Catalinbread Belle Epoch Deluxe Echo & Delay

Catalinbread Belle Epoch Deluxe Delay

The new Catalinbread Belle Epoch Deluxe is an exact reproduction of the iconic 1970’s Maestro Echoplex EP-3. The only difference is there is no tape!

The Belle Epoch Deluxe honors the EP-3 lineage because it faithfully reproduces the original EP-3 specifications part for part.

The only things missing are the record and playback heads. Instead, there is a 24-bit high-fidelity digital delay line taking the place of the tape cartridge.

The power rail is 22v, running off a standard 9vDC power supply. This is because it 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.

The only thing missing is the record and playback heads and a 24-bit high-fidelity digital delay line takes the place of the tape.

All-discrete, through-hole construction. It has orange drop 225P capacitors, carbon composition resistors, germanium diodes, and other premium parts.

No Compromises!

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 a 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 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!!!

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.

800ms delay

Controls:

• Depth
• Record Level
• Echo Volume
• Echo Sustain
• Echo Delay
• Echo Oscillation

Depth (digital):

Controls the modulation depth. The type of modulation depends on the setting of Echo Program (turn page for Echo Program Matrix on back), set to minimum for no modulation (except for Echo Program 3).

Record Level (analog):

Controls the gain of the input signal hitting the record amplifier. Ranges from no signal all the way to heavily overdriving the transistor record amplifier.

Record Level only affects the level of the initial repeat. Once repeats are regenerating this control has no effect on them,
just like the EP-3.

Echo Volume (analog):

Controls wet/dry mix using the identical mixer circuit as the EP-3 for the same subtle phase and tone shifts of the dry signal.

Echo Sustain (analog):

Controls the amount of delay feedback and is tuned to function just like the EP-3. Run-away echo starts around noon. WARNING: At high settings (2:00 or higher) it will get loud!

Echo Delay (digital):

Controls delay time from 80ms to 800ms, exactly like an EP-3.

Echo Oscillation:

Latching footswitch allows instant run-away repeats with LED indication.

Internal trimpot allows this function to be user tunable.

In effect, the trimpot is an alternate Echo Sustain setting. You can set it anywhere from 1 repeat
to infinite oscillation.

Bypass:

The Bypass footswitch can be set to either true-bypass or “trails” mode via an internal slider switch.

Trails mode cuts the dry signal at the input of the record amplifier allowing any remaining repeats to continue circulating.

Expression Pedal:

Control over delay time, delay playback volume, rotary speed, and filter sweep.

When delay time expression control is selected the panel knob (Echo Delay) controls the maximum delay time when the expression pedal is at full toe.

Minimum delay time can be set from most expression pedals

Requires 9V DC centre negative supply. Draws approx 200ma