Favorite hard clipping overdrive?
- Thread starter The Gator
- Start date
DGWVI
Well-known member
This- specifically the Turbo variant
But, the Irrlicht (White Light) does a little better as an overdrive in my opinion.
There's also the Informant (DRV) that seems to be favored by those that like the Rats low gain tones
MBFX
Well-known member
For transistor-based circuits, definitely Electra. Small, easy, sounds great, what's not to like? If you haven't, try making a PNP germanium one! The best recipe I've come up with is with something high gain and low noise - right now I'm working on one with a ~100hfe GT402I, a 1N60 and 1N34 in series to ground for one half of the clipper, and a 1N4148 from ground for the second half. It's surprisingly versatile. With a germanium Fuzz Face in front of it, it gets "Muff Bendery". I like.
For op-amp-based circuits, Distortion +. TL072, 1N60 or 1N34A diodes. Maybe both on a switch! My favorite pedal I have made so far is one of these. I think it outclasses the Rat by miles if I'm using it to drive a tube amp, but it also works great into my SansAmp and straight into the PA. The last show I played was exactly that! It's also fun that the best, most useable setting is cranked.
For op-amp-based circuits, Distortion +. TL072, 1N60 or 1N34A diodes. Maybe both on a switch! My favorite pedal I have made so far is one of these. I think it outclasses the Rat by miles if I'm using it to drive a tube amp, but it also works great into my SansAmp and straight into the PA. The last show I played was exactly that! It's also fun that the best, most useable setting is cranked.
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jesuscrisp
Well-known member
For what sort of application?
To be used with what sort of gear?
Very different whether he wants something best for running into a clean or into an overdriven amp tbh.
To be used with what sort of gear?
Very different whether he wants something best for running into a clean or into an overdriven amp tbh.
BuddytheReow
Breadboard Baker
Governator is a pretty good medium gain dirt pedal
juice886
Member
Maybe it's not a very popular opinion but I really like Boss DS-1. Defouler (DF-2) is basically DS-1 with a couple of changes.
Promethium (Boss HM-2) is another suggestion.
Klon Centaur after all
There are so many different circuits that sound absolutely different even though all have that 'hard-clipping' element.
Promethium (Boss HM-2) is another suggestion.
Klon Centaur after all
There are so many different circuits that sound absolutely different even though all have that 'hard-clipping' element.
bhcarpenter
Well-known member
Klon perhaps? Or possibly an Expandora. I’m probably one of the few that likes the KoT/PoT’s hard clipping mode, but that’s an option. +1 to the DRV as well. Really just depends on what your friend is looking for.
The Gator
Well-known member
Thank you to everyone.
The application will probably vary. He has a variety of amps. Mostly small tube amps. Maybe dead clean Roland jazz chorus, maybe a black face princeton.
Several of you mentioned circuits I didn't even think of. I forgot about the crunchbox altogether. Good sounding and simple circuit.
I'm not going to build him a Klon simply because of parts count. But yeah you're right, that's a great hard clipper.
I'm now thinking simple low to mid gain, hard clipping, low parts count.
(I know, I added stipulations afterwards...that happens.)
What is a DRV?
The application will probably vary. He has a variety of amps. Mostly small tube amps. Maybe dead clean Roland jazz chorus, maybe a black face princeton.
Several of you mentioned circuits I didn't even think of. I forgot about the crunchbox altogether. Good sounding and simple circuit.
I'm not going to build him a Klon simply because of parts count. But yeah you're right, that's a great hard clipper.
I'm now thinking simple low to mid gain, hard clipping, low parts count.
(I know, I added stipulations afterwards...that happens.)
What is a DRV?
bhcarpenter
Well-known member
It’s similar to a Rat with a boost in the front: https://www.pedalpcb.com/product/informant/
Feral Feline
Well-known member
1981 Inventions... ah son-of-a... BHCarpenter beat me to it.
+1
Gator, The Tchula can be made on the Cranky Speaker board from ELS, very compact! You could build it into a 1590A (not full-featured, unless...)
Or build the PPCB Dielectric board, which won't even fit in a 1590B — N1 or bigger, but then you can mod the crud out of it and add a variable input-cap, master volume, diodes switch...
Speaking of mods, you can also build a Southampton 5th Gear on the Cranky or the Dielectric.
I was in discussion with a TBer very recently who was going to rehouse his Fifth Gear, and he's built pedals before so I tried to encourage him to build a clone and leave the Southampton unscathed — so all this 5th Gear conversation had me looking at my old plan to build a Tchula on the Cranky and I had marked down in my old notes that @HamishR, you had added a bass control and a master volume. May I ask what the bass control entails, is it the input cap with another bigger cap & pot or...? Just curious. My plan is to play around with the input cap to make it better on bass.
