The controls on each side
Each side of the pedal is a complete drive with its own knobs, voicing switch and activation footswitch, so you can dial in two very different sounds and switch between them or run both at once12.
| Side | Controls | Voicing switch |
|---|---|---|
| Tube Drive (side A) | Level, Tone, Drive, activation footswitch | Hot / Warm mini toggle1 |
| Overdrive (side B) | Volume, Tone, Drive, activation footswitch | Lo-pass and Hi-pass filters1 |
The launch coverage described the same layout in slightly different terms, listing drive, level and tone knobs with a hot/warm switch on one side and a high-peak/low-peak switch on the other, each with an LED-equipped on/off footswitch3. The Tube Drive's Hot and Warm mode names match those on the Mooer Green Mile Tube Drive1.
Order and stacking modes
A middle toggle switch offers three switching order modes: A into B, independent A or B, and B into A1. In practice that means you can run either drive by itself, stack both, and choose which circuit the guitar hits first, which changes the character of the stacked sound since the first drive in the chain shapes what the second one receives.
Both effects can be used individually or stacked on top of each other, which was the selling point of the whole Double Pedal series: two pedals' worth of flexibility in one compact footprint2.
Circuits behind each side
The two sides draw on two of the most widely copied overdrive circuits in the market. MusicRadar's review describes the Tube Drive side as inspired by an OCD and Tube Screamer1, while the Overdrive side is a take on the original Japanese green overdrive circuit, with smooth gain and a distinct mid hump3. Gearnews characterized it as Harley Benton's interpretation of a legendary Japanese green OD circuit2.
Each side adds its own twist on those templates. The Tube Drive side carries the Hot and Warm modes, and the Overdrive side carries the Lo-pass and Hi-pass filter options, giving each circuit two voices beyond the basic drive, tone and level controls1.
The name "Evil Twin" also belongs to an unrelated pedal: Champion Leccy's The Evil Twin, a noise and oscillation machine from the company's early days4, and MayFly Audio's My Evil Twin delay45. Neither is connected to the Harley Benton pedal.
What reviewers said
MusicRadar's review, published in October 2022, found the Tube Drive side offered "a lot more scope for thicker rhythm tone and lead boost in isolation with that mid push and softer clipping"1. The reviewer's overall verdict acknowledged the pedal borrows familiar circuits but rated the package highly:
"While the individual overdrive pedal inspirations here are far from original in the market, the combination and quality for the price here is hard to beat."1
Rob, MusicRadar1
Videos
Harley Benton
Rich. Words. Music.
Synthetic_Future
Questions
Can the Harley Benton Evil Twin run on a battery?
No. The Evil Twin has no battery operation and runs only from an external power supply. It needs a 9V PSU with a 100mA current rating, so plan on a pedalboard power brick or a standalone 9V adapter rather than a battery.
Is the Harley Benton Evil Twin true bypass?
Yes. MusicRadar's review lists true bypass among the pedal's specifications, so with both sides switched off the signal passes through without the circuit coloring your tone.
What power supply does the Harley Benton Evil Twin need?
It runs on a 9V PSU rated at 100mA. There is no battery option, so it depends entirely on external power. A standard 9V pedalboard supply covers it comfortably.
Is the Harley Benton Evil Twin a Tube Screamer and OCD clone?
Broadly, yes. MusicRadar describes the Tube Drive side as inspired by an OCD and Tube Screamer, with the overdrive side taking its cue from the classic Japanese green overdrive circuit, meaning the Ibanez Tube Screamer family. Harley Benton's versions add their own voicing options.
Can you change the order of the two drives on the Evil Twin?
Yes. A middle toggle switch offers A into B, independent A or B, and B into A order modes, so you can run either drive alone, stack them, or flip which circuit hits the guitar signal first.
Sources (5)
- Harley Benton Evil Twin overdrive pedal review, MusicRadar, 2022-10-03
- Harley Benton Double Pedal Series: Two effects in one compact pedal, gearnews.com, 2022-07-08
- Harley Benton launches new Double Pedal series dual guitar effects, MusicRadar, 2022-07-08
- The Evil Twin (limited run), Champion Leccy, 2025-05-27
- MayFly Audio Releases the My Evil Twin Delay, Premier Guitar, 2022-06-16
