Catalinbread has once again tapped into the reverb-drenched mystique of ‘90s shoegaze — but this time, they’ve gone further. Enter the Soft Focus Ghost, a reimagined successor to the original Soft Focus pedal, designed to conjure massive walls of sound while unlocking an entirely new layer of spectral modulation.
The first Soft Focus condensed sprawling shoegaze pedalboards into one stompbox, inspired by the legendary rackmount patches that colored albums like Slowdive’s Souvlaki. Now, the Ghost version carries the torch with added depth and flexibility.
Where the original employed a Symph control, the new Ghost swaps it for its namesake: a Ghost parameter — a prismatic, polychromatic phase-shifter built on non-traditional algorithms. This spectral effect rewards experimentation, letting you morph from slow, syrupy sweeps to dizzying, high-frequency phasing.
The rest of the Soft Focus DNA remains intact but streamlined. A redesigned Mod knob now governs modulation depth globally across chorus, phase, and reverb, giving you universal command with a single dial.
At its core, the Soft Focus Ghost is a plate-style reverb, expanded with chorus and modulation that can swell from subtle shimmer to oceanic waves of sound. Independent controls for Verb, Mod, and the new Ghost parameter allow you to layer textures until your tone is as cavernous — or as kaleidoscopic — as you need it to be.
The addition of a dedicated Mix control (something the original rack patch lacked) makes the Ghost remarkably versatile. Want to sprinkle shoegaze flavor on a clean passage? Dial it back. Want to drench your signal in dense, phase-shifting haze that swallows the mix whole? Push it all the way. And when paired with your favorite dirt pedal, the Ghost becomes an atmospheric powerhouse, turning simple chords into transcendent sonic cathedrals.
Get the Catalinbread Soft Focus Ghost Shoegaze Reverb here for $178.49 and keep up with all our Catalinbread coverage right here!
