Catalinbread Belle Epoch Deluxe Delay Pedal

An exact reproduction of the iconic 1970s Maestro Echoplex EP-3, the Catalinbread Belle Epoch Deluxe produces the same lush tape delay -- without the tape.

Overview

The Belle Epoch Deluxe is an exact reproduction of the iconic 1970s Maestro Echoplex EP-3 -- the only difference is there is no tape! The Belle Epoch Deluxe honors the EP-3 lineage by faithfully reproducing the original EP-3 specifications part for part -- the only things missing are the record and playback heads -- with a 24-bit high-fidelity digital delay line taking the place of the tape cartridge. Exact circuitry reproduction of the 22v power rail (running off a standard 9vDC power supply) helps to achieve that expansive plugged-into-the-wall sound. The JFET preamp (later EP-3 spec), mixer stage, and high gain silicon transistor-based record and playback amplifiers and feedback loop lends to the big, warm feel expected from these legendary musical devices.

True to Catalinbread form, each component is thoughtfully and meticulously ear selected to bring you the most accurate EP-3 feel and sound available in pedal form.

Belle Epoch Deluxe: More Than Just an Echo Unit

Players for decades have sworn by the Echoplex, not just for the delays, but for the sonic enhancement it brings to the player's rig as well. This is widely accepted consensus by now as there are several EP-3 inspired boosters on the market. But the third aspect of the Echoplex was that it was a live performance instrument unto itself. Catalinbread's addition of the expression pedal control over delay time, delay playback head volume, and even rotary speed and filter sweep behaviors expands the legacy of the… read more Echoplex as a performance instrument. Then we went further and added a momentary footswitch for echo oscillation, tunable via an internal trim pot, for even more sonic potential that even the originals did not possess!

But Wait - There's More with the Belle Epoch Deluxe

As if that weren’t enough - we then expanded the possibilities even further by adding 5 more sonic layers to the Echo cake! Echo Programs 2 through 6 feature a warmer 'analog delay' flavored mode, Rotary, Filter, DMM Chorus, and DMM Vibrato modes -- all benefitting from that magical EP-3 preamp feel.

Specs

Dimensions and Weight in Packaging
Black & Silver: Shipping Weight: 1.13 lbs; Shipping Dimensions: 6 x 5 x 3 in; Manufacturer Part Number (MPN): 853710004758

Documents and Manuals

For support or warranty questions, please contact the manufacturer:
Phone: 503-841-5098
Web: https://catalinbread.com/

Reviews

(3 ratings)

Submitted July 14, 2020 by a customer from gmail.com

"One of my favorite pedals"

Overall:

(see rating details)

Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.

I’m a huge fan of this pedal. The sound and the effect the preamp has on your tone is awesome (to my ears). It makes my clean tone shimmer, adds fullness to a dry signal, and has a lot of modes to experiment with. Now the downsides. It’s clearly not cheap. I’m struggling to make good use of the expression pedal capabilities aside from echo volume and delay time. The delay can also overload an overdriven amp. So you either need to turn gain after the pedal down or run gain before it. It’s not my only delay. I run a digital delay in the effects loop of my amp. I think that’s probably the best way to approach this pedal and not get frustrated with it. It’s incredibly good at what it does, but it won’t do everything.

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