Keeley Caverns vs. Carbon Copy and Nimbus (and other assorted reverb/delay q's)

[kesslari]

I now have room for both delay and reverb on my board.
I started with a CC. I got an EHX Canyon, which I thought would replace the CC. It's cool and it's super versatile, but it doesn't do *that sound* that the CC does.
I put the Canyon back on the board for its reverb, but really, I'm not loving that reverb. Not like the Nimbus I had, for example.
So to put reverb and delay on my board:

One option is to just get a Nimbus. That might simply be the best way to go.

I'm intrigued by the Keeley Caverns v2, though. My questions :
For any of you who have used both the MXR CC and the Caverns, how did the Caverns delay stack up?
And if you've used Caverns and Nimbus, how did the Caverns reverb stack up?

If you want to propose other options, my budget is $150 max. I don't need tap tempo.

 

[Jakeman]

Very interested in responses to this question - I was just having this conversation with my guitarist. I think I'm going to go with a Nimbus soon, as I have all other IE pedals on my board and I imagine it would do the trick. Currently looking for a new delay and interested in the Caverns. FWIW, I use a Flashback and Hall of Fame at the moment, and feel kinda ho-hum about them.

 

[Grahams Groove]

Nux Atlantic is in your price range, too.

 

[minddrain]

I bought a Nimbus because I wanted a clean reverb with no modulation.

 

[kesslari]

paging @catcauphonic

 

[catcauphonic]

paging @catcauphonic

I've got the Caverns2 and absolutely love it, but I have zero personal experience with the others you mentioned, so can't compare them.

I'm totally happy with the sounds and controls on the KC. If you don't need a tap tempo, you should give it a shot. That's the only thing that it's lacking IMO/IME.

Edit to add: snagged it here in the classifieds for a fair 130

 

[adamaarts]

Caverns is cool, I think the delay side I prefer over the reverb side. I’ve even a huge fan of delay/reverb in one pedal. I was using the Avalanche Run far more than the caverns. It ended up being my main pedal for about a year. I think in your price range the caverns is the best option. But if you want to go up a bit, the AR is better IMO.

FYI I have since moved on to dedicated pedals for delay and reverb and have chosen the Eventide Rose and Strymon Blue Sky.

 

[AlvarHanso]

The Ocean's 11 is a great reverb in the same range as the Canyon. It has a couple delays on there, but can't get both, but it's the better pedal to me of the two. The Grand Cayon is out of your limit, unless you find a great deal on a used one.

 

[Hypocrite]

I have the Caverns V2, and I gotta say, the delay isn't that good. Seems to me that no matter how I set the time, there's alway a little "pre-delay" before the effect triggers. Also, the repeats are really low volume. The Reverb is good though. For delay I prefer the TC Flashback

 

[BurningSkies]

If I wanted a basic but beautiful sounding verb, the Nimbus is it. If I want patches and options, there are a ton of options... currently using a Dr. Scientist Atmosphere for the programmability and connectivity but I’m not getting rid of my Nimbus.

 

[Grahams Groove]

If I wanted a basic but beautiful sounding verb, the Nimbus is it. If I want patches and options, there are a ton of options... currently using a Dr. Scientist Atmosphere for the programmability and connectivity but I’m not getting rid of my Nimbus.

Bonus - snag a Nimbus SE and you can basically have 2 presets (or use the other features that the second footswitch also allows).

 

[BurningSkies]

Bonus - snag a Nimbus SE and you can basically have 2 presets (or use the other features that the second footswitch also allows).

Expression IIRC, option for how you feed the front end or a second deeper verb and I think a hold? That’s the one I have but it hasn’t been on my board for a bit.

 

[Grahams Groove]

Expression IIRC, option for how you feed the front end or a second deeper verb and I think a hold? That’s the one I have but it hasn’t been on my board for a bit.

That sounds right. I don’t use an EP with mine. So I set the top switch to size, and then the expression knob becomes a secondary “room size” control. I set that one around 3:00 and the main one around 8:00 or 9:00. Then my default reverb setting sounds fairly subtle, and I can click the expression switch to get super washed out verb.

 

[emjazz]

I fell out of love with the Nimbus. Had one for a while. It's really cold sounding, and it has a strange long plate sound. Have a Neunaber Wet Mono right now and it's wonderful.

 

[adamaarts]

I forgot about the Boss RV-6. Great sounding reverb that has a delay option on one of the settings. That one is well under budget, but IMO the caverns really beats it out due to having more knobs and separate delay/reverb.

 

[kesslari]

Lots of great options!
At this point I'm close to settled on either the Nimbus or the Neunaber Wet. Given how much I like the CC, adding a great reverb makes more sense than taking a chance on a pedal that does both reverb and delay.

 

[emjazz]

If you love reverb and want presets than I'd suggest taking a look at the Cusack Resound. That's the one that I'd like to end up with. What an overlooked company. That Resound is magic.

 

[marqueemoon]

For reverb (on guitar) I have a Catalinbread Talisman (dedicated plate reverb) and a Boss RV-6.

The Talisman has a high pass control and adjustable pre-delay and sounds amazing running at 18V. Out of the OP’s budget new, but I got mine used. It’s a “one sound” pedal, but you can do some very cool stuff with it from a slapback thing to Phil Spector “Wall of Sound”, to real spacey. It also has an output level control, so you can use it as a reverby boost.

The RV-6 is more of a swiss army knife. The plate sound isn’t nearly as good, but just about everything is usable and not brittle sounding. Also has an expression input, though I haven’t tried it.

For combo pedals I’d like to try a Quiet Theory Prelude someday. The demos are pretty impressive.

 

[kesslari]

Looks like I'll have a Broughton Resound coming my way.

 

[kesslari]

AND... The Resound is it!
@Azure Skies Great freakin' reverb. The pre-delay is just what I was looking for and didn't know it. Let's the bass sing (fretless) before the reverb kicks in.
Happy camper here.