Catalinbread Talisman - EMT140 Reverb-Sunset Studio in a box

[Krinkle]

Can't tell too much because it's a camcorder video from NAMM. Plus it's a Strat with single coils into a Fender type amp with no VH tone or licks/riffs to be found.

I hope this is as good as the previous emulations. I love the Topanga, I converted a Silverface Bassman into a Vibroverb minus the reverb because of the lack of preamp tube sockets. Every time I kick on the Topanga I chuckle because it sounds so much like a spring reverb.

Been getting wonderful EP3 tones with the BE as well, I was so sick of tweaking knobs on other delays trying to get those 70's tape delays going.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5DWA-G9pC0

[dirtycooter]

You would be far better off to just go for the throat-have some patience if your that serious about the verb-scout for a Lex PCM 80/81 or even a 70 and be done with it. Search hard with some patience on craigslist. Got mine for $300-$350 cannot remember which-it was a PCM80 MINT shape-couldn't get there fast enough to make the deal and so glad I did. A lot of places and churches are unloading these things and going all digital plug ins and software based now and are basically giving these things away not realizing what they are doing.
The old PCM's are still demanded to this day by lots of folks in the know-and now is the perfect time to buy one for relatively nothing.

[Krinkle]

It's gotta be a pedal for me DC, I'm not taking a rack or any rack gear out anymore, too much hassle. Also, based on how much I love the Topanga for spring reverb, if they do as good a job on the plate I will be an extremely happy man. Yesterday I spoke to a buddy who played around with it at NAMM and said that it is every bit as good as the Topanga, so I'm sold.

[dirtycooter]

Space? That seems pretty decent too for pedal format. Just alot of $
I even actually liked line 6 verbzilla too but I don't think its plate was great but the spring a/b'd to a fenders in the fx loop goin back and forth between it and the real spring inside the amp was pretty damn convincing.

[Krinkle]

I thought about the Space, I have the TF and PF and love them. But here's the thing...

A few months back I turned a gutted out Silverface Bassman head into an awesome Vibroverb, minus the verb because I didn't have enough preamp sockets. I went online and heard some clips of the Topanga and bought it hoping that it would be close enough to give me some decent spring reverb.

When I got it I was floored, it sounded amazing. I have my buddy's Twin here and I put it through the front end of it, and went back and forth with the spring reverb in the amp and the pedal. I can't believe how authentic sounding it is, I chuckle every time I turn it on.

So then I see the Talisman and call up a guy I know. He swears that they did as good job with it as the Topanga. SOLD!

I'm on awaiting list from the guy I buy from, it'll probably be March before I get it.

[dirtycooter]

The demo does sound pretty cool for even a youtube vid I have to admit. So much more modeling out there now than just a few companies. And its kicked other traditional makers in the rear toward better things. Bradshaw was amazed at the Livewire footpedals as well. Landau or Lukather is messin with those now too and moved away from rack boxes as well. Which is something many thought would never happen.

[rgorke]

That did sound good except for the camera mic distorting...

PCMs are still through the roof and this pedal is only $209...right?

What out there is equal in terms of plate? Not much is there?

By the way, this is more for the "pedals" section...

[Krinkle]

My ears are worn out listening to VH1 lately and because of the 60VAC variac thing I'm listening more closely than ever, mostly to the low end or low E.

I probably convinced myself of this because of my train of thought, but the more I listen to it, the more it sounds like EVH has more low end than I thought.

It sounds more like mine than I originally thought, but something is different. Could it be that the original note that is picked sounds fat, then the plate reverb takes over and rolls off some low end, making it sound tighter than it really is?

I started thinking of this when I saw the low pass filter on the Talisman. This is going to be a long wait.

[Krinkle]

By the way, this is more for the "pedals" section...

Yeah, I guess you're right, maybe a mod can move it. Just got caught up with the way it could be used for VH1.

[dirtycooter]

The right reverb can polish it in to more vintage vh-it really can enhance the final sonic outcome or perception. But the core tone is what your after. You will find e.q. on top and bottom of a reverbs parameters very handy. Dial out low end of the verb and you can kinda get it even wetter without flubbiness. It can get messy sounding with too low reverb and OD goin hard. But its going to do nothing if your dry tone has flub. Whats coming out of a dry cab is your main concern for core tone.

[Megaro]

My Talisman came in today. I have spent only about a half hour with it. I have a pretty good stock EVH tone going (nothing like you guys here, but it is passable.) The predelay feature is nice. It is very tweakable. My go to pedal for reverb in the loop of my amp head has been an older modelNeunaber Wet for some time. I cannot say that the Catlinbread has blown it out of the water. But I am going to do some fiddling around and try it tapped from a speaker output into a slave setup.

I would be interested if anyone has any suggested settings. I am still fumbling around with it.

[fhn_lopes]

Did you try it in front of the amp?

[Megaro]

Did you try it in front of the amp?

I did not, but probably should have. I was really hoping to get that fat VH 1 drenched reverb sound out of a pedal in the FX loop of my amp. Now I did try the Belle Epoch in front of the amp, and that pedal is wild ! I could see that one being really useful as a reliable alternative to a tape echo.

I will be sending back the Talisman because for me, it didn't offer anything really that unique from other reverb pedals I have used before. I think it is a fine pedal in its own right, I probably just didn't fool with it enough. I have gone back to using my Lex PCM70 on the brass plate setting with some of the high end rolled off and a 100ms predelay. I run this after a line out from a David Bray box from the speaker output. The PCM just delivers the goods more realistically for me with my rig. I was hoping to get away with just guitar into amp with some Talisman in the loop, but using the PCM in a W/D/ W setup although more of a pain to run is just fantastic sounding. So, it is also not really a fair comparison.

I do recommend that others try out the Talisman, because I think Catlinbread makes some pretty good gear and really tries to get it right. I have also found their customer service to be very good.

[TWANGGG]

Is the Talisman output mono only? It looks like it only has one output jack in pics I've seen. If it had stereo output I would seriously consider giving one a try.

I bet it would have been much more impressive if it could be run stereo in a W/D/W rig.

[Megaro]

Is the Talisman output mono only? It looks like it only has one output jack in pics I've seen. If it had stereo output I would seriously consider giving one a try.

I bet it would have been much more impressive if it could be run stereo in a W/D/W rig.

Yup, mono in and mono out. I too think stereo outs would be good. But, I guess the thinking was to design it like you would an EMT plate through the board in aux/send.