Premier Guitar features affiliate links to help support our content. We may earn a commission on any affiliated purchases.

Catalinbread Releases Redesigned Semaphore Tap Tremolo

Catalinbread Releases Redesigned Semaphore Tap Tremolo

The redesigned Semaphore is a diverse tremolo with eight different waveforms, tap tempo and divide, tap tempo input, and expression pedal capabilities.

Portland, OR (November 1, 2011) -- Catalinbread presents the newly redesigned Semaphore, a diverse tremolo with eight different waveforms, tap tempo and divide, tap tempo input, and expression pedal capabilities. Its small footprint combined with a feature set that suits both foot tappers and knob twiddlers alike, makes the Semaphore both versatile and pedalboard friendly.

At the heart of the Semaphore is a lush audio path that incorporates optically controlled JFET gain stages to sculpt a gorgeous clean boost sound, that is present and alive without being peaky or harsh. Catalinbread quadrupled the number of waveforms, ranging from classic square, triangle, and sine waves to ramping sounds, and a mind-bending random shape. In addition, the Shape contour morphs the waveshape for even more options.

The pedal's rate control controls the speed of the tremolo. On the Semaphore, this knob's characteristics are affected by the position of the Tap Divide control. If the Tap divide is set at a higher rate, you will notice that the Rate knobs sweep will change as well. The expression pedal nullifies the rate control when plugged in.

The Tap Divide works as the engine for the Tap function of the Semaphore. Since a tremolo can obviously operate at a much faster rate than one could tap out, this control takes your tap tempo and multiplies it by the corresponding note beats. The quarter note represents the same tempo that you tap out. Once a tempo has been tapped in, the Tap Divide can function as an in-time rate control.

The Shape control is used to morph the selected waveshape. At noon your waveshape will represent the shape on the Waveshape control, but to either side this shape will slant providing numerous sounds and endless possibilities. The Shape, however, has no effect on the Random waveshape setting, because it is random.

The Waveshape control provides eight different waveshapes, including sine, square, triangle, hyper-triangle, ramp up, ramp down, lumps, and random.

The Depth control dials in how much tremolo is in your signal. Dialed all the way down, the Semaphore can be used as a boost, and you can bring up the depth enough for slight shimmers in your signal, or all out depth, for maximum effect.

The Volume control, obviously, controls the volume of the pedal. Unity on the pedal is around noon, depending on the voltage running, and provides plenty of boost or attenuation.

Like all of Catalinbread's pedals, the Semaphore is handbuilt in Portland, Oregon. The pedal is available now at a price of $249.99.

For more information:
Catalinbread