Cicognani Pompeii T1 - 12V

A Modern Echo Born from an "Echorec" Lineage

The Pompeii T1 captures the spirit of a multi-head echo like the Binson Echorec, through an approach focused on the colors and filters of the "3" and "4" heads of the Pompeii PE603. The idea is not just to reproduce a delay time, but to recreate that sensation of repeats that "cling" to the playing and create a natural sound carpet, with a highly refined interaction between feedback and tone.

Completely redesigned for modern uses, it integrates an analog tube preamp buffered on the first gain stages to preserve maximum linearity and sound quality, whether you use it in front of the amp or in a more complex setup.

Who and Which Styles Does the Pompeii T1 Make a Difference For?

The Cicognani Pompeii T1 is aimed at guitarists (and musicians in general) who love expressive delays with an organic sound and a real sense of depth, without becoming "too clean." It shines in blues, rock, pop, indie, post-rock, ambient genres, and in all situations where the echo should support the phrasing rather than mask it.

In the studio, it is formidable for thickening an arpeggiated take, creating a reverb illusion from carefully dosed repeats, or adding subtle modulation like a "living machine." Live, its parallel mix (deliberately limited) helps maintain clarity in the band mix while preserving a beautiful spatial dimension.

Controls and Design: A Musical Approach, Designed Like an Instrument

The Pompeii T1 offers a control section deliberately focused on the essentials but very interactive. The Echo knob sets the delay time, with a range from approximately 87 ms to 520 ms: enough to cover slapback, rhythmic echoes, and longer repeats for soundscapes.

The pair Tone and Length of Swell (feedback) is at the heart of the pedal's signature: the tone affects the repeats (brighter towards the treble, darker towards the bass) while the feedback ranges from a single repeat to self-oscillation, allowing textures to become infinite if desired.

The Volume Echo control does not settle for a classic mix: thanks to the internal parallel mixing, even at maximum, the wet part never exceeds 50% relative to the dry signal. Result: a present echo that respects your attack and dynamics, particularly appreciated with chords and double-stop lines.

Finally, Magic Of Age adds modulation designed to evoke the mechanical aging of vintage machines: a moving color, very flattering on arpeggios and airy parts, without tipping into an obvious "chorus" modulation.

The Sound

The Pompeii T1 stands out with a warm and dense sound, featuring harmonic relief typical of a tube preamp: the sound remains defined but gains a sense of substance and responsiveness under the fingers. Its passive parallel mix helps maintain a solid direct signal, while the repeats settle around the playing with a very musical "alive" quality.

In practice, it excels at creating soft echo "carpets," enveloping vintage delays, and repeats that naturally blend into the instrument's timbre. Musicians like Jon Carin and Jonathan Wilson have notably highlighted its stage use and the inspiration from these tube echoes.

Technical specifications

Effects	Delay	Type	sector
Technology	Analog	Use	electric guitar
Format	Pedal	Color	Black
EQ	Tone

Tube preamplification	tube-based	Signal-to-noise ratio	less than 76 dB
Mixing architecture	passive parallel, maximum ratio 50% dry / 50% wet	Dimensions	126 x 94 x 42 mm
Controls	Tone, Magic Of Age, Volume Echo, Length Of Swell (feedback)	Weight	0.5 kg
Range	approximately 87 ms to 520 ms	Power supply	not included
Bypass	true bypass	Battery operation	no
Input	6.35 mm jack (mono)	Required power supply	12V DC (center-negative)
Output	6.35 mm jack (mono)	Consumption	350 mA
Input impedance	less than 1 megohm	Recommended power supply	regulated 12V power supply capable of continuously delivering 500 mA
Output impedance	less than 100 kilohms	Note	the startup peak current (tube warm-up) may exceed 1000 mA