The Origin Effects Halcyon Gold is the British company’s take on the Klon Centaur circuit, the most influential, modded, and cloned overdrive circuit ever.
As expected from a company that got us used to an intelligent approach to reinventing classic effect designs, this is not a simple clone (or klone, as folks say), but an evolution of the original circuit sporting signature features and expanded voicing.
The signature feature is the Adaptive Circuitry, a sophisticated and unique system already found in two previous Origin releases that responds in real-time to the input performance to deliver more consistency to the resulting overdriven tone and its dynamics. Via the Adapt switch, you can select from two modes (one lighter, one heavier) or bypass it entirely.
Another important department from the original circuit is the inclusion of the Dry knob. The original Klon always included a certain amount of clean signal in the final driven sound, but it was a fixed amount. The Halcyon, on the other hand, lets the player control the level of the clean signal, with the center position representing the setting closer to the Klon standard.
Finally, a MOD switch delivers two different voicings: a standard one matching the tone of the inspiring unit, and a Mod setting that delivers a mid hump and a softer, more compressed clipping character, ideal for single coil pickups, and higher gain tones paired with very clean amp sounds.
We added the Origin Halcyon Gold to our comprehensive article about the best Klon clones and evolutions.
Origin Effects Halcyon Gold Drive
The world’s most infamous overdrive, controlled from your guitar volume knob
The Halcyon Gold Overdrive is an adaptive overdrive pedal featuring our proprietary Adaptive Circuitry. This unique design allows it to adapt its voicing in response to pick attack and volume changes, making it one of the most dynamic and interactive overdrives out there. While it is inspired by a certain rare and sought-after pedal, this is by no means a clone. We have gone to great lengths to recreate the exact characteristics of unobtainable vintage diodes and also built in some innovative features that go beyond the capabilities of the original.
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.
