By Nick Ecker
As I’ve previously stated, 2024 has been a true period of renaissance for Keeley Electronics. The development cycle for The Beach Boys project allowed for the integration of higher quality equipment which in turn has lead to higher fidelity products that can stand toe to toe with the likes of Strymon, Source Audio and Universal Audio.
The new Core series initially began as a means to utilize leftover parts from The Beach Boys project, with the Halo Core’s initial production run being limited to 300 units. Almost instantly, the Halo Core had sold out, with overwhelmingly positive reception.
Shortly thereafter, Keeley had unveiled the Zoma, which was similar in terms of concept to the Halo Core: a more streamlined and higher fidelity take on the Hydra.
The Zoma had also received glowing reception, earning Premier Guitar’s “Premier Gear” award along with praise from players and publications alike. At this point the return of the Halo Core was all but inevitable, albeit with the addition of the dotted eighth mode.
So, who is the Halo Core’s target demographic? The general consensus is that the Halo Core is marketed towards those that enjoy the sound of the original unit that prefer more streamlined and useable controls over feature packed pedals in more compact packages.
Yet I would argue that anyone in need of an amazing, versatile delay pedal with pristine audio quality would be an eligible candidate for the Halo Core. The simplified controls with the lovely RCA Bakelite knobs are only the icing on the cake, and could arguably do away with the need for an expression pedal.
The aforementioned improvements in DSP and fidelity have been implemented into the Halo Core. The switching is silent, background hiss is virtually nonexistent. In conversations with Robert Keeley, he had passed along that his new products compare favorably to the likes of Strymon, Source Audio and other companies when it comes to eliminating unwanted electrical humming.
Right out of the box I fell in love with the Halo Core. When compared to my trusty Strymon El Capistan V2, the Halo Core sounded more alive and reactive to my playing. The Halo Core simply sounds and feels like a living, breathing machine rather than a digital approximation of an old tape echo. Don’t get me wrong, I do love the El Capistan, however Keeley Electronics are providing serious competition within the realm of DSP, offering what I feel is a higher quality product for a much more affordable price.
The Halo Core features three modes. First we will start with the quarter note delay, perfect for capturing shorter delay times, especially if you enjoy slapback delays. I have always adored pink Bucket Brigade delays like the Boss DM-2 and Mythos Oracle, which the quarter note mode is reminiscent of, especially with the tone dialed back and the saturation knob past noon.
Next we have the addition of a dotted eighth mode, which feels most akin to a traditional delay pedal. Fans of U2 and Radiohead will feel right at home here, as I was able to sculpt everything from “Joshua Tree” era U2 to “OK Computer” era Radiohead to shoegaze groups such as Slowdive and Cocteau Twins. This was all possible thanks to the capacity to utilize the hi pass filter, saturation, and tone knob to match the gear each respective band used. For example dialing in rack mount digital delays that U2 or Cocteau Twins used was possible via utilizing the hi pass filter, tone knob and saturation to taste.
Lastly, we have the Halo mode, which features a dotted eighth and quarter note repeat in series. Andy Timmons would previously utilize two delay units, perhaps most famously, a big box Deluxe Memory Man and an Echoplex to create this effect.
This mode is arguably my favorite, as it allows users to rethink how they use delay pedals. The Halo mode feels more akin to reverberation, allowing notes and chords to blossom in a very naturalistic fashion that doesn’t stand in the way of your playing. As a matter of fact, Andy Timmons himself uses this mode as an “always on” effect.
However this mode is not strictly reserved for those that wish to emulate the modern guitar god, as it can be used in virtually any application that calls for a sense of ambiance. I had combined the Halo mode with the Hall setting on my Hardwire RV-7, which is based around the legendary Lexicon rack units that were commonly applied to recordings throughout the eighties and nineties. This created a lush and beautiful mix that was perfect for shoegaze and dream pop.
Not surprisingly, the Keeley Zoma makes for an excellent companion as well. I used the plate reverb mode of the Zoma with the Halo Core’s Halo mode fed into it to replicate Jeff Buckley’s masterpiece “Grace” which featured his emotional cover of “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen.
The spring mode of the Zoma had also paired well with all modes of the Halo, especially with the Halo eq’d to emulate tape echo units (higher saturation, around noon to 2pm on the tone knob with the high pass filter barely dialed in). This made for crispier repeats combined with splashy spring reverb, allowing me to experiment with the hypothesis of “What if Radiohead existed in the sixties”?
While some may believe the Halo Core to be stripped of its analog, digital and tape echo modes, the EQ of the pedal is powerful enough to allow for recreations of all three topologies.
