The Joyo R-22 Narcissus is a chorus pedal built around what the maker calls a semi-analog circuit. Joyo describes its range of chorus effects as going "from surreal, deep tone to fierce and Vintage Distortion tone", which puts it among the wider-reaching choruses rather than the gentle single-voicing kind1. It sits in Joyo's chorus lineup alongside models like the JOYO Classic Chorus and the Joyo Future Chorus, and it belongs to the broader family of Chorus Pedals.
Controls and voicings
The front panel is simple: three knobs and a toggle.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| WIDTH | One of the three knobs that adjust the chorus effect1 |
| DEPTH | One of the three knobs that adjust the chorus effect1 |
| RATE | One of the three knobs that adjust the chorus effect1 |
| VINTAGE & MODERN toggle | Selects between styles of chorus1 |
Joyo says the pedal delivers "different styles of Chorus Effects via the 3 knobs:WIDTH/DEPTH/RATE", with the toggle choosing the voicing family1. The maker's description of the range, from deep and surreal to a fierce vintage distortion character, suggests the Vintage side leans darker and grittier than a conventional chorus, though Joyo's page does not break the two modes down further.
Bypass and signal path
The Narcissus is a True Bypass pedal. Joyo puts it plainly: "Of course, it has True Bypass!" and adds that "The signal remains fully 'intact'." when the effect is off1. For a player, that means the pedal stays out of your signal chain entirely when disengaged, so it will not load down your clean tone between songs.
The semi-analog designation is Joyo's own. The product page calls it "a semi-analog circuit chorus pedal" without detailing which stages are analog and which are digital, so players who need a strictly all-analog path should note the distinction1.
Joyo's product page currently shows stock of 0 and a retail price listed as 0.0 元, so the page's own listing figures are not usable as a US price1.
Manual and documentation
Joyo hosts the R-22 Manual as a PDF directly on the Narcissus product page at joyoaudio.com. The manual file on that page carries a date of 2023-03-201. It is the maker's own document, and the natural next stop for power requirements, jack details and anything the product page summary leaves out.
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Questions
Is the JOYO R-22 Narcissus analog or digital?
Joyo describes the R-22 Narcissus as a semi-analog circuit chorus pedal. That places it between a fully analog chorus and a digital one: the maker's own product page calls it "a semi-analog circuit chorus pedal" without spelling out which parts of the signal path are analog and which are not. If you want a strictly all-analog chorus, Joyo's separate analog chorus models are the ones to compare it with.
Is the JOYO Narcissus true bypass?
Yes. Joyo's product page states the pedal has True Bypass and says "The signal remains fully 'intact'." In practice that means when the Narcissus is switched off, your guitar's signal passes through the pedal without passing through the chorus circuit, which matters if you run long cable runs or a crowded pedalboard.
What does the Vintage and Modern switch do on the Narcissus?
The VINTAGE & MODERN toggle switch selects between two styles of chorus. Joyo describes the pedal's chorus effects as ranging "from surreal, deep tone to fierce and Vintage Distortion tone", so the toggle is how you move between those voicings, and the three knobs shape whichever style you have selected.
What do the Width, Depth and Rate knobs do?
The Narcissus has three knobs labeled WIDTH, DEPTH and RATE, and Joyo says these deliver the pedal's different styles of chorus effects. In a chorus, rate sets the speed of the modulation and depth sets how strong it is; width shapes the spread of the effect. Joyo's page names the three controls without publishing a detailed function list for each.
Where can I find the JOYO R-22 manual?
Joyo posts the R-22 Manual as a PDF on the Narcissus product page at joyoaudio.com. The manual file on that page is dated 2023-03-20. That is the maker's own documentation, so it is the place to look for anything this page does not cover, such as power requirements or a full control walkthrough.
Sources (1)
- R-22 NARCISSUS_JOYO, JOYO, 2023-03-20
