Robert Keeley spent something like three years designing the ultimate echo/delay pedal for Andy Timmons and all that R&D time was not wasted. The Keeley Electronics Halo was and remains one of the most expressive stompboxes of recent years.
Timmons rarely has it off and calls it the “ultimate dual echo sound” – and we would not/could not argue with him. And yet, when you have a pedal that is so groundbreaking, with so many features, it can take a bit of time to get used to, maybe even the manual.
That was no dealbreaker. But what if you could have Timmons’ signature sounds via a simplified set of controls? Three knobs and a toggle switch and that’s you?
Well, now you can. The Halo Core is the a stripped-down version of the dual echo that still features the mono or full stereo operability. It still has tap tempo with its own dedicated footswitch.
It still has the switchable trails mode or true bypass, all-wet or all-dry modes, and most importantly you still get that studio-quality modulated dual echo that makes the original so compelling. But this time you just have three knobs and a three-way toggle switch to select your modes.
All this feels a little like a cheat code but whatever makes life easier, we’re fine with that. Timmons has done the hard work. It took him a lifetime of playing to get that sound. Then Keeley Electronics found a pedal to make it happen.
This is designed for you to take out the box, mount on your pedalboard (top-mounted jacks make this easy, too), and dial in the settings you see in the image below, et voila! You’ve got Timmons’ signature sound right there – and you’ve got the means to put your own twist on it.
So them, three knobs: what do they do. Well, the first, and the biggest (this one is over-sized) is for Level, which sets the output level of the delay.
Time adjusts the length of the delay, and you’ve got a huge range here, from a barely perceptible 1ms to 1500ms. FDBK controls feedback, i.e. the number of repeats, while the Mode Switch selects between Timmons’ signature Halo mode, and a 1/4 note mode.
The Tap/Hold footswitch both sets the tap tempo and if you hold it down you can access a redesigned Infinite Hold feature, which is always a very cool option for live performances or those occasions when you want to go full shoegaze with the soundscaping.
But there’s more. It might be simple but the Halo Core does not lack features. With the Tap/Hold footswitch depressed, the aforementioned controls have secondary features. The Time dial now controls a high-pass filter, from 10Hz fully counterclockwise to 8750Hz fully clockwise. The FDBK knob acts as a tone controls, allowing you to darken or brighten your repeats.
Last, but by no means least, the Level knob’s secondary function is manna from heaven for tape echo fans, adding a the compression and gritty saturation that emulates the sound and texture of a mechanical tape echo.
As you turn this saturation up, some low-pass filtering is added to the signal. Very clever. But you don’t need to be clever to use it. What does modulated dual echo sound like? "Notes dance rhythmically, almost creating a reverb diffusion," explains Keeley Electronics. "Those notes are held together with tape-style effects like modulation, saturation and compression. The results are stunning."
And you can check out the results for yourself in the videos above. Available to order now, shipping from 26 November, the Andy Timmons Halo Core is priced $249. See Keeley Electronics for more details.
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