1. It's Smaller
Let's start slow. The original Klon and the Klon Centaur are larger pedals. If you look at the insides of one these pedals you notice ample space. EHX created a circuit that fit in their small enclosure. Not ground breaking, but its a key difference.
2. It's Less Expensive
Right, again, duh... But lets take a look at what other Klones cost and see what EHX did. They made a pedal that performed a similar function and made it for a fraction of the price. Other similar pedal tend to take advantage of being klones and charge similar prices. This pedal bucked the trend and filled a gap in the market.
3. Switches, Please...
The Klon KTR (the red one) has a buffer. On the KTR it is optional, but the Soul Food is true-bypass. The Klon buffer is so fabled that people have made klones of the Klon buffer. The Soul Food has a switch as well. Hidden inside is a voltage switch. It takes your 9-volt supply and doubles it for more headroom. So, that's neat, and different.
4. Some Things Just Aren't The Same
We've discussed some finer points, but crack this pedal open and thing just aren't the same. Values and specs aren't one for one. The main difference being the diodes are germanium like in the Klon. Alchemy Audio has a mod that corrects this. What you get is a clipping section that more closely resemble that of a Klon. Is the mod worth you $35? Maybe,
In Conclusion
The EHX Soul Food is a great pedal. Many people have added it to their pedal boards for good reasons. Whether it is a klone or not shouldn't matter. What matters is that when you plug it in and turn it on, you like what it does. Nuf Said
You made one error. The Soul Food does indeed have a switch inside that switches the pedal from TB mode to a buffered one.
ReplyDeleteRohit's comment is 100% - the single switch in the Soul Food switches between true bypass and buffer. And, although it's not exactly a Klon clone, it's still a very cool pedal that gets the job done very well (efoecuslly for the price)..
ReplyDelete'efoecuslly' = especially
ReplyDeleteBTW - true bypass and buffer modes each sound different when the pedal's in operation. In true bypass mode, it sounds exactly like the signal in. In buffer mode, the signal becomes smoother and 'rounder.' Either signal is definitely good and has it's place - and, it would be very nice if the switch were accessible without removing the back to get at it.
ReplyDeleteMany teachers simply aren't aware of the benefits that other guitar teaching formats have, or they follow what other guitar teachers do. There are many cases where a group class could be a more appropriate model, or at least be a useful addition to private guitar lessons. Chords
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