In Greek mythology, Orthros is a two-headed, serpent-tailed dog that guarded the cattle of the monster Geryon. Here, in the real world, where we actually live, Orthros is a deluxe A-B switching pedal from Joyo. The mythological Orthros, with its two heads, might symbolize the dual signal paths (A and B loops) the pedal manages, allowing you to switch or blend between two effects chains or signal routes. The pedal is really inexpensive and has many killer features, is it good?
The Joyo JF-24 Orthros is a line selector pedal designed for flexible effect routing, featuring two effect loops and six looping modes (A/B, A/Bypass, B/Bypass, A/B/Bypass, A+B/Bypass, A/B/Out Select). It’s built to let guitarists toggle between or combine two different pedal setups, amps, or even guitars, with independent level controls for each loop. It’s often compared to the Boss LS-2 Line Selector due to similar functionality but at a lower price point.
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I have tried a lot of A-B pedal switching boxes. Some of them are the most simple construction, just a multi-pole pushbutton switch, LED and jacks (like the Mosky A-B loopbox, a popular item reviewed here on HoT) while the more sophisticated types use midi and relay switching.
Joyo’s Orthros is somewhere in the middle technologically, it has active electronics for the independent loop master volumes and soft switching, which means a click-free, soft footswitch.
USING ORTHROS
My experimenting so far has been confined to using Orthros for A-B switching between two effect pedals but there are many other options available on the rotary dial selector (they’re pretty clear and understandable from the labeling without reading the manual).
I took these photos while using the TC Flanger on the A-loop and the Warm Audio Chorus pedal on the B-loop. With this combination of pedals the separate level controls on Orthros for the two loops were indispensable.
Depending on their individual settings, these two modulation effects have dramatically different volume levels, quickly switching between them highlighted the differences in level. The A-loop and B-loop independent volume controls, allowed the two effects to be quickly and easily matched to each other for balanced output performance.
LIKES
- Low cost pedal
- Lots of functionality
- Quiet switching between effect loops
- Operates on 9-volt battery or external power
- Quality look and feel
DISLIKES
- It’s BIG, physically large, takes up a lot of pedalboard space
EPILOGUE
If you need to switch between two effects instantly, Joyo’s Orthros is ready to apply for the job. It’s low noise, easy to use, and has all the power options - that’s a lot of functionality for $39. I can’t find anything to not like about this pedal, it really comes down to whether you need these functions. I’m constantly experimenting with various pedals which I like to A-B compare and perform with - switching between two different distortion pedals is a favorite move for me - Orthros simplifies a complex setup so I can focus on the notes and the music. The Joyo Orthros is a winner for me, lots of good functionality and a bargain price.
Thanks for reading High on Technology, Good Music To You!
©September 2025 by Mark King, it is NOT ok to copy or quote without written permission from the author.
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