JTK Harmonics Tourbox (4 drive pedals) - initial thoughts...

[Deaj]

Hello everyone,

I recently volunteered to participate in a tourbox for JTK Harmonics. JTK Harmonics has four new overdrive pedals, all four are in the tourbox. I received the package Thursday of last week (11/15/07) and I've had a good bit of time to spend playing each of these pedals now. Here are my observations:

The Aurora: This is described as a low gain overdrive and treble booster in a single pedal and I'd say this description is on target. It's overdrive is a little gritty, similar in this regard to the Lovepedal COT-50. The EQ of the pedal is quite different from a COT, though, as are the controls. It has Level and Gain controls and they do what they say. At the lowest gain setting this pedal is pretty clean, at full gain it has about as much dirt as a COT-50 (seems the best point of reference to me somehow). There is plenty of output on tap so you can smack the front end of an amp or pedal plenty hard. The EQ of this pedal is pretty brite though not in a particulary harsh way, just a little rude. Just right for a boost pedal. I would say that the treble is (again, sorry for the Lovepedal reference) similar to the Glass control on the Eternity (i.e. it's not a traditional treble booster where the upper mids and highs get boosted and the lows are sacrificed). Instead the highs are boosted while leaving the rest of the signals frequencies intact. There is a roundness (if that's a word) to the top end even though it's boosted. Ahhh... I'll stop trying to describe it for now. I'll just say that this is a fun boost pedal with a nice dynamic responsiveness. It worked very well as a boost in front of the other three pedals as well as in front of my amp (Fuchs ODS-50).
Additional observations: I was wrong in my initial assessment of this pedal - it does sound quite a bit like a traditional treble booster when the gain is all the way up, somewhat similar to a 'Rangemaster' with a little more dirt. What's cool is that the gain acts like a blend between this and a relatively uncolored clean boost at the lowest gain setting. Cool! I set the gain at about 3 o'clock and used the Aurora to push an MI Audio Crunch Box set for medium gain (9-10 o'clock) - instant early Judas Priest tone (my favorite use for a RM)! I used it as a boost in front of other pedals and the amp as well, all with great results. Anyone who digs treble boosters will almost certainly dig this pedal.

The Murano: This is an overdrive that ranges from virtually clean to medium gain and the voicing, to my ears, is 60's Fender'ish. In fact I found it to be very Fender-like in both EQ and drive. Not necessarily scooped though - it seems relatively flat in the midrange. It just reminds me, in some respects, of a pushed Pro or Super Reverb. It has a two band EQ (Bass and Treble) and the entire range of both is useable (the Treble can be very bright but not ice-pick-in-the-ear shrill). The drive is pretty smooth and it decays nicely. Dynamic responsiveness is very nice (varying picking dynamics allowed for very expressive tones). At any reasonable volume notes bloom nicely, even at low gain settings. So far I'm very impressed with this one (my favorite of the bunch so far).
Additional observations: It still reminds me of a 60's Fender Pro or Super being pushed. The Bass control does really nice things set higher than 12 o'clock, changes the feel, adds a little bounce, doesn't seem to get muddy. While the entire sweep of the Gain control sounds good I found I like it set pretty low. The EQ of this pedal is relatively neutral compared to the Alchemy and Delirium. This pedal works really well for low gain blues tones. This pedal shares some common ground with the Timmy. I don't mean to imply that the circuits are similar - I wouldn't know. I simply mean that the two are similar in practical use. The Timmy has a grainier texture to its overdrive while the Murano's is a bit smoother in texture. The EQ (both pedals have a 2-band EQ, Bass & Treble) doesn't function the same way but the results are similar in that the entire range is usable on both pedals. Both function well as a clean boost w/EQ and as a dedicated overdrive with many shades between.

The Alchemy: This pedal is the closest of the four to being a TS type overdrive. Don't mistake the above statement as meaning that this pedal sounds like a Tube Screamer - it doesn't. It does emphasize the midrange at the cost of some lows (like many TS type OD's) but this pedal has its own personality. Between the Hue and Tone controls there are a wide range of tones available - from creamy, thick, and smokey to bright, full, and 'chirpy' (I think I'm just making up words). This is a nice low to medium gain pedal for solo'ing and comping and it'll provide a solid rhythm tone as well. This pedals dynamic response is closer to a typical TS style overdrive than the others here but it's still very dynamic (think Zendrive dynamics - this is what came to mind for me). This pedal sings! It has very smooth overdrive and also decays nicely. Again, note bloom is achieved easily at reasonable volume. * I've mentioned a TS type overdrive more than a couple of times in this paragraph. I mean it only as a point of reference in context of the other pedals here. This one is closer to that general category than the rest but it's not a TS in tone or dynamics, much the same way as a CJOD or Zendrive are not Tube Screamers.
Additional observations: After spending more time with these four pedals I think I like this one the most. The description I posted in my original post fits well except that, in comparison to a TS type overdrive, this pedal does not sacrifice much low end. There's this slight 'spongy' feel and sound to the attack. The JTK site mentions a 'horn-like attack' - this fits. The Alchemy is the most flexible pedal of the bunch offering up great blues, rock, and fusion tones. This pedal remided me very much of the Clay Jones Overdrive in both overall tone and responsiveness - attack and gain characteristics are very similar. If I were looking to replace the CJOD I would be more than satisfied with the Alchemy.

