Back in 2015, Boss released the DD–500, a versatile delay designed to take on other large–format boxes, like the popular Strymon Timeline. The unit was a big hit for the pedal titan, and it was just a matter of time before we saw some new releases following a similar format.
The Boss RV–500 is first up, bringing a full suite of reverb options to this larger Boss chasis. It features 12 modes with 21 selectable reverb types from crackly, vintage–sounding emulations to poppy spring reverbs, along with combinable delay patches and presets. One of the coolest modes is "dual," which allows you to run two reverb effects in tandem.
Next up is the MD–500, which also doesn't stray far from the original DD–500 mold. But this time, the effect is modulation, and the unit is packed with tons of functionality. It features 12 modes with 28 modulation engines, including rotary, chorus, overtone, flanger, and phaser to name just a few.
Like the RV–500, the pedal features 297 onboard patch memories and allows you to set your favorite presets. We particularly loved the clean–sounding Classic Vibe engine paired with a drive like the Boss OD–1X.