We based this pedal on the Klon® Centaur® because it’s an all-time classic. Its clarity, dynamics and unique clean blend make it an excellent choice for players who like their overdrive pedals to have a more natural quality, capable of pushing the front end of any great amp. The all-too-frequently used term “transparent overdrive” really started with the Centaur® – and it thoroughly deserves that reputation.
The Halcyon Gold Overdrive picks up where the Klon® leaves off, adding even more playability to this players’ favourite. The signature mid-hump now responds to playing dynamics and volume knob changes, and we’ve included our own smoother, more neutral voicing too. Add in an adjustable DRY control and you have an undeniably classic sound with way more variety.
FEATURES LIST:
- Adaptive circuitry responds to volume changes and playing dynamics
- Based on the iconic Klon® Centaur®
- DRY level control for extra tweakability
- Voice switch offers two flavours of mid push and drive
- Ultra-high input impedance
- High-quality buffered bypass
- Premium components throughout
- Designed and built in England
THE DETAILS:
The Halcyon Gold Overdrive’s party trick is its ADAPT switch. This allows the pedal’s mid-forward voicing to gradually fade away as the pedal cleans up, giving you classic Klon® tone with your guitar cranked but revealing the full spectrum of your clean tone as you roll back the volume knob. This breakthrough feature means you never have to tread that fine line, wondering if your drive pedal should be on or off. As the original Klon®’s mid hump increases with the gain control, the Halcyon’s Adaptive Circuitry allows you to run higher than usual levels of drive and still clean up, all the way back to the transparent boost tones that made the Centaur® famous.
The DRY control lets you adjust the level of the dry signal that makes up part of this classic drive tone. Increasing this control adds body and definition when boosting a low-gain amp sound. When used with a clean amp, turning the DRY control down lets you get the most out of this pedal’s higher gain tones. As well as making the DRY level adjustable, we have made improvements to this DRY path, changing the overload characteristics when stacking with other pedals, giving you access to even more flavours of drive.
The VOICE switch gives you the ability to select either the classic Klon® mid hump or a smoother, more balanced tone. The KLN setting is simply the standard voicing, while the MOD setting engages a broader mid hump and a softer, more compressed clipping characteristic. The MOD setting is particularly well suited to single coil pickups, and higher gain tones paired with very clean amp sounds.
The Halcyon Gold Overdrive takes a modern classic and turns it into something even more responsive and versatile, while never losing the character, musicality and sheer power of the world’s most coveted and controversial pedal.