Boss Saturation effects pedals

(Originally written by Marty62100/translated from Audiofanzine FR) 9-volt analog overdrive pedal. Uses the legendary JRC4558 DD chip. 3 knobs: Tone Level Drive. --- IMPORTANT --- My review describes the pedal after customization: I added two switches: one for gain boost and another one providing two different sound colors. UTILIZATION Very easy to use. Numerous possibilities when you use it as a booster. SOUND QUALITY AAaaah! The main thing: It's exactly what I was looking for. The sound is clear, tight and effective. The overdrive is precise, powerful and clean. It's perfect for AC/DC covers and blues and rock tunes. The mid frequency range is very responsive giving the sound big dynamics. And you can adjust the dynamic response using the volume knob. Tone knob works effective and allows you to create very sharp and round tones. You can do lots of things with it. Drive knob: produces sounds from clean to aggressive overdrive. No distortion, it's a big overdrive. Volume knob: it allows you to adjust the output volume to the amp's sensitivity but also to create a fuller and more powerful sound. Higher settings produce a tone with less definition. The tone becomes... fuzzy. I would say the high frequency range has less resolution. With a wah effect, this pedal is excellent. The sound character is strong and the sound is well-defined. The highs are not sharp. As a booster, it makes a VERY, VERY good job! UPDATE: I modified it adding two switches, one for a balanced or unbalanced overdrive, and another one to add more gain. I used two small Monte Allmus kits. I also reduced the value of a condenser to produce more saturation. The balance switch gives a new life to the pedal... It's incredible! --- EDIT --- It sounds better after the modifications I made. It has a higher output level compared to the original and the gain switch adds overtones. It's perfect for playing solos!! The sound is now sharper, in-your-face, and thicker. It's killer! OVERALL OPINION As a summary, this is a pedal with a strong sound character, and a well-defined and powerful tone. The result is amazing. From blues to rock and even hard rock. Excellent pedal. I don't regret my purchase.

(Originally written by Dlz/translated from Audiofanzine FR) Boss pedal with standard PSU. Only three controls (vol. - gain - tone), no bass boost or switch for the modulation. UTILIZATION With only three controls, it's plug and play. The controls bring a certain versatility but the sound quality decreases with extreme settings. An overdrive pedal is often used as pre-boost for a distortion but the result with this pedal is not convincing. SOUND QUALITY The sound is ok with basic settings but its quality rapidly decreases when the gain increases. The last turns of the gain knob produce a mushy sound... You'll hardly be able to use the unit as a pre-booster because its frequency response is less than ideal. I chose this pedal because I was very happy with my SD-1 as a pre-boost effect and I hoped to get the same quality but with a fatter sound. The sound is fat indeed but I regret its poor definition, precision and overall quality. While the SD-1's frequency response isn't totally flat (it has a slight boost in the mids), the DB-2's frequency response actually alters the sound. Therefore its use as a booster is very disappointing, specially if you consider that the SD-1 is a lot cheaper. OVERALL OPINION It's probably not a good idea to purchase a BD-2 if you already own an SD-1. Its fat sound can be interesting for some applications but the good old SD-1 seems a better choice to me.

Boss OD 1x is a redesign of the original OD 1 overdrive pedal I got it recently after i saw it being introduced at the NAMM show and i been satisfied. It has 4 knobs Level, Low, High, Drive. Has one input and one output. It has cool new medal knobs compare to the older model. Its a very dynamic sounding pedal the other overdrive pedals i had to deal with were very compressed sounding. It also has a Multi Dimensional processing which makes the distortion adapt to the way you strum. Its a very smooth overdrive pedal sounds great with a tube amp. It uses basic power 9v. UTILIZATION Its the basic form of the boss pedals very easy to use clear and visible and built like a tank. Manual is not needed, controls are basic, same as the layout of the pedal . SOUND QUALITY I like to use this pedal with My Gibson Les Paul to bring out that heavy sound out of the pedal. The sound is very smooth and clean for a overdrive. You can hear the difference in the sound in the way you strum the MDP (multi dimensional processing) is a nice touch to the sound of the pedal. You can control the drive in a wide range to get a blues sound or a heavy rock sound to it and anything between, with the drive cranked all the wide, it gives a big wide smooth sound with little fuzz in there, its a perfect combination. OVERALL OPINION My favorite thing about it is how smooth of an overdrive it is, I used many overdrives before and this pedal gets the job done well for the things i need it for. I tend to resell the items i don't like or need but this one I'm keeping. The price is fair and its a standard for the boss pedals, the chrome looks great makes it stand out more from the other Boss pedals.

