Diamond Compresser vs SexDrive

[ben_allison]

Wondering how these two compare. I'm not looking for singing sustain on leads, I'm looking to excite my clean tone.

I know one's an opto-compressor with a tilt-style eq, and the other has preset compression settings and an overdrive circuit; I'm not really interested in what technology they use, rather the result they produce.

How do they compare when one is trying to add chime/sparkle/interest to a clean tone?

Apparently the Diamond is great at shaping note attack, adding the kind of percusiveness one might hear in an EL_4 tube vs a 6_6. Does the SexDrive fare as well?

 

[Seektone]

I think that both are great pedals. Both will add clarity and life to your clean tone as well. I think the Sex Drive is better at "chime" while the Diamond is better at adding attack. Somehow the Diamond also seems rounder, if that makes sense, while the sex Drive adds sparkle. Hope that helps.

 

[ben_allison]

Thanks brother. Great comments.

In my mind "chime" means more percussive attack like an AC30 (as opposed to the squishier tone of a Blackface amp).

 

[Seektone]

I have a friend that plays an ac30 handwired with a diamond compressor and I'd say that it seems to reduce chime a little, and actually adds a creamy, percussive chop to the tone, reducing sparkle.

 

[nixpix]

I can only speak of the Diamond, which I owned for a couple of months recently. It sounded great with my Tele and Dr. Z Ghia. It does a wonderful thing with the attack of your notes. It' well preserves, and seems to even accentuate the attack. It works great for playing clean lines and adding a bit of chime and separation to chords.

I sold it only because I learned that I like vintage type compressors more (ie Ross) for their sustain and obvious squash. The Diamond can get sqashy, but it's different and more subtle than Ross comps. The Diamond is super transparent, too.

Hey...I'm talking myself into buying one again - I better stop!

 

[thesjkexperienc]

I am another happy customer of the Sex drive. The great thing about it is the super high quality buffer, so just having it at the end of you chain you get a more even sound with more sustain. I didnt notice it when I first got the pedal, but I tried my friends Fat Boost and noticed right away when I took it out of the chain.

 

[Hugo Da Rosa]

I have a friend that plays an ac30 handwired with a diamond compressor and I'd say that it seems to reduce chime a little, and actually adds a creamy, percussive chop to the tone, reducing sparkle.

I have to agree with this. I run an AC15 (not quite the same amount of chime as an AC30) and I do notice that my Diamond does cover some of that chime up. That doesn't mean all the bells and whistles of an AC15 is gone...it's just not as apparent.

 

[LeftyASAT]

Hey, I can help here - I have both! I'd agree with what everyone else here has said already. The Diamond is really designed ot be a very transparent compressor, and it does that very well. It is NOT a "squashy" compressor like the Dyna Comp or Ross types. I find it very good for reducing some "spikey-ness" from a clean Tele sound for chicken pickin, or for smoothing out clean Straty funk strums. Sounds very natural for that, and will not alter your tone much at all, but does offer a EQ knob that works really well to roll off some highs or lows if wanted. I would not say it adds "chime" and might take a bit of that away at higher comp settings.

The Sex Drive has a compression switch (off/Soft/Hard) but I find it pretty subtle for compression - probably not what you'd want if you really want a tweakable compressor. But as for adding chime and sparkle, this pedal is GREAT! It is a very flexible pedal since it provides a hefty boost if wanted, and you can add just a bit of dirt too. I really love it on the clean channel of my Bad Cat to add just a bit of OD and boost. It colors the tone a bit, but in a very nice way. Love it with the Tele.

Hope that helps!

 

[Seektone]

I use my Sex Drive with a Bad Cat as well! Actually - 2 Bad Cats in stereo.

 

[DavidH]

To me the compression on the Sexdrive feels like an OD pedal, only without the overdrive (although it can be an OD at higher drive settings). I sometimes use it instead of my Honeybee, when i'm looking for that feel but without the gain and colouration, they can feel remarkably similar although obviously they sound different. very different feel to my compressor (i use a PGC), much more like an overdrives compression in feel.

A Sexdrive is a great pedal to have in your arsenal, great sounding boost with adjustable feel. (although i definately wouldn't call it transparent, get a Moollon signal boost if you want transparent clean boost to get more gain and sparkle from your amp). The buffer is extremely transparent however, excellent buffer, the best buffer i've come across in fact, it's worth having just for that.

 

[RouseTheBoroughs]

I run a Line 6 M13 with an Analogman Sunface, BD-2, Empress Super-Delay & Analogman Compressor + Sex Drive.

Now the Line 6 was recently added to the mix ...

The Sex Drive makes SUCH a difference to the mix that I took it out of the loop and put it after the M13

it adds so much when it comes to sparkle, sustain and that slight almost invisible crunch that it's almost unthinkable for me to think of a clean tone without one

Awesome pedal

 

[DavidH]

Thanks brother. Great comments.

In my mind "chime" means more percussive attack like an AC30 (as opposed to the squishier tone of a Blackface amp).

I just read this comment, the Sexdrive will make the attack softer unless you leave the compression off, not more percussive.

What i use is probably not want you want to hear, which is a BJF PGC followed by the SBEQ, together they make the ultimate pre-amp if you want to add chime, sparkle and prescence to your cleans. Brings it forward and just adds quality. My board consists of those with a couple of pedals in between them. Sounds like you're looking for a tone enhancer and that combo is the best i've found.