All user reviews of 4/5 for the Electro-Harmonix Germanium OD

This is an overdrive which can control the dose of current that powers the germanium transistors which compose it, a bit like the old fuzz used with dead batteries, it changes the tone drastically. It's electro harmonix designed in a vintage-modern spirit, which has its strengths and weaknesses as discussed below. The keg is made of brushed metal and seems solid (unlike the big muff which tend to break at the switch, after seeing how it fits in time!).

Powered by 9v basic jack in, jack out, and roll youth!

UTILIZATION

Three knobs, it may seem simple, but here it is relatively complex. Gain rises gain, nothing too hard here. Volts and Bias knobs are the two which give the effect its originality, failing to give him the versatility! Bias could replace the tone knob a normal OD, although it does not act on the same sound settings (it does not darken the sound but rather lowers the harmonics) and volts changes the timbre of the distortion.

Note that it only works well (a little breath anyway, but at EHX this is common), but coupled with other effects is a bit poo, I do not know if it comes from my diet (with germanium transistors beware), or placement of the effect in my chain, but that shit in the glue. Volume we regret this pedal, and possibly also to push the volts instead of only lessen (I have a memory of a Fulltone OCD really changed depending on whether the patch fed by 9, 12 or 18v!)

SOUND QUALITY

So for those looking for a basic overdrive, go your way, other pedals will do much better than it, it is not his interest. It is interesting in the studio, or for noiseux of all kinds! It helps make the sound boiled to kill attacks and sustain, it must grope between volts bias and buttons, and find the sound you need. This is a pedal hackers after it seems complicated to me to have live, already because a germanium transistor fears temperature differences (sound also changes depending on the time), and because it is not affect the "basic", on the contrary it is very typical, and do not chain well, so hard to live.

Its great advantage is to provide worthy sounds boutique pedals at a much more attractive price.

I have not tested with a base or a keyboard, but it is possible that it works too, why not?

OVERALL OPINION

I kept a few months, it does not suit my musical universe, however it's still a good pedal I regret now that I regularly recorded in the studio. EHX surprises us again and again, and it feels good inside (under the portfolio if we want all the catalog!)

Overdrive / fuzz, vintage typed. Purely analog / solid state transistor with germanium that task. It is not really designed to be used alone, but upstream of a distortion pedal "classic" to smear the sound.

This is an analog pedal pedalboard for everything from classic, In / Out mono jack, 9V power supply + ring, housing EHX standard 120x90x34 (kind http://radiospares-fr.rs-online.com/ web/p/boites-en-aluminium-non-peintes/3642225 / for those who are interested can). True bypass, robust.

UTILIZATION

Switch on / off in true bypass, controls "gain", "bias" and "volts". LED activation.

Very straightforward if one has incorporated the concept of this pedal.

The lack of volume control and tone can be detrimental depending on what is used as setup. It does not correct the sound of a guitar and an amp with it, must at least it sounds right off the bat In order to use upstream of a classic distortion pedal, correction of volume and tone will be on a distortion pedal.

SOUND QUALITY

This pedal does not work like conventional distos with gain / volume / tone. On classical models, we control the rate of saturation, volume, and most often the tone is a simple low-pass. Here is no dial tone and no volume. Instead, the polarization is controlled and the supply voltage of the transistors.

Interest is to be able to easily "simulate" a battery, and can create asymmetrical distortions very dirty. For grimey sounds to Jack White, it's ideal.

The bias "assymétrise" the distortion, and makes it more or less aggressive, and plays a little tone, too. The volt crushes his very efficiently, so much so that it is really only usable on 2/3 of the race of knob. Below, the sound is inaudible.

The overall volume is properly adjusted, so that there is no volume knob does not feel. The tone is also very neutral, not unpleasant treble boost, and slight boost mids / bass (logic, it's the fuzz), so the tone knob does not miss too. And we can vaguely play with the treble control bias, but it is not very efficient, which is not really a problem in itself.

This pedal does not have much gain, so it is best to combine it with a "real" pedal distortion, resulting avalanche of fuzz guargantuesques. Do not want to make lace with this pedal. the objective of "cradifier" sound by putting it upstream (or downstream, nothing is forbidden) another distortion pedal is well filled. Fuzze it, it "Magritte" is aggressive, do not worry at this level.

I tried it with my Jag 'ICJ and a DS-1, Big Muff or Jackhammer on tube amps and transistor. This pedal does its job. Not had a chance to try it with humbuckers.

OVERALL OPINION

I for two years. I use it just because I do not have the opportunity. And I'm not too into the White Stripes trip. I bought it to add a little more control over my sound distortion, and I have not been disappointed. Just in the context of my group (funk / rock with two guitars) this is not very suitable, and my pedalboard is so shielded that I do not have room for a pedal as big and more. But I would have found a solution for the return. It has a cozy ambiance ...

It's a bit pricey for just an overdrive "complementary", we pay expensive germanium transistors (straw!), But compared to other pedals "handmade" overpriced, it's hard discount! I do not regret having purchased. I resservirai surely in another context that my current group.

