Catalinbread Soft Focus Shoegaze Reverb Pedal

£179.99

The Catalinbread Guitar Pedals always come out on top. This is New is in stock and ready to post out to you, with fast, reliable delivery straight to your door. For more New Guitar Pedals options, read on for full specifications, demos, and secure online ordering. The Soft Focus patch on the Yamaha FX500 was widely used in the ‘90s by early shoegaze bands, most notably Slowdive on Souvlaki. With its roots in that patch, the Catalinbread Soft Focus is intended to be an instant shoegaze button, while addressing the most glaring issues of the original unit: no mix control, a sub-par…

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Description

The Catalinbread Guitar Pedals always come out on top. This is New is in stock and ready to post out to you, with fast, reliable delivery straight to your door. For more New Guitar Pedals options, read on for full specifications, demos, and secure online ordering.

The Soft Focus patch on the Yamaha FX500 was widely used in the ‘90s by early shoegaze bands, most notably Slowdive on Souvlaki. With its roots in that patch, the Catalinbread Soft Focus is intended to be an instant shoegaze button, while addressing the most glaring issues of the original unit: no mix control, a sub-par preamp, and a ghastly tone-sucking bypass signal.

Plate Reverb

At its heart, the Soft Focus is a heavily modified plate reverb with adjustable time, which is subsequently split into three paths. One path contains a multi-voiced chorus modulator, another features a well-appointed octave-up mixed in with the reverb, and the third path leaves the reverb untouched.

Chorus

The Mod knob controls the rate of the chorus on path one, and the Symphony knob controls the level of the octave on path two. All controls are “coupled” to the tone of the reverb to give users an expansive playing field of sounds to discover and fine tune.

Power Requirements

The Soft Focus runs from 9 to 18 volts using a standard DC centre-negative power supply for pedals. Make sure you’re using a supply that provides at least 100mA. Running the Soft Focus at 9V will sound great, but if you want a bit more output, a dry signal boost and increased headroom, try any voltage you like up to 18V! The Soft Focus does not run on batteries.

Controls

  • SYMPH (SYMPHONY): This knob mixes in a slight octave effect on the wet reverb signal. While subtle, this shifts the mood and character quite a bit. This is also tied to some frequencies in the reverb for more harmonic content.
  • MIX: This a wet/dry blend. Turn all the up for 100% wet and all the way down for 100% dry.
  • MOD: This parameter controls the rate of the multi-voiced chorus and changes some of the frequencies in the reverb oscillation.
  • VERB: This controls the decay time for the reverb.
  • VOL: Adds a bit of gain to the dry signal pre effect; can be used when bypassed in buffer/trails mode as a clean boost.

* For full quintessential shoegaze sounds, max all the knobs and adjust the mix to taste. However, every knob is musically interactive with one another for a truly versatile palette usable in a wide variety of styles.

Additional information

Weight 1 kg

Stuff About Guitar Pedals

Guitar pedals are compact effects units that shape and enhance a guitar’s sound, sitting between the instrument and the amplifier. They include gain pedals like overdrive and distortion, modulation effects such as chorus and tremolo, time-based effects like delay and reverb, and essential utilities including tuners, compressors and loopers. Understanding basic things such as pedal type, signal order, power requirements and intended use helps players choose pedals that suit their style, setup and playing environment.

The Important stuff

Pedal — Pedals are the tools that let you shape, colour and transform your sound, from subtle tone enhancement to bold, creative effects. Whether you are adding grit, space, movement or control, a pedal becomes part of your playing rather than just an add-on. Exploring different pedals is about discovering what responds to your touch and helps your sound feel more like your own.. Reverb — Reverb (short for reverberation) is an audio effect that simulates the natural reflections of sound in a physical space. When you play in a room, hall, or cathedral, the sound waves bounce off the walls, ceiling, and floor, creating a sense of depth and ambience. Reverb pedals and processors recreate this effect electronically, allowing guitarists and producers to shape how “big” or “live” their sound feels. From short, springy echoes that mimic vintage amp tanks to lush, atmospheric washes used in ambient or shoegaze music, reverb adds dimension and realism — turning a dry, flat tone into something immersive and expressive..

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