Fractal Audio DRIVE models: Full OD (based on Fulltone Full-Drive 2)

yek

yek

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Full OD: based on Fulltone Full-Drive 2

Fulltone in the USA was one of the first “boutique” pedalbuilders. Michael Fuller’s reputation isn’t built on being humble, he just builds very high-quality pedals and effects. And he’s the inventor of the 3PDT switch, which enabled builders to build true bypass pedals with a LED.

His Full-Drive overdrive pedal, especially the Full-Drive 2 (FD2), marks the rise of his fame. It’s used by John Mayer, Robin Trower and many others. Based on the Tube Screamer, and improving on it.

There have been many versions of the FD2. At least 6 versions are mentioned here. The early orange version in particular is very collectable.

Review in Legendary Tones

It’s not known on which exact version of the Full-Drive 2 Fractal Audio’s “Full OD” model is based. The model uses the silicon Clip Type. Low Cut is 330 Hz and High Cut at 880.

Cliff:
"The Full OD model is based on a Fulltone Fulldrive 2."​

The Full-Drive 2 pedal has these controls:
  • Volume: controls the output volume (model: Level), 20 dB gain.
  • Overdrive: controls the amount of overdrive (model: Drive).
  • Tone: controls the amount of presence (model: Tone).
  • Boost: not modeled.
Some versions of the pedal have additional options, such as a Comp/Cut push-pull pot, which haven’t been modeled.

Of course the Drive block allows us to adjust far more things than the modeled unit: Bias, Slew, Mix, High Cut and other parameters are available to us. But that's beyond the scope of this thread. Those parameters are discussed in the manual and wiki.

Personal notes:

If you’re looking for a drive model which thickens your notes, try this model. Together with the Esoteric ACB model, it tops the list of “thick” overdrives.

You’ll notice that the model is very, very dark. Tone has to be turned up to 8 or higher to add presence to the tone. This leads me to believe that the model might be in need of an update. Judging from the firmware release notes, the model hasn’t seen a specific update in a long time, although it has been part of overall updates of the models which are based on the Tube Screamer.​

About CPU:
  • Fractal Audio's Drive models take up varying amounts of CPU. The Full OD requires a lot.
  • 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
 
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yek said:
His Full-Drive overdrive pedal, especially the Full-Drive 2 (FD2), marks the rise of his fame. It’s used by John Mayer, Robin Trower and many others. Based on the Tube Screamer, and improving on it.
Click to expand...

The circuit looks more like a RAT than a TS to me. There's no clipping diodes in the feedback loop of the opamp. What makes it sound different from a RAT is that it uses the diodes from MOSFET transistors as clipping diodes, and that they short to a reference voltage instead of to ground.

My guess is that the RAT sounds a lot harsher than the OCD because ground is a really a lot "harder" than the reference voltage. So there's some "squish" that happens in the OCD when the diodes open up and cause a sudden pull on the battery, and this softens up the distortion.
 
Rat? OCD? :)

I owned a FD, a Rat and a TS, and IMO the FD sounds a lot closer to a TS than to a Rat.

The FD in general is often seen as an "improved" TS. For example in the Legendary Tones article in the OP.
 
Did someone mention OCD? That's one of my 3 dream pe5dals to have in the AF2!

...ok back to bring on topic
 
yek said:
Rat? OCD? :)

I owned a FD, a Rat and a TS, and IMO the FD sounds a lot closer to a TS than to a Rat.

The FD in general is often seen as an "improved" TS. For example in the Legendary Tones article in the OP.
Click to expand...

You're totally correct. I was thinking OCD. Yes, the Fulldrive is
undoubtedly a TS type of overdrive.
 
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The OCD is more of a Marshall style pedal vs. the Full Drive being a Tube Screamer derivative.. at least that's what I'm remembering. Not sure of the specifics of the circuits and how/where they differ. But they take you in very different directions, IMO.
 
Is it normal or a possible bug that the tone control does nothing from 5 to 9.9 and then when you hit 10, it finally adds treble, but a ratty unpleasant sound? Because that's what this drive block is doing in firmware 10.01.
 
Love the Full drive in the AXE. One of my faves. I like it best with the drive at no more than 5 and the mix at 50%. Just adds a wonderful drive to an amp. Love that sound. Notes have ballz, but not the "wall of noise" sound.
 
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