Keeley Halo Core

The Keeley Halo Core is all about the Halo effect that Andy Timmons spent decades developing.

This is a modulated dual echo where note boundaries are blurred between delay and reverb diffusion — hence “Halo”. It’s all held together with tape-style modulation, saturation, and compression.

It’s been Andy’s signature sound for years, and it’s not something you can get from a vanilla delay pedal.

The original Keeley Halo Andy Timmons Dual Echo was the full realisation of that sound — two complete delay engines, five delay rhythms, eight factory presets, and a deep feature set.

The Halo Core is the same sound in a slightly simplified package. Two delay modes, a dedicated tap tempo footswitch, and a redesigned Infinite Hold. Less to navigate, same core tone. Andy’s sound in a grab-and-go format, with all the essentials and none of the full Halo’s dual-engine complexity.

Halo Core vs Full Halo — What’s the Difference?

The full Halo has two independent delay engines that can be programmed separately and switched on the fly — effectively two delays in one enclosure, with five delay rhythm options, eight factory presets, and a more complex control architecture.

The Halo Core simplifies this to two modes: Andy’s signature Halo and Quarter Note. No dual A/B architecture, no additional rhythm options. What it does have is a dedicated tap tempo footswitch. Andy himself says the Core has the essential features he uses most.

The two modes cover the most commonly used delay rhythms without needing a deep dive into menus or preset banks.

What Does the Keeley Halo Core Actually Do?

The Halo sound is a modulated dual echo — two delay voices running simultaneously at different timings, combined with subtle modulation, saturation, and compression on the repeats. It sits somewhere between a delay and a reverb. Notes sustain and dance around each other rather than simply echoing out.

At lower Time and Feedback settings, the same engine opens up chorus and flanger-style sounds — well worth exploring.

Controls

• Time: Sets the delay from 1ms to 1,500ms.
• FDBK: Sets the delay regeneration — the number of repeats.
• Level: Sets the output level of the delay.
• Mode Switch: Toggles between Halo Mode and 1/4 Note Mode.
• On/Off footswitch: Turns the effect on and off. Hold for two seconds to switch between True Bypass and Buffered Bypass — three LED flashes for Buffered, two for True. Factory default is Buffered Bypass.
• Tap/Hold footswitch: Tap to set delay tempo. Press and hold for Infinite Hold — captures the current delay and sustains it at a stable level without building to runaway feedback.

Secondary Functions

Accessed by holding the TAP/HOLD footswitch while adjusting the knobs:

• HPF — High Pass Filter: Sets the cutoff frequency of a single-order high pass filter in the feedback loop. Range is 10Hz at full counterclockwise to 300Hz at full clockwise — useful for keeping repeats clear and preventing low-end buildup.
• Tone: Controls the tone of the delayed signal. Range runs from 1,500Hz at full counterclockwise to 8,750Hz at full clockwise — roll off highs for darker repeats, open up for brighter echoes.
• Saturate: Adds tape compression and saturation to the repeats, mimicking the grit and feel of vintage tape delay units. Low pass filtering also increases progressively as saturation goes up.

Power Up Functions

• Factory Reset: Hold ON/OFF and TAP/HOLD simultaneously while applying power. LED flashes several times to confirm.
• All Wet / Wet+Dry: Hold ON/OFF footswitch while applying power. Two LED flashes for Wet+Dry, one for All Wet only.
• Trails on/off: Hold TAP/HOLD footswitch while applying power. Two flashes for Trails on, three for Trails off.

Key Features

• Andy Timmons signature modulated dual echo sound
• Two delay modes — Halo and Quarter Note
• 1ms to 1,500ms delay time
• Dedicated tap tempo footswitch
• Redesigned Infinite Hold feature
• Secondary controls for HPF, Tone, and Saturate via TAP/HOLD hold
• Switchable True Bypass or Buffered Bypass
• All-Wet and Wet+Dry modes via power-up function
• True stereo input and output
• TRS expression pedal input
• Top-mounted jacks for pedalboard-friendly installation
• 9V DC, 150mA, centre-negative
• Made in the USA

Who Is This For?

The Halo Core suits players who want a genuinely characterful delay with musical, tape-style warmth. Start with Andy’s signature sound and take it in your own direction.

If you want to go deeper — dual programmable delay engines, more rhythm options, more presets — the full Halo Andy Timmons Dual Echo is the step up. But for most players, the Halo Core has everything they need and nothing they don’t.

To power it, any outlet on the CIOKS DC7 v2 or CIOKS SOL handles the 150mA draw with ease.

Watch It In Action

FAQs