For about 8 years, there wasn't a single fuzz in the Boss line up. Finally, they decided to make a fuzz, but they changed it up this time. Instead of the normal fuzz style components, they decided to make use of their famous COSM technology to help create an almost modeling style fuzz. It's a bit different, so it's not for everybody, but it's definitely something interesting. It has a knob for the level, knob for the amount of fuzz and a three way selector switch that allows you to select between three different fuzz types. UTILIZATION The manual that Boss provides is wonderful. It's easy to understand what everything does and how everything works. It also gives you some example sentences to help you get some good sounds right away. The knobs are easily accessible, and it's small enough to fit on nearly any pedalboard. The pedal is FET bypassed, so it can be used as a buffer to help boost/preserve your signal, but it doesn't sound quite as good as true bypass. The housing is awesome and will withstand even the most extreme abuse out there. It's withstood the test of time, and there's a reason why they keep using it. SOUND QUALITY The fuzz tones are pretty decent, and it's meant to model the Fuzzface, FZ-1A and Octavia. All three of these fuzzes are pretty iconic in the fuzz world, and they've helped create a majority of the old school 60s/70s tones that were famous back in the day. However, I can't help but think neither of them sound quite as close to the real thing. I mean, they get you in the ballpark, but they don't seem to be able to recreate the complexity and organic-ness that the originals have. The good news is, if you've never played those pedals, you'll probably really like this as it's a fairly versatile fuzz pedal that can create all kinds of different sounds. OVERALL OPINION If you need something for a decent price that can get a good amount of famous fuzz tones, this could be what you're looking for. I find that it's a solid pedal, but it can't match the real things. They just have something special going on that can't be recreated with today's modeling technology, but they might be able to in the future.

Most people out there who have tried the BD-2 know that it's a pretty solid pedal. You can get a very nice overdrive with the pedal, and it can be a nice alternative to the standard tubescreamer that you hear on so many other albums out there. That said, it could use some improvement, and Analogman is here to help. His main mod is the BD-2/Super mod which helps improve pretty much everything about this thing. It still has the same three knobs and operates the same way, so no difference there. UTILIZATION Boss pedals are inherently some of the most reliable and robust pedals out there. I could throw this thing off of the empire state building, and I bet it would still survive with barely a scratch. That said, I do not endorse throwing your pedals off of buildings. I'm sure some moron out there will do that and blame me for injuring somebody later on... The pedal really doesn't look any different on the outside. In fact, the only real way you can tell that it's modded by Analogman is via the sticker on the pedal. Aside from looking inside, you'd probably never know. I can't comment on the manual, but this pedal is easy enough to use without having to look at the manual, especially considering all the example settings are now moot. SOUND QUALITY One word of warning: Do not turn all of the knobs on full. If you do this, you'll get some nasty squealing. That said, you really shouldn't ever turn up all your knobs to max on this thing. It's mainly the tone knob that'll cause the squealing to occur, and I find that'll be way too bright. The pedal now sounds more like a transparent boost instead of that middy overdrive kind of sound that you hear from standard tubescreamers. This can be a good or bad thing, depending on what you're looking for. The tone knob on this is a lot more useful, and the overall pedal just sounds a lot better, in my opinion. OVERALL OPINION If you're looking for a more transparent sounding overdrive, this is the kind of pedal you should be looking to get. It sounds a lot more organic and has a bit more depth to it overall. It's also more versatile as the tone knob actually works this time. It's not as harsh as it was stock, and it has some nice depth to it that the other one really didn't have. Combine this with a tubescreamer to get some awesome versatility.

