Catalinbread Belle Epoch + Delay Pedal

Belle Epoch +

The Belle Epoch + is a compact delay pedal with full tap tempo capabilities and several upgrades to the flagship tape echo simulator. It offers more headroom, a redesigned Mix control, improved buffered bypass, a touch of noise gating, and better impedance for easier rig integration. The preamp has been refined for higher dynamic range while maintaining the feel and response of the original Echoplex preamp, delivering a more hi-fi tone. Three modes correspond to different virtual tape wear levels, from pristine to aged.

Controls
Sustain: Controls the amount of signal fed back into the delay line, affecting the number of repeats. Turn down for slapback delay or up for extended repeats. May self-oscillate at extreme settings.

Mix: Adjusts from 100% dry to 100% wet. The original Belle Epoch had this control active in buffered bypass, which is no longer the case.

Tape FX: Increases the amount of tape warble, simulating the wow and flutter of classic tape echoes.

Rec Level: Controls how hard the preamp hits the delay line and affects the first repeat. Includes a tape saturation circuit that emulates the crunch of the EP-3. Higher levels produce a gainier initial burst, while lower settings blend smoothly for natural echo.

Echo Delay: Adjusts delay time up to approximately 900ms. Turning this knob in Tap mode returns delay time to the knob position.

Running dry into the Belle Epoch + may require fine-tuning. Increase the Sustain and Rec Level controls until the response fits your playing style.