TC Electronic Hall of Fame 2 Review – A Universe of Reverb

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The Hall of Fame 2 from TC Electronic builds on the incredible features that were present in the original Hall of Fame – which was a mightily impressive unit as it was. The additions are amazingly innovative and are unlike anything that we’ve ever seen in many of the best reverb pedals on the market. If reverb is an integral part of your sound, prepare to be impressed…

Features

As with the first-generation Hall of Fame, the HOF 2 is a standard-sized foot pedal that has a sturdy metal case construction and is powered by a 9V adapter. It is configured for either mono or stereo operation with two 1/4” input and two 1/4” output jacks, and an LED indicator; it also has USB connectivity.

While these are all good additions, it’s pretty typical of reverb pedals today. The HOF 2 really shines due to the inclusion of two additional unique functions – the MASH footswitch and a new Shimmer reverb algorithm.

The MASH footswitch may look like any other footswitch on any other pedal, but it’s light-years ahead of that. It can be utilized as a pressure-sensitive pad to add expression pedal-like functionality to any of the 11 different reverb settings. This pedal features eight preset reverbs, and three extra spaces to take advantage of TC Electronic’s TonePrint system (via the aforementioned USB connectivity).

Meanwhile, the Shimmer algorithm lets you apply pitch shifting of up to an octave on the reverb effect only on each feedback loop, giving you reverb tones from out of this world.

Controls

The fundamentals are certainly present – the Hall of Fame 2 features four knobs: Decay, Tone, Level, and a rotary switch to select each of the different reverbs. Pretty basic stuff. What’s mind-blowing to us is the level of control that the MASH footswitch provides.

Depending on the setting, the footswitch will create a different type of effect, from acting as a volume pedal for the Plate reverb to controlling reverb decay on the Church setting. Using the MASH will take a little getting used to, but once you have the hang of it, you’ll find it hard to live without. It's seriously addictive!

Another nifty little control is a small toggle switch that controls a set level of pre-delay. On the Short setting, it will make your reverbs sound like you are playing close to a wall, while the Long setting gives a tone that sounds a little more distant and ambient.

Performance

The classic reverb tones on the first Hall of Fame were righteous on their own, and the HOF 2 just takes things to a completely different level. All of the tones are full and lush; and with the addition of the MASH function, you can squeeze out tones that you simply can’t when using other reverb pedals.

The additional flexibility of the three TonePrint settings also opens up a whole new world. Imagine the new Shimmer reverb with some subtle vibrato, the Shimmer with a touch of flanger, or taking the Church reverb setting and adding both Shimmer and TC’s TriChorus to it. We’re here to tell you, this ain’t your typical reverb pedal!

Thanks to its stereo operation, true bypass configuration and rugged construction, this is also one capable pedal that could be a pedalboard mainstay for years to come.

Conclusion

The TC Electronic Hall of Fame 2 will allow you to produce sounds that are beyond what you can coax out of a typical reverb pedal. Most impressively, the price isn’t significantly more than what you’d expect to pay for any good quality unit. Do the extra features make it worth considering it as a viable upgrade to the original HOF? Abso-freakin’-lutely! We love it.

For more info about the TC Electronic Hall of Fame 2, click here.

For more of the best reverb pedals, click here.