Post by skinvoyager on Feb 4, 2013 8:37:23 GMT -7
Since the M12 is an amp designed for pedals, I'm a little surprised there aren't more M12-specific pedal reviews on here.
A little background before the Flux Drive review:
When I got my M12, I had to totally re-think my dirtboxes. For years, nothing could knock my Rockbox Boiling Point off my board. It's an amazing pedal, well worth the cost IMO, but for some reason I don't care for it with the M12. It seems to have a pronounced mid-hump, almost like a TS-type sound. So I dusted of my OCD (V4) and WOW! I suddenly remembered why I used to love this pedal so much. The OCD really is transparent, preserving the complete tonal range of the M12 without emphasizing any specific frequencies. It became the new pedal to beat.
I love the OCD with the controls all at about noon, but when the gain is cranked it gets a bit too compressed and lackluster for me. I figured I'd keep the OCD for low-to-mid-gain sounds, but I wanted a new pedal for heavier tones. The search was on.
I needed an articulate pedal...nothing "metal" or scooped, but definitely more gain. I revisited the MXR Badass 78. While it's a good pedal, it sounded thin compared to the OCD. I then tried stacking two OCDs, which sounded great, but I wanted something a little different