Dynamic OD pedals

[hermetico]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

One thing I'm going to mention is the quality and unrepresentative sound in the Youtube videos I've seen demoing Klon Centaur, JHS's Klon clone, and also the KoT and the Ecstacy.

IMO, most of the videos I've seen are useless, the tones they demonstrate are wimpy, and they don't really show what the pedals can do.

Maybe this is because most are recorded through an amp that sounds like it's barely loud enough to generate any tone of its own. When I first plugged in the Wampler I had the amp on about volume 2 and the Wampler didn't sound great at all. Sounded like the wimpy, grainy fuzz I heard in the Youtube videos.

Everything from Wampler is dynamic and what to choose is really a matter of taste. I love all them and, each one for a certain style.

Probably, the Euphoria (before called Ecstasy) is the versatiler of its ODs, with three very different voices but, even their Sovereign distortion can cover everything, just playing with the guitar volume. It has a very tube like behavior.
The Paisley, is more creamy and mid-low focussed. It's the king to push other gain pedals.
The Plexi Drive gives you that crunch and high harmonics typical in old Marshalls and, some staccato to the sound.
I am waiting now for a Tweed '57 and, I still have not a founded opinion, therefore but, I liked what I've heard.

Other nice overdrive I had, in the line of a TS but, with way better control and dynamics is Mad Professor's Little Green Wonder but, its Sweet Honey Overdrive is also very nicely voiced.

I wish I can have my hands on a Centaur or a Tim...

Here I am checking the dynamics of Euphoria (ex-ecstasy), in its smooth mode, with some backing track (first song):

 

[JOEBACCA]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

When I think of OD Pedals I always prefer them as a Mid Range/High End Boost for more

cut and better pick attack on the Dirty Chanel. However the Way Huge Pork Loin would be

my go to "leave it on the entire gig" OD pedal. That is one versatile pedal IMO from

adding a clean boost to the dirty channel for that Big Shimmer on open chords or as a

Classic Mid boost. Plus the Tone and Curve knobs give you a lot of Tone Shaping

options.

 

[tonello]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

I'm not sure if it's necessarily dynamic, but I've had great luck with the MXR Classic Overdrive, it terms of sound.

I'm not one to get irritated with having to switch between effects, mostly because I have the Voodoo Labs GCX unit to switch between my pedals. One little MIDI board, and then a couple flight cases with all my gear does me wonders.

 

[tonello]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

When I think of OD Pedals I always prefer them as a Mid Range/High End Boost for more

cut and better pick attack on the Dirty Chanel. However the Way Huge Pork Loin would be

my go to "leave it on the entire gig" OD pedal. That is one versatile pedal IMO from

adding a clean boost to the dirty channel for that Big Shimmer on open chords or as a

Classic Mid boost. Plus the Tone and Curve knobs give you a lot of Tone Shaping

options.

That's an awesome pedal. I'm using the Way Huge Swollen Pickle for fuzz, but if the Pork Loin is anything like it's fuzzed out cousin, then I might have to make room on my board.

 

[stevie_bees]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

i use my Plexitone prototype as a leave on all of the time pedal. I had it on my board for a long time, but I really wanted to have it as a grab and go setup. I can get all the levels of clean/dirt I need just with the guitar's volume with the bonus of a boost switch should I need anything extra...

 

[dano8180]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

I've got an MI Audio Blues Pro OD that I leave on all the time. I set my amp for the slightest breakup and set the Blues Pro with Volume and Drive at 1:00 and tone at about 11:00. I roll my Strat's volume to 5 for rhythm and full up for leads. BTW, I run mine at 18 volts for a little more headroom. Sounds great!

 

[Brow]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

I really like the Homebrew Electronics Power Screamer for what was mentioned in the OP.

It's 1 of the few dirt pedals I actually like into a completely clean amp too (amp dependent ofcourse).

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

We need a comparison with the Wampler Ecstacy!!
That's gonna be one fun A/B test.

I did get a chance to compare the Analogman KoT to the Wampler Ecstacy last night.

