OD pedal redundancy. What do I still "need"?

At this point; whatever ends up on the board is going to fall into clean/light boost, fat boost and sizzle boost. The Grid Slammer and Caline can do the clean/light and the OCD clone will do the sizzle. (GS and Caline could do that cranked as well not what I want them for). :unsure:

I picked up a Grid Slammer to be the boost for the clean channel of my TC-50 since the Drive/Norm switch isn't MIDI controllable and was told the GS could replicate the Drive function (which it did pretty well).

I was overall surprised how much I like it and was equally surprised how little it's mentioned on gear forums. I guess it wasn't boutique enough to generate much of a buzz.

grid-slammer-2000px.jpg
 
I picked up a Grid Slammer to be the boost for the clean channel of my TC-50 since the Drive/Norm switch isn't MIDI controllable and was told the GS could replicate the Drive function (which it did pretty well).

I was overall surprised how much I like it and was equally surprised how little it's mentioned on gear forums. I guess it wasn't boutique enough to generate much of a buzz.

grid-slammer-2000px.jpg
I love it! It can be subtle or you can crank the heck out of it for :satan The Dynaplex is a lot more "THERE" as far as being kind of overtaking (in a good way) the amp's drive channel?
 
Now that I'm using the FM9 using pedals just for the special thing that they do so well seems like more hassle than it's worth. I still keep them though because each of them is really good at what they do.

Whatever do you mean? I love tripping over the pedals plugged into mine as I‘m already stepping over the 4’ pedalboard in the center of my living room.
 
I picked up a Grid Slammer to be the boost for the clean channel of my TC-50 since the Drive/Norm switch isn't MIDI controllable and was told the GS could replicate the Drive function (which it did pretty well).

I was overall surprised how much I like it and was equally surprised how little it's mentioned on gear forums. I guess it wasn't boutique enough to generate much of a buzz.

grid-slammer-2000px.jpg
I love this pedal. Recorded two albums with it pushing a tube amp. Nowadays I find it to be kinda a TS9 with more gain and a little boxier sound, but that also makes it KILL with EL34 amps for sure.
 
@JiveTurkey not sure where you're at now but have you ever tried a Scarab Dlx? It’s a “safe” fuzz since it can sound like a Tweed Deluxe (cleanish to knarly, super transparent) and then with a twist of the bias knob a Spaghetti western and on full gain, Mick Ronson territory. Since it’s utility in a way, it isn’t like a DAM or othe boutique that’s fully committed to one inspired thing, but it’s still pretty great.

And now the part that p*ss*s everyone off. I’ve owned and/or recorded Klons/Zens (I do miss my signed Alf Zen but whatev)/clones of both/808/Rat/BDs/and lots more. There’s a crazy sameness to ALL of them. One good drive combined with a boost and that Source Audio eq that has memory slots and you can approximate all those tones. I also have a ton of Chinese clones, including the more recent minis, and other than one inspired combination that sounded incredible—the original Joyo Tube Screamer into their original comp, 22 bucks each at the time—I don’t know .. the stuff isn’t as good. Tone matching after the fact is easy, but the experience of using the stuff, how it feels to play, is almost more important. Btw, a compressor with character is an amazing addition that can act as a boost.

I may have something fancy incoming, a sort of answer to my tone explorations going on inside of the Kemper and computer (UAD, NDSP)..who would've thought I’d learn anything new (new for me) .. anyway if it happens I’ll report.
 
I’ve owned and/or recorded Klons/Zens (I do miss my signed Alf Zen but whatev)...

Like I said, I've been using my Hermida Zendrive for over a decade. I'll never sell that thing. I've done many a gig with just it, my amp, and a channel switcher.

49280286072_8a831d3ebb_b.jpg


The blue thing on the floor is a flashlight I picked up at 7-Eleven on the way to the gig and a Sonic Research Turbo tuner is next to it. The gig was for the premiere of a new magazine on a huge party yacht.

Bass player was to the left. We did the gig as an instrumental power trio.

