Printable View
Yes, I’ve done one Ultimate Drive conversion aces years ago, and kind of regret not keeping it. Maybe I’ll just do that again.
There’s plenty of info online (as well as controversy) on doing the mod. From memory it’s one or two pots a couple resistors.
I just found a Joyo Ultimate Drive on Ali Express for $38 AUD.
I was looking there too, but didn't one that low.Quote:
I just found a Joyo Ultimate Drive on Ali Express for $38 AUD.
After doing some online research, there is an issue with the "new" 2010 PCB models having the GE diode being wired incorrectly (reversed). Not a big deal if I was going to be doing mods anyway, but I find it worrying that this has been pointed out for 10 years and Joyo has not done anything to fix it.
There is apparently a problem with the True Bypass not being "true" but not exactly a correct buffered bypass either.
After reading all that, it's kind of quelled my enthusiasm a bit. Maybe not a bad thing...
Mistakes like that and small component variations could account for the sound being not quite there. I just loaded up the OCD patch in my Xtomp mini. I know it's not the real thing either, but I just couldn't get to like it. I used to like it a lot, but lately I am just digging my Barber pedal too much.
Also, here is a reasonably priced Joyo, but as you say, less appealing now. Assuming the Ge diode is SMD, fixing it would be a pain.
Thanks for the link Dan. I found that after my last post, and yes, all surface mount components.
The SM doesn't put me off too much. Heaps of people have successfully modded the 2010.11.24 version, but I reckon I'll give it a miss anyway.
My OCD story has been a love/hate tale. I've owned and sold two Fulltone ones and went back & forth with both, hence selling them.
Since I got the Reaper DAW, I added the OCD plug-in and really like how it works in there. Go figure...
Did I mention I probably have actual OCD???? :o
EDIT:
And sorry for the hijack John H!!!
Ha ha ha, hijack away! It's an interesting chat, and I have no updates so you know...Quote:
Originally Posted by McCreed
Your story sounds remarkably similar to others on The Gear Page. Someone will post about their new pedal, and someone else will reply "X is a great pedal, the best I ever had. But I sold it for the latest fashion, traded that a month later, hated the trade, sold that at a loss and bought the X v2. Loved it, it became my signature sound until I swapped it for the newest flavour of the month which of course I hated...".Quote:
Originally Posted by McCreed
Actually, your story doesn't sound half that bad, but it's a common theme. In the pedal world there is so much choice now that it's really hard to overcome the feeling that maybe that pedal over there will be better. I do exactly the same thing, but my solution now is to build more! My previous solution was to buy cheap clones but that wasn't quite satisfying either. They are mostly not quite right. I am about to build a Barber GC to knock the Caline Pure Sky off my board in the very low gain position, even though the Barber Direct Drive does low gain very very well. But the Barber screams when stacked with a low gain drive in front of it, so I just have to see how the 2 Barber pedals work together.
Yes, it's interesting how some pedals sound great on their own but just don't "play nice" with others if stacked. And, for full disclosure, I am a "stacker". I just am.Quote:
But the Barber screams when stacked with a low gain drive in front of it, so I just have to see how the 2 Barber pedals work together.
Though not more than two OD's, but with that, it gives me four tones: clean; OD 1; OD 2; OD 1 & 2. Then add a boost to any for a little extra oomph.
This reason is why I was on a Dual OD pedal trip for a awhile. Generally they're combined because they're known to work well together.
I have three drive pedals on the board at the moment, but to be honest, the BYOC OD-2 is only on there for sentimental reasons. It's basically a modded tube screamer and a boost in the same box, which makes it conceptually similar to the Box of Rock. But the TS sound just doesn't work for me, despite the mods. I much prefer the Marshallesque sound of the Direct Drive. Since the Direct Drive is very responsive to input levels, I should reorder the pedals to put the boost first.
Order also depends what you want to achieve. If you want to push the OD a bit more (which can effect the drives tone) then boost before OD. If you only want to boost the overall volume of the OD and (mostly) maintain the tone, boost after OD.Quote:
Since the Direct Drive is very responsive to input levels, I should reorder the pedals to put the boost first.
I've pretty much been a boost after OD guy for a long, but I should switch it around just to see if my perspective has changed since then.