killbabykill34
Joined: Apr 03, 2010
Posts: 3201
Jacksonville, AL
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Posted on Sep 06 2013 12:06 PM
I got word back from Tony. He suggested that, due to a handful of requests, he might rework this pedal for the next batch to include a true bypass, 'always on', option for the EP-3 preamp.
This is good news, but doesn't bode well for the fact I am ready to pull the trigger now. I wonder if he would be willing to speed up the process if he gets a handful of 'pre orders' for the upgraded pedal.
Would any of you be willing to go in a preorder if he agrees to get on the ball?
— THE KBK ... This is the last known signal. We offer Sanctuary.
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blueruins
Joined: Mar 05, 2010
Posts: 362
Mauna Lani, HI
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Posted on Sep 06 2013 12:28 PM
The boost is a truly great pedal Killbaby. This way you can pair it with a delay of your choice and I've found there are times I prefer the pre after the delay.
I've been considering re-housing mine in a smaller enclosure. Or maybe all that space adds some 'air' to the sound?
— http://blueruins.bandcamp.com
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blueruins
Joined: Mar 05, 2010
Posts: 362
Mauna Lani, HI
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Posted on Sep 06 2013 12:30 PM
Sorry, didn't see your question. Obviously, I've already pulled the trigger on mine.
— http://blueruins.bandcamp.com
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AXXA
Joined: Mar 30, 2013
Posts: 51
Atlanta GA
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Posted on Sep 07 2013 01:59 AM
killbabykill34 wrote:
AXXA wrote:
killbabykill34 wrote:
I expected, when I went to the website to read up on the Catalinbread Belle Epoch, to find that CAtalinbread had included the Echoplex preamp circuit in their pedal. I am very shocked, considering how popular this preamp circuit currently is, that they didn't include it.
I believe they did include it. Analog too, only the actual repeats are DSP. There's an internal trim pot to set the gain/volume, and it stays on in bypass when you use the trails mode.
I can't tell you how accurate it sounds though. I've never played an Echoplex. I had an exotic EP Booster, but I think everyone knows that it isn't actually based on an EP3. I do expect the Belle Ephoch to sound awesome though! It should arrive tomorrow.
The video just doesn't offer the warm tone colorization the Echoplex is known for. Between that and the lack of any marketing materials stating so lead me to believe that there was no attempt to recreate the Echoplex front end, which is essential to what most people love about the original unit.
If you want a nice reference then I would suggest picking up a handful of the old Dead Kennedys recordings-expecially 'Police Truck'.
Victor,
You are correct about the voltage, which would surely make a difference. While still 9-Volt, the pedal I posted above comes damned close.
The EP Boost is a good pedal, but surely doesn't nail the preamp.
Lastly, the ClinchFX EP-PRE contains the NOS circuit of the EP-3 and I have heard nothing but good things. Below is what they say about the power supply, which sort of addresses your concern about voltage.
"Power Supply
The EP-PRE pedal operates from a 9V to 12V DC, Centre Negative power supply that has become the standard for most pedals.
The original EP-3® preamp operates from a zener regulated supply of about 20 Volts DC. The characteristics of the power supply are significant to the operation to the circuit. It just doesn’t work properly on 9 Volts, so the EP-PRE has a Charge-Pump power supply that converts the 9 Volts to more than 17 Volts, and 12 Volts to just over 23V . A Charge-Pump came closer to recreating the dynamics of the power supply in the EP-3® than I could achieve with an external 18 Volt supply."
http://www.clinchfx.com/ep-pre/
Check out the Belle Epoche thread on TGP, Howard himself says they included an analog EP preamp in the pedal. How accurate it is etc, I couldn't say, but it was definitely their design intention. None of the videos have shown the preamp's effect by itself yet, I don't think. It does darken your tone a bit though.
Also, I got the Belle Epoch for one reason only: to nail DK tones! And that, it does! I've been enjoying it quite a bit. Again, I've never played an Echoplex, so I can't compare them, but this one sounds great to me.
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mad_dog
Joined: Sep 23, 2008
Posts: 349
Montclair, NJ
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Posted on Sep 07 2013 06:23 AM
I got on the list for this pedal. Two reasons. Love Catalinbread stuff already. Their Montavillian delay is on my gigging board now. The other being, in one demo they showed how you can dial back the effect to minimize repeats. That for me is the key requirement. I always use delay and reverb together, with delay at a very subtle setting. When it works - and doesn't with most delay pedals - it makes for a sounds that's a bit different than either reverb or delay alone.
