visual sound jekyll and hyde ultimate overdrive

by Ben Bartlett - 'Guitarist' magazine, September '98(The following article was taken from Visual Sound's website)

When Robert Louis Stevenson penned Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde he was making a statement about the demon that lurks within us all; the darker side to human nature that fires our macabre interest in murders and heinous crimes. But when Visual Sound spawned the Jekyll and Hyde Ultimate Overdrive, they were simply trying to provide guitarists with access to two desirable yet very differnt sounds; a sweet, bluesy overdrive and a high gain saturated distortion.

This pedal differs from the classic horror story in two important ways. Firstly, in Mr Stevenson's novel the mad scientist has no more control over his actions than a drunk baby. The Ultimate Overdrive, on the other hand, gives you bags of control over every aspect of its operation. Secondly, Dr Jekyll could never appear at the same time as Mr Hyde because they were one and the same person. However, this incarnation of the Jekyll and Hyde partnership enables you to use its independent circuits simultaneously, to monstrous effect.

BUILD QUALITY
This is the first shipment of Jekylls to reach these shores, courtesy of UK distributor Barnes and Mullins. Graham Stockley from B&M explained how, at January's NAMM show in LA, the company's buyers were so "blown away by the Visual Sound Ultimate Overdrives's looks that they ordered a batch of them on the strength of its wicked appearance alone".

So let's heave open that creaky old door, move cautiously through the half-light of the lab and blow the dust from the Ultimate Overdrive. (In the voice of Vincent Price): only then will we discover the true horror that dwells therein. Ah hah hah haaaahh!

The sheet-steel casing leaves no doubts as to the unit's structural integrity. We are definitely talking 'built to last' here. A pair of chrome footswitches handles the channel switching and are just as sturdy as the large LED status indicators; a green one for Jekyll and an appropriately red one for the Hyde channel. Input is to the right of the unit with output on the left and, apart from the power supply input on the rear panel, that's your lot for connections.

Designed to run off pretty much any negative polarity 9V DC [regulated] adapter, the Jekyll's manual lists Ibanez, Morley, BOSS, and Jim Dunlop as compatible examples. Or, if you prefer, there's the unique battery compartment on the underside; the door to which is held in place by just a single screw and swings out to reveal the battery. Controls are arranged logically enough, with the Jekyll channel's three simple knobs first in line. Drive, tone and volume are all you need to get tones from this channel. The Hyde channel on the other hand is a little more involved. It has drive, tone and volume too, but with the addition of a sharp/blunt switch for adjusting brightness, and an EQ knob for altering the midrange frequencies which is ideal for getting those 'scooped-mid' sounds associated with James Hetfield's heavy tone.

FEATURES
The Jekyll and Hyde pedal is essentially 'two for the price of one'. Each half can work separately, providing you with 'blues' or 'bruise', or together to give you four different sounds at your feet. Choose between Jekyll, Hyde, bypass or Jekyll and Hyde together. This versatility is just one of the many features that make the Ultimate Overdrive stand out from the crowd.

SOUNDS
Overdrive sounds from the Jekyll channel alone are instantly pleasing. There's a sonic depth and smooth chocolate-coated sustain that's reminiscent of the original TS808 Tube Screamer. The way that the pedal interacts with the amp and is sensitive to playing dynamics is sheer magic. If you've got a valve combo that needs a kick up the rear-end, this is the pedal to administer it. Even in the high gain Hyde mode you can summon 'break up' sounds from the Ultimate Overdrive with the gain control set low. This gives a slightly more ballsy sound which makes whatever you play seem raw and dirty. In fact it's a bigger sound altogether, similar to that of a closed back 4x12" cabinet with all the characteristic 'whoomph!'.

Any amount of classic amp sounds - from a combo to a stack - are available from the Hyde channel, with plenty of tonal variations too. There's gain in abundance, so even the nastiest noisemonger can glean satisfaction. The instruction manual contains several example settings for you to try out, with titles like 'Metal Madness' and 'Neck Pickup Blues'. I must admit that these descriptions are quite accurate and the examples provide an excellent starting point for tailoring your own sounds. I particularly liked the 'Big Fat Blues' setting which involves judicious use of the Hyde channel's gain, with a small helping of EQ.

The fun really begins when you blend the two channels together -- how about screaming lead, bristling with harmonics and big, fat, bottom-end. Great for Jeff Beck solos where you need lengthy sustain and sweet saturated notes. Alternatively, you could simply use the Hyde channed as a volume and/or mid boost to add balls to the Jekyll channed for lead breaks and solos.

Only with all knobs on ten did things get out of hand -- instant feedbacking and ugly distortion. Come to think of it, a lot of modern bands would probably use that sound too.

VALUE FOR MONEY
For a brand new American product, I think that the Jekyll and Hyde pedal is very reasonably priced. Its simple layout makes all those juicy sounds instantly accessible and the ghoulish styling throws fun into the bargain too. At L115 [$169.95 US], it's one of the more expensive overdrive pedals available, but it's aurally obvious where every penny of that sum has gone. And when you think about it, it's actually two overdrive pedals in one box, so it's a much cheaper and neater way to go about getting a variety of sounds than lugging two pedals about.

VERDICT
The Jekyll and Hyde pedal is hugely impressive. I'd wager that if you ask a bunch of guitarits to describe the kind of sounds they want from an overdrive pedal, you could guarantee that the Ultimate Overdrive pedal could provide most, if not all. It's as versatile and fiendishly handsome as you could possibly want and it doesn't cost a severed arm and leg. This pedal is without a shadowy figure of a doubt, the best-sounding overdrive pedal I've heard in a long time. Quite simply, a graveyard smash.

RATINGS: (5 being the best)

Build Quality: 5
Features: 4
Sound: 5
Value For Money: 5