Fractal Audio DRIVE models: Super OD (based on BOSS SD-1 Super OverDrive)

yek

Contact Fractal for your Custom Title
The contents of this thread, including updates, are available as a PDF Guide. Download it here.

BSO.png


Super OD: based on BOSS SD-1 Super OverDrive

Dating back to 1981, this pedal still is one of BOSS' best-selling pedals. And rightfully so. It is the successor to the legendary '77 OD-1 (also yellow), which supposedly was the first "overdrive" pedal on the market, following all fuzz boxes, and preceding the Tube Screamer.

Boss:
"The SD-1 Super OverDrive pedal produces the warm, natural distortion of an overdriven tube amplifier while maintaining the subtle nuances of a player's picking technique. This is one of BOSS' more subtle and smooth overdrive pedals, perfect for blues and rock."

"Unique asymmetric overdrive circuitry for a classic, natural tube amp growl."

Bossarea.com:
"The OD-1 didn’t have a tone control so the engineers felt that the tonal range was limited because of this. As an answer to the problem they came up with the SD-1. Comparing the two circuits reveals that they are very closely related and using the exact same overdrive circuit. When comparing the sound of the two pedals side by side, it is however obvious that they’re not identical. Opinions are divided when it comes to the question, which one sounds best, but there is no doubt that they’re both legendary overdrive pedals."

Contrary to the Tube Screamer, the SD-1 features asymmetrical clipping, which is the type of clipping that occurs in tube amplifiers. It's often said that because of this, the SD-1 complements the amplifier, instead of changing it. The pedal doesn't provide much gain, it isn't a distortion pedal. You can use it to drive a clean amp into blues territory or to push a higher gain amp. Because, besides being an overdrive, the SD-1 is also very popular as a boost for rock and metal amps. From JCM 800 to Rectifiers. With Drive turned down (all the way) and Level up, the SD-1 tightens, fattens and focusses the amp's distortion (esp. bass). And it does so admirably. This was soon applied by Zakk Wylde and many hard rock players.

Also contributing to its popularity is its amazing cheap price. You can buy it for 50 dollars or euros, and get a tone that competes with boutique overdrives.

No bad points? Yes, it is a little noisy (it bleeds). And like the Tube Screamer it sucks bass (but that's easily solved within Fractal Audio's model: adjust Low Cut). This explains why there are many mods for the SD-1 pedal.

The SD-1 has three controls:
  • Drive: controls the amount of overdrive (model: Drive)
  • Tone: controls the tone (model: Tone)
  • Level: controls the output level (model: Level)
Fractal Audio's model is faithful to the original. Its Clip Type is Silicon. The model was re-matched to the real pedal in Quantum 5 firmware.

Personal note:
I had a SD-1 on my old pedalboard for a loooooong time. I had it modded for less noise and more bass and made it "true bypass".

About CPU:
  • Fractal Audio's Drive models take up varying amounts of CPU. The Super OD model takes up about the most of all models!
  • 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:
Just tried this out tonight. Embarrassed to say I wrote it off for being cheap... This is a great little boost.

Strange that a relatively simple circuit takes up so much CPU though!
 
This was the first pedal I ever bought using it in front of a Marshall to get those crazy Zakk Wylde style pinch harmonics. The model is spot on!
 
Drive @ 9 o clock, level maxed out, the rest @ default.
Put this in front of a 50W plexi, add a phaser and you get
(imho) the quintessential Jake E Lee - Bark at the moon thing going.
 
This was the first pedal I ever bought using it in front of a Marshall to get those crazy Zakk Wylde style pinch harmonics. The model is spot on!
I try to replicate this sound (Zakk Wilde Rhythm ) but i need my Komet Concourse.
Have you some settings or advice for the Super OD ? i don't understand very well if i must play with the tone or with the Low/High cut ?
Because the Super OD have a plenty of treble.
Thank you in advance Leon ! ;)
 
I try to replicate this sound (Zakk Wilde Rhythm ) but i need my Komet Concourse.
Have you some settings or advice for the Super OD ? i don't understand very well if i must play with the tone or with the Low/High cut ?
Because the Super OD have a plenty of treble.
Thank you in advance Leon ! ;)
Drive low (0-3), level 10 and tone around 6 is my go to. Think of it as the secret sauce to kick your already raging amp tone over the edge.
 
On my old pedalboard, the SD-1 was the only drive I ever used, (we are a judas priest tribute band, so it nailed the sound) however, when I use it model on my FX8, I can't get it to sound right. I was starting to dislike the FX8 alltogether, until I realized it was the Super OD drive model....
I switched to Zenmaster and it's got a lot more bass, which can be cut out, but the amp sounds much better. With the Super OD model it sounded super thin, grainy, and very "hifi", not like a guitar amp.....
Kinda upsetting for me, but the Zenmaster and even the Ruckus work for me. They don't sound like my old SD-1, but they allow my rig to sound like a guitar amp again.

