Accidental NPD: EHX Crayon

[Matt42]

On a trip home to visit my folks and my grandma, I decided to stop into my childhood guitar shop and chat with one of the guys there and show off my new amp (and try to convince him to carry them in the shop).

As we were talking about pedals, I mentioned that I had recently purchased an Archer, and he told me I needed to try out the EHX Crayon, so I plugged it in and ended up buying it.

They market it as a transparent, full range overdrive, which isn't super far off. It's not as transparent as the Archer, but it's very smooth and definitely very well rounded. It's not super touch sensitive, but it did respond OK to volume knob manipulation and picking dynamics. That's not what I see as its strong point, though. It actually reminds me of a lower gain OCD, honestly.

I can't wait to get it home tomorrow and really crank it. I'll try to record a clip or two on Sunday.

 

[Artie]

Re: Accidental NPD: EHX Crayon

Interesting graphics. Waiting for clips with bated breath.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Accidental NPD: EHX Crayon

So what is different about it? I am not sure what a 'full range overdrive' is.

 

[Scott_F]

Re: Accidental NPD: EHX Crayon

Accidental. Oops.

 

[Matt42]

Re: Accidental NPD: EHX Crayon

So what is different about it? I am not sure what a 'full range overdrive' is.

I think it means that it is balanced across the EQ spectrum. The Bass and Treble controls cut and boost, so that might be part of it.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Accidental NPD: EHX Crayon

So, no mid hump? Or is it just that the EQ is 'balanced' in that it is active?

 

[devastone]

Re: Accidental NPD: EHX Crayon

BB Preamp clone

 

[Matt42]

Re: Accidental NPD: EHX Crayon

So, no mid hump? Or is it just that the EQ is 'balanced' in that it is active?

No mid hump unless you cut the bass and treble. When I keep the b/t knobs at 12:00, it doesn't feel like it's accentuating any specific range, just upping the gain and compression.

BB Preamp clone

I actually tried it next to the BB at the shop and they definitely did different things to my ears. The Crayon felt like it had lower gain, more compression, and less responsiveness. After playing around with it some more it actually feels like an AC Booster, but with a narrower range of gain available.

I didn't have a chance to record anything yesterday, but I'm hoping to get something put up on Wednesday or Thursday.

 

[devastone]

Re: Accidental NPD: EHX Crayon

I actually tried it next to the BB at the shop and they definitely did different things to my ears. The Crayon felt like it had lower gain, more compression, and less responsiveness. After playing around with it some more it actually feels like an AC Booster, but with a narrower range of gain available.

Good to know, so "Xotic style" would be more accurate. Seems like I came across it in some DIY forum and someone had traced it out and said it was a BB, but I did read it on the interwebz so... That said, it's still an interesting pedal to me based on the videos I've seen, just haven't gotten a chance to try one out.

 

[Matt42]

Re: Accidental NPD: EHX Crayon

It could be a tweak BB for sure, but it was enough different that I'd lean toward it being something else. I've read people who think it's a Colordriver (which I've never heard of) or a tweaked Klon circuit.

I don't know what it is, but I know I like it!

 

[devastone]

Re: Accidental NPD: EHX Crayon

Whatever it is, I really like the demos I've seen of it. The Glove sounds nice too. I'm trying (again) to move to digital, but I'll probably have an analog OD box in there somewhere.

Isn't the Soul Food their take on the Klon? Can't imagine they would do 2. Of course, there are so many ODs out there and most are just variations on 1 or 2 themes, so... In the end, it if sounds good, heck yeah!

 

[Mincer]

Re: Accidental NPD: EHX Crayon

Are they just looking around the room when naming these?

 

[blueman335]

Re: Accidental NPD: EHX Crayon

Are they just looking around the room when naming these?

First thing that popped in their head!

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Accidental NPD: EHX Crayon

Are they just looking around the room when naming these?

With all the people making pedals now, finding a name that isn't trademarked is apparently rather challenging. Then, EHX and JHS both release a "Crayon" pedal, almost on the same day! Uncanny.

 

[Matt42]

Re: Accidental NPD: EHX Crayon

Whatever it is, I really like the demos I've seen of it. The Glove sounds nice too. I'm trying (again) to move to digital, but I'll probably have an analog OD box in there somewhere.

Isn't the Soul Food their take on the Klon? Can't imagine they would do 2. Of course, there are so many ODs out there and most are just variations on 1 or 2 themes, so... In the end, it if sounds good, heck yeah!

The Soul Food is the Klone. I don't hear the similarities to a Klon, it's no where near as responsive, but apparently someone did.

I'm starting to think it's a more or less "original" design that took inspiration for other active EQ overdrive pedals.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Accidental NPD: EHX Crayon

It sounds like we had the same idea with the Forza. It is a full-range overdrive with active 3 band EQ.

 

[TimmyPage]

Re: Accidental NPD: EHX Crayon

So what is different about it? I am not sure what a 'full range overdrive' is.

I usually see overdrive pedals as a combination of two parts: the clipping inside the pedal, and the EQ range that hits your amp harder. So a tubescreamer has that huge mid hump that slams into your amp and pushes it harder, so you get the drive from both the pedal and your amp in stacking. (I know you're super experienced with pedals Mincer but I'm just setting some groundwork for my thoughts).

Different pedals accomplish this with different eqs, the EP booster and to a lesser degree a BD-2 is a huge bass boost and a bit of treble boost that hits your amp and makes it sound bigger while the treble helps keep the chime of your treble end. I take full range as a pedal with fairly even EQ that all hits the amp at once. You don't get the chimeyness of a treble boost, the tight focus of a mid boost or the heft of a low range boost, instead you get a fairly unfocused and raw sound hitting your amp.

Might be a result of the EQ or something else going on in the pedal, but most of the 'full range' overdrives I've heard have been fairly compressed feeling as a result, and the 'raw' character of them means they don't feel as responsive or rewarding as digging in on a more focused EQ drive. You know when you dig in on a tubescreamer and those mids punch your amp and give you liquidy high gain sounds that feel fun to play? Instead a full range overdrive can get kind of boxy, a bit like a blocked nose.

I know it sounds like I've been speaking negatively about them, but I love the ones I've tried and especially my Walrus Audio Voyager. They make for amazing preamps, and are really good at making a low volume tube amp feel like it's turned up a lot more without necessarily driving it harder, and I've seen a lot of rock players who love the sound of a DOD 250 Preamp cranked up for it's raw, uniquely nasal sound.

 

[Matt42]

Re: Accidental NPD: EHX Crayon

I think you pretty much hit the nail on the head Timmy.

It'll never be an always on pedal for me, but it'll be great for certain tones, and probably as a lead boost.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Accidental NPD: EHX Crayon

Actually, I am not super-experienced in pedals...which is why I ask a ton of questions. I am always interested to see how people come up with ideas for things.

 

[TimmyPage]

Re: Accidental NPD: EHX Crayon

Actually, I am not super-experienced in pedals...which is why I ask a ton of questions. I am always interested to see how people come up with ideas for things.

I've always seen you as one of the most knowledgeable guys on the forum, (especially as a fellow jazz/fusion player) I was just worried that describing the basics of overdrive to the foundation of my comment would come off as patronising.