Robert Keeley collaborates with Andy Timmons to reproduce his Legendary Halo Dual Echo Effect

So Robert and Andy have joined forces to recreate Andy’s Halo Effect - which is actually his emulation of a dual-head modulated tape echo with extra saturation and compression. My understanding is that Andy typically uses two analog delays - often EHX Memory Man types with added individual modulation for extra texture and dimensionality and then some saturation to replicate the tape preamp. I believe it was two delays in series - approximately at 350ms and 500ms - or dotted eighth into quarters!

This is obviously a variation of the Eccos pedal form factor with different algorithms onboard. And interestingly we have essentially two tape flavours here as the Halo effect is very much a type of tape delay too!

Controls - Time / HPF, Level / Saturate, Feedback / Press for Alt, Rate / Tone, Depth / Rhythm : Halo Effect, Dotted Eighth, Analog Rack Delay, Quarter, Multi-Head Tape Delay, Settings : A / B / Status, Presets : 1 - 4 (A + B), A Footswitch, B Footswitch, Hold for Tap Tempo per side, Hold on Opposite Side for Infinite / Freeze Effect.

You should think of Halo as being two delay pedals that work in tandem, letting you switch between your main delay (side A) and an alternative delay (side B). With up to 1500ms of available delay time, you can set sides A and B for different delay times, then simply switch between the two. Keeley’s ’Smart Stomp System’ allows you to press and hold either stomp switch to engage tap tempo mode. Press and hold the alternate / opposite stomp switch for infinite repeat/hold — great for creating soundscapes! Each preset bank gives you two delays settings for a total of eight user-storable effects.

Obviously a Robert + Andy collaboration was always going to produce the goods as such - and this is truly a fantastic sounding stereo delay, but not necessarily one with the widest range of algorithms. I obviously have the ultimate side of that - the Meris LVX landing soon enough - so that somewhat overshadows all other delay releases. While I feel the Halo Dual Echo is an incredibly compelling pedal in its own right - even if just to get your hands on that core Halo algorithm. Notably that was originally composed of full analog delays, while the digital rendition here just sounds superb and has all the right parameters to really perfect that particular effect.

It of course runs on Keeley’s ’Dream’ platform where this is third pedal produced with that format - following the Eccos Delay, and the Hydra Reverb + Tremolo. There’s much to like here - where this retails for $299 in the USA and £315 in the UK - which is a fairly significant outlay, and the same cost as the much more powerful Line 6 DL4 MK II. For Andy Timmons fans this is a musts have, while for me it will always be filed as ’nice-to-have’. In terms of pure tape style delay I am firmly in the Boss RE-202 / Strymon Volante camp, while for everything else I have the imminent Meris LVX, Empress EchoSystem, Boss DD-200 and Eventide H9-Max!

How many of you see this as your principal delay?