yek
Contact Fractal for your Custom Title
The contents of this thread, including updates, are available as a PDF Guide. Download it here.
Fractal Audio DRIVE models: Blues OD (based on Marshall Blues Breaker)
In the 60s Eric Clapton played a loud Marshall JTM 45 combo, known as the Blues Breaker, on the famous Beano album by John Mayall Bluesbreakers. This amp and Fractal Audio’s corresponding Brit JM45 amp model are covered in the Guide to the Fractal Audio Amp Models.
In the 90s Marshall released the “Blues Breaker” pedal (or "Bluesbreaker"), designed to recall the valve sound of the amp with its power amp distortion. As the name implies it’s targeted at low-gain overdrive. John Mayer uses or used the pedal, running it into a Klon. A second edition (BB-2) of the pedal was released, with a Boost/Blues switch, which was less successful and said to sound inferior. Analog Man and Robert Keeley, among others, have designed pedals based on the original Blues Breaker pedal.
Fractal Audio modeled the (probably original) Blues Breaker pedal into the Blues OD model. It's not a model of the Boss Blues Driver, as often is assumed. As noted in this thread the BB Pre model, based on Xotic’s BB preamp, also links to Marshall’s Blues Breaker amp, but with a different take on it. Clip Type in the model is set to "soft".
The original Blues Breaker pedal has three knobs:
The model generates quite an amount of hiss.
The Blues OD model also works quite well to get a nice overdrive from a bass guitar.
About CPU usage:
Link to the list of published threads
Fractal Audio DRIVE models: Blues OD (based on Marshall Blues Breaker)
In the 60s Eric Clapton played a loud Marshall JTM 45 combo, known as the Blues Breaker, on the famous Beano album by John Mayall Bluesbreakers. This amp and Fractal Audio’s corresponding Brit JM45 amp model are covered in the Guide to the Fractal Audio Amp Models.
In the 90s Marshall released the “Blues Breaker” pedal (or "Bluesbreaker"), designed to recall the valve sound of the amp with its power amp distortion. As the name implies it’s targeted at low-gain overdrive. John Mayer uses or used the pedal, running it into a Klon. A second edition (BB-2) of the pedal was released, with a Boost/Blues switch, which was less successful and said to sound inferior. Analog Man and Robert Keeley, among others, have designed pedals based on the original Blues Breaker pedal.
Fractal Audio modeled the (probably original) Blues Breaker pedal into the Blues OD model. It's not a model of the Boss Blues Driver, as often is assumed. As noted in this thread the BB Pre model, based on Xotic’s BB preamp, also links to Marshall’s Blues Breaker amp, but with a different take on it. Clip Type in the model is set to "soft".
The original Blues Breaker pedal has three knobs:
- Gain: controls the amount of overdrive (model: Drive control).
- Tone: controls the tone (model: Tone control).
- Volume: sets the output level (model: Level control).
The model generates quite an amount of hiss.
Personal note
This model was a surprise. When auditioning Drive models in the past I always quickly dismissed this one, because it sounded weak and harsh at default settings. Knowing more about its origin and purpose now, I can dial it in and appreciate it for what it does.
This model was a surprise. When auditioning Drive models in the past I always quickly dismissed this one, because it sounded weak and harsh at default settings. Knowing more about its origin and purpose now, I can dial it in and appreciate it for what it does.
The Blues OD model also works quite well to get a nice overdrive from a bass guitar.
About CPU usage:
- Fractal Audio's Drive models take up varying amounts of CPU. The Blues OD requires a moderate amount.
- When a Drive block is engaged, CPU percentage will rise during playing, because CPU usage is "amplitude dependent".
Link to the list of published threads
Last edited: