If you’re a fan of the original Belle Epoch, you’re going to love what Catalinbread’s Plus version brings to the table. It’s the first compact delay in their range to feature full tap tempo, making it easier than ever to lock in your timing.
The Catalinbread Belle Epoch Plus has also received a serious overhaul under the hood. You’ll get more headroom, improved buffered bypass and even a touch of noise gating to keep things clean. It’s been fine-tuned for better impedance too, so it’ll slot into your rig like it was made for it (because it was).
And here’s a cool twist. You can now choose between three virtual tape modes, from a pristine, fresh-off-the-line Echoplex to one that sounds like it’s been hiding in an attic for decades!
Dial in the perfect echo
There aren’t many compact Echoplex-style pedals that give you this much control. Five knobs let you shape your dream retro delay sound:
- Sustain: Controls how much signal is fed back into the delay line, resulting in more or fewer repeats. Turn it down for a killer slapback delay, or up for an expansive barrage of repeats. It may self-oscillate at extreme settings too!
- Mix: Blends from 100% dry (your input signal) to 100% wet (only the delayed signal). Unlike the original Belle Epoch, this control is no longer active in buffered bypass mode.
- Tape FX: Adds the “wow and flutter” that give tape echoes their unique character. This control increases the amount of tape-like warble in the repeats.
- Rec Lev: Governs how hard the preamp hits the delay line and affects the first repeat, giving you a measurable initial “attack” from which the repeats then decay. This control includes a tape saturation circuit that emulates the crunch found on the EP-3 when you dig in. Higher levels give a thick initial burst of signal, while lower levels sit lower in the mix for organic echoing that enhances solos.
- Echo Delay: Sets the delay time, offering up to ~900ms of rich, tape-style delay. In Tap mode, turning this knob reverts the delay time to its physical position.
Please note: Running dry into the Belle Epoch Plus will require some careful adjustment to get the most from the pedal. Try rolling up the Sustain and Rec Level controls until the Belle Epoch Plus reacts how you want.
Get with the program…
Those five controls already offer a ton of flexibility — but there’s more. The central Program switch unlocks three distinct modes:
- This is the stock Belle Epoch Echoplex circuit.
- Inspired by the “Secret Mode” of the OG Belle Epoch. This adds some artificial aging to the virtual tape, giving semi-random tape modulation and a tightening of the filter on the Rec Lev control.
- Compresses the signal, leading to a lower distortion threshold, a tighter high-pass filter, more modulation and an expanded range of tape degradation.
LED modes explained
The footswitch does more than just turn the pedal on and off. You can set it up in three different ways:
- Red (Classic Mode): Operates like the standard Belle Epoch. Use the Echo Delay knob to manually set delay time. Turn the knob to enter this mode from any other.
- Green (Tap Input Mode): Tap the footswitch to set delay time hands-free. Hold the footswitch to enter this mode.
- Blue (Tap Bypass Mode): Uses the tempo set in Tap Input Mode and allows you to bypass the pedal with this time saved. Press and hold the footswitch while in Tap Input Mode to enter.
Key Features
- Tap tempo: Just hold the footswitch to enter tap mode, and again to enter tap bypass mode.
- Three tape modes: Choose from clean, slightly aged or heavily worn virtual tape.
- Upgraded preamp: Delivers the classic Echoplex feel with more dynamic range and hi-fi sparkle.
- Soft touch switching: Enjoy smooth, silent switching with no mechanical click
Specifications
- Voltage: 9V DC Centre-Negative
- Current Draw: 200 mA (Minimum)
- Dimensions: 1.96″ x 2.36″ x 4.33″
- Weight: 0.4 lbs.
