Harley Benton/Joyo American Sound Review
Nov 12, 2015 13:35:05 GMT
EvolatoR, tich65a, and 3 more like this
Post by freekingprawn on Nov 12, 2015 13:35:05 GMT
This is my 2 cents on the pedal and I will be focusing not on how well it emulates the Fender amps or on how good it is for recording, rather on some of its positives and negatives. So, grab some popcorn kids; Holy-Mary-Mother-of-Jesus-Wall of Text coming up
The Pedal:
First and foremost this is the Joyo clone of the Tech21 Blonde version 1. The biggest difference being that it doesn’t cost anywhere near as much as the Tech21 does: 30 € for the Joyo brand new vs 231 € for the Tech21.
That means that the Tech21 costs 7.7 times more than its supposed clone. Going for the Joyo/Harley Benton is not much of a brainer is it?
Yes, you read it right:
Joyo/Harley Benton ----------------------- 30€
Tech21 2nd version ------------------------- 231€
________________________________________
Therefore, there is a God [and he is definitely Chinese]
It has 6 knobs on it divided in two rows:
The upper row consists of the pedal’s own EQ section and is divided in Low, Mid and Treble.
The lower row consists of the pedal’s “character” section and includes knobs for Level, Voice and Drive.
It is made of metal; has a nice golden color to it; no senseless insects or shadow people showing their musculature of any kind on it [thank you Chinese God of this particular pedal]; good ol’ “clicky-clacky” footswitch of annoyance to step on; has a 9v input jack on it’s right side, far enough from the Guitar Input but not on the top side as where all pedals should have it; Line In and Line Out; underneath there is a plastic compartment for a 9v battery that is decently recessed and the bottom is rubberized [strange option there, but it works]. All in all is well built and has a good weight to it.
I took the liberty of opening this pedal up to see what makes it tick and I was surprised to find tiny smiling Elves and Magic Unicorns dancing around some Blue Forest Fire, all drinking wine and making merry while singing Neil Young’s “like a hurricane” in Cantonese [which was played on a Fender Tweed Deluxe, by the way ].
“Yep, nothing strange there” I thought to myself as I slowly put the lid back on, tighten up the screws and decided to never again doubt about the inner works of these things.
Uses:
Putting aside the fact that you can record directly with it to the point of getting a pretty good sound out of it and not noticing the difference between it and a real Fender amp [except for the speakers natural hiss]; if you are not inclined for recordings and just want to give your own amp another voicing [or a whole plethora of them], or plug it to your computer and just jam, there is not a single damn thing you would be regretting by getting one of these.
It’s an analog pre-amp, which means it is supposed to give the guitar sound a specific character like any amplifier does. Different pre-amps means different sound character and this pre-amp is made so it sounds like a variety of Fender amps instead of just one. The best part being that it doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg like a single amp can cost and it doesn’t weight a ton to lug around. Neither does it occupy the same portion of space anywhere you put it.
Its pedal size and format makes it incredibly convenient and you can easily put it amidst your other stomp boxes on your pedalboard, where it actually should be. Easy peasy.
Basically when you look at it, you are looking at any amp with Volume, EQ and Drive knobs, like most amps have.
Here however, you have an extra knob dubbed “Voice” which serves for you to dial a particular Fender amp model of your choosing and it will go from the ones with mid-cut to the ones with mid-boost and anything in between.
If you prefer you can look at the “Voice” knob as an extra Mids that cuts and boosts those particular frequencies [which would make it an amp with 4 EQ knobs instead the usual 3]. It’s just another way of seeing it if you are not that versed in Fender amps .
Another added point is that you can treat it as any other overdrive due to its “drive” section. The more you crank it the more drive you’ll get and it will go from perfectly clean to hairy and nasty but perfectly usable when in context [Fender amps are known for not being that friendly when it comes to their own distortion so expect that same quality to be here as well].
The way you use it will determine what it will be doing and vice-versa:
If you use it as a pre-amp, chances are you’ll set it either in the middle of your effects chain, at the very end of the chain, on the fx-loop of your amp or just by itself [if you are plugging it to a pc]. This means it will be acting just like an amp.
If, however, you are more inclined towards using it as any other dirt box you will probably put it either on the very beginning of the effects chain, or very close to it. This means not using it as an amp and limiting its overall function as regards to other effects in the chain [the up side is that you just discovered you have a 4 knobed EQ dirt box].
