ProAnalog Power Driver Review

cubba65 · Oct 12, 2005

Got my Power Driver last week.
It's S/N 001!

Power Driving GTO, not included...

Tested it at near max amp volume (lOOk out!) with my P90 equip'd. Epi, into my Vox AC15.

I'm enjoying the hell out of this one.
In brief, it's a Boost pedal w/Bass & Treble controls.
It can stay absolutely clean with the drive turned down, only after 12:00 or so does the drive come in. It goes from light OD to heavier OD to near (but not really) fuzz when maxed.
Cleans up very well like all of Scotty's pedz.
The bass & treble alone (like the BJF Sea Blue EQ -- great pedal!) makes it worth the price of admission.
It simulates for me power tube distorion. Very big and focused but not too edgy.
From other reviews I've heard it should be great as a stackable drive.
It has a TON of output, so be careful!

This is a step-up from where Scotty was going with the Boost Royale, tho' I think he said that pedal will come back some time soon totally revamped and over-engineered!

Here's an excerpt from an email I wrote to a friend last night, asking about the Power Driver:

As far as the Power Driver goes, I just plugged it in today at a good volume for the first time. It's pretty killer. The Drive pot stays clean for a very long time so that you get a lot of range there. After 12:00 it shows some edge but not until 3:00 does the real crunch come in (as the Si trannies- Q1/Q2 begin to saturate) and it eventually heads into a very heavy overdrive, near fuzz. I thought it wuz fuzz at first, but it really isn't, it's more like some thick drive, maybe even like tube saturation, ala the Varidrive or the Chandler Tube Driver, but still, not exactly like that either. Clearer than those but with the same girth. You could say it's emulating power tube distortion, thick yet clear and not too smeared in the mids. It's something you'd have to experience to see if you like it.

This pedal can put out some serious volume, so it must be considered as well to what it will do to your front end (and resultant harmonics) if you use it that way.

But the best part is the very capable EQ. It adds a lot of treble if you crank it, w/an almost treble booster-like quality. I nailed that Clapton intro to "Let it Rain" with my Gibson! That was with the treb. cranked. It had a lot of zing but didn't get nasty. If you add just a little treble, it's very sweet. The bass is also voiced very well, and creates this big but not flubby bottom.

So overall, I'd say it is a boost pedal and a tone-shaping (EQ) device, with the option of adding gain to the signal, and lots of gain if you crank the Drive pot.

It doesn't sound like anything I can think of... it can sound like a fuzzy overdrive (!) or it just does boost and EQ if you like... or of course, somewhere in-between.

Rock on!

muddy · Oct 12, 2005

ya got that right, josie!

ml

Chuck Snider · Oct 12, 2005

Yep,
it's a gooder .. you gotta get it hittin the amp above unity to really get the goods I would say(some guys like the unity thing)... .. I like the gain set around 3:00-3:15..

Scotty hit the mark with this one..............

e-flat · Oct 12, 2005

Great review, Paul. The "power tube saturation" tone + powerful EQ has me intrigued.
Would you Power Driver owners say that the PD has more available gain than the Red Channel of the Dual Drive? I know it must be of a different character, but just in terms of saturation is it far beyond the Dual Drive's maximum?

muddy · Oct 12, 2005

in a word... YES!!!

ml

cubba65 · Oct 12, 2005

LOL Michael!

Mike,
It's hard to say exactly as the gain on the two pedals is quite different. The DD's red channel has more of a saturated drive tone while the PD has more of a tubey kind of drive tone. Like you say, they are of a different character. I guess the PD will create more gain, but it is also a bigger kind of gain and not as refined of a gain (when cranked) as the DD.

I've been switching between my TBIAC and DD for rhy/lead w/my Vox. Seeing how I more or less leave the TBIAC on all the time, I 'm gonna' try out the PD in the same role.

duende · Oct 13, 2005

The Power Driver now has a it's own little spot on my board. I thought I was going to use it to goose the DD, which works great... but after some playing tonight, I think I might like the PD better after the DD. The honeymoon's still on and I have yet to try it with all my amps, but I seem to be retaining more dynamic response and high end clarity with it after the DD. I get a nice boost and more saturation/sustain stacking 'em this way.