This is one of the very best pedals that Boss ever made. It has the normal contl knobs as you would see on many overdrive and distortion pedals from Boss. But it also has a turbo switch to go from a mild distortion to the turbo distortion. Many say that this revision of this pedal had more distortion but they sound pretty close to the same. The next feature that is visible was remote input to connect a remote foot switch to control the turbo on and off. I like to keep the turbo in the ON position. I think I read somewhere that Edge always had it on. So therefore I did as well. The On position for the turbo is where this pedal shines anyway. I would have my Gain up to around 12:00 ad the tone around 11:00 and the Level at unity level to my amp tone. UTILIZATION Specifications * Controls: Level, Tone, Drive, 2-way Turbo Switch * Connectors: Input, Output, Remote, AC Adaptor * Current Draw: 16 mA (DC 9V) * Weight: 440 g (1 lb.) * Nominal Input Level: -20dBm * Input Impedance: 1Mohm * Nominal Output Level: -20dBm * Output Impedance: 1kohm * Residual Noise Level: -110 dBm(lHF-A, Typ.) * Recommended AC Adaptor: PSA Series SOUND QUALITY To get a good classic rock run this pedal with a MArshall amp of some kind and a nice Gibson Les Paul. The coolest part of this pedal is getting a great classic rock tone when you jump the channels of a plexi or JMP Marshall amp. They just work and sound fantastic together. I would also suggest running this pedal in front of a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe with a good quality delay in the mix.. Same result as the Marshall and it will sound great! This pedal is easy to get a good valve sound of of it. All you need to do is get it in front of an good amp and it will do the work for you. OVERALL OPINION These pedals were made by Boss from 1994 to 1999 so the used market is the only way to go at this point. These are great pedals to get a good classic rock tone from. I would recommend this pedal to anyone who uses an overdrive pedal in front of there amp and needs a good boost to get their amp sizzling. This pedal will do that in spades. It is an easy pedal to dial in and you will be cranking out tones with ease as so as you find that perfect sweet spot.

The Boss OD-2 is a real workhorse pedal. It has been around for many years and has been used in many applications. They have been made all over from Japan to Korea and they were still pretty much the same. The pedal is your basic OD/Distortion pedal. It has the typical Level Tone and Drive knobs but it also has a Turbo knob that lets you switch between two selections. The pedal is powered by a normal 9v jack. UTILIZATION Boss pedals are known for their durability. These pedals are time tested and can handle the worst you can dish out on tour. The chassis is super strong and it is very easy to set up the pedal. The knobs are nice and tight and offer a good amount of resistance when you turn so you get a really solid feel. The pedal does not have true bypass so you may want to watch out. It may make your rig sound different even when it is not on. I think every pedal should have true bypass SOUND QUALITY This pedal can do all sorts of tones very well. It combines overdrive and distortion via the turbo knob. It is seperate from the gain control. With these options you can really dial in the exact overdrive or high gain sound you are looking for with this pedal The sound is great. You can use it as a clean boost or a high gain channel on top of your clean sound. Using as a dirty boost can give you great results. On top of an amp with a bit of gain on it you can really get a crisp sound with some more sizzle from the pedal. OVERALL OPINION The OD-2 already has many fans around the world. This pedal is a workhorse and has been found in many rigs and on many tours. The sound they provide is very good and can really open your tone up to new sounds and possibilities. These pedals can be found for pretty cheap too since they have made them for so long. There is no problem with getting one used since they are so simple and durable. If you are looking for a good overdrive and distortion pedal to expand your tone this is a good choice.