The relation between this pre-amp and your actual amp is also crucial. Remember, when using it with an amplifier you’ll be tailoring the sound you produce with the pedal and that sound will then be coming out of the amplifier. Which means that basically you’ll be stacking 2 EQ sections on top of one another [one belonging to the pedal and the other one belonging to the amp], unless you use it through your amps FX-Loop which will bypass this problem [and this is the way for this type of pedals to be connected]
An Example:
The way I use it though, is limited to the little amp I’ve been playing with at home for 19 years now. A crappy, little, adorable practice amp I many times wish was a Roland JC120 [or, of more recently, a Mustang IV]. But it isn’t. And because it has no FX Loop on it, it means I have to plug everything straight into it.
But this much I’ve learned: To use it straight into the amp, turn off any distortion your amp has and keep all your amps’ EQ at 5 [ie flat as it will go] in the clean channel. This way you minimize any of the amps’ impact on the pedals’ own voicing rendering the amps EQ neutral.
Doing all of the sound tailoring is the pedals’ responsibility when used as a pre-amp, your amp is just there to make it loud.
My chain goes like this [and keep in mind there are no FX-Loops involved]:
guitar -> overdrive -> compressor/sustainer -> Distortion -> Fuzz -> American Sound -> modulation/time based effects -> amp
The reason for putting the modulation after the American sound is because I don’t want the pedal to interfere with the delays and reverbs own voicing. I want them to add something extra to the overall sound the preamp creates and not the other way around. This way, the amp will only reproduce to me louder what the preamp tailors before it and not afterwards [remember that the pre-amp is an EQ with volume and drive attached to it so it wouldn’t make much sense to drive my reverb when I want it as clean as possible]. This results in the modulation/time effects to sound more "alive".
The result is a crappy little amp natural, wimpy, boxy sound turning into a Fender-ish sounding amp.
Annoyances:
The pedal sounds amazing depending on how you set it and use it for. It’s very flexible in that regard. But the nagging is twofold:
1 - The relationship of the EQ to the overall volume and drive
2 - The kind of distortion the Drive Knob creates.
As to the second that’s easy: I don’t like that kind of harsh, hairy, buzz saw overdrive and it has little to do with the pedal. It’s really a matter of personal taste, so take it with a healthy ton of salt.
The farthest I can tolerate it is at minimal amounts. Enough not to render the pedal completely silent. Drive hitting the 11 o’clock mark and that’s it. More than that and my skin starts to crawl.
It’s pretty usable for a gentle break up sound, though. But since I have dirt boxes I much more prefer, I don’t use that section of the pedal at all.
As to the first one, this is a bit more tricky:
The EQ is of the active kind. Meaning that whatever change you make will affect the overall volume produced.
Not only that, but everything in this pedal is very active: changing the Lows will affect the volume; changing the Mids will affect the volume; changing the Treble will affect the volume; changing the Voice Knob [which is a mids cut and boost] will affect the volume and changing the drive knob will affect the volume.
The biggest surprise would be if the Volume knob DIDN’T change the volume at all [but rest assure, it does and it does a fantastic job at it].
Also, any small change you do on the Voice knob will have a big impact not only on the volume of the pedal but also on the drive. And the drive will also affect all the other knobs one way or the other [and ultimately the overall volume]. This renders EQing and leveling a bit of a nightmare.
However, there is hope:
You can set the entire knobs flat just like you would on an amp and work your way first on the EQ until you are satisfied with the tone. There will be a change in volume, so turn the volume knob until you are happy with it. Next you do the same thing to the Voice knob to cut or boost those mids. There will be a change in volume, so turn the volume until you are happy with it. Next comes the drive. Turn it to the amount of drive you want it to produce [or not]. There will be a change in volume, so turn the volume until you are happy with it. By now you realized that there was some change in the Voice knob as well. There will be a change in volume, so turn the volume until you are happy with it. And presto. All done. Now leave it like that and forget it. Sounds like a recipe doesn’t it?
Other considerations:
It handles everything you connect it to pretty well. No issues there. Distortions will sound a ton better before it, and modulation will sound a ton better after. There is really no great mystery to it because it acts just like an amp would. The best way is to treat it as such and plan how you are going to use it.
Pros:
. 30€ vs 231€ for the second version of the original product. Not that hard which one to choose.
. Sounds amazing by itself
. Very flexible.
. Everything you put before it will sound better [especially dirt boxes].
. Every modulation and time based effects will have more “life” when put after it.
. Well built.
. No weird drawings on it. Just a nice golden color.
. Basically a very portable amp in a stomp box format.
. Set it and forget it kind of pedal [depending on how you use it].
. Convenience
Cons:
. Fender like drive [which may not be that good to those who really don’t enjoy that kind of sound]; but you can render it to zero.
. Very active EQ. A small change on a knob will change everything else, especially the output level.
. Can be a bit of a hassle to level properly.
