Catalinbread Belle Epoch EP-3 Digital Tape Echo Pedal

94
GEARANK
94 out of 100. Incorporating 200+ ratings and reviews.
$209.99
Catalinbread
Catalinbread Belle Epoch EP-3 Digital Tape Echo Pedal

Gearank Recommendation

The Belle Epoch EP-3 appeared on our recommended list for Digital Delay Pedals from November 2020 until October 2021 when it was out-ranked by other pedals.

Overview

The Echoplex was known for its lush repeats from a saturated preamp feeding into the tape with just a little modulation provided by the tape speed and component condition.

Older tapes will sound more lo-fi, aging motors will fluctuate in speed.

Whatever the quirk of those original units, Catalinbread sought to replicate as much of them as possible in a small-format Delay pedal.

Enter the Belle Epoch: A recreation of all the things that made the original Maestro Echoplex well-loved, without the maintenance.

Many Echoplex recreations tend to just use a vibrato circuit for modulation but the Belle Epoch recreates the random wow and flutter effects of a real tape machine.

The Belle Epoch is possibly the closest “tapeless” recreation of a well-loved classic. For those looking to make spacey soundscapes and noise oscillations, the Bell Epoch checks all the right boxes.

Specifications

  • Controls: Echo Sustain, Mod, Rec Level, Mix, Echo Delay, Internal Trimpot for preamp level.
  • Delay Time: Up to 800ms
  • Switching: True Bypass
  • Power: DC Adapter and 9-Volt Battery
Although this was previously on our recommended list, there are now more highly rated options available which you can see in our guide to The Best Delay Pedals.

Demo

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