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Catalinbread launches the Soft Focus, a “shoegazer’s dream”

It’s said to be inspired by the Yamaha FX500.

Catalinbread Soft Focus

Image: Catalinbread

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Catalinbread has unveiled its Soft Focus pedal which it says is an “instant shoegaze button”, inspired by the Soft Focus patch on the Yamaha FX500 used by bands such as Slowdive in the 90s.

Described by Catalinbread as a “shoegazer’s dream”, it upgrades on the features that the original unit lacked – no mix control, a sub-par preamp, and “a ghastly tone-sucking” bypass signal.

Soft Focus is a heavily modified plate reverb with adjustable time, which is split into three paths. One path contains a multi-voiced chorus modulator, another features a well-appointed octave-up mixed in with the reverb, and the third path leaves the reverb untouched.

There is a Mod knob that controls the rate of the chorus on path one, and a Symphony knob which controls the level of the octave on path two. All controls are “coupled” to the tone of the reverb to give users “an expansive playing field of sounds to discover and fine tune”.

The Soft Focus is said to not be an exact recreation but was reportedly exhaustively compared with the FX500. Catalinbread does say that there is a fairly generic fixed-time digital delay present on the Soft Focus patch, which was cut from its pedal as it ate into the circuit’s memory. The brand says it will “leave that addition to you and your favourite delay.”

Looks wise, the pedal is encased in a glossy black shell with 90s inspired digital-display-like text in a vibrant green. Catalinbread launched its all-analogue chorus stompbox, the Callisto MKII back in July which set out to blur the lines between chorus and flanger.

You can find out more and order yours here for just $209.99.

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