looking for advice: correct process for approximating a drive pedal

phil92

Experienced
I really like the Precision Drive to push an amp and tighten up the tone, so I attempted to clone it using a ToK here:

Emulating Precision Drive through Tone of Kings

I hooked up the Precision Drive parallel to a ToK drive block using input 3 / output 3 and a multiplex, created two identical scenes, one with the Precision Drive, the other switching to the drive bock.
This I did in a normal preset and again with a pink noise in front and an RTA at the end.

First I tried to get close by ear using the first preset, then, switching to the RTA preset, I adjusted the tone and EQ to more closely match the analyzer.
I was going back and forth a few times, each time copying and pasting the drive block.

Does that sound correct so far? Any suggestions how I could get a closer, more objectively accurate clone?

Because I noticed not only do the individual bands of the RTA jump around, quite drastic adjustments of teh EQ would have relatively subtle effects on the RTA...
 
A couple of thoughts:
- I can't load the syx right now, so not sure of your layout, but in case you have an amp sim in the chain then you want to make sure the RTA is right after the drive blocks, not after the amp. This is because the distortion of the amp could add a bunch of harmonic content that masks the tone-shaping of the pedals.
- A key feature of the Precision Drive seems to be its "Attack" control which I suspect is a variable low-cut that is placed in front of its clipping circuit. Since KoT doesn't have a circuit like that you may have difficulty reproducing the effect. You may be able to mimic it by putting a low-cut filter in front of the KoT and play around with that.
 
A couple of thoughts:
- I can't load the syx right now, so not sure of your layout, but in case you have an amp sim in the chain then you want to make sure the RTA is right after the drive blocks, not after the amp. This is because the distortion of the amp could add a bunch of harmonic content that masks the tone-shaping of the pedals.
- A key feature of the Precision Drive seems to be its "Attack" control which I suspect is a variable low-cut that is placed in front of its clipping circuit. Since KoT doesn't have a circuit like that you may have difficulty reproducing the effect. You may be able to mimic it by putting a low-cut filter in front of the KoT and play around with that.

the preset I uploaded is just the drive block with my result, emulating the Precision Drive with an attack setting of 1 (second notch clockwise).
You have a GEQ in the drive block in addition to low cut, and tone controls including a parametric mid control.

I was using the RTA in a second preset that only had a synth block for the pink noise, out and in 3 to loop in the Precision Drive, the ToK drive block and a multiplexer, so that should be clean
 
the preset I uploaded is just the drive block with my result, emulating the Precision Drive with an attack setting of 1 (second notch clockwise).
You have a GEQ in the drive block in addition to low cut, and tone controls including a parametric mid control.
Understood, and I agree that the Low Cut on the drive block should work in somewhat similar way to the Attack on the Precision. The GEQ and Parametric will act differently because they come after the clipping stage whereas Low Cut is before.

I was using the RTA in a second preset that only had a synth block for the pink noise, out and in 3 to loop in the Precision Drive, the ToK drive block and a multiplexer, so that should be clean
Agree, that should work. One more thing I can think of is to make sure you have the drives way down when you're looking at the RTA so you're looking at the effect of the filters/eq, not the harmonics created by the distortion. Also max out the decay time on the RTA.
 
Understood, and I agree that the Low Cut on the drive block should work in somewhat similar way to the Attack on the Precision. The GEQ and Parametric will act differently because they come after the clipping stage whereas Low Cut is before.


Agree, that should work. One more thing I can think of is to make sure you have the drives way down when you're looking at the RTA so you're looking at the effect of the filters/eq, not the harmonics created by the distortion. Also max out the decay time on the RTA.

yep, drive was at 0 for both drive block and Precision Drive

I guess to actually and faithfully clone the precision drive one would have to use an EQ before the drive block as well.
...wouldn't it be cool if you could encapsulate multiple blocks into one and expose arbitrary controls with a name and range of your choice?
 
I guess to actually and faithfully clone the precision drive one would have to use an EQ before the drive block as well.
...wouldn't it be cool if you could encapsulate multiple blocks into one and expose arbitrary controls with a name and range of your choice?
Hmm yeah, kinda like FAS macros... And then add some python scripting capability while they're at it... :).
EDIT - Come to think of it, I suppose you can do a lot of that with controllers, if you don't go too crazy.
 
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