The Delirium: One word - Rock! This pedal is described as an overdrive and it'll do that. It leans towards the 'British' end of the overdrive spectrum. The overdrive is more aggressive than the other pedals here and, even at low gain settings, it speaks with a little more authority than the others. The gain is smooth with no fizz (even with the gain maxed) and , as with the Murano and Alchemy, the decay sounds natural. There are three controls on this pedal: Volume, Gain, and Tone. The gain ranges from low'ish to medium-high gain. The Tone control is, again, usable across the entire sweep. This pedal has sort of a 'whomp' at lower Tone control settings that is just plain fun to play! It's more flexible than my description would seem to indicate but I think of this pedal as best suited to rock. It's as easily suited to rhythm as it is solo'ing (this is true of the Murano and the Alchemy) and, again, note bloom comes on easy.
Additional observations: This pedal reminds me, in some ways, of the Lovepedal Eternity. At comparable gain settings the attack and gain characteristics are similar. The Eternity is smoother and has a 'singing' quality. The Delirium is smooth as well but sounds punchier than the Eternity. It sounds thicker in the lows and low-mids and a little more aggressive on top (has more 'teeth' without sounding harsh). There's quite a bit more gain on tap in the Delirium than in my 'burst Eternity. This comparison is made for reference only. The Delirium and Eternity would not be redundant on the same pedal board.

I have to say that this group of products is very well thought out. Any self respecting dirt pedal junkie could build a pedal board around these four pedals and the only thing missing would be fuzz. Well, that and a 'metal' pedal (if desired).

*I've updated this post to include my follow-up observations that were posted in a reply below.

I recorded some audio clips to demonstrate the range of drive and tone from each pedal. I was unable to record satisfactory audio examples through a mic'd amp because we have some unplanned house guests and I'm limited to very low volume right now. The following sound clips were recorded direct through a Korg Toneworks amp simulation set for a relatively neutral clean tone. No processing was applied. These are dry recordings with no compression or limiting so the levels aren't balanced and there are a couple of spikes. I hope that these are helpful in providing a general idea of what these pedals sound like. There are audio clips posted on the JTK Harmonics site as well.
*You may note a touch of 'fizz' in a few areas. This did not occur during any of my testing through my amp at any volume - it only occurred during recording direct through a hardware amp simulator.

Clean reference

JTK Murano - Gain control range, minimum to maximum setting
JTK Murano - Bass control range, minimum to maximum setting
JTK Murano - Treble control range, minimum to maximum setting
JTK Murano - low Gain, slightly boosted Bass and Treble

JTK Alchemy - Gain control range, minimum to maximum setting
JTK Alchemy - Hue control range, minimum to maximum setting
JTK Alchemy - Tone control range, minimum to maximum setting
JTK Alchemy - various Hue and Tone settings

JTK Delirium - Gain control range, minimum to maximum setting
JTK Delirium - Tone control range, minimum to maximum setting
JTK Delirium - medium Gain, various Tone settings

JTK Aurora - Gain control range, minimum to maximum setting
JTK Aurora boosting the JTK Delirium, first bypassed then On
JTK Aurora boosting a MI Audio Crunch Box, first bypassed then On


I should add that I am in no way affiliated with JTK Harmonics. In fact I only became aware of their existence through the Tourbox thread posted here a couple of weeks ago. I'm just another dirt pedal fanatic who has been given an opportunity to play with new toys.

[decay-o-caster]

I'm only affiliated with Joe geographically, so I had a chance to play with the protos of these pedals. Which is how I ended up with production versions of the Murano and the Alchemy. Great stuff, sez I.

[Deaj]

Originally Posted by decay-o-caster

I'm only affiliated with Joe geographically, so I had a chance to play with the protos of these pedals. Which is how I ended up with production versions of the Murano and the Alchemy. Great stuff, sez I.

I'm already seriously thinking about getting a Murano.

[therhodeo]

I'm last on the tourbox list. I'm looking forward to it.

[Deaj]

Originally Posted by therhodeo

I'm last on the tourbox list. I'm looking forward to it.

I'm pretty sure you're going to like what you hear - a lot!

[leodiditright]

Deaj, does the Murano got more gain (saturation) than the RC Booster and does it have absolutely NO mid hump??

When I read your review, it sounds like the Murano is calling my name, but reading all about the Red Snapper was all good too, and now all I know is that I have a hard time trying to sell it...

[leodiditright]

Originally Posted by leodiditright

Deaj, does the Murano got more gain (saturation) than the RC Booster and does it have absolutely NO mid hump??

When I read your review, it sounds like the Murano is calling my name, but reading all about the Red Snapper was all good too, and now all I know is that I have a hard time trying to sell it...

