The following article is a Catalinbread Topanga review discussing the features and performance of a very popular reverb pedal.
Catalinbread Topanga Review
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Only a musician knows the real value of a reverb pedal. It adds soul and heart to a guitarists’ music. It gives wings, adding more scope and technique to his music. Now, for those who don’t know what the reverb pedal does, let’s talk in layman terms. Consider a case when you are standing among the mountains. You say or rather shout something, what happens next? It echoes back.
This happens due to the amount of space your voice travels before reaching your ears. The reverb pedal does the same thing to the music being played. It brings finesse, plus the effect is also realistic. There is a huge difference in what your music sounds like with a good reverb pedal and a bad reverb pedal. The target is to get the perfect delayed sound, which is not the same with all reverb pedals or stomp boxes, as they are called in by musicians.
Now the product we are talking about is Catalinbread Topanga reverb Pedal. Catalinbread is a reputed name in the music world. It was founded by Late Nicholas Harris in 2003. Each Catalinbread pedal is a device which enhances a musician’s performance and boosts their creativity.
Features and controls
The features of the product are:
• The product is a full rock surf reverb in pedal form.
• It has three controls – Mix, Tone, Dwell and Volume, each having its own specialty
• It has retained the true old school sound, which includes drip, clang, flutter, and splash of
1960s tank.
• It ensures long-lasting performance due to all metal chassis and high-quality true-bypass
footswitch.
• It runs from 9v-18v and uses a standard DC center negative power supply for pedals.
Technical Specifications:
The technical specifications of the Reverb Pedal are:
Pedal Type: Spring Reverb
Features: Internal Bypass Mode Switch
True Bypass: Yes(Switchable to trails mode)
Inputs: 1×1/4”
Outputs: 1×1/4”
Power Source: 9-18V DC power supply
Power Usage: 100 mA
Manufacturer Part Number: Topanga
Controls:
Dwell – It controls how hard the virtual spring circuit is driven. It can be from a very mellow reverb to the over the top reverb. Basically, it sets the transformer and the springs.
Tone – It works as a low – pass filter for the reverb signal which comes out of the spring tank. One can either run the tone wide open or back off the control if you want to obtain mellow background reverb sounds.
Mix – It could be both dry signal only, reverb signal only or you could set to the amount of reverb you want.
Volume – It controls dry signal’s volume, the reverb and it affects the output gain of the discrete
preamp.
Following are the pros and cons of the product:-
Pros:
• This product ismore board friendly, compared to its competitors.
• The extra functionality of Mix knob which enables one to choose between a range of 100%
dry to 100% wet.
• It doesn’t compromise the old school music while adding to it the new features.
• Volume control is an incredibly useful feature which gives immense control over the desired amp level.
Cons:
• A separate on-off switch is not provided for hidden modulation mode.
• Some might feel too much bass.
• Sometimes doesn’t drip as much as wanted.
Tone and performance
The Tone Report magazine has described the product as surf Guitarist’s wet dream’. What more can I say? It makes the music much more appealing.The additional feature gives wings to musician’s expectations and allows him to fly in the world of creativity. The best part is that the product has kept the original essence of a reverb pedal alive. It has not compromised on that. Though some feel it is not value for money because of its bass.
I feel the product does a wonderful job in keeping the dry signal intact. Of course, the volume knob is not to be forgotten. Two more facts about this product should be mentioned. First, the product has dynamic touch sensitivity. Second, it has awesome boost ability. Moreover, the product adds the splash of a spring with the presence boost of an outward tank.
However, you could also check similar products available in the market like the Fender 6G15 Circuit- Fender Reverb Reissue and Boss FRV-1. As for me, I feel the Catalinbread Topanga guitar Reverb Pedal is a sure win-win choice as it satisfies an artist’s hunger of more scope in creativity.
Customer Review Rating
The Catalinbread Topanga Reverb pedal is rated 4* out of 5* on Amazon – Check Reviews Here
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