Catalinbread Talisman Reverb Pedal

Catalinbread Talisman Reverb Pedal Overview

The Catalinbread Talisman replicates the sound of a legendary 70’s plate reverb that graced countless classic records. Not only does this pedal nail the sound of the room-filling EMT-140 and put it into a stompbox, Catalinbread have enhanced the original by adding features that you’d usually find on studio outboard gear.

Truly Iconic Sound

There’s something truly special about a plate reverb. It’s easily one of the best ways to add a lush depth and natural reverb to your sound as well as a presence that helps it stand out in a mix. Arguably the king of plate reverb’s is the EMT-140 - an enormous unit that was featured on iconic records such as Van Halen I and Dark Side of the Moon.

The Catalinbread Talisman (which is part of their amazing Delay & Reverb series) packs that quintessential reverb sound that’s become an industry standard and puts into a much more convenient stompbox form factor. Now you don’t have to sacrifice an entire room in your house to enjoy this stunning reverb!

Huge Tonal Range

Catalinbread’s Talisman is a versatile reverb pedal with a huge range of tones available. Using the Time control, the Talisman can go from practical room-style decays to ethereal soundscapes. There are two switching modes to choose from - Buffered or True Bypass - which are selected via an internal switch. When the Talisman is set to Buff mode, you can bypass the pedal use it as a freeze effect to jam over infinite pads.

Potent Clean Boost

The Talisman’s Volume knob can do more than simply control the overall output. When set to Buff mode, the Vol knob is still active so it can be used a useful master volume for your entire board. As an added bonus, the Vol can use the Talisman’s discrete preamp to provide a potent clean boost - allowing you to drive the front end of your amp. If you need additional headroom, you can power the Talisman with a higher voltage (up to 18V).

Enhanced Flexibility

It isn’t just the Talisman’s authentic sound and convenient pedalboard-friendly form factor that makes it one of the best EMT-140 recreations out there, as Catalinbread have taken it to the next level by providing you with additional sound-shaping controls. These parameters reflect the studio outboard gear that was often used alongside the EMT-140.

First up is the Pre Delay, which adjusts the time between your dry signal and when the reverb reflections start. This comes in handy when you want your guitar to stand out in the mix and be less shrouded in the reverb tail.

Next is the High Pass control, which increases the Talisman’s detail and clarity by filtering out the low frequencies.

If you need a versatile and flexible reverb with a classic sound, the Catalinbread Talisman reverb belongs on your pedalboard. There’s a reason why the EMT-140 plate reverb that it’s based on was used on so many incredible albums, it makes anything it’s used on sound better!