What are the latest favorite two channel overdrive pedals?

[GM1]

Still looking for a two channel overdrive to put on my board. I have a Custom shop Fulldrive II which is very smooth, but I have always been frustrated with not being able to set the volume of the second channel independent of the first. If you are not miking your amp there is a good chance the volume boost on the second channel won't quite be enough to cut through the mix, especially if there is a second guitar player. Also using the flat mid mode, with a Bruno Cowtipper, because the Cow has so little gain in it's design the Fulltone just dosen't quite push the amp hard enough especially at lower volumes. So, I'm open to any suggestion you guys might have on any of the latest two channel overdrives on the market. I will say I played the Menatone pedals, I didn't really care for them so we can leave those off the list.

 

[Blue Strat]

Originally posted by GM1
Still looking for a two channel overdrive to put on my board. I have a Custom shop Fulldrive II which is very smooth, but I have always been frustrated with not being able to set the volume of the second channel independent of the first. If you are not miking your amp there is a good chance the volume boost on the second channel won't quite be enough to cut through the mix, especially if there is a second guitar player. Also using the flat mid mode, with a Bruno Cowtipper, because the Cow has so little gain in it's design the Fulltone just dosen't quite push the amp hard enough especially at lower volumes. So, I'm open to any suggestion you guys might have on any of the latest two channel overdrives on the market. I will say I played the Menatone pedals, I didn't really care for them so we can leave those off the list.

I had the same frustration with the FDII regarding lack of a second volume control.

I now use a Mosferatu M2 from www.hermidaaudio.com and like it a lot.

 

[Daddy Elmis]

I actually never considered my FDII to be a "2 channel" OD. IMO, it's more of an OD with a separate clean boost -- the latter designed to make your tube amp distort more on its own. That's why there is no "volume" control on the boost side -- it is, itself, a "volume" control.

The Jeckyll/Hyde pedal is more what I think of for a true "2 channel" OD/Distortion box. Two distinct OD pedals in one box.

 

[beppe1266]

I have used both Jehkyll&Hyde from Visual Sound
http://www.visualsound.net/jh.htm
and Barber Burn Unit
http://www.barberelectronics.com/products.html
and i like them both.

 

[Phil M]

I like the FDII. The volume jump is significant in comp cut mode, but I agree that it's less noticeable in the other two modes.

For that kind of jump, I recommend putting some sort of booster after your main drive sound. For example, use a tubescreamer for your dirt sound and then stomp on a Bad Bob for leads. Put the BB between the TS and amp to get your volume jump.

I really liked the Blackstone into a BF style amp, but felt it could've used a tad more volume overall.

 

[AbstractLunatic]

I've been very happy with my Foxrox ZIM... no volume issues as both "channels" have a level knob and a gain knob. They're not really channels because they can be used in any location in your signal chain independant of each other because of the extra output/input jacks between the "channels". If you don't use them then the signal travels right into channel B.

 

[flicker180]

I have to say that i am LOVING my Demeter FOD-1...combines their Midboost pedal with a silicon/germanium switchable fuzz style distortion/overdrive...the tone on that thing is out of this world...and, you can use the midboost to punch your amp a little and get some breakup.

dave

 

[Daddy Elmis]

Originally posted by Phil M
For that kind of jump, I recommend putting some sort of booster after your main drive sound. For example, use a tubescreamer for your dirt sound and then stomp on a Bad Bob for leads. Put the BB between the TS and amp to get your volume jump.

Excellent description, and this is exactly how I use the FDII's boost. The overdrive is set to give me, well, overdrive (the TS in your example). I set the boost to give me the extra push for leads, which also pushes the amp's preamp tubes to distort more for the lead. So it's like having a TS then a separate boost in your signal chain, rather than having 2 distinct OD pedals in line.

FYI, I use the FDII with comp cut engaged (i.e., no compression), the OD volume is between 10-12 o'clock, the tone at about 3-4 o'clock, the OD is about 10-12 o'clock, and the boost is about 9-10 o'clock. The settings radically change if the comp is engaged -- particularly the boost, which can be pushed well past 12 o'clock when the compression is engaged. I use very, very infrequently as I like the sound of the pedal without compression on my amps.

 

[jonny guitar]

Originally posted by AbstractLunatic
I've been very happy with my Foxrox ZIM...

+1 Couldn't be happier with the ZIM. The sound quality is very high and the cut/boost feature is perfect for recording double tracks with slightly different tone structure to create massive sounds. Live use is great as well and the ability to use each channel in different locations in you signal chain is very usefull.

One thing that I really like is that channel A and B have independent level controls but if you engage both A and B together it isn't over the top volume jump that causes one to go reaching for the guitar volume to control.

I'll die with my ZIM.

 

[GM1]

Originally posted by Daddy Elmis
Excellent description, and this is exactly how I use the FDII's boost. The overdrive is set to give me, well, overdrive (the TS in your example). I set the boost to give me the extra push for leads, which also pushes the amp's preamp tubes to distort more for the lead. So it's like having a TS then a separate boost in your signal chain, rather than having 2 distinct OD pedals in line.

FYI, I use the FDII with comp cut engaged (i.e., no compression), the OD volume is between 10-12 o'clock, the tone at about 3-4 o'clock, the OD is about 10-12 o'clock, and the boost is about 9-10 o'clock. The settings radically change if the comp is engaged -- particularly the boost, which can be pushed well past 12 o'clock when the compression is engaged. I use very, very infrequently as I like the sound of the pedal without compression on my amps.

If I remember correctly the comp cut mode has much more of a boost on the second channel than the compression mode. In that respect it is a volume boost. In the compression mode the second channel just seems like a second channel with it's own gain level, but not much ( I think 10% boost) in volume.

 

[AbstractLunatic]

Originally posted by jonny guitar
+1 Couldn't be happier with the ZIM. The sound quality is very high and the cut/boost feature is perfect for recording double tracks with slightly different tone structure to create massive sounds.

Yep! That channel B feels like about 16 different OD pedals to me...

 

[jokerjkny]

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[Don Rusk]

also check out the latest Barber Tone Pump and Burn Unit with the eq adjustments... very solid units with more controls than most 'two stage/channel' pieces...

 

[HEY!YOU!]

I like the Barber burn unit for what you describe. Two seperate volume controls.

 

[mach1]

Fetto Maximus. Incredibly good pedal.

 

[Trevorsnackson]

Fetto Maximus. Incredibly good pedal.

This is a resurrection thread if I have ever seen one.

 

[dhdfoster]

It sure is. I wonder if the OP made a purchase decision in the last 11 years, or if he's going to pick up the Maximus.

 

[mtayl339]

Analogman King of Tone version 3 if we're still talking mid-2005! @analogmike

 

[Black_Label]

I hope GM1 has been sitting around in a dark room for the last 11 years mumbling "what two channel overdrive will I use? What's good? What will TGP approve of?"