Funny you mention the Chandler Paul... I was thinking that my DD sounded a bit like one at times, but now with the PD it really does.

muddy · Oct 13, 2005

now you understand my dilemma! i'd wanna have TWO pd's, 1 to use as a boost, and another to use as a flat out fuzz/drive!!! for that reason, as a boost i'd wanna put it before the dd as i found that stack to be phenomenal. it's killin' running it flat out, though, isn't it?!!

ml

duende · Oct 13, 2005

Yeah Mud.... i hear what you mean. The idea of having two definitely has crossed my mind. However I'm cool with kicking up the gain knob with my foot for now.

Decisions decisions.....

laurencer83 · Oct 14, 2005

how much is the power driver?

is it similar to a timmy at all in the way it sounds or is it completely different?

DerekMinnich · Oct 14, 2005

Originally posted by laurencer83
how much is the power driver?

is it similar to a timmy at all in the way it sounds or is it completely different?
Click to expand...

I would guess it is totally different.

duende · Oct 15, 2005

It's nothing like the TIM. It can certainly add a bit of grit and is pretty damn passive sounding eq wise and therfore transparent-esque... but it's distortion timbre is way more ballsy and can provide some serious over the top gain.

Frostbite Slim · Nov 4, 2005

I'm looking forward to getting my Power Driver in the next few weeks! For now, I plan to use the Power Driver primarily as a boost. Is the boost pretty transparent.....how's the clarity?

duende · Nov 5, 2005

The PW as a Boost is very transparent... at least with all my fender and valco amps. The eq's are very sweet sounding. Really open highs.

Alex

Garygtr · Nov 5, 2005

So this pedal is based on the Colorsound Overdriver, correct? Wondering if anyone could compare it to the %13 Joyride or the Prescription Rx Overdriver...

Play by Tone · Nov 5, 2005

So the Power Driver has more gain than the Dual Drive?

I'm trying to figure out where it would sit when I use the DD form a light OD on the green side and heavy OD on the red side.

Is it something that could replace a DD?

I don't really want anything less refined b/c the DD fits my amp perfectly. I was looking for a nice clean boost, and was thinking about the RC, which might just be better for what I'm looking for. I still want a MK II fuzz...

duende · Nov 5, 2005

Originally posted by Play by Tone
So the Power Driver has more gain than the Dual Drive?

I'm trying to figure out where it would sit when I use the DD form a light OD on the green side and heavy OD on the red side.

Is it something that could replace a DD?

I don't really want anything less refined b/c the DD fits my amp perfectly. I was looking for a nice clean boost, and was thinking about the RC, which might just be better for what I'm looking for. I still want a MK II fuzz...
Click to expand...

The Power Driver sounds exactly what your looking for if you ask me. Super nice clean boost...

Truly, it goes from high output clean boost to OD to almost fuzz. In my set-up, I'd have to say it's even more transparent than the DD. Sounds great before and after the DD.

I use it in all three ways, and I have to say it's easily one of the best clean boosts I've ever heard. It has become one of my favorite pedals, and in many ways I like it better than the DD, as it's even more pedal friendly and I like the eq's better. But they are two different beasts... both have their uses.

muddy · Nov 5, 2005

hey guyz. i have on my board, today, the NEW boost royale w/cheez!!! i'm about to fire her up, but i'd say we've got aboost alternative to the pd now. personally, i liked the pd SO MUCH, that i'll get both, as i can use 1 for a boost & the other for a lead fuzz/beastie. the br, btw, is a ge/si hybrid as opposed to the pd's all si config. then, of course, the fuzz royale w/cheez is around the corner (dec?), & THAT one promises to be THE fuzz for your all out assault kinda shite. anyone have their dirt royale yet, that'd care to divulge it's attributes? i'll get back wit'ya later on the br w/c!

ml

Lefty · Nov 5, 2005

Please post yer finding with the BR w/CHZ, it's been peaking my interest too. And be sure to let us know amps/guitar etc.

Play by Tone · Nov 5, 2005

Originally posted by duende
The Power Driver sounds exactly what your looking for if you ask me. Super nice clean boost...

Truly, it goes from high output clean boost to OD to almost fuzz. In my set-up, I'd have to say it's even more transparent than the DD. Sounds great before and after the DD.

I use it in all three ways, and I have to say it's easily one of the best clean boosts I've ever heard. It has become one of my favorite pedals, and in many ways I like it better than the DD, as it's even more pedal friendly and I like the eq's better. But they are two different beasts... both have their uses.
Click to expand...

Will it work well getting a nice big single-coil sound? Like greasy boosted strat.

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