The Catalinbread Epoch Pre EP3 Preamp Buffer is a preamp buffer pedal that emulates the preamp circuit from the original EP-3 Echoplex, the tape echo made famous in part because players ran its front end into an amp even without the echo engaged. MusicRadar's Trevor Curwen described that appeal as having "an Echoplex EP-3 tape echo before your amp - but not necessarily with the echo effect engaged, as the EP-3's FET-based preamp" does its own work on the signal12. Catalinbread's pedal puts that circuit on a pedalboard, including the internal supply voltage and JFET preamp of the original2.
Where it came from
The Echoplex EP-3 was a tape echo with a FET-based preamp1. Aion FX, which makes a DIY version of the circuit, notes there were two versions of the EP-3: the early version was brighter and the late version a little darker and fatter, the difference being a single capacitor added to the first JFET stage in the later version3. The Epoch Pre carries both voicings.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Bias | Controls the overall gain, with so much headroom you never really get a very distorted signal, but still a little crunch2 |
| Balance | A sort of volume adjuster, but after 12:00 it goes into a thick, low-end heavy type of sound2 |
| Boost | Activated only by the Boost footswitch, adding an instant push and oomph to your signal2 |
| Early/Later push button | Switches between the different voicings the original units had2 |
"its a boost, for sure, but also an overall tone enhancer, making your rig bigger, wider and much more lush"
Early and Later voicings
The Early/Later push button refers to the two versions of the original unit2:
- Early voicing: found on the first 400 EP-3 units, with tighter bass and more upper midrange boost, which Pedal of the Day notes made it perfect to enhance big cranked up Marshalls2
- Later voicing: bigger, looser bass and more of a flat frequency response, with a thick and creamy kind of vibe2
Buffer mode and power supply
Activating the buffer gives your pedalboard a low-impedance, high-current feed to your amp, so you could run a 100 foot cable, according to Pedal of the Day's review2. That places it among buffer pedals that also shape tone rather than simply passing signal, a category that includes the EarthQuaker Devices Buffer/Preamp and the JHS Pedals Little Black Buffer.
On the supply voltage, Pedal of the Day says the Epoch Pre includes the 22V power supply of the original2, while Aion FX compares the circuit to the 20V supply of the original3.
Questions
What is the Catalinbread Epoch Pre based on?
It emulates the preamp circuit from the original EP-3 Echoplex, the tape echo unit whose FET-based preamp players have long run into an amp even with the echo itself switched off. The Epoch Pre puts that circuit in a pedal, including the internal power supply voltage and the JFET preamp of the original.
Does the Epoch Pre work as a boost?
Pedal of the Day's review describes it as a boost, but also as an overall tone enhancer that makes a rig bigger, wider and more lush. The Boost knob, engaged by the Boost footswitch, adds an instant push and oomph to the signal on top of the preamp.
What is the difference between the Early and Later voicings?
They refer to the two versions of the original EP-3. The Early voicing, found on the first 400 units, had tighter bass and more upper midrange boost, which suited big cranked up Marshalls. The Later voicing has bigger, looser bass and a flatter frequency response with a thick, creamy vibe. Aion FX notes the difference is a single capacitor added to the first JFET stage in the later version.
Can the Epoch Pre drive a long cable run?
Yes. Activating the buffer gives your pedalboard a low-impedance, high-current feed to your amp, which Pedal of the Day notes means you could run a 100 foot cable.
What does the Balance knob do on the Epoch Pre?
Pedal of the Day describes the Balance knob as a sort of volume adjuster, but with a twist: after 12:00 it goes into a thick, low-end heavy type of sound rather than simply getting louder.
Sources (3)
- Dunlop Echoplex Preamp review, MusicRadar, 2018-08-24
- Catalinbread Epoch Pre EP3 Preamp Buffer, Pedal of the Day, 2019-07-19
- Ares Vintage Preamp / Echoplex EP-3 Preamp, Aion FX, 2019-10-18
