The Catalinbread SoftFocus is a Catalinbread reverb pedal, currently around $178.49. Close alternatives include the EarthQuaker Devices Afterneath and the Catalinbread Sinkhole. It pairs well with the Soldano SLO 100 100-Watt Tube Guitar Amplifier and the Fender Twin Reverb Head.
Catalinbread SoftFocus
Catalinbread · pedal
The Catalinbread SoftFocus is a reverb pedal recreating the iconic "Soft Focus" patch from the Yamaha FX500 rack processor, widely used in the early 1990s by shoegaze artists including Slowdive on their landmark album Souvlaki. The Soft Focus patch combines reverb, chorus modulation, and delay into a lush, wash-like shimmer reverb effect that became the defining ambient reverb texture of the shoegaze genre. Built by Catalinbread in Portland, Oregon to serve as an instant shoegaze reverb button.
- shoegaze
- chorus
- delay
- ambient
- reverb
- lush
- recording
- tonal versatility
Good for
- Live
- Studio
- Worship
Price updated Aug 27, 2026
Genres the Catalinbread SoftFocus is commonly used in
- Shoegaze
- Ambient
- Post Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Lo Fi
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Experimental
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Indie
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the Catalinbread SoftFocus
Soldano SLO 100 100-Watt Tube Guitar Amplifier
Soldano
11% matchWhat Soldano SLO 100 100-Watt Tube Guitar Amplifier brings here leans toward saturated — that's worth building a pairing around
Fender Twin Reverb Head
amplifier
11% matchWhat Fender Twin Reverb Head brings here leans toward dynamic — that's worth building a pairing around
Pedals that stack with the Catalinbread SoftFocus
Nobels ODR-1
Nobels
8% matchWhat Nobels ODR-1 brings here leans toward full — that's worth building a pairing around
Paul Cochrane Timmy
Paul Cochrane
8% matchPaul Cochrane Timmy's own transparent character is the real reason this is worth trying
Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress
Electro-Harmonix
7% matchElectro-Harmonix Electric Mistress's lush voice goes after Catalinbread SoftFocus in the signal chain — it's not there to compete with Catalinbread SoftFocus's own ambient character
Walrus Audio Julia
Walrus Audio
7% matchKeep Walrus Audio Julia after Catalinbread SoftFocus in the signal chain, clear of Catalinbread SoftFocus's own gain stage
Cheaper alternatives
Boss TE-2
Boss
68% similarityShared character: signal_chain, delay, ambient
Mooer Modverb
Mooer
96% similaritysimilar tone character
Mr. Black Supermoon Chrome
Mr Black
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Hungry Robot The Borderland
Hungry Robot
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Boutique & premium upgrades
Electro-Harmonix Oceans Abyss
Electro-Harmonix
71% similarityShared character: chorus, delay, ambient
Old Blood Noise Endeavors Dark Star V3
Old Blood Noise Endeavors
68% similarityShared character: signal_chain, delay, ambient
Walrus Audio Descent
Walrus Audio
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Alexander Golden Summer Reverb
Alexander Pedals
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Electronic Audio Experiments Mirror House V2
Electronic Audio Experiments
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Hungry Robot The Borderland Modulated Ambient Reverb
Hungry Robot
93% similaritysimilar tone character
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
EarthQuaker Devices Afterneath
EarthQuaker Devices
69% similarityShared character: delay, ambient, reverb
Catalinbread Sinkhole
Catalinbread
69% similarityShared character: chorus, signal_chain, ambient
Strymon blueSky Reverberator
pedal
69% similarityShared character: pedal, chorus, reverb
Wampler Ethereal
Wampler
68% similarityShared character: pedal, signal_chain, delay
Laney Secret Path
Laney
68% similarityShared character: pedal, delay, ambient
Keeley Hydra
Keeley
93% similaritysimilar tone character
See all alternatives to the Catalinbread SoftFocus (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Catalinbread SoftFocus?+
The closest matches in character are the EarthQuaker Devices Afterneath, the Catalinbread Sinkhole, the Strymon blueSky Reverberator. Budget picks: Boss TE-2, Mooer Modverb, Mr. Black Supermoon Chrome. Boutique upgrades: Electro-Harmonix Oceans Abyss, Old Blood Noise Endeavors Dark Star V3, Walrus Audio Descent.
What pairs well with the Catalinbread SoftFocus?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Soldano SLO 100 100-Watt Tube Guitar Amplifier, Fender Twin Reverb Head, Nobels ODR-1 — What Soldano SLO 100 100-Watt Tube Guitar Amplifier brings here leans toward saturated — that's worth building a pairing around.
How much does the Catalinbread SoftFocus cost?+
Around $178.49 (live listing price, updated Aug 27, 2026).