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What is it?
The Pico Shimmer is the latest entry into Electro-Harmonix’s lineup of compact Pico pedals, and comes with a disarming number of features and settings.
On the surface, it’s a compact digital shimmer reverb pedal with three distinct scenes, but scratching the surface, or… studying the manual… reveals a whole raft of extra features and advanced settings.
It pulls its algorithms and inspiration from previous EHX pedals including the Oceans 11 Reverb, Canyon delay and pitch-shifting POG pedal families. Therefore calling it merely a ‘reverb’ pedal ignores the fact that it also brings polyphonic octaves, modulated delay and a synth string engine to the table. It covers everything from classic shimmery reverb tones, to pad-like synth washes, to glitchy stutters.
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There are multiple advanced settings that build on this, such as a powerful Infinite Reverb tool, freezing your reverb and notes whilst you continue to play over it. You can also, pleasingly, remove your dry guitar sound completely from the mix and build out spacey and cinematic ambient textures.
Specs
- Launch price: $149 | £114 | €159
- Type: Compact digital shimmer reverb pedal
- Controls: Blend, Time, Tone, Voice, 3-way Scene toggle (Intergalactic, Off-World, Etherdust).
- Features: Momentary Infinite Reverb (press-and-hold footswitch), 3 Scenes (Classic Shimmer, Synth Pad, Glitch Shimmer), Secondary Knob Mode (reverb mix, delay time, modulation depth/rate), 3 Selectable Bypass Modes (Digital, Analog, Hybrid)
- Connectivity: 1x 1/4″ TS input, 1x 1/4″ TS output
- Bypass: Selectable Digital, Analog, or Hybrid Buffered Bypass.
- Power: 9.6V DC 200mA (power adapter included)
- Dimensions: 3.65″ x 2.0″ x 2.0″
- Options: One colour option (black and blue).
- Contact: Electro-Harmonix
Build quality
Build quality rating: ★★★★½
EHX is onto a good thing, as you’d be hard pressed not to look at the entire Pico range and not want to collect them all. I’ll caveat by saying that I have not always been a fan of the look of EHX’s full-size pedals compared to other brands’ artwork, but the Shimmer’s vintage monochromatic sci-fi decal is really nice and well suited to the sound.
The Pico Shimmer is also a solid little guy, and there’s no play or wobble on the bypass footswitch, scene button or the knobs. The knobs, for a pedal on the… gasp, cheaper end of the spectrum do look a little toy-like in shiny cream plastic, but they feel pleasingly solid to use. It’s also impressive just how many settings and multiple uses for buttons and knobs there are here.
Usability and features
Usability and features rating: ★★★★½
Its small size may, along with the price tag and the fact that EHX also generously includes a power supply, suggest the simplicity of a mini plug-in-and-play pedal. However, you will need to fish the manual out of the recycling, because getting to grips with just how much EHX has managed to jam into this little pedal is a mountainous task. It’s a necessary one though, as without taking the time to learn your way around this pedal, you’ll find it hard to wrangle without overwhelming your sound.
First, it does what it says on the tin and brings a fun ’80s shimmer and reverb that triggers delusions of grandeur when practicing (yes, I do feel like David Gilmour). In fact, you could, in theory, use it as a straight reverb pedal if pressed for board space, especially if you’re struggling to justify a ‘fun’ pedal vs a practical one.
You can also worry not that its mere four knobs are too little in terms of settings, for if you press down the Scene button for one second, you unlock a further 4 settings! This adds a handy degree of control over the Reverb Mix, Delay, and Depth and Rate settings.
The press-and-hold footswitch triggers Infinite Reverb, which is brilliant for building drones and pads under a melody, although I found it can quickly descend into an incredibly muddy chaotic sound overload, rather than a gentle petering reverb tail.
The main criticism I have is to ask is this: Why is it so small when it jams in features that would be way easier to access on a larger pedal?
Getting even more into the weeds of this pedal is to begin fiddling with the three bypass modes, accessed by a complex series of actions including unplugging the pedal and plugging it in whilst holding down the footswitch. These three bypass modes also matter more than you’d think, as they let you choose whether trails cut off or fade naturally when you switch the pedal off.
The main criticism I have is to ask is this: Why is it so small when it jams in features that would be way easier to access on a larger pedal? EHX, with the Pico series, seem on a mission to ask ‘why not?’.
It’s absolutely true that the value you get when you can pay literally hundreds for a similar range of tones is extraordinary. But if you’re building out a board for gigging, the flexibility of pulling these settings out into multiple, more accessible pedals for stomping on mid gig will ultimately be infinitely more convenient.
Sounds
Sounds rating: ★★★★☆
I am currently testing the Pico Shimmer out using a variety of equipment, including an Orange CR60C amp, a Roland Micro Cube, and DI’d into my PC, outputting via a pair of studio Yamaha HS7 monitors.
The Pico Shimmer Cosmic Reverb contains three presets. Preset 1 is Intergalactic: The classic shimmer, built from polyphonic octaves, reverb, modulated delay and compression, plus a string synth engine. It also gives you nice swells that sit behind your dry audio.
Offworld takes the second slot. Smoother and mellower, with enhanced delay modulation and vintage synth textures.
Finally, there’s Ether Dust. Now, this is arguably the wildcard setting, giving a randomised delay time, creating everything from crazy stutters to sparkly, elongated glitchy noise.
The sounds that this pedal offers are wildly varied, and it’s seriously satisfying to build spacey and epic ’80s solos over the infinite reverb setting. Pairing this with a fuzz pedal, like the Electro-Harmonix Perculator pedal which I am helpfully also reviewing, is full-on rainbow neon fun.
Stray too far, and the signal is easily swamped, especially when you aren’t focused on the manual. I can imagine that this would be a serious drawback of using the Pico Shimmer for live performances, as it easily takes over your sound without a considered touch. However, this does mean that on a granular level, the pedal still proves powerful when settings are stripped back.
The sound can also easily bias towards higher-pitched tones, definitely exacerbated on the cheaper Roland set up I have, but EHX helpfully includes a tone knob, which cuts out some of the high frequencies for those who don’t enjoy it.
Verdict
A seriously versatile and feature packed pedal providing an affordable route to big campy guitar solos and ambient synth noise. Want a synth but own a guitar? Here you go.
The Pico throws the abilities of a few pedals into one that aren’t easily accessed in a live scenario
The size and usability are the limiting factors. The Pico throws the abilities of a few pedals into one that aren’t easily accessed in a live scenario, so you may want to look at other options if a quick settings switching stomp box is what you’re after, rather than a miniaturized wonder.
MusicRadar verdict: In a world where you can spend literally any amount of money getting your guitar to sound like a synth, the EHX Pico Cosmic Shimmer Reverb packs a powerful glittery punch into a tiny pedal, defying convention. This is a surprisingly advanced and feature packed entry for the budget conscious musician.
|
Test |
Results |
Score |
|---|---|---|
|
Build quality |
Tiny, tough and well finished, with no wobble in the controls. It feels premium for its size. |
★★★★½ |
|
Usability and features |
Four knobs plus hidden secondary functions give you real depth and flexibility. It’s a trade off of size and affordability vs the ease and function of a larger pedal set. |
★★★★½ |
|
Sounds |
Three distinct scenes cover classic shimmer, synth pads and glitches, all with plenty of character and customisation. You can even cut out your dry signal completely! However, it is sensitive and all too easy to overwhelm without careful study. |
★★★★☆ |
|
Overall |
Big tonal updates to your set up, for a budget and board friendly price. Shine on Pico Shimmer, you crazy diamond. |
★★★★½ |
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