I'm not going to say to much yet because the KoT is not the "plug in and play" pedal that the Ecstacy is.

I guess I can say this: the Ecstacy is initially much easier to use and to get great tone from right away.

That said, with Christian's tips and coaching, I'm really liking the KoT as well and have found the natural quality I liked so much about the Ecstacy is also there in the KoT.

 

[Laughing Kookaburra]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

That's where the balance comes in...you have to be able to really run your amp up a bit to get most of these pedals to really sound their best.

What about running the amp hotter, and adjusting the volume from the pedal volume, and your guitar? I've had good results from this, in terms of dynamics, as it brings the PTs more into the equation. Granted, it's harder on the amp/tubes...

I have been using a Monte Allums modded Boss SD-1 for this, but the principle may hold with other pedals.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

Being a player on a budget, I tend to go for the lower cost OD pedals. I just can't lay down the cash for the higher dollar ones.

That being said, the ones that have worked like this for me are the RAT, Boss DS-1 and Boss OD-1.

Once I swapped the chip in the RAT I had to a LM741 it totally changed it, and for the better. Much better response, cleaned up better. It just came alive.

The Boss DS-1, while good in its own right out of the box, worked well, there was something about it that bugged me. Then I found an article by Jack Orman that explained the problem. The first gain stage from the input was too hot causing that transistor to clip severely. He came up with a mod that dropped the gain level at that point to where it didn't clip and made it much more musical, more natural, and warmer. After that, it became much more dynamic.

Some years back I had borrowed a Boss OD-1 from a friend and fell in love with it but there was no way he was giving it up so I was left with the memory of it. Now that pedal catches crazy prices today. I know, it doesn't really fit the "on a budget" statement I made earlier but I found a solution to that. After comparing schematics between it and the SD-1, I realized the circuit design is the same with a few part value differences and a couple other adjustments. So, I set out noting them and then proceeded to mod a SD-1 to OD-1 specs (8-pin chip version). I was pleasantly surprised with the results. In the end I was able to get that OD sound back without paying out the nose for it.

These days I don't run any OD pedals out front and have sold off everything but a few homemade boosters. But if I were to use one again, I'd go right after a SD-1 and mod it to those OD-1 specs again.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

Erik, I was surprised that so few members here seemed to like the DS-1 when I was bragging it up here years ago.

It was the first pedal I found that would let me do it all with just my guitar's volume control.

My buddy AJ and I tried it with other pedals and always felt that the DS-1 made those other pedals sound even better. Improved them.

At the time I had Fralin Blues Specials in my Tele, and I used to plug my Tele into my MIJ DS-1, and that into my tweed 5E3 Deluxe, tear into some Led Zep riffs and get a great tone.

That combo inspired the writing of a few songs of my own too.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

The older DS-1's like yours are the better of that pedal. The newer ones have a different chip and a couple different parts. Stock out of the box, it's too harsh and not very easy to dial in a good tone. With single-coils it can work well but with humbuckers, forget it. Then after I came across that mod from Jack, it sounded so much better and workable with humbuckers.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

the catalinbread dls at 18v is a very nice marshall flavored leave it on pedal

 

[Hoss]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

the catalinbread dls at 18v is a very nice marshall flavored leave it on pedal

definitely...

 

[briggleman]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

OH, I cannot wait to hear the laughter.

PRS SE Soapbar II Maple top into a Digitech RP255 factory preset no. 32 Analog into a mixer out to PA or from the RP255 into a Mesa Express.

Clean as white cotton shirt out of the dryer.... turn the volume up a little on the PRS Soapbars and things start to get interesting, pick a little harder and feel the dirt. Push the volume up more on the guitar and your picking hand controls the overdrive.

Can't be done with the RP355, RP500, or the RP1000, have not found a single effects pedal that does it this good although the Green Rhino, and cheap a$$ Bad Monkey can be used to come close.

Something special about that combination above.

Brad

 

[PoorMan]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

Fulltone OCD or Plimsoul.