Sorry want to collect some thoughts here, overdrive related.

[Johtosotku]

Re: Sorry want to collect some thoughts here, overdrive related.

Well, if it's of any help, I can tell you what I typically look for in a od pedal:

1. a slight mid boost but not overbearing
2. a slight boost, but not too much to really compress stuff
3. dynamics, responsiveness to both picking and volume

I don't really need EQ or other extras. it could be a nice for an od to add "bite", but I find it too hard to find a suitable bite so that the "smooth" option is better imo. Maybe it could have a single level knob that could go from a slight boost to real smooth to bite? Or better, have it footswitchable some way. Just a pedal with a single button that goes from 1-4 by pressing it would do. If you need someone to test it, give me a shout! Finland's much closer than the US!

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Sorry want to collect some thoughts here, overdrive related.

I think you need a JMP/800-Tone!

Heh a thinner and more buzzy tone??
That was what we thought in the 80's when we used those metalpanels
Sighing for those old Plexi 1987's and 1959's
Ah sorry well and what model??2204 or 2205?
The newer ones sounds terrible.
Have you tried the plexi through one by the way??
No need to reinvent oneself too many times
Niels

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Sorry want to collect some thoughts here, overdrive related.

I think one issue with Carl Martin pedals is that there's a bunch of them that look real similar, that have different types of gain. Of course, that's a good thing, but it's confusing to the consumer, who doesn't know which one to choose. The one that gets the most attention is the Plexitone, so naturally, that's the one that people grab for. Most of us have no idea what the other several OD's will sound like in comparison. Seymour Duncan has a similar dilemma, because of the number of choices.

If it were my company, I'd start making them in different color schemes. Keep the black, but use a different color stripe on each, other than purple.
Also, give examples of who would benefit from a particular pedal. Personally, I don't like small pedals with the knobs close to the switch. I also don't like bulky tall pedals. Make all of them low to the ground, with the switch far from the knobs, and market them all equally, and I think some of the issues would be solved. You know what you're doing electronically, so I'll leave that aspect to you and the rest at Carl Martin.

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Sorry want to collect some thoughts here, overdrive related.

^+1...er hehe well I think that some looks are about to change slightly, well I hope, the bigger pedals have different fonts and such.
The hdb will get a flatter housing, so will the compressor, and the compressor line will be expanded to a dual one, and perhaps one with a parallel blenderknob...
Yeah that is why we will end up with only two hdb's hopefully, the mk3 and a new redesigned one, but the boss is quite conservative
But the dropping sales on the other drives and the succes of the plexitone will make him more open to subtle suggestions.hehehe
The real shame is that those old drives sounds very good through a good amp at normal gigging loudness, but that is not enough today!

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Sorry want to collect some thoughts here, overdrive related.

Hmm what about cascading pedals then??
There is alot of sonic possibilities there, and not all that extra annoying eq stuff
Maybe the times are better now for such things, just look at the Eternity and a few others Sean has made.
Ibanez made some very cool units back in the days, but due to stupid names and customers not getting them...due to another green thing that gets all the hype, cascading stuff has been neglected for almost a decade or more now.

[Nightburst]

Re: Sorry want to collect some thoughts here, overdrive related.

Hmm what about cascading pedals then??
There is alot of sonic possibilities there, and not all that extra annoying eq stuff
Maybe the times are better now for such things, just look at the Eternity and a few others Sean has made.
Ibanez made some very cool units back in the days, but due to stupid names and customers not getting them...due to another green thing that gets all the hype, cascading stuff has been neglected for almost a decade or more now.

Cascading pedals?

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Sorry want to collect some thoughts here, overdrive related.

Yeah making several stages inside a pedal, different things in to each other, like stacking more preamp tubes...well that is a rough explanation.
That way you can get some very flexible units without the eq chaos.

[kmcguitars]

Re: Sorry want to collect some thoughts here, overdrive related.

Hmm what about cascading pedals then??
There is alot of sonic possibilities there, and not all that extra annoying eq stuff
Maybe the times are better now for such things, just look at the Eternity and a few others Sean has made.
Ibanez made some very cool units back in the days, but due to stupid names and customers not getting them...due to another green thing that gets all the hype, cascading stuff has been neglected for almost a decade or more now.

I use to use 2 Tube Screamer's together. I ran one with the drive maxed and level at 12 O'clock. The other the drive at 9 O'clock and the level at 3 O'clock. Almost perfect into a clean Fender amp,But WAAAAY to noisy.I had a Ibanez Pue5 (I think?) for a breif time that a borrowed. It had real tube drivin O.D. (12AX7) and a tube screamer in it . Amazing sonic possibillties from that Lil' pedal board. I see em' pop up on ebay once in a while... But never have the cash when they do.http://effectsdatabase.com/model/1196/

[bungalowbill]

Re: Sorry want to collect some thoughts here, overdrive related.

