Fender Reflecting Pool

The Fender Reflecting Pool is a sophisticated digital delay-reverb pedal designed to create lush and complex time-based effects for musicians. It leverages advanced DSP technology to offer a wide array of sonic possibilities, featuring independently switchable delay and reverb sections, a dedicated tap tempo footswitch, and stereo input/output capabilities. The pedal is designed in California, U.S.A.

Reverb Controls and Features

The reverb section of the Reflecting Pool offers extensive control over its ambient effects. The Reverb Footswitch & LED allows you to bypass the reverb effect, with the LED illuminating when the reverb is active.

The Decay control adjusts the length of the reverb signal. Turning the knob counter-clockwise produces smaller room and ambient sounds, while clockwise settings create the sound of vast, expansive spaces. This allows for a wide range of reverb sizes, from intimate to cavernous.

The Damp control attenuates high frequencies in the reverb tail, effectively "darkening" the sound. This can be used to create warmer, more vintage-sounding reverbs or to prevent the reverb from becoming too bright or harsh.

The Level (Reverb) knob controls the wet/dry mix of the reverb signal, allowing you to blend the processed reverb sound with your original dry signal to achieve the desired balance.

The Extra knob is a versatile parameter that modifies an algorithm-specific setting. Its function changes depending on the selected reverb type:

Hall and Room reverb settings: The Extra knob controls "tilt" between high and low-frequency decay times. Turning it counter-clockwise adds more bass to the reverb tail (low-frequency rolloff), while turning it clockwise reduces bass, similar to a bass cut.
Special "Shimmer" setting: The Extra knob controls the regeneration of cascading octaves, determining how much of the octave is heard and how many octaves will "stack" within the reverb.
Special "Gated/Reverse" setting: This knob controls the reverb tail shape. At full counter-clockwise, it produces a typical decaying taper. At noon, it creates a gated shape, and at full clockwise, it generates a reverse reverb effect.
Special "Modulated" setting: The Extra knob controls the reverb modulation depth, with the modulation rate fixed at 0.1 Hz.

The Reverb Type Switch allows you to toggle between three main reverb types:

Hall: This classic diffuse space provides a sense of walls being far apart, creating a spacious and open sound. It has three variations: small hall, medium hall, and large hall.
Room: Offering a smaller, more lively feel than the Hall reverb, this type is ideal for more intimate spaces. It also has three variations: small room, medium room, and large room.
Special: This category includes unique and more experimental reverb effects, each with its own variations:
- Shimmer: A classic modern reverb effect with an octave-up pitch shift in a loop between the reverb input and output. Successive octaves are added as the reverb decays, creating a blooming, atmospheric effect. The Extra knob controls the regeneration of these octaves.
- Gated/Reverse: This variation offers small-space reverb, plus gated and reverse reverb. Setting the Extra and Level control knobs at full clockwise position achieves a "full-wet" reverse effect. The Extra knob controls the reverb tail shape.
- Modulated: A very large space with some pitch modulation, ideal for ambient pads and swells. The Extra knob controls the modulation depth.

The Variation Switch further refines each reverb type by toggling among three different variations for each.

Delay Controls and Features

The delay section of the Reflecting Pool provides comprehensive control over its time-based effects. The Delay Bypass Footswitch & LED allows you to bypass the delay effect, with the LED illuminating when the delay is active.

The Delay Tap Tempo Footswitch & LED enables you to set the delay time by tapping two or more times at your desired rate. The LED flashes in sync with the delay time, providing visual feedback.

The Time control knob sets the delay time from 10 milliseconds to 1 second. To select various rhythmic subdivisions, you can press and hold the Tap footswitch while turning the Time control knob. Subdivisions include (clockwise): 16th note, dotted 16th note, 8th note, 8th note (triplet), dotted 8th note, quarter note, and half note. Releasing the Tap footswitch after selection applies the chosen subdivision.

The Feedback control adjusts the number of delay repeats, from a single echo to infinite repeats.

The Mix control blends between the main delay and a secondary delay tap, which is defined by the SUBD toggle switch. At the minimum setting, only the main delay is heard. As the knob is turned, the secondary delay tap becomes increasingly audible, and at the maximum setting, only the secondary delay tap is heard.

