While it’s true that the pedalverse is filled to the brim with Tube Screamer clones and variants, it can’t be denied that humans have a knack for always finding new ways to improve on something, and the Origin Effects Halcyon Green Overdrive is a testament to that.
What’s new about this familiarly green stompbox is that it features a proprietary system called Adaptive Circuitry that adapts the effect’s voicing in real-time in response to pick attack and volume changes, improving dynamics and tone consistency. This allows your tone to keep the classic TS808 character even when your guitar volume is low, while also letting the…
…mid-forward voicing gradually fade away as the pedal cleans up, giving you classic TS808 tone with your guitar cranked but revealing the full spectrum of your clean tone as you roll back the volume knob.
This Adaptive circuit is controlled by the ADAPT toggle, which has 3 positions (Off, I, and II), with the latter delivering more pronounced dynamics.
On top of that, a DRY knob lets you reintegrate the clean signal as a different way to find the perfect balance between the original dynamics and tone color. Color that can also be varied through the VOICE switch, which, when set in MOD, moves the TS808 mid bump slightly higher in the frequency spectrum, for a more focused presence peak, which works great to prevent neck humbuckers from sounding too mid-rangey.
The remaining controls are the classic three knobs found on the original Tube Screamers: Level, Drive, and Tone.
We added this pedal to our article about the best Tube Screamer clones and variants
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Origin Effects Halcyon Green Overdrive, Builder’s Notes
A Mid-Forward Voice That Adapts to Your Playing
The Halcyon Green Overdrive is a classic low-gain drive 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 based on the same green pedal that has inspired countless clones, this little box goes way beyond what the average overdrive has to offer.
We based this pedal on the Ibanez® Tube Screamer® for a reason.Its mid-forward voicing, low-gain drive and a touch of clean signal make it a great choice for pushing an amp, allowing players to jump out of the mix with a thick solo tone. However, once you turn down your guitar volume or play softly, that mid-pushed drive tone can become a thin, nasal clean tone. It’s this all-or-nothing nature of classic drives that has us stacking numerous pedals for various shades of saturation.
The Adaptive circuitry in the Halcyon Green Overdrive is our solution to this problem, with all the magic of a vintage TS808 on tap, but a responsiveness that is usually only found in the best valve amplifiers. A whole new level of playability for lovers of classic pedal tones.
FEATURES LIST:
• Adaptive circuitry responds to volume changes and playing dynamics
• Based on the iconic Ibanez Tube Screamer®
• DRY level control for extra tweakability
• Voice switch offers two types of mid push
• Ultra-high input impedance
• High-quality buffered bypass
• Premium components throughout
• Designed and built in EnglandTHE DETAILS:
The Halcyon Green 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 TS808 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. And there’s more besides!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. Thanks to the more natural drive sounds offered by the ADAPT switch, the Halcyon Green Overdrive can also be much more effective as a standalone drive pedal that you might expect from the TS808 circuit. When used with a completely clean amp, turning the DRY control down lets you get the most out of this pedal’s higher gain tones.
The VOICE switch gives you the ability to select either the classic TS808 mid hump or a brighter, more focused presence peak. The 808 setting is simply the standard voicing, while the MOD setting moves the mid hump slightly further up the frequency range, with a more resonant character. This can be very useful with neck humbuckers, preventing the sound from becoming too warm.
For Metal players using the Halcyon Green Overdrive to tighten up a high gain amp tone, the MOD setting adds even more presence and bite. Of course, all the sounds of the stock Tube Screamer® are available too, recreated with Origin-level accuracy.
