Catalinbread belle epoch deluxe help!

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Doc Holliday
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Catalinbread belle epoch deluxe help!

Post by Doc Holliday »

Guys!
Bought a belle epoch deluxe and it’s very good!
Great tape tones.
Problem is every time you engage it there’s quite a boost in volume.
Seems a good idea for solos etc but if you turn it off mid song it drops volume a fair bit.
I’ve read online that there is no volume jump and it’s just accentuating the mids which can be perceived as a volume jump?
It sounds pretty loud in the room to me and very noticeable.
Anyone got one or share any info? I’ve recently bought it and like to put it towards the end of my chain.
If it’s the preamp inside I would understand that but it needs activating by the foot switch as does the delay to turn it on?! Just doesn’t seem very practical...
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skelt101
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Re: Catalinbread belle epoch deluxe help!

Post by skelt101 »

Doc,
Are you running in True-Bypass or Trails mode? In Trails mode, the preamp is always active. This could help even out any volume discrepancies. You might also have to adjust your Record Level. Check out these videos from Howard (the designer):

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Doc Holliday
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Re: Catalinbread belle epoch deluxe help!

Post by Doc Holliday »

Thanks for the vids.
Mines still in true bypass mode.
Hmm.. yeah I’ll try that mode tomorrow. I’ve got a switcher so I can leave it in the loop maybe?
And yeah I might have a Crack with that record level tomorrow. It’s still a new pedal to me and regardless that it has so many knobs I couldn’t find one to be a overall master.
Maybe it might work better pre dirt?
Rather than amplifying the previous pedals maybe the extra volume might goose the drives instead
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blunder
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Re: Catalinbread belle epoch deluxe help!

Post by blunder »

It shouldn’t be boosting like that. The preamp should be set at unity gain. The EQ shift can lead to a perceived volume boost but it shouldn’t be a big jump.

Wish there was more I could do, but I am no longer working there. (And neither is any of the original crew that helped grow that company)

Wonder if it’s a recent build?
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Doc Holliday
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Re: Catalinbread belle epoch deluxe help!

Post by Doc Holliday »

Thanks I heard a few people had moved on since new management took over.
It might be ... I bought it from guitar guitar here in the UK and I imagine things sell out quickly so I can’t imagine it would have been sitting on the shelf long. I’ll take it off my pedal board and have a play with it today. See if maybe I can find a spot where it’s less noticeable. Or maybe I’ve set it up wrong?!
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HorseyBoy
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Re: Catalinbread belle epoch deluxe help!

Post by HorseyBoy »

blunder wrote: Wed Nov 14, 2018 6:19 am Wish there was more I could do, but I am no longer working there. (And neither is any of the original crew that helped grow that company)
Oh, man. This makes me sad. Really sorry to hear that.
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Doc Holliday
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Re: Catalinbread belle epoch deluxe help!

Post by Doc Holliday »

Right ... think I’ve figured out how to use it.

I use a gigrig switcher so that’s prob where I was having the problem.
So when I was bringing the pedal in with the built in pre amp boost I was getting a jump in volume.
Having it in buffer mode helped with leaving the pedal as an always on pedal in the chain. So that patch is always in the circuit. The echo is activated by the actual pedal. And when it’s engaged it just brings in the echo with no volume jump.
Something to remember when buying that the pre amp will add volume and EQ if your switching it in and out the circuit. In a standard pedal chain it would just act as a buffer with EQ ( mids ) with no volume bump or drop.
If that all makes sense?!
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anemochore
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Re: Catalinbread belle epoch deluxe help!

Post by anemochore »

Doc Holliday wrote: Wed Nov 14, 2018 2:39 pm If that all makes sense?!
Definitely. I had the same problem with a Memory Lane 2. The difference being you could not switch it to buffer mode. Fixed the problem by putting an old Ibanez before it but after the Fuzz. All Buffers are not equal and I eventually found one that worked well. Not so bright and brittle like some.
Don't make me assume my ultimate form
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blunder
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Re: Catalinbread belle epoch deluxe help!

Post by blunder »

HorseyBoy wrote: Wed Nov 14, 2018 9:45 am
blunder wrote: Wed Nov 14, 2018 6:19 am Wish there was more I could do, but I am no longer working there. (And neither is any of the original crew that helped grow that company)
Oh, man. This makes me sad. Really sorry to hear that.
Thank you.

It’s really disgusting what has happened with that company.
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Doc Holliday
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Re: Catalinbread belle epoch deluxe help!

Post by Doc Holliday »

blunder wrote: Thu Nov 15, 2018 6:00 am
HorseyBoy wrote: Wed Nov 14, 2018 9:45 am
blunder wrote: Wed Nov 14, 2018 6:19 am Wish there was more I could do, but I am no longer working there. (And neither is any of the original crew that helped grow that company)
Oh, man. This makes me sad. Really sorry to hear that.
Thank you.

It’s really disgusting what has happened with that company.
Who’s designing the products now?
I thought it was strange that Howard wasn’t at Namm. The more I looked into it and asked around it seems there’s a new female manager in charge?
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