The Catalinbread Semaphore Tap Tempo Tremolo is a tremolo pedal with tap tempo and a choice of eight different waveforms. It is an upgraded version of the smaller original Semaphore, and it is no longer in production.1
Controls and features
The Semaphore's headline feature is its Tap Tempo functionality, which lets a player set the tremolo speed by tapping in time with the song rather than turning a knob and hoping. Alongside tap tempo, the pedal offers eight different waveforms, and a Shape contour that morphs the waveshape between them.1
The main knobs work as a player would expect:
- Rate, Depth and Volume set the overall output as well as the speed and intensity of the effect1
- Shape morphs the waveshape, in conjunction with the waveform selection1
- Tap Tempo sets the speed by tapping1
Clean boost use
Pedal of the Day also points to a second use for the pedal beyond tremolo. According to their review, "The lush audio path will sculpt a gorgeous clean boost sound that is present and alive, without being peaky or harsh."1 That makes the Volume control useful as an output push even with the modulation turned down, a role covered more broadly on the site's boost page.
The upgraded Semaphore and what reviewers said
The Semaphore Tap Tempo Tremolo is an upgrade of the smaller original Semaphore, with a quadrupled number of waveforms from the original. Pedal of the Day had reviewed that smaller version earlier, describing it as "one of the first tremolo pedals we had come across, and still one of our favorites."1
Of the upgraded pedal itself, the same review concluded that with its features combined, "you've got one of the most well-rounded tremolos in existence." The review also noted that "the Semaphore is built like a tank."1
These pedals are no longer in production, as Pedal of the Day noted in its March 2020 review.1
Catalinbread has continued to make tremolo pedals since, including the Tremolo8 and the Valcoder, for players looking at the maker's current tremolo range1.
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Questions
Is the Catalinbread Semaphore still made?
No. As of Pedal of the Day's March 2020 review, the Semaphore Tap Tempo Tremolo is no longer in production. Catalinbread has since released other tremolo pedals, so players looking for a current alternative from the same maker have newer options to consider, while used units of the Semaphore remain the only way to pick one up.
How is the Semaphore different from the original smaller Semaphore?
The Semaphore Tap Tempo Tremolo is an upgrade of the smaller original Semaphore, with a quadrupled number of waveforms: eight instead of the original two. Pedal of the Day, which reviewed the smaller version earlier, called it one of the first tremolo pedals they had come across and still one of their favorites.
Can the Semaphore be used as a clean boost?
Yes. Pedal of the Day notes that the Semaphore's lush audio path will sculpt a clean boost sound that is present and alive, without being peaky or harsh. With the depth backed off, the Volume control can push the overall output while the tremolo effect stays out of the way.
What does the Shape control on the Semaphore do?
The Shape contour morphs the waveshape of the tremolo, working in conjunction with the pedal's eight waveform choices. Together with Rate, Depth and Volume, which set the overall output as well as the speed and intensity of the effect, it lets a player move between different feels of tremolo modulation.
Sources (1)
- Catalinbread Semaphore Tap Tempo Tremolo, Pedal of the Day, 2020-03-24
