We’ve been big fans of Source Audio pedals for years, especially the Collider, which has earned its place on countless pedalboards for combining delay and reverb in one tight little box. Now, Source Audio has unveiled the Encounter, and after sitting down with it for the first time, we can confidently say this one leans hard into the experimental side of things.
Key Features
- Six delays + six reverbs with experimental and lush textures
- Hypersphere flagship reverb, shimmer, reverse, lo-fi, kaleidoscope and more
- 8 onboard presets, expandable to 128 via MIDI
- Stereo operation, series/parallel routing, tap tempo
- Full control via Neuro 3 app and desktop editor
Instead of just covering the basics, the Encounter brings six unique reverbs and six equally distinct delays to the table, and plenty of them sound delightfully weird. We’re talking shimmering organ-like pads, lo-fi textures, tape wobble, reverse swells, and other ethereal tones that instantly make you want to play differently. That’s kind of the magic here—it’s less about providing a safety-net effect and more about sparking new musical ideas.
Plugging the Encounter in stereo is a must. Straight away, it throws you into a soundscape that feels bigger than the room. The flagship “Hypersphere” reverb is massive and lush, while the shimmer is detailed and free of the digital artifacts that plague lesser pedals. Then you get the fun stuff—reverse reverbs that flip your phrasing inside-out, trem-verbs that pulse underneath your playing, and delays that range from lo-fi grit to kaleidoscopic swirls.
It’s also practical. You’ve got up to 8 onboard presets (expandable to 128 with MIDI), tap tempo, series or parallel routing, and the Neuro 3 app for diving deep into settings like subdivisions or modulation parameters. That balance of quick, inspiring sounds on the surface with full tweakability under the hood makes it flexible for both the “plug and play” crowd and power users who want to sculpt every detail.
And it’s not just for guitarists—synth players, vocalists, and anyone wanting to mess with textures will find a lot to love here. To us, that’s what makes the Encounter special: it’s an inspiration engine, not just another pedal.
If you already know Source Audio’s reputation for high-quality effects, the Encounter builds on that legacy while opening new creative doors. It’s a pedal that doesn’t just sound good—it pushes you to play differently.