And to reiterate, I insist on it: this pedal is not designed for use only! We need another distortion with. Alone has little potato and is not very usable. So it can be expensive "extension" to an existing pedal.

This is an analog overdrive germanium, so old school.

Now, germanium, for most of us, it's like the active bifidus yoghurt, it is mostly a marketing argument, no one really knows what it is and what has .. . but it is vintage! So it's cool.

Note that I say or that they should feed a germanium pedals with a battery or a transformer isolated output (no insertion in a "chanage" diff between a power supply So rents pedals)

UTILIZATION

Operation is very simple, there are three knobs: gain, and a bias volt.
... And it's not common!
... So that the use, though simple, is quite extraordinary for an overdrive. It is not what most overdrives are, but what he does, no other OD does, and that it is the trs trs INTERESTED and original.

The gain is increasing the level of saturation, nothing extraordinary, therefore, everyone has understood. Except that it does not expect a "big" saturation, even the bottom (you can push it frankly in the last quarter). If that's what you want, it's not for you.
The bias and the knob of trs volts are interactive and requires fiddling to find what you're looking. I use roughly two fawns:

1) With the button volt bottom. The bias then changes the color of his, I say the color that works a bit diffrent has a "tone". The more you push the sound is more sharp and rich in harmonics, but at the same time has also changed the tone. That said, it's pretty subtle and tense tural variation is relatively small in comparison but a classic OD.

2) Lowering the button volts and gradually climbing gradually bias the button, we get an effect "battery use" (like the "Velcro" some fuzz but less clear and less aggressive) with sound is dfait, grsille and dnature little bit. And suddenly, it's progressive and trs range of possibilities is quite stretched between a pokey that cuts its all just an attack on the APRS mdiator and just enough of grsillement. It is the sudden need for ttonner a moment to find what you want to use. INTERESTED Trs.

These days, I use it with an option, much like a boost, the channel of a saturated dj amp (Marshall JCM 800). Solo, gives a small gain in volume and sound incredibly thick and rich in harmonics. Of all the overdrives I've tried one that works best for this use with the JCM800 (and I tried a bunch!), Although it is not for the a of origin. In this use, a noise gate just prvoir derrire, otherwise it's a real gas plant.

He suffers from a single default: unlike all other overdrives and distortions that I know, there is no volume knob gnral post or output gain to compensate for the increase in volume proportional to gain, so that when the triggers adcorne suddenly the horse, even if it's not a plant gain, and everyone you dtest. One solution: let still adapt its branch in volume gnral consquence and he just stick a boost for solos or derrire another passage o we need to be a "before" . And in this case the there is an integral part of your sound, convincing Manir trs and four times cheaper than the boutique pedals including "do-it-can-be-more-go -a-times-they-are-engagement "

SOUND QUALITY

I love his tone color and timbre trs CHARACTERISTICS it brings, without dnaturer the sound of your gear (as can a fuzz for example).

IDAL is a little saturated his sixties, yet powerful and robust, and if you like that sort of his garage (just Sonics, Kinks-Beatles nerve) or you are looking for some original sounds, see exprimentaux, the antithesis of the smooth dor Edge of Satriani (who also its quality, but its gots each), was worth a try. In ttonnant a little, it becomes quickly cratif.

You can spend a lightweight OD trs that colors the sound subtly sounds dlibrment "imperfect" (like "battery use"), but you have to have the usefulness .

This is my case.

OVERALL OPINION

A deprecated those who seek a versatile OD and passes across gnral and those looking for a good saturation especially hairy.

on the other hand, if you want to think outside the box, to sound a little sixties (but not that ...) or express a little strange sounds dirty and make it part and parcel of your sound, there is no better quality price.

Note also that it fits every type of guitar (I tried with Tele, Les Paul, Strato, etc ...) and it blends well with the trs amp lamp (I uses no amplifier transistors, so I can talk).

Overdrive components with germanium
Volts knob of well thought out (basically you consignment of 3 to 9 volts to the pedal, 3 corresponding to the sound of a game boy at the end of life is very simple, the first time I tried it, j have had the impression that the batteries were nazes ..)
The Bias knob used to render audible the famous 3 volts

UTILIZATION

3 knobs (gain, bias, volts)
apparently very simple but complicated in finding the sound that manages;
Light manual (1 sheet) and not very clear (better understood by fiddling)
The most difficult is to solve simultaneously (the two go hand in hand) and the knobs BIAS VOLTS

SOUND QUALITY

The sound dirty germanium, it likes it or not like
personal, it's all good for what I play (Rock noisy wobbly)
I use a Fender Blues Junior and a Squier 51 (my great love
I noticed a considerable drop in highs (they disappear completely depending on the setting chosen Volts).

OVERALL OPINION

Somewhat mixed opinions
On the one hand, the Germanium OD is a single grain (between the fuzz and the Game Boy)
the other this particular grain is really to use low-dose (during a solo fun / / Lo-Fi guaranteed!)
M'enfin generally is a good distortion pedal, very strange
and I have not finished my exploration dl'engin