The implementation of the high pass filter which allows the user to create more pristine delays via removing lower frequencies, saturation which essentially serves as a preamp that adds heft and distortion to the repeats and the tone knob which adjusts the brightness or warmth of the delayed signal, there is plenty of room for sculpting your ideal delay settings.
My favorite feature of the Halo Core, as a matter of fact, is the saturation knob. This feature helps recreate the crispy echoes of my favorite delay units, which include the Deluxe Memory Man and the Echoplex EP-3. This feature can be used to boost your amp in a similar fashion to the way Jimmy Paige and Eddie Van Halen utilized their Echoplex units, dialing the delay out and boosting with the onboard preamp.
The maximum delay time of the Halo Core is 1500 ms, far beyond that of your standard analog or tape delay and the majority of pedals that emulate vintage delay tones.
On the inverse, shortening the delay times can create some beautiful modulation, particularly with the Halo mode. With the feedback dialed out and the delay time set to around 7 o’clock, chorusing is achieved. Dial in the feedback to around noon to 1 o’clock and flanging is introduced.
True stereo in and out is possible with the Halo Core, expanding on an already beautiful delay by creating more three dimensional repeats. Fans of Pink Floyd, Radiohead, and shoegaze lovers would be remiss to skip out on this feature if they have the means as it produces some of the most lush and detailed delay tones I’ve ever heard emerge from my playing.
In conclusion, the Halo Core might be my favorite Keeley product to date. It’s simultaneously simple and versatile. I keep multiple delays in my signal chain, for example the Boss DM-2W for darker, saturated repeats, the Asheville ADG-1 for emulation of the Deluxe Memory Man, the Strymon El Capistan to emulate tape echo, and the Strymon Dig V1 for pristine digital delays. The Halo Core in many ways makes my other delay pedals feel redundant. While I will likely keep some of these units in the chain, simply to allow for seamless switching between various delay times, I take solace in the fact that I can dial in the vast majority of delay tones I seek to achieve with the Halo Core.
With Keeley’s current winning streak, with the 4 in 1 series, Octa Psi, Zoma and Halo Core, I simply cannot wait for what’s next. The Zoma dethroned my most used pedal, the Strymon Flint V2, the Halo Core has effectively replaced my Strymon El Capistan V2 as my tape delay. Surely whatever is in the pipeline will unseat yet another pedal in my signal chain.
Tips
-Activate secondary controls by tapping the TAP/HOLD footswitch
-Adjusting the level/saturate knob with the TAP/HOLD footswitch adjusts the saturation of the repeats, adjusting to the right creates more driven or distorted repeats, whereas adjusting to the left creates more cleanly repeats. This can also serve as a way to boost your signal.
-Hi Pass Filter (Time knob w/HOLD footswitch held down) which allows for the removal of low end frequencies making for more cleanly delay tones when adjusted to the right.
-Tone Knob (Feedback knob with Hold footswitch held down) controls the overall tone of the delayed signal, brighter repeats are achieved when dialed to the right and darker repeats are achieved when dialed to the left.
-Factory Reset achieved when both footswitches are held down while applying power to the back of the unit. The LED will flash to indicate a successful reset.
-All Wet/All Dry achieved while holding ON/OFF footswitch while applying power to the back of the unit. LED will flash twice for Wet and Dry, and will flash three times for all wet.
-Trails can be activated while pressing and holding the tap footswitch while applying power to the unit. The LED flashes twice to indicate trails are on, whereas the LED will flash three times to indicate trails being turned off.
Tone sculpting tips-
Analog Style Delay- Adjust the saturation beyond noon while ensuring that the high pass filter is not applied, keep the tone knob around noon or dialed back. This will create more saturated and warmer delay tones reminiscent of pedals like the Deluxe Memory Man in dotted eighth mode or the Boss DM-2 in Quarter Note mode.
Digital Delay- Keep the saturation lower while adjusting the tone knob past noon and the high pass filter set to taste. This results in brighter repeats and a more cleanly delay signal which is reminiscent of digital delay units like the Boss DD-3, or rack mount digital delays like the TC Electronic 2290.
Tape Delay- Adjust the saturation to taste, my preference is between noon and 1pm to simulate tape echo preamps driving the signal. I personally would set the tone knob between noon and 2pm as tape delays are brighter than analog delays but not as bright as digital delays. The high pass filter should also be dialed out in my opinion, to simulate the organic warmth of tape saturation. These parameters dial in delays reminiscent of the Maestro Echoplex or Roland RE-201 (especially in Halo mode).
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