Coda
Well-known member
Let me preface this by saying that if anyone came here looking for a review of a nice, simple overdrive (transparent or otherwise), you will be disappointed. The Systech Overdrive is an OD in the way that a cardboard box is a rocket ship. This is a fuzz pedal. The fuzz itself is interesting; its vintage-flavored...buzzy, and not too forgiving with complex chords (anything more that two fingers, I suppose). However, the character is a little cold and sterile, but not in a bad way. Its like when they first started using digital to sound like analog. It was pretty close...but something was off (like with the pod people). The EQ control isn't an EQ at all, but a filter. The gimmick of this pedal is that the filter gives you oodles of cocked-wah flavors. Its way more complex than just cocking a wah, though. As you can hear in the clip, it can get pretty crazy.
I've never been one to put too much effort into artwork. I experimented with tape for this one. Also, the humidity ruined the paint a little, but its not a big deal. The clip is divided into three sections, each introduced by a few clean chords. The only thing changed for each section was the position of the distortion knob (starts at 9 o'clock, then noon, then maxed). For each section, the eq was set to min, then 9 o'clock, then noon, then 3 o'clock, then max.
The low distortion settings are a bit useless. For me the pedal shines with the distortion control beyond noon. Maxed out, all sorts of harmonics are pulled from the ether...especially at the higher EQ settings.
Compared to the Systech Harmonic Energizer, I would say this pedal is similar, but slightly different. I imagine it was designed after the HE, since it basically does one thing a HE is good at. With the HE, its all about the filter, and a such, you can get more out of it depending on where it is in the chain, what you play into it/it into, etc. The OD is more simple, and less complicated.
I've never been one to put too much effort into artwork. I experimented with tape for this one. Also, the humidity ruined the paint a little, but its not a big deal. The clip is divided into three sections, each introduced by a few clean chords. The only thing changed for each section was the position of the distortion knob (starts at 9 o'clock, then noon, then maxed). For each section, the eq was set to min, then 9 o'clock, then noon, then 3 o'clock, then max.
The low distortion settings are a bit useless. For me the pedal shines with the distortion control beyond noon. Maxed out, all sorts of harmonics are pulled from the ether...especially at the higher EQ settings.
Compared to the Systech Harmonic Energizer, I would say this pedal is similar, but slightly different. I imagine it was designed after the HE, since it basically does one thing a HE is good at. With the HE, its all about the filter, and a such, you can get more out of it depending on where it is in the chain, what you play into it/it into, etc. The OD is more simple, and less complicated.