(Originally written by mikeosoft/translated from Audiofanzine FR) Same as the original but with a "pseudo-bypass" switch that allows me to recover the sound of the original pedal. (I call it "pseudo-bypass" because I changed some parts of the circuitry that have little to do with the bypass) UTILIZATION Same handling as the original pedal. SOUND QUALITY It still amazes me, I bought the original pedal and modified it with a kit I bought on the web. The modification I made is simply brilliant! It adds warmth to the sound, I would even dare saying it turns a solid-state amp into an all-tube amp. I noticed that the sound is much better with a transistor amp like the Randall RH150G3 than with an all-tube Peavey 6505 for example. The sound is really mind-blowing when I use the clean channel of my Randall amp and the clean booster. OVERALL OPINION I've been using it for 1 week and it's perfect to get that modern rock sound. Combined with the amp's overdrive channel (gain set to 0), it adds some real power. A lasting product that combines the reliability of a stompbox with transistor-based tube simulation. Are we getting to the point where we can avoid tubes without having to resort to digital technology?

The BOSS ST-2 Power Stack compact pedal is a new and I would dare say revolutionary compact pedal. Not necessarily an overdrive, not necessarily a distortion, it is a pedal that can serve as the overdrive/gain channel to a single-channel amp, or an amp that has a lacking overdrive/gain channel. The configuration is standard BOSS; a 1/4" mono input and a 1/4" mono output to be run in front of your amplifier. It also has a 9V DC input so that it can be run on AC power from one of the standard BOSS power adapters. UTILIZATION The BOSS ST-2 Power Stack has four knobs: Level, Bass, Treble, and "Sound" knob, which controls the level of gain the ST-2 delivers. The range of the Sound knob goes from "Crunch" at 7 o'clock, to "Drive" at noon, to "Ultra" at 5 o'clock. Again, I have to stress that this pedal REALLY makes it seem like there's another, different channel to your amp. I've played this pedal with multiple amps, both Tube and Solid-State, and it makes both sound just stunning. At lower "Sound" settings, the pedal makes the amp compress slightly and break up in the vein of classic blues-type amps. Bring the "Sound" knob up around 10 o'clock and you get a nice, gritty break-up. At noon the pedal gives off the sound of a classic crunch amp. Push the knob past 2 o'clock towards the "Ultra" setting and you get everything from classic 80's rock sounds to modern metal--it's all right there at your fingertips. The on-board EQ settings allow you to sculpt the tone to your exact needs. SOUND QUALITY As I wrote above, this is not an overdrive or distortion, rather employs BOSS COSM technology to model different varieties of amp tones as you turn the "Sound" knob to different positions. I haven't been so impressed by the quality and variety of the tones that can be coaxed from any one pedal in a long, long time. BOSS really took the time to do it right. You can hear the different amps in there: Marshall JCM 800 tones around noon, Fender/VOX cleans at the lower settings, and Mesa/Rectifier tones with the "Sound" knob around/above 3:00. The "in-between" settings are unique and great; this pedal REALLY encourages you to experiment. OVERALL OPINION I could write for days and days about the great tone of this pedal, but you really need to hear it for yourself. The BOSS ST-2 pedal is an EXCELLENT alternative for those who don't want to compromise on their clean channel, but need a great drive channel. I've heard that some have had issues with the pedal generating so much gain that it's difficult to stop from squealing and generating feedback. I've been running mine with an MXR Noise Clamp and haven't had any problems, with or without it. If you have an amp that has a great clean channel but either doesn't have a gain channel, or has a less-than-adequate gain channel, the BOSS ST-2 Power Stack is an excellent 99-dollar solution. If something happened to mine, I would replace it in a heartbeat.

