My dream analog dirt pedal

[Zbysek]

A Darkglass X7 would do that, except for the 2 levels of overdrive. For that you'd need 2 of them. Which is less than the "3 to 4" pedals you need to do it now. What you're asking for is a very tall order, unlikely to be done in one pedal. So, you have to compromise (get the closest thing you can), or you wait for something that may never come.

I am currently using combination of several pedals to achieve the desired functionality. I don’t see it as a compromise.

Still, I hope that one day some designer will create an all-in-one device.

 

[Lowbrow]

I have been day-dreaming lately...

I came up with a list of features which my dream drive pedal needs to have:

• two levels of overdrive on the dirt channel (footswitcheable, with separate volume controls)
• variable HPF on the dirt channel (going up to 500Hz at least)
• clean blend
• LPF on the clean channel (going down to 150Hz at least)
• compressor/limiter on the clean channel
• It would need to be analog.

.

Tech 21 XB Driver came even closer...with the variable LPF and HPF filters and compression...but it does not allow two levels of dirt on the drive channel...

The XB Driver has an effects loop that could give you another level of drive while cutting your pedals down to two.

 

[Zbysek]

The XB Driver has an effects loop that could give you another level of drive while cutting your pedals down to two.

Unfortunatelly, the FX loop on the XB driver is placed after the mixer so any effect in the loop will affect the fullrange signal… and I want to keep my lows clean….

 

[micguy]

I'm sure it can be done in one pedal, but it won't be small.

If you 're willing to hire someone to do the combining, yes, you can make that in one housing. My point was that your requirements are so specific that it's highly unlikely that someone is going to make your dream pedal as a production unit.

 

[Zbysek]

My point was that your requirements are so specific that it's highly unlikely that someone is going to make your dream pedal as a production unit.

You never know…;-)

 

[Smooth_bass88]

Very happy EBS Billy Sheehan drive pedal user here. Highly recommended

 

[Zbysek]

Very happy EBS Billy Sheehan drive pedal user here. Highly recommended

That one would benefit from LPF on the clean channel, IMHO….

 

[WG Plum]

If you 're willing to hire someone to do the combining, yes, you can make that in one housing. My point was that your requirements are so specific that it's highly unlikely that someone is going to make your dream pedal as a production unit.

No my requirements, but I'll say that if you never ask the answer will definitely be no.

 

[Passinwind]

I am currently using combination of several pedals to achieve the desired functionality. I don’t see it as a compromise.

Still, I hope that one day some designer will create an all-in-one device.

I hope to have open source modules done for all those functions eventually. Bass dirt is currently the lowest priority for me though, although maybe I’ll spin something off whatever my guitar one ends up being. PPCB have over 450 dirt board flavors and I’m only up to #2 right now…and just about to put together my first-ever pedalboard.

 

[wjcstp]

You could check with Kevin Henrietta, he has a whole line of modular circuits that he can build into a single box if you like:
Henretta Engineering

Custom

(no connection other than i've played a couple of shows on the same bill as his band Institutional Green and chatted about effects)

 

[Alban]

The Tech21 Sansamp XB Driver checks all boxes except the 2 levels of drive. But you could add a second drive in the fx loop of the XB.

 

[Zbysek]

No my requirements, but I'll say that if you never ask the answer will definitely be no.

Exactly!

 

[Lowbrow]

That one would benefit from LPF on the clean channel, IMHO….

So where are you at, @Zbysek? Is there a pedal on this planet that will fulfill your wish list?

 

[Zbysek]

So where are you at, @Zbysek? Is there a pedal on this planet that will fulfill your wish list?

Not yet, I guess.

At the moment, I am using 4 pedals (crossover looper/blender, compressor, drive pedal, booster/attenuator) in order to achieve what I want...

 

[Zbysek]

You could check with Kevin Henrietta, he has a whole line of modular circuits that he can build into a single box if you like:
Henretta Engineering

Custom

(no connection other than i've played a couple of shows on the same bill as his band Institutional Green and chatted about effects)

THX for the tip!

 

[Zbysek]

The Tech21 Sansamp XB Driver checks all boxes except the 2 levels of drive. But you could add a second drive in the fx loop of the XB.

I know...but that way, the second drive would affect the fullrange signal since the FX loop on the XB driver is placed after the mixer … and I want to keep my lows clean….

 

[Zbysek]

Very happy EBS Billy Sheehan drive pedal user here. Highly recommended

I just ordered the Sheehan pedal. I plan to insert Broughton RFE in the clean FX loop…

 

[jcburn]

I just ordered the Sheehan pedal. I plan to insert Broughton RFE in the clean FX loop…

Interested tom know the outcome of that set up. I've been thinking lately of running a Broughton HP/LPF pedal in the drive channel to see what different drive textures I can achieve, but I never thought about tone shaping the clean channel.

 

[Zbysek]

Interested tom know the outcome of that set up. I've been thinking lately of running a Broughton HP/LPF pedal in the drive channel to see what different drive textures I can achieve, but I never thought about tone shaping the clean channel.

I will share my experience once it arrives.

I don't expect the HPF/LPF pedal to change the texture of the drive section-since it will be placed after the drive engine. It may change the resulting color of the drive by cutting some of the parts of the frequency spectrum, though...

 

[Zbysek]

Very happy EBS Billy Sheehan drive pedal user here. Highly recommended

I have several gigs with the EBS Sheehan pedal-centered pedalboard under my belt, and I am happy to report that it serves my needs very well.

I cut high mids and highs on the clean channel with LPF (both the EBS octabass and the Broughton RFE are inserted in the clean FX loop).

That way, I have clean lows and driven mids and highs in my signal. I am using the comp switch in the Mid position to glue the two signals together.

I switch between two levels of overdrive with the Boost footswitch.

One specific application is worth mentioning: in a power trio, when the guitarist takes solo, I switch on the octaver and the Boost and play one octave higher. It works great. That way, I substitute for the missing rhythm guitar with the drive channel (the notes I play are within the guitar range) while there is still clean bass one octave lower. It sound amazing!