This is NOT your normal diode clipping overdrive. We used an active clamp circuit (a standard building block in industrial signal conditioning electronics) and adapted it to a guitar drive pedal. We added on an active Bandaxall Bass & Treble control to perfectly dial in the eq.
GAIN controls the amount of gain from the first stage, this goes from clean to a nice drive from the first stage, BASS and TREBLE are an active bandaxall eq circuit. These controls offer cut when turned anticlockwise from center & boost when turned clockwise from center. VOLUME adjusts the overall volume out of the pedal. Clamp adjusts the active clamp control voltage, clockwise is a high voltage (like an LED) and anticlockwise is a low voltage (like a shottky diode), the CLAMP control is like having a full range of clipping diodes in one unit, easily adjustable with a single control.
How to adjust this pedal.
Start with BASS and TREBLE in the center, GAIN and VOLUME on 9 o’clock, and CLAMP on maximum.
Turn up GAIN so you get a high volume clean sound, or turn it up more for a more driven sound. You can get a quite dirty driven sound from just the first stage.
Adjust VOLUME accordingly so your amp sees a normal signal level.
Turn CLAMP anticlockwise to turn down the clamp control voltage, as you do this you will hear the dirt level change from wide open to tight and compressed.
Adjust the BASS and TREBLE to taste, and finally set the output VOLUME
The sound will be different depending on where you set the GAIN and CLAMP controls. I really like Gain at 2 o’clock and clamp at 10 to 12 o’clock, but try different settings to see what works best for you.
