, Pre-delay, EQ, and Rate controls"2.
Power and connections
The Heavenly Plate runs on an isolated 9V DC center-negative supply drawing at least 250 mA, through a 2.1 x 5.5 mm barrel connector, the same size as standard Boss connectors1. The power supply is sold separately1.
The 250 mA draw rules out a battery, and the requirement for an isolated supply means a simple daisy chain with other pedals is not what Universal Audio specifies. Plan pedalboard power accordingly1.
Other specifications from Universal Audio: input impedance 1 Megohm, output impedance 500 Ohms, maximum input level 12.2 dBu, and frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz, ±1 dB. The enclosure measures 2.29 inches high, 2.58 inches wide, and 4.75 inches deep including knobs and protrusions, and weighs 0.66 lbs unboxed1.
The pedal is mono. MusicRadar's reviewer noted that "this pedal doesn't offer stereo options, something I lamented with the Evermore but applies to all the UAFX compact pedals"6. Players who need stereo reverb would look to the full-size Golden Reverberator, which gearnews notes "not only offers a whole range of reverb emulations, it also does so in Stereo"7.
History: from the Golden Reverberator
The Heavenly Plate did not appear from nowhere. Universal Audio says it is "built upon the award-winning algorithms found in our flagship Golden Reverberator"1, and Guitar World reported at launch that the Heavenly Plate "is born out of the brand's Golden Reverberator"4. MusicRadar's reviewer put it more broadly: "We've heard it in two other previous UAFX pedals; the Golden Reverberator and the Del-Verb"6, the latter being the Del-Verb Ambience Companion.
The Golden Reverberator itself covers more ground than plates alone. GuitarPlayer's buying guide describes how it "handles the vintage reverb side of things, including '50s-inspired studio plates, '60s springs" and more8. The Heavenly Plate takes the plate portion of that pedal and packages it in the smaller, cheaper Compacts format that Universal Audio launched in August 2023 alongside the 1176 Studio Compressor, Orion Tape Echo, and Evermore Studio Reverb2.
What reviewers said
Published reviewers were positive about the sound. MusicRadar's verdict on the tone was direct: "the sounds are beyond reproach"6. GuitarPlayer's Art Thompson found the pedal "great for adding vintage-sounding ambience to instrument and vocal tracks," and liked it with acoustic guitar and feeding a Fender Princeton with its spring reverb off9.
The criticisms that surfaced were about scope rather than quality. MusicRadar's reviewer felt the differences between the three plate algorithms were subtler than the mode sets on the other compact UAFX pedals, and pointed to the lack of stereo as a shared limitation of the compact line6. Pedal of the Day found the build reassuring, calling the Heavenly "ruggedly constructed for years of solid use onstage and in the studio," language Universal Audio itself also uses15.
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Questions
Is the UAFX Heavenly Plate true bypass?
Yes, and it is switchable. The Heavenly Plate offers switchable true bypass or trails bypass, so you can choose whether the reverb tail cuts off abruptly when you disengage the pedal or rings out naturally. The bypass mode is set on a switch on the pedal itself.
Does the Heavenly Plate Reverb use the same algorithms as the Golden Reverberator?
Yes. Universal Audio says the Heavenly Plate is built upon the award-winning algorithms found in its flagship Golden Reverberator, and MusicRadar's reviewer notes the same plate algorithms also appear in the Del-Verb. The Heavenly packages the plate side of those pedals in a smaller, cheaper enclosure.
Is the Universal Audio Heavenly Plate stereo?
No. The pedal has a 1/4 inch unbalanced TS input and a mono output only, with no stereo options. MusicRadar's reviewer lamented this, noting it applies to all the UAFX compact pedals. The full-size Golden Reverberator, by contrast, runs its reverb emulations in stereo.
What is the USB-C port on the Heavenly Plate for?
The USB Type-C port is used for registering the pedal and for firmware updates via a computer. It is not an audio connection. Plugging in lets you keep the pedal's software current with Universal Audio's updates.
Does the Heavenly Plate come with a power supply?
No. Universal Audio lists the power supply as sold separately. The pedal needs an isolated 9V DC center-negative supply delivering at least 250 mA, with a standard 2.1 x 5.5 mm barrel connector, the same as common Boss-style connectors.
Sources (9)
- Heavenly Plate Reverb Pedal, Universal Audio (www.uaudio.com)
- UAFX Heavenly Plate Reverb, Delicious Audio, 2023-08-28
- Heavenly Plate Reverb by Universal Audio, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Universal Audio's latest UAFX pedals trim the size and the price, but still seek to recreate more “timeless” historic effects, Guitar World, 2023-08-24
- Universal Audio UAFX Heavenly Plate Reverb, Pedal of the Day, 2023-11-18
- Universal Audio UAFX Heavenly Plate Reverb pedal review, MusicRadar, 2023-10-30
- The Best Reverb Pedals for Electric Guitar: From Budget to High-End, www.gearnews.com, 2026-06-08
- Best reverb pedals 2026: embolden your guitar tone, GuitarPlayer (www.guitarplayer.com), 2022-10-04
- ''Creating dreamy sounds that were once only possible in world-class recording studios…'' The new award-winning range of stompboxes from Universal Audio will blow your mind, GuitarPlayer (www.guitarplayer.com), 2023-11-17
