The Visual Sound Son Of Hyde V2 is an analog single-channel distortion pedal built around the Hyde distortion channel of the Jekyll & Hyde. Visual Sound, the company that made it, renamed itself Truetone in 2015, and the pedal is now listed in the Truetone Archive rather than in current production1. It carries what the maker calls "the complete Hyde distortion circuit from the acclaimed Jekyll & Hyde pedal, standing on its own"1, so a player who only ever uses the distortion side of the dual pedal gets that channel in one box.
What it does to your sound
As a distortion pedal, the Son Of Hyde V2 covers what Truetone describes as a "full tonal palette" through Drive, Treble, Volume and a Mid knob1. The Mid knob is the control the maker singles out: it addresses something most single-channel distortion pedals leave out entirely, allowing precise frequency shaping so the pedal can sit correctly in a mix from bedroom volume to full stage output1. Visual Sound's own material describes a wide range of sounds discoverable by using the Mid knob to adjust the midrange2.
The other feature that sets it apart from a plain distortion box is the built-in noise reduction. The added circuit eliminates white noise when you stop playing2, and Truetone describes the V2 noise reduction as dropping the floor completely when you stop, eliminating the background hiss that accumulates in high-gain chains1. For a player running the pedal into other gain stages or a bright amp, that means silence between phrases without a separate gate.
Where it came from
The original Jekyll & Hyde launched in 1997 and, according to Truetone, was the first effects pedal to combine overdrive and distortion in a single housing with truly independent channels3. The Son Of Hyde takes the distortion half of that design and gives it its own pedal, in the V2 Series housing with user-friendly controls2. The dual-channel original remains a separate product; the Truetone V2 Jekyll & Hyde pairs the overdrive and distortion channels, while the Son Of Hyde is distortion only.
What reviewers found
In a Premier Guitar roundup of stompboxes, the reviewers found the pedal had serious low end: "It also produced enough low end to rattle the walls, engaging the Bright switch reduced this a little"4. The Bright switch, in other words, trims some of that low end when it gets to be too much.
"It also produced enough low end to rattle the walls, engaging the Bright switch reduced this a little"
Power and practical notes
The pedal runs on 9V DC with a center-negative plug and draws 18mA2, which puts it within reach of any standard pedalboard power supply output. Being analog2, it responds to your guitar's volume knob and picking dynamics the way analog distortion circuits do.
The Son Of Hyde V2 is listed in the Truetone Archive, meaning it is no longer a current catalog product1. It sits alongside other Visual Sound-era distortion designs such as the Visual Sound Vans Warped Distortion and the Visual Sound Garagetone Chainsaw, and among distortion pedals more broadly it shares ground with single-channel designs like the Vick Audio V-2.
Sample settings
Truetone publishes a sample settings PDF for the V2 Son of Hyde, linked from the pedal's product materials2. It lays out suggested control positions, which is a practical starting point before shaping the Mid knob to your own amp and room.
For more on the effect type itself, see the site's guide to Distortion Pedals.
Videos
Lorenzo Passarella
Questions
What power supply does the Visual Sound Son Of Hyde V2 need?
The Son Of Hyde V2 runs on 9V DC with a center-negative plug, the standard pedalboard supply arrangement. It draws 18mA, so it fits comfortably within the capacity of most multi-output power supplies. As with any center-negative pedal, it should not be powered from a battery-to-adapter arrangement that reverses polarity or from a supply with the wrong polarity.
Is the Son Of Hyde V2 analog?
Yes. The Son Of Hyde V2 is an analog circuit, as listed in its circuit type specification. That matters to players who prefer how analog distortion responds to picking dynamics and volume knob changes, and it means there is no conversion of the signal to digital anywhere in the audio path.
What is the difference between the Son Of Hyde and the Jekyll & Hyde?
The Son Of Hyde contains only the Hyde distortion channel of the Jekyll & Hyde pedal, standing on its own in a single-channel housing. The Jekyll & Hyde combines an overdrive channel and a distortion channel with truly independent controls in one enclosure. The Son Of Hyde adds a Mid knob and a noise reduction circuit of its own.
Does the Son Of Hyde V2 have a noise reduction circuit?
Yes. The V2 Series Son Of Hyde includes an added noise reduction circuit that eliminates white noise when you stop playing. Truetone describes the V2 noise reduction as dropping the floor completely when you stop playing, removing the background hiss that builds up in high-gain chains.
Where can I find sample settings for the Son Of Hyde V2?
Truetone publishes a sample settings document for the V2 Son of Hyde as a PDF on its website, and it is linked from the pedal's product page. It walks through suggested control positions for different sounds, which is useful starting point material before dialing in your own settings.
Sources (4)
- V2 Son of Hyde, Truetone, 2026
- Son Of Hyde V2 by Visual Sound, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- V2 Jekyll & Hyde, Truetone, 2026
- More to Stomp On: 8 Stompboxes Reviewed, Premier Guitar, 2008-10-22
