Question on byoc Overdrive 2: too high a boost?

[Slashpepper]

Right, slowly building up my effects chain now I've moved from a POD X3 to an RM100... First proper purchase is a buildyourownclone Overdrive 2, they're crazy cheap and I do like building things, plus I get to paint it however I like!

Right, so, plugged it in and all works excellently (to my surprise). The Overdrive really improves the Ultra tone (didn't think it would actually have that much effect!) but when I apply the boost as well (it's similar to the fulltone fulldrive 2) which boosts the post OD level the sound starts going a bit weird, like the bass gets turned up and everything else dims. Can the signal into the pre-amp be so hot that ot can't process it properly or have I wired something wrong? If I turn the boost level right down it sounds as it should, although there's not much extra headroom over the full overdrive level, so it's going to need some tweaking to match them for two usable tones. I wanted the normal overdrive to get a really good tight rythm sound and then kick in the boost for a completely saturated lead (although there's no volume difference, which means that may not work...)

Any ideas or thoughts?

 

[hunter]

Do you run the Overdrive pedal into a clean or an overdrive module?

I think the Fulldrive is supposed to go into a clean/light crunch (Marshall type) amp. If you overload the input stage of the amp too much into a distorted preamp, there can easy be too much. It's a sensitive balance between the pedal output and the amp input stage. These inputs are highly sensitive, so a little too much can already be too much.

If I were you I would rather try to get my tone from the preamp of the RM100 (it's a 3 channel amp, so why would a pedal be needed at all?). For solo boost you could put an EQ pedal or booster in the serial loop of the amp.

 

[Slashpepper]

It does it both in a clean and distorted module. The Ultra doesn't have anywhere near enough gain and sounds a bit loose without the boost, but with the OD it really tightens up the sound and gives it far more gain... I can turn the module gain down to 12O'Clock or lower with the OD and it sounds far better than without it and more gain than the plain Ultra maxed.

I'm just trying to work out whether this is normal behaviour or something's wrong somewhere, it's such an odd sound with the extra boost.

 

[Nightdare]

but when I apply the boost as well (it's similar to the fulltone fulldrive 2) which boosts the post OD level the sound starts going a bit weird, like the bass gets turned up and everything else dims. Can the signal into the pre-amp be so hot that ot can't process it properly

Yes, too much signal will make the tubes compress the sound like it's trying to choke the sound

or have I wired something wrong
If I turn the boost level right down it sounds as it should, although there's not much extra headroom over the full overdrive level, so it's going to need some tweaking to match them for two usable tones. I wanted the normal overdrive to get a really good tight rythm sound and then kick in the boost for a completely saturated lead (although there's no volume difference, which means that may not work...)

Any ideas or thoughts?

It does it both in a clean and distorted module. The Ultra doesn't have anywhere near enough gain ( :shock: )and sounds a bit loose without the boost, but with the OD it really tightens up the sound and gives it far more gain... I can turn the module gain down to 12O'Clock or lower with the OD and it sounds far better than without it and more gain than the plain Ultra maxed.

Why do I have the feeling either your Ultra is broken or you're just using way too much gain

 

[Slashpepper]

Well, to make that clearer (my explanation skills have a habit generally being completely wrongly worded) the Ultra without any kind of OD has about the right level of gain when around 3 O'Clock to max, but it's not really usable, it's quite flubby and ill defined. Reducing the the gain just turns towards more of a heavy crunch, which isn't the metal tone I'm aiming for. The OD vastly helps in this respect.

I think you must be correct about the overloading, just something I haven't experienced before and was a very odd sound. Thanks guys.

I really need to learn to express things more clearly.