The Level (Delay) knob controls the wet/dry mix of the delay signal, allowing you to blend the processed delay sound with your original dry signal.

The Rate control adjusts the modulation speed of the delay, and the Rate LED flashes in time with this modulation speed, offering visual indication.

The Depth control adjusts the modulation depth, adding movement and character to the delay repeats.

The Delay Type Switch allows you to toggle among three main delay types:

Digital: Provides authentic digital delay emulation with three modes available via the Quality switch:
- Crystal-clean delay.
- Some audible signal degradation similar to lo-fi digital hardware.
- Grunge with less high end and the sound of old-school signal processors.
Analog: Offers analog (bucket brigade) delay emulation with three modes available via the Quality switch:
- Softer repeats with less highs and lows than digital.
- Less fidelity and slightly more distortion than NOS mode.
- The highest amount of bass and treble cut, the most distortion, and even some artifacts from the bucket-brigade sampling process.
Tape Echo: Provides authentic tape-echo emulation with three modes available via the Quality switch:
- The sound of a 15 ips studio tape echo unit.
- Lower degree of fidelity and higher degree of tape saturation than NOS mode.
- Even lower degree of fidelity and higher degree of tape saturation than NOS and classic modes. Using the Depth and Rate control knobs (especially with Rate at full clockwise) can create realistic wow and flutter effects of old tape.

The Subdivision Switch enables the selection of rhythmic subdivision for the second delay tap (secondary delay time is a subdivision of the main delay time). Rhythmic subdivision values include: 50% (8th note relative to quarter note), 66% (quarter note triplet relative to quarter note), and 75% (dotted 8th note relative to quarter note).

The Quality Switch enables the selection of three distinct delay repeat types, useful for progressively reducing the delay repeat quality, adding character to the echoes.

Rear Panel Controls and Connectivity

The Reflecting Pool offers versatile connectivity options:

Left Input Jack: A high-impedance input suitable for electric guitars, basses, acoustic guitars with pickup systems, keyboards, and other instruments.
Right Input Jack: Another high-impedance input, identical in function to the Left Input Jack, allowing for stereo input.
Left Output Jack: A low-impedance output jack that connects to an amplifier or the next effect pedal in the signal chain.
Right Output Jack: Another low-impedance output jack, identical in function to the Left Output Jack, enabling stereo output.
Tap Footswitch Jack: For connecting a momentary footswitch to set the tap tempo remotely, providing hands-free control during performance.
DC Power Connector: A standard center-negative 9VDC jack for use with appropriate power supplies.
Bypass Type Switch: This switch enables the selection of either "Trails" (DSP bypass) or relay-based "True" bypass. "Trails" bypass allows the reverb and delay tails to naturally decay after the effect is disengaged, while "True" bypass completely removes the pedal from the signal path when off.
LEDs Switch: This switch turns the control-knob illumination on and off, which can be useful in different lighting conditions.
USB Port: A connection point for firmware updates, ensuring the pedal can be kept up-to-date with the latest features and improvements.

Maintenance and Safety

To ensure the longevity and safe operation of your Reflecting Pool pedal, several important safety instructions should be followed:

Environmental Protection: Do not expose the unit or its AC power to rain or moisture to prevent damage, fire, or shock hazards. Avoid dripping or splashing liquids on the unit.
Power Adapter: Do not alter the AC plug of the connected power adapter. The unit must only be connected to a safety agency certified, regulated power source (adapter) that is approved for use and compliant with applicable local and national regulatory safety requirements.
Servicing: There are no user-serviceable parts inside the unit. Refer all servicing to qualified personnel only.
Cleaning: Unplug the AC power adapter before cleaning the unit exterior. Use only a damp cloth for cleaning and then wait until the unit is completely dry before reconnecting it to power.
Volume Levels: Amplifiers and loudspeaker systems, as well as headphones (if equipped), are capable of producing very high sound pressure levels which may cause temporary or permanent hearing damage. Exercise care when setting and adjusting volume levels during use.

The device complies with Part 15 of FCC Rules, meaning its operation is subject to two conditions: (1) it may not cause harmful interference, and (2) it must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

The Reflecting Pool is a robust and versatile pedal designed to be a central part of a musician's time-based effects rig, offering a wide palette of sounds and flexible control for both live performance and studio recording.