. 9v input jack is on the right side of the pedal instead of being on the top side. Though it isn’t near the Guitar input to be of a major inconvenience, that’s not where the 9v input should be.
. Plastic 9v battery compartment. Not a problem at all except for nitpickers.
The Pedal:
First and foremost this is the Joyo clone of the Tech21 Blonde version 1. The biggest difference being that it doesn’t cost anywhere near as much as the Tech21 does: 30 € for the Joyo brand new vs 231 € for the Tech21.
That means that the Tech21 costs 7.7 times more than its supposed clone. Going for the Joyo/Harley Benton is not much of a brainer is it?
Yes, you read it right:
Joyo/Harley Benton ----------------------- 30€
Tech21 2nd version ------------------------- 231€
________________________________________
Therefore, there is a God [and he is definitely Chinese]
It has 6 knobs on it divided in two rows:
The upper row consists of the pedal’s own EQ section and is divided in Low, Mid and Treble.
The lower row consists of the pedal’s “character” section and includes knobs for Level, Voice and Drive.
It is made of metal; has a nice golden color to it; no senseless insects or shadow people showing their musculature of any kind on it [thank you Chinese God of this particular pedal]; good ol’ “clicky-clacky” footswitch of annoyance to step on; has a 9v input jack on it’s right side, far enough from the Guitar Input but not on the top side as where all pedals should have it; Line In and Line Out; underneath there is a plastic compartment for a 9v battery that is decently recessed and the bottom is rubberized [strange option there, but it works]. All in all is well built and has a good weight to it.
I took the liberty of opening this pedal up to see what makes it tick and I was surprised to find tiny smiling Elves and Magic Unicorns dancing around some Blue Forest Fire, all drinking wine and making merry while singing Neil Young’s “like a hurricane” in Cantonese [which was played on a Fender Tweed Deluxe, by the way ].
“Yep, nothing strange there” I thought to myself as I slowly put the lid back on, tighten up the screws and decided to never again doubt about the inner works of these things.
Uses:
Putting aside the fact that you can record directly with it to the point of getting a pretty good sound out of it and not noticing the difference between it and a real Fender amp [except for the speakers natural hiss]; if you are not inclined for recordings and just want to give your own amp another voicing [or a whole plethora of them], or plug it to your computer and just jam, there is not a single damn thing you would be regretting by getting one of these.
It’s an analog pre-amp, which means it is supposed to give the guitar sound a specific character like any amplifier does. Different pre-amps means different sound character and this pre-amp is made so it sounds like a variety of Fender amps instead of just one. The best part being that it doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg like a single amp can cost and it doesn’t weight a ton to lug around. Neither does it occupy the same portion of space anywhere you put it.
Its pedal size and format makes it incredibly convenient and you can easily put it amidst your other stomp boxes on your pedalboard, where it actually should be. Easy peasy.
Basically when you look at it, you are looking at any amp with Volume, EQ and Drive knobs, like most amps have.
Here however, you have an extra knob dubbed “Voice” which serves for you to dial a particular Fender amp model of your choosing and it will go from the ones with mid-cut to the ones with mid-boost and anything in between.
If you prefer you can look at the “Voice” knob as an extra Mids that cuts and boosts those particular frequencies [which would make it an amp with 4 EQ knobs instead the usual 3]. It’s just another way of seeing it if you are not that versed in Fender amps .
Another added point is that you can treat it as any other overdrive due to its “drive” section. The more you crank it the more drive you’ll get and it will go from perfectly clean to hairy and nasty but perfectly usable when in context [Fender amps are known for not being that friendly when it comes to their own distortion so expect that same quality to be here as well].
The way you use it will determine what it will be doing and vice-versa:
If you use it as a pre-amp, chances are you’ll set it either in the middle of your effects chain, at the very end of the chain, on the fx-loop of your amp or just by itself [if you are plugging it to a pc]. This means it will be acting just like an amp.
If, however, you are more inclined towards using it as any other dirt box you will probably put it either on the very beginning of the effects chain, or very close to it. This means not using it as an amp and limiting its overall function as regards to other effects in the chain [the up side is that you just discovered you have a 4 knobed EQ dirt box].
The relation between this pre-amp and your actual amp is also crucial. Remember, when using it with an amplifier you’ll be tailoring the sound you produce with the pedal and that sound will then be coming out of the amplifier. Which means that basically you’ll be stacking 2 EQ sections on top of one another [one belonging to the pedal and the other one belonging to the amp], unless you use it through your amps FX-Loop which will bypass this problem [and this is the way for this type of pedals to be connected]
An Example:
The way I use it though, is limited to the little amp I’ve been playing with at home for 19 years now. A crappy, little, adorable practice amp I many times wish was a Roland JC120 [or, of more recently, a Mustang IV]. But it isn’t. And because it has no FX Loop on it, it means I have to plug everything straight into it.