Rid, Good thread, lots of useful stuff. I'm not very familiar with the Carl Martin overdrives so you guys may be doing what I'm going to suggest. How about a "clean" control. My Sparkledrive (TS-808 clone) has one and it lets the character of whatever amp it is being played through be more pronounced. With the clean knob turned down you get more of the color of the pedal, with it turned up it gets more transparent. I would love to have a Marshall sounding overdrive (Plexitone) with this clean option. Just a thought....good luck......Joe

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Sorry want to collect some thoughts here, overdrive related.

Ah nah personally I hate hearing the clean guitar in drive too loudly, it is there due to the sinuscurve going from distorted to clean, but I really do not dig that feature much, so that one will probally not end up on our stuff, but the old HDB's have a clean out to either an amp or a tuner, I always used it for a tuner, that is the closest we have to that I know a few who uses a small Deluxe Rev and a bigger amp, Marshall or Hiwatt for the dirty side, kinda gives a funny mix, but it works for them...hehe
Ah KMC not identical pedals, it is abit more sophisticated than that, cleanboost, trebleboosters, FET-stages, output stages, stuff like that, the noise comes down when you use all these in trimmed mode
Plus the sound really gets a unique character, my friend in arms at work and me have done a pedal by now, but it is one in the more boiling area of the spectre
But we are looking into more lowergain ones as well.
Our new Crushzone is a cascading one, it is a treblebooster and a drive going into each other, trimmed and all that, it goes from Pink Floyd to more modern
mean tones, got that funny spongy feel under very high gain, but it is not flabby and if you have a big stack...subsonic stuff will get you down

[Mike M.]

Re: Sorry want to collect some thoughts here, overdrive related.

I have a Marshall amp and while I love it there are those occasions where it's impractical to use. For that reason I'd love to find an OD pedal to use as a primary OD sound that will sound good thru Fender amps. Maybe something excists that I have'nt tried or have heard of yet, but at the risk of using the worn out phrase "I'd like my Fender to sound like a Marshall" is what I'd like in a pedal. (If you know of one please tell me!)

With the pedals I've tried (thru my DRRI) it seems like if you have too little gain dialed in it sounds weak. But then if you dial in more to give the sound some substance it's too fuzzy or too distorted. Same thing with the tone (treble). Too little and it's muffled, but when you try to clear it up a bit it instantley becomes too much and of course, this affects the whole flavor of the OD as well. And then there's the problem that a lot of OD pedals have which is that damn mid-hump along with not enough bass.

In all reality I know there's no way a pedal is going to make a Fender sound "just like a Marshall." But when I play something that requires that type of a sound it would be great to have a pedal that will give some tonal justice to songs that require that type of tone.

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Sorry want to collect some thoughts here, overdrive related.

Well then you will nedd a pedal with tons of filtering...which at the end of the day will sound...erm well artificial for a lack of a better word
The Deluxe is a weak amp in many respects, they fart and splutter if subjected to much overdrive or distortion.
For that amp you need smooth, Hermida, Eternity or something alike those pedals
Can't make a BF style amp sound like a Marshall of old times, the mids are way too low in the tonal spectrum, Marshalls...classic ones bites in the higher mid area, have tight lows that really thumps alot, that alone will clash badly with a normal Fender like amp, plus I think the highs and the clearness of a Marshall like drive will in the end be thinsounding.
Maybe an Ibanez Super Metal or the Metal Charger will do it??(silly names for great units)
They have several stages that can be dialed in, but at the end of the day it is always the best to use the right amp for the job, and old Marshall do have wonderful cleans to me
I always dug the tweed area much more than most bf style fenders, I am not a big fan of those really.
Use too small amps, get a AC-15 clone and use a G12H 30...that will give a great British sound
Love mine a ton!

[Mike M.]

Re: Sorry want to collect some thoughts here, overdrive related.

Thanks for the suggestions, Rid. Beleive me, I know there are a ton of variables that make up the Marshall sound and no pedal will be exact. I've tried pedals that have delivered the goods in some respect's but fell short in others. For example, the Tonebone Hot British. Surprisingly, thru the DRRI it delivers a very tight bass. Really outstanding, but no matter where you set the Drive it's always a bit much. I refer to that pedal as my 5150. I even tried some lower gained preamp tubes but it really did'nt help.

The closet I've come to capturing "that sound" thru my Fender is with a Marshall Shreadmaster pedal. I bought it a few years ago for $30.00 and while it's not perfect it really comes close. The bass control really helps, and the gain, contour and treble seem to be of the right texture or flavor for a Fender amp.