MD
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deadlands
Joined: Sep 24, 2012
Posts: 121
Chicago, IL
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Posted on Sep 07 2013 08:54 AM
The Belle Epoch does indeed have the preamp which can either be bypassed in true-bypass mode or always-on in trails mode.
With a real EP-3, the preamp is always in the signal path which is what a lot of people like about it. I understand the logic of wanting the preamp always on, I seem to never turn my EP Booster off.
I'm waiting to see the comparisons with the El Cap before I pull the trigger. So far, I like what I've heard.
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killbabykill34
Joined: Apr 03, 2010
Posts: 3201
Jacksonville, AL
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Posted on Sep 09 2013 09:20 AM
I hope to get some more videos of this Belle Epoch in the future. Because as it stands I don't hear the nuance of the preamp at all.
This isn't to say that I don't think this pedal sounds good in the demo. It actually sounds great. The choices for the faux tape echo pedals are starting to grow. None-the-less, all of them I hear sound loads better than the Boss/Roland Space Echo pedal that I am currently using.
— THE KBK ... This is the last known signal. We offer Sanctuary.
www.thekbk.com
http://www.deepeddy.net/artists/thekbk/
www.reverbnation.com/thekbk
www.facebook.com/thekbkal
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skeeter
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 2063
Virginia, USA
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Posted on Sep 09 2013 11:23 AM
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skeeter
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 2063
Virginia, USA
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Posted on Sep 09 2013 06:44 PM
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AXXA
Joined: Mar 30, 2013
Posts: 51
Atlanta GA
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Posted on Sep 09 2013 11:21 PM
@Kill baby kill: I may try to do a RE-20 vs Belle Epoch shootout, but it would be an iPhone recording. They are definitely very different (as they should be). I do love my RE-20 though! The Belle Epoch's preamp has a much stronger effect than the RE-20's.
Btw, I heard your band on WREK 91.1 (Atlanta) last week, y'all sound great!
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killbabykill34
Joined: Apr 03, 2010
Posts: 3201
Jacksonville, AL
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Posted on Sep 10 2013 09:26 AM
AXXA wrote:
@Kill baby kill: I may try to do a RE-20 vs Belle Epoch shootout, but it would be an iPhone recording. They are definitely very different (as they should be). I do love my RE-20 though! The Belle Epoch's preamp has a much stronger effect than the RE-20's.
Btw, I heard your band on WREK 91.1 (Atlanta) last week, y'all sound great!
Do keep me posted. However, the longer I have had my Boss RE-20 the more I have hated it. It isn't a terrible pedal by any means. But it isn't the sound I want by a long shot. But the tap tempo is a must for my needs.
I really like the overall sounds I am hearing out of the Belle Epoch. But compared to the Stiff Amplification Repeat Offender and, to a larger extent, the Stiff Amplification Psychoplex, it just isn't quite there.
If Stiff Amplification makes the adjustment in the next edition to allow the EP-2/3 preamp circuit to remain enguaged separate from the delay then I will surely be upgrading in the future.
— THE KBK ... This is the last known signal. We offer Sanctuary.
www.thekbk.com
http://www.deepeddy.net/artists/thekbk/
www.reverbnation.com/thekbk
www.facebook.com/thekbkal
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deadlands
Joined: Sep 24, 2012
Posts: 121
Chicago, IL
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Posted on Sep 10 2013 01:47 PM
The Repeat Offender and the Psychoplex don't sound like tape echos to me. The preamp is there, but the delay repeats are all BBD analog. You can hear it in how the bass doesn't seem to roll-off but the highs do. Tape doesn't do that, the Belle Epoch sounds pretty identical to a tape echo and not much like a BBD analog echo.
Plus they don't have modulation and the record level control. I think for $25 more the Belle Epoch is a more interesting pedal.
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blueruins
Joined: Mar 05, 2010
Posts: 362
Mauna Lani, HI
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Posted on Sep 10 2013 02:30 PM
deadlands wrote:
The Repeat Offender and the Psychoplex don't sound like tape echos to me. The preamp is there, but the delay repeats are all BBD analog. You can hear it in how the bass doesn't seem to roll-off but the highs do. Tape doesn't do that, the Belle Epoch sounds pretty identical to a tape echo and not much like a BBD analog echo.
