The Son of Hyde pedal, a captivating creation from boutique effects pedal builder, EarthQuaker Devices, has sparked significant interest among guitarists and bassists alike. This analog delay pedal, aptly named after the Hyde character from Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, offers a unique blend of rich, warm delay and striking, unpredictable sonic shifts.
As an analog pedal in a digital world, the Son of Hyde stands out, delivering a nostalgic, vintage delay effect. But it's not just about nostalgia. This pedal packs a powerful punch, offering innovative features that set it apart from its contemporaries.
Understanding Analog Delay
Before delving into the Son of Hyde's unique features, it's essential to understand what sets analog delay apart from digital delay. Analog delay pedals like the Son of Hyde use a analog bucket brigade device (BBD) chip to create a delay effect. This creates a warm, organic sound that discourages self-oscillation, unlike its digital counterparts.
However, analog delay typically suffered from a shorter delay time and lower number of repeats compared to digital delay. The Son of Hyde, however, transcends these traditional limitations, offering a remarkably high delay time and an impressive number of repeats.
The Delay Section
The Son of Hyde pedal offers a delay time ranging from a mild slapback to a delay time approaching two seconds. This extensive range is possible due to the pedal's unique analog design, which stretches the delay time beyond typical analog delay limits.
άρWith a maximum of six repeats, the Son of Hyde can create lush, ethereal soundscapes. The repeats gradually grow in volume, adding a sense of depth and reverb-like ambiance to your sound.
Mix and Feedback Controls
The Mix knob controls the blend between your dry signal and wet signal, allowing you to create anything from subtle delays to full-on wet effects. The Feedback knob determines the intensity of the repeats, leading to a wide array of sound design possibilities, from lush modulation to harsh, self-oscillating effects.
By increasing both the Mix and Feedback knobs, you can create tense, feedback-driven atmospheres reminiscent of shoegaze and quarantine wave music. Alternatively, using lower Mix and Feedback settings yields a more subtle, vintage-inspired delay effect.
The Jekyll and Hyde toggle
One of the Son of Hyde's most intriguing features is the Jekyll and Hyde toggle switch. This switch transforms the pedal from a conventional one-knob-per-function design to a unique, multi-functional machine.
When in the "Jekyll" mode, each knob controls a single function. But when flipped to "Hyde," the same knobs simultaneously control multiple parameters. This opens up a vast array of sound design possibilities, from unusual delay sounds to wild, unpredictable oscillations.
Hyde Mode: Diverse Soundscapes
In Hyde mode, the Time knob controls both delay time and modulation speed, allowing you to create lush, sequenced delays where the delay time subtly waxes and wanes. The Mix knob in this mode controls both wet/dry mix and the amplitude of the modulation, creating an interesting blend of delay and tremolo effects.
The Feedback knob in Hyde mode controls both repeat amplitude and a unique, low-frequency oscillation. This oscillation can create a unique, synth-like effect or a droning, ambient sound bed, adding another layer of depth to your sonic palette.
The Son of Hyde pedal is a testament to EarthQuaker Devices' commitment to innovative, unique pedal design. Its analog delay core offers a rich, warm tone, while its Jekyll and Hyde toggle provides a versatile range of sound design possibilities. Whether you're a guitarist or a bassist, exploring the vast sonic landscape of the Son of Hyde pedal can lead to inspiring and unexpected musical discoveries.