Looks like I'll have a better chance to get an answer on www.oilmybigboobs.com than in here.

[hawkeyeinexile]

Originally Posted by leodiditright

Looks like I'll have a better chance to get an answer on www.oilmybigboobs.com than in here.

oil my <huh? >?

from Joe's website:

...The pedal also serves as a sweet and dirty light boost when the gain is reduced and the level increased. Some would use the term “transparent” as well. The tone is very sweet, open and dynamic, and does not compress much until the gain is past 3pm on the dial. There is no inherent mid-hump in the response unless you dial it in. The bass and tone controls sculpt the tonal character extremely well, reducing muddiness on bass-heavy material, or reducing the harshness of any high-frequency content. The pedal also serves as a sweet and dirty light boost when the gain is reduced and the level increased.

(emphases mine - enjoy!)

[Deaj]

Originally Posted by leodiditright

Looks like I'll have a better chance to get an answer on www.oilmybigboobs.com than in here.

Hi there,

Sorry I didn't address your post earlier - it's been crazy here (unplanned house guests).

I'm afraid I'm not familiar enough with the RC Booster to comment. I've included some reference audio clips in the original post of this thread. There is a clean tone reference clip and several clips of the Murano. You'll have to take a listen and judge for yourself if the pedal introduces any significant midrange content.

Hope this helps!

[Stratclaw]

I was the first stop fot the JTK pedals Tourbox.
I think Deaj's analysis of the pedals are quite similar to mine. I tried the pedals out through a Two Rock Overdrive Signature 100W head and TR 1x12 cab and a Music Man RD50 1X12 combo. I played my D'Pergo AVC at all times. The pedals arrived here on a busy week, so they went to six gigs, two sessions, and one rehersal, in addition to "alone" time. I play both mellow and aggressive styles, a mix of rock and jazz grooves/changes.

It is obvious a lot of thinking went into the design of these babies. I agree wholeheartedly that they could all go on the same pedal board, and cover most clean to in your face overdrive applications. They also maintain their own sonic signatures, without stepping on the other.
I really like the overall voicings of all of these pedals-----a very nice, refined aggression. There is a real sonic, organic relationship between how the pedals interact with each other. They stack nicely together, and stacked very nicely with almost every pedal I combined them with. SMOOOOTH pedals.

Individually:
MURANO:
The name says it all---this is the glassiest sounding overdrive I've ever played. It has a beautiful sheen of it's own with less gain applied, but maintains it's vibe as more gain is dialed in. Beautiful balance of highs, mids , and lows. Stacking this with other overdrives (Ethos, Push), the other OD's came alive by another 25%. I A/B'd it with my Timmy (a very nice pedal), and the Murano came across as the Timmy's richer cousin from accross the tracks. From the same school, but a superior, richer tone, for my taste. I used this pedal on a session, and my clean tones sounded huge and balanced.
It nosed out the other pedals as my favorite. This would be my anchor pedal.
ALCHEMY:
Deaj nailed the description of this guy. A TS without being a TS? Beautiful, smooth mids, that can be EQ'd to taste very nicely. It cut through the mix very nicely. Legato runs come effortlessly. A very slight compressed feel, but still open sounding.
DELIRIUM:
I really liked this guy also. Aggressive, but very, very musical.A sweet, singing quality. It has a very open, vocal feel. Tight bottom, I think this would handle most heavy rock needs. For me, a good creative tool for whatever style of creative music I may be playing. Like all of the pedals, all nuances of one's picking attack are there to be explored. No fizziness in this higher gain pedal. Very cool pedal!
AURORA:
I ended up approaching this pedal as a treble booster to accentuate whichever of the other pedals I may be playing-----I saw this as its strong suit. And the name is also very applicable----it is the Aurora Borealis that sheds its light over whatever pedal it is matched up with. The pedals sound more alive, brighter without ANY treble overload. A tough thing to do, but Joe nailed it. My Pro Analog MKIII never sounded better. Used in combination with any of the other pedals-----watch out!!

That's it for now. Might chime in again later.
Thanks, Joe!

[Stratclaw]

Did I mention they are also beautiful looking pedals?
In summary, I found these to be exciting pedals to play. I will be buying all of them.

[Deaj]

Originally Posted by Stratclaw

MURANO:
The name says it all---this is the glassiest sounding overdrive I've ever played....

Glassy is a fitting description for the Murano's top end. Great sounding overdrive!

[decay-o-caster]

Those are the two I have and I could see building a board around them both.

[Garygtr]

Excellent, can't wait :AOK

[scottcw]

I got to hear the Alchemy and a Murano "hybrid" (Access OK!) yesterday at hawkeye's place. Played through a Stark Sex Amp with various Chapins, the Alchemy has a very cool horn-like quality that would work equally well for the much discussed Ford tones, but I also thought it would be great for a guitar player in a band with a horn section ala The Brian Setzer Orchestra.

The Murano was more a clear boost, but the hybrid version added some of the Alchemy tone.

I would recommend anyone looking for something different than your run of the mill TS or treble boost pedals check out JTK Harmonics. They are really unique and special.