Return Of Haunting Mids (JHS Haunting Mids Effect Pedal)

I've spoken before about this pedal from JHS. The Haunting Mids was a limited release pedal that JHS released last October. It is now Spoketober once again, so JHS himself took to his new forum, youtube, to tell everyone about it. In this video, he goes on to tell us some interesting facts about the Haunting Mids pedal. Let's talk about Haunting Mids.

Mids That Are Haunting

Last year when this pedal was released there were some that claimed that this pedal was taken from a pedal building forum called Haunting Mids. Many people took offense to this, however, there seems to be little to no evidence of this. I criticized the pedal for its limited scope and function. However, in the video just released by JHS, one of the main topics of discussion was why they named the pedal "Haunting Mids". The reason is pretty simple. Haunting is to Mids as Transparent is to Overdrive. Haunting is just a word used to describe mids. It is simple, boring and seasonally appropriate. 

Mids Only

Many people criticize JHS for many reasons. I can't endorse this pedal, but I can recognize the perfect way this pedal was marketed. The pedal is not without merit, but I think they knew that this pedal wasn't going to move a lot of units. So, they decided to release it in limited release. Doing this not only allows JHS to sell to those looking for a very particular pedal but also to collectors and oddity seekers. 

Conclusion

Do you need a Haunting Mids pedal from JHS? No, I'd also argue that no one actually does. Do you want one? Maybe, I don't know. But even though it is something that I can recognize as something that isn't really necessary, and a graphic equalizer can function in the same way (maybe better). It's hard to say that this pedal isn't desirable. It's interesting, it's unique, it's haungtin...

Ugly Guitar Truth: JHS Haunted Mids Mid-Boost Pedal

If, and only if, you are as cool as me, and you were on your phone looking at Instagram instead of doing anything better with your life, then you might have seen that JHS is taking pre-orders for a new pedal. The Haunting Mids is, according to JHS, a frightfully effective Sweepable-Mids boost/cut pedal that can turn any amp or pedal into a ghastly monster. Let's break out the pitchforks...


Let's Talk About The Puns

They are stupid. I thought the entire pedal was a joke... kinda like their April fools pedal they posted a while back. Evidently this thing is real and they are taking pre-orders. Hopefully the pre-orders are just to see if there is anyone out there willing to put out money for this thing. Does your spine tingle when you think about pedals that do next to nothing? Do you have nightmares about muddy tone, then you must not know to turn an EQ knob. The description for this pedal is so campy, it belongs in a Bruce Campbell movie. But don't worry, if you don't like puns then you won't like this pedal either.


What Are They Going For

Let's take a look at the controls. Volume, Mids, Sweep, and a Hi/Low switch. Volume is self explanatory, it make it louder or not louder. Mids and Sweep work together. The Mids either boosts or cuts the selected frequency. The Sweep knob sets the frequency that is boosted or cut. The Hi/Lo switch effects the width of the range of frequencies effected. Hi is a more prominent and focused range, where Lo is wider and softer. So, this a boost pedal with shapeable mids... cool. But I have bad news for JHS


There Are Way Better Pedal That Do Everything (and more) That This Pedal Does

Literally every graphic equalizer pedal out there beats this pedal hands down. JHS tried really hard to make it cute, but every pun in the world can't save you from the fact that this pedal is stupidly limited. It's just slightly more refined than Spectrum pedal (one of the very first pedals that BOSS put out). The MXR 10 band eq is capable of doing everything the Haunting Mids does, but better. Plus, it's cheaper. Is it too big for your pedal board. Get the 6 band eq. Not enough bands? The BOSS GE-7 has got you covered. Mids? Lows? Highs? Cuts? Boosts? These pedal do it all. That's why I have 2 GE-7s on my board. Is the GE-7 noisy? Not that I've ever had a problem with, but there are mods that quiet the pedal.


Conclusion


This pedal is probably a simple, well designed pedal that does what it promises. However, I can't really recommend that you buy (or pre-order) it without pointing out how pointless a pedal like this is. If you want to shape your mids with a pedal, then get a graphic EQ. Save some money and get a much more flexible pedal. Do you want a pedal with cute ghost on it? Then paint a ghost of an EQ pedal because this pedal is nearly worthless... Just when JHS was impressing me with their new reverb....