But this much I’ve learned: To use it straight into the amp, turn off any distortion your amp has and keep all your amps’ EQ at 5 [ie flat as it will go] in the clean channel. This way you minimize any of the amps’ impact on the pedals’ own voicing rendering the amps EQ neutral.
Doing all of the sound tailoring is the pedals’ responsibility when used as a pre-amp, your amp is just there to make it loud.
My chain goes like this [and keep in mind there are no FX-Loops involved]:
guitar -> overdrive -> compressor/sustainer -> Distortion -> Fuzz -> American Sound -> modulation/time based effects -> amp
The reason for putting the modulation after the American sound is because I don’t want the pedal to interfere with the delays and reverbs own voicing. I want them to add something extra to the overall sound the preamp creates and not the other way around. This way, the amp will only reproduce to me louder what the preamp tailors before it and not afterwards [remember that the pre-amp is an EQ with volume and drive attached to it so it wouldn’t make much sense to drive my reverb when I want it as clean as possible]. This results in the modulation/time effects to sound more "alive".
The result is a crappy little amp natural, wimpy, boxy sound turning into a Fender-ish sounding amp.
Annoyances:
The pedal sounds amazing depending on how you set it and use it for. It’s very flexible in that regard. But the nagging is twofold:
1 - The relationship of the EQ to the overall volume and drive
2 - The kind of distortion the Drive Knob creates.
As to the second that’s easy: I don’t like that kind of harsh, hairy, buzz saw overdrive and it has little to do with the pedal. It’s really a matter of personal taste, so take it with a healthy ton of salt.
The farthest I can tolerate it is at minimal amounts. Enough not to render the pedal completely silent. Drive hitting the 11 o’clock mark and that’s it. More than that and my skin starts to crawl.
It’s pretty usable for a gentle break up sound, though. But since I have dirt boxes I much more prefer, I don’t use that section of the pedal at all.
As to the first one, this is a bit more tricky:
The EQ is of the active kind. Meaning that whatever change you make will affect the overall volume produced.
Not only that, but everything in this pedal is very active: changing the Lows will affect the volume; changing the Mids will affect the volume; changing the Treble will affect the volume; changing the Voice Knob [which is a mids cut and boost] will affect the volume and changing the drive knob will affect the volume.
The biggest surprise would be if the Volume knob DIDN’T change the volume at all [but rest assure, it does and it does a fantastic job at it].
Also, any small change you do on the Voice knob will have a big impact not only on the volume of the pedal but also on the drive. And the drive will also affect all the other knobs one way or the other [and ultimately the overall volume]. This renders EQing and leveling a bit of a nightmare.
However, there is hope:
You can set the entire knobs flat just like you would on an amp and work your way first on the EQ until you are satisfied with the tone. There will be a change in volume, so turn the volume knob until you are happy with it. Next you do the same thing to the Voice knob to cut or boost those mids. There will be a change in volume, so turn the volume until you are happy with it. Next comes the drive. Turn it to the amount of drive you want it to produce [or not]. There will be a change in volume, so turn the volume until you are happy with it. By now you realized that there was some change in the Voice knob as well. There will be a change in volume, so turn the volume until you are happy with it. And presto. All done. Now leave it like that and forget it. Sounds like a recipe doesn’t it?
Other considerations:
It handles everything you connect it to pretty well. No issues there. Distortions will sound a ton better before it, and modulation will sound a ton better after. There is really no great mystery to it because it acts just like an amp would. The best way is to treat it as such and plan how you are going to use it.
Pros:
. 30€ vs 231€ for the second version of the original product. Not that hard which one to choose.
. Sounds amazing by itself
. Very flexible.
. Everything you put before it will sound better [especially dirt boxes].
. Every modulation and time based effects will have more “life” when put after it.
. Well built.
. No weird drawings on it. Just a nice golden color.
. Basically a very portable amp in a stomp box format.
. Set it and forget it kind of pedal [depending on how you use it].
. Convenience
Cons:
. Fender like drive [which may not be that good to those who really don’t enjoy that kind of sound]; but you can render it to zero.
. Very active EQ. A small change on a knob will change everything else, especially the output level.
. Can be a bit of a hassle to level properly.
. 9v input jack is on the right side of the pedal instead of being on the top side. Though it isn’t near the Guitar input to be of a major inconvenience, that’s not where the 9v input should be.
. Plastic 9v battery compartment. Not a problem at all except for nitpickers.