Plus they don't have modulation and the record level control. I think for $25 more the Belle Epoch is a more interesting pedal.
I agree about the Repeat Offender and Psychoplex repeats. The Belle Epoch does a great job emulating the degeneration and warble. However, it may well sound like an EP-3, but preamp-wise it doesn't sound much like my EP-3 did. The Strymon seems to be much closer all things considered.
Not to say that it wouldn't be a great pedal, but if you're comparing how well it emulates the Maestro Echoplex, I think it falls well short of the El Capistan in all the demos I've heard.
— http://blueruins.bandcamp.com
Last edited: Sep 10, 2013 14:33:16
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blueruins
Joined: Mar 05, 2010
Posts: 362
Mauna Lani, HI
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Posted on Sep 10 2013 02:32 PM
That Catalinbread Echorec is what's got my wallet itching.
— http://blueruins.bandcamp.com
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skeeter
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 2063
Virginia, USA
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Posted on Sep 10 2013 05:32 PM
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killbabykill34
Joined: Apr 03, 2010
Posts: 3201
Jacksonville, AL
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Posted on Sep 10 2013 05:40 PM
Hahaha...Police Truck! We are in the process of adding this to our set.
— THE KBK ... This is the last known signal. We offer Sanctuary.
www.thekbk.com
http://www.deepeddy.net/artists/thekbk/
www.reverbnation.com/thekbk
www.facebook.com/thekbkal
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deadlands
Joined: Sep 24, 2012
Posts: 121
Chicago, IL
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Posted on Sep 11 2013 10:57 AM
blueruins wrote:
I agree about the Repeat Offender and Psychoplex repeats. The Belle Epoch does a great job emulating the degeneration and warble. However, it may well sound like an EP-3, but preamp-wise it doesn't sound much like my EP-3 did. The Strymon seems to be much closer all things considered.
Not to say that it wouldn't be a great pedal, but if you're comparing how well it emulates the Maestro Echoplex, I think it falls well short of the El Capistan in all the demos I've heard.
Interesting. EP-3 owners in other forums are raving about how spot-on the BE is and how the El Cap sounds too clean.
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blueruins
Joined: Mar 05, 2010
Posts: 362
Mauna Lani, HI
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Posted on Sep 11 2013 12:45 PM
deadlands wrote:
blueruins wrote:
Interesting. EP-3 owners in other forums are raving about how spot-on the BE is and how the El Cap sounds too clean.
Well shucks...I do not own either unit and have only given the El Capistan a cursory listen out of curiousity spawned by this thread. I think the
Belle Epoch may well capture some aspects of the tone better and I'm sure my opinion isn't really going to sway anybody one way or another. The Catalinbread's a great sounding pedal and I'd rock one for sure.
However, having used an EP-3 for over a decade and owning Orbit Electronix Maestro-Booster 3, the flavour enhancement I associate with that preamp is not captured as authentically by the Epoch.
I'd bet the Catalinbread with a Maestro-Booster would be just about dead-on though 
— http://blueruins.bandcamp.com
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6V6
Joined: Nov 15, 2008
Posts: 284
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Posted on Sep 11 2013 02:11 PM
This thing seems to do a great job at the page/gilmore...any thoughts on how it might work for early 60s/50s stuff? Marvin, Moore, Atkins, Les Paul, etc? Seems promising. Maybe there is an EP2 clone in the works?
Last edited: Sep 11, 2013 14:12:30
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morphball
Joined: Dec 23, 2008
Posts: 3324
Pittsboro, NC
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Posted on Sep 11 2013 02:19 PM
deadlands wrote:
Interesting. EP-3 owners in other forums are raving about how spot-on the BE is and how the El Cap sounds too clean.
Probably the preamp? I use my El Cap with an EP Booster (and I used a transparent overdrive before that), and I think it sounds great. I think the really important, potentially decisive thing here is the $100 price difference between the echos ($150 if you count the preset switch), and potentially around $100 for a more faithful preamp. I don't see myself scrambling to sell mine, because I'd rather have the preamp and echo separate (and love how the El Cap sounds), but still looking forward to Tavo's verdict since he knows his way around the El Cap and will have a Belle Epoch right next to it.
— Mike
http://www.youtube.com/morphballio
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