Current setup:
Amp: Mesa Mark IV
Cab- Mesa Rect with 2 vintage 30's and 2 EVM 12-l's
FX8
 
On my old pedalboard, the SD-1 was the only drive I ever used, (we are a judas priest tribute band, so it nailed the sound) however, when I use it model on my FX8, I can't get it to sound right. I was starting to dislike the FX8 alltogether, until I realized it was the Super OD drive model....
I switched to Zenmaster and it's got a lot more bass, which can be cut out, but the amp sounds much better. With the Super OD model it sounded super thin, grainy, and very "hifi", not like a guitar amp.....
Kinda upsetting for me, but the Zenmaster and even the Ruckus work for me. They don't sound like my old SD-1, but they allow my rig to sound like a guitar amp again.

Current setup:
Amp: Mesa Mark IV
Cab- Mesa Rect with 2 vintage 30's and 2 EVM 12-l's
FX8
But, the SD-1 is the Super Overdrive, which also is the one modelled. I don't get what you're missing or implying?
 
I'm trying to say that the Fractal SD-1 model doesn't sound anything like my SD-1 pedal. Unless I'm doing something wrong.

One thing I notice is that the fractal setting don't seem to work the same as the pedal. With the pedal, I use the typical setup of level dimed, gain very low to nothing at all, and the tone at about noon. On the fractal, when I dime the level to boost the input, it starts to sound bad. I'm not sure how to explain it, but kind of like an "over processed" sound, very grainy and digital. Almost like something is clipping, but in a bad way. If I leave the level at the default setting of "5" it seems a considerable bit better.

Then I started thinking, is diming the level on the fractal even accomplishing the same thing it does on the pedal or is it trying to "emulate' what the pedal does. I'm assuming that the pedal is increasing the amount of signal going into the amp, but can the fractal actually do that or is it trying to sound like it is?
Or am I barking up the wrong tree? All I know is that my setup does NOT react to the fractal SD-1 model the way it does the SD-1 pedal
 
One thing I notice is that the fractal setting don't seem to work the same as the pedal. With the pedal, I use the typical setup of level dimed, gain very low to nothing at all, and the tone at about noon. On the fractal, when I dime the level to boost the input, it starts to sound bad. I'm not sure how to explain it, but kind of like an "over processed" sound, very grainy and digital. Almost like something is clipping, but in a bad way. If I leave the level at the default setting of "5" it seems a considerable bit better.

The Level parameter raises absolutely nothing except the volume on the output. It should be basically the same as that on the pedal, but "Level" is always pure and not modelled.

Use it to taste though - don't turn it up past where you like the sound. It doesn't necessarily have the same volume limit as the pedal, so you might be turning it up to the equivalent of like 20 on the pedal.
 
I'm trying to say that the Fractal SD-1 model doesn't sound anything like my SD-1 pedal.

I use @edo's presets, with a real AC30 and I can bypass his Super Overdrive block and engage my MIJ SD-1 and there is no difference at all. I can even interchange the two when I play with headphones, using the amp. sims., and they sound the same.

I've never really looked closely at his settings on the Super Overdrive block to see how they compare with the SD-1 pedal.
 
Can you share those settings, or do I have to contact @edo myself? I'd like to try what you're talking about.

I mostly use 2 settings, one for cleaner boost type and one for crunch overdrive:
Drive 0.6, tone 5 (depends on the amp model it goes into), volume 6
Drive 5, tone 5, level 6
Again, it all depends on what amp you're going into, these settings work for me for an amp set to edge of breakup, and in an A/B comparison with my original mij sd1, the tone is close to identical, except for the axe model is a bit more compressed while the pedal is more open. But the character is extremely similar
 
Thanks, I will try these in a little bit.
I'm using an fx8 going into a mesa Mark IV.
It is set up on the edge of breakup.
I notice that your levels are at 5 and 6, I'm starting to think that's the problem with mine. I originally set it to 10, then I backed it off to 8 and it sounded a little better.
I think, like Wolfenstein98k said, the setting ranges are not the same as the pedal. Maybe a 10 on the fx8 is like 20 on a pedal. I need to start using my ears as a guage, and not the settings......I think I was hoping it would be easier.....haha

Thanks for the input guys!
 
I tried those setting, a big improvement for sure. I also notice that I gotta turn a lot of my highs down when the fx8 is being used. I guess that what I meant when I said "hifi" sounding.
cutting the treble seems to help a lot
 
Back
Top Bottom