51891701956_d4df188b71.jpg
 
Zen is great. Many devotees. I bought mine after hearing a Tim Lurch demo of super light drive comparing the Zen and the Ethos. This is a decade ago or more. I never bonded with mine though, and when it was sold it had been in a drawer. I’m so primarily clean that its role was never gonna be its strengths as we hear it with its bold face users. Whatever I still miss it. I’m confident you can get whatever you want sonically out of that pedal, especially after a decade. That’s my feeling about gear in general, stick with it. Also, Turbo Tuner is the only thing I learned about on TGP after all those years that is definitively the best™.
 
Zen is great. Many devotees. I bought mine after hearing a Tim Lurch demo of super light drive comparing the Zen and the Ethos.

I picked up an Ethos around the same time as I got the Zendrive. Unfortunately it didn't come with a wall wart and if memory serves the plug is reverse polarity so I never really had a chance to use it. It's still floating around somewhere.

Given that it's in mint condition and how much they're going for I should probably sell it.
 
@JiveTurkey not sure where you're at now but have you ever tried a Scarab Dlx? It’s a “safe” fuzz since it can sound like a Tweed Deluxe (cleanish to knarly, super transparent) and then with a twist of the bias knob a Spaghetti western and on full gain, Mick Ronson territory. Since it’s utility in a way, it isn’t like a DAM or othe boutique that’s fully committed to one inspired thing, but it’s still pretty great.

And now the part that p*ss*s everyone off. I’ve owned and/or recorded Klons/Zens (I do miss my signed Alf Zen but whatev)/clones of both/808/Rat/BDs/and lots more. There’s a crazy sameness to ALL of them. One good drive combined with a boost and that Source Audio eq that has memory slots and you can approximate all those tones. I also have a ton of Chinese clones, including the more recent minis, and other than one inspired combination that sounded incredible—the original Joyo Tube Screamer into their original comp, 22 bucks each at the time—I don’t know .. the stuff isn’t as good. Tone matching after the fact is easy, but the experience of using the stuff, how it feels to play, is almost more important. Btw, a compressor with character is an amazing addition that can act as a boost.

I may have something fancy incoming, a sort of answer to my tone explorations going on inside of the Kemper and computer (UAD, NDSP)..who would've thought I’d learn anything new (new for me) .. anyway if it happens I’ll report.
I haven't really ended just yet :oops: :bag :rofl

I have a Grid Slammer and a Dynaplex; Sugar Drive, OCD clone, RAT clone and an SD-1. They all kick booty. I could honestly stay in this rabbit hole forever if I'm not careful :brick
 
RAT clone is currently as fuzzy as I get. Can't quite go down that path yet?
I think that path could be wildly inspiring. I still have an old Rat I used for years and lots of other stuff and I get the appeal but fuzz is different. It’s way gnarlier but at the same time weirdly transparent or at least yikes organic sounding .. like the amp is about to die and anyone who’s in the club to witness will one day tell there grandchildren about it.
 
The interesting thing with fuzz is that there’s a lot of bad fuzz out there and I think some players only experience has been with bad fuzz (or worse digital fuzz) and so they think they don’t like it.

I went so deep down the fuzz rabbit hole for a while. It doesn’t work well for all situations, but it’s a lot of fun if you’re playing stuff that it works for.

I kinda miss those days
 
Rat is very intriguing to me
I have tried both the 3 rats and didn’t like any of them . I believed they were great with all this reputation and cult bands but …. Try one one day if you can . I believe they were like big muff or 🤷, but in the end it is super “mid” and … well. Big “no” here 😅

If you want something mad, buy the fuzz factory 😊
 
I have tried both the 3 rats and didn’t like any of them . I believed they were great with all this reputation and cult bands but …. Try one one day if you can . I believe they were like big muff or 🤷, but in the end it is super “mid” and … well. Big “no” here 😅

If you want something mad, buy the fuzz factory 😊
For me; they are about the best "just barely on" dirt pedal there is. They certainly take over a sound very quickly :oops:
 
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