The Joyo R-17 Dark Flame is a modern metal high gain distortion pedal, part of the maker's R Series1. Announced in October 2021, it arrived as a bright red stompbox aimed at players after high-gain tones, with gearnews.com's Jef suggesting it "could be the perfect stompbox for budget Djent tones"2.
What it does
Joyo positions the Dark Flame squarely at metal players: the maker's product page calls it "a modern metal high gain DISTORTION pedal"1. gearnews.com's reviewer described it as "a fully-fledged high-gain stompbox" and noted that, unlike some of the maker's other gain pedals, "The bright red R-17 Dark Flame is no subtle Bluesbreaker derived gain though"2.
At announcement, no official pricing had been set, though the reviewer had heard rumours of a retail price around โฌ652.
The controls
The pedal keeps a simple layout: five knobs and a pair of switches2.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Sets output level2 |
| Gain | Sets amount of distortion2 |
| Treble | High band of the 3-band EQ1 |
| Mid | Middle band of the 3-band EQ1 |
| Bass | Low band of the 3-band EQ1 |
| Distortion type toggle | Selects one of 3 types of crunchy distortion1 |
| Mini-toggle (3-position) | Chooses between Dark, Bright and Off2 |
The three-way mini-toggle gives a voicing choice on top of the EQ, and the distortion type switch changes the character of the gain itself12.
Noise at high gain
"However, it could worth checking out if you like high-gain tones."
The same reviewer noted that a noise gate may be needed at higher gain settings2. If that becomes an issue on your board, a dedicated unit from the Noise Gate Pedals page is the usual fix.
Background and related pedals
There is little documented history for the circuit: gearnews.com's reviewer noted that "the main website says very little about the pedal, so we don't have a huge amount of background on its voicing options"2. At the time of that coverage the pedal was newly announced, with no official pricing yet in place2.
Elsewhere in Joyo's distortion range, the Joyo JF-21 Splinter is a RAT-style distortion, the Joyo R-11 Baatsin packs eight drive sounds into one analog pedal, and the Joyo Tone Chain TC-1 combines distortion, overdrive and delay in a multi-effects format. For the wider field, see Distortion Pedals.
Power
Joyo's product page lists the R-17's power requirement as 9V1. A manual PDF for the R-17, dated 27 May 2022, is available on the product page for fuller specifications1.
Videos
JOYO AUDIO
Pedal Platform
TL Toneworks
Questions
Is the Joyo R-17 Dark Flame a metal distortion pedal?
Yes. Joyo describes the Dark Flame as a modern metal high gain distortion pedal, and gearnews.com's Jef called it a fully-fledged high-gain stompbox that could suit budget djent tones. It sits in Joyo's R Series and carries a bright red enclosure.
How many distortion modes does the Joyo R-17 Dark Flame have?
Three. A toggle switch selects one of three types of crunchy distortion, so you can move between three voicings of high-gain distortion on one pedal without touching the knobs.
Does the Joyo R-17 Dark Flame need a noise gate?
Possibly at high gain settings. gearnews.com's reviewer noted that a noise gate may be needed at higher gain settings, while still judging the pedal worth checking out if you like high-gain tones.
What circuit is the Joyo R-17 Dark Flame based on?
That is not clear. gearnews.com's reviewer noted that Joyo's main website says very little about the pedal, so there is no documented background on its voicing options or any circuit it might be derived from.
What power does the Joyo R-17 Dark Flame use?
Joyo's product page lists the pedal's power requirement as 9V. No current draw figure is given, so check the R-17 manual PDF on Joyo's product page for the full power specification.
Sources (2)
- R-17 DARK FLAME_JOYO, JOYO, 2022-05-27
- Is the new R-17 Dark Flame from Joyo an affordable Djent pedal?, gearnews.com, 2021-10-28