I bought this pedal from a friend for 40 bucks. Great deal, because it was in perfect condition and it had box and instructions. It has some serious gain! The distortion has this real metalic sound to it, that is perfect for heavy metal solos. I also like the unit's useability. The knobs are real easy, and the pedal even comes with some sample settings for it (heavy metal, british rock, fuzz, ect.) However the fuzz setting doesn't really sound like fuzz. I wish that a sort of calmer setting came with the pedal. Don't get me wrong, I love the enormous gain, but I also wish that it has some cleaner tones. I can't complain too much thoush, because a distortion pedal isn't exactly designed to give you cozy distortion. It's as hard as a rock. Believe me, Boss makes the best-quality stomp boxes around. Don't buy that danelectro crap. I would really reccomend this pedal for anyone whom wants a snarling solo. This pedal is designed to blow the audiences' mind, so don't buy this if your attempting to use it for soft rock. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

The Boss OD3 is very similar to the SD1. In fact, they're more similar than a lot of people lead on to believe. However, there are some differences. I mean, if there weren't, Boss (probably) wouldn't release two different pedals with different names. The pedal has your basic level, gain and tone knob. It's a FET buffered pedal with the ability to run a 9v battery in case you don't have any way to power this thing. Aside from that, it's pretty much like your standard BOSS pedal on the outside. UTILIZATION The knobs are laid out nicely, just like all BOS pedals are. The things are crazy tough, too. I once saw a guy hammer some parts on his guitar with one of these because he couldn't find his hammer in his toolbox. It was scuffed up a bit, but it worked. It's surprising how much abuse these things can really take. As long as you don't spill anything on them, they're pretty solid. Setting it up is simple, and there's no need for a manual for these things. Want gain? Crank it. Want more level? Turn the knob. Want a brighter or fatter tone? There's your tone knob. SOUND QUALITY The sound, as mentioned before, is very similar to the SD1. However, this pedal is a bit more on the vintage side of things. Where as the SD1 is a very strong boost that pushes amps into overdrive, this is a bit warmer and fatter sounding. It almost reminds me of a BD2 at times, but it's a bit different from that. It works great if you need to add some warm sounding overdrive to an amp, but I wouldn't use it as a primary distortion pedal as it won't have enough gain, most likely. It really depends on what kind of music you're going for. OVERALL OPINION If you're looking for a warmer sounding overdrive, check these out. They're really cool sounding pedals that are a bit different from the SD1 that everybody seems to run today. It's like BOSS's version of a tubescreamer, I guess. Then again, I guess the SD1, BD2 and countless other pedals they have are the same way...

The FZ2 was an extreme fuzz. You could get some ridiculous sounds out of it, and it's a staple in the stoner metal community. However, not everybody wanted that extreme fuzz sound. Boss revised their main fuzz pedal to be more like the classic 60s style fuzz that you're used to hearing. The pedal features a level, tone and fuzz knob for shaping the sound, and it also has a FET buffer installed in it to help boost your signal and keep it a bit consistent. UTILIZATION The pedal is housed in the famous Boss enclosure. These have been proven throughout time as being some of the most reliable pedal enclosures out there. I've toured with Boss pedals throughout my entire career, and they rarely ever fail. If they do, they're also easy to fix. The finish on this is a nice, hammered style silver that looks great. Mine had a few scuffs on it, but it was no big deal as it was a used pedal. The controls are easy to get to, just like every Boss pedal out there. It sucks a little bit of tone with the FET bypass, but it's not too terrible. There are worse pedals out there. SOUND QUALITY The fuzz in this is a very classic style fuzz. If you wanted that old school Hendrix style fuzz tone going on, this can do it. It's not quite as good as the old Dunlop fuzz pedals, but it gets the job done when you need that classic fuzz. I actually like modifying these a bit to help make them a bit more organic sounding. If you're interested in that, search the internet for a few mods out there for these pedals. They can really make this thing come alive and make it a bit more useful. OVERALL OPINION If you need a solid fuzz that's not going to cost a ton of money, this could be exactly what you're looking for. It's a solid fuzz; not the best, but far from the worst. Great if you just need something basic to get you going, but I'm not sure if it would suit those guys out there who are looking for that experimental/industrial kind of sound.