Cornerstone Music Gear Nucleo

Cornerstone Nucleo Ambient Reverb is the signature reverb pedal of Paul Davids, inspired by the echoes of a nuclear power plant.

The Nucleo is the result of a collaboration between Paul Davids and Emilio Mazari, the founder of Cornerstone. The idea began when Paul visited a nuclear power plant and was inspired by the sounds and the unique reflections within the facility.

At the same time, Emilio was researching how to create an ambient reverb. After seeing Paul’s video, he reached out to him with the idea of capturing the sounds Paul had discovered in the power plant into a signature pedal.

The Nucleo features three reverb presets: a room, hall, and ‘the Reactor’. The intensity of each reverb can be adjusted using the Blend knob. There are also three sliders to control modulation. The Mod slider adjusts the speed of modulation, Air is a shimmer function, and Flux adds random sounds to the reverb, bringing the experience of the reactor closer.

When you press the right footswitch, the signal freezes, allowing you to play over your own soundscapes. There’s also a latch function that enables smooth chord transitions. The three other knobs control the decay, the tone of the reverb, and the pitch of the frozen signal. Each knob also controls a secondary parameter.

The pedal is fully MIDI-controllable and features stereo inputs and outputs. It’s powered by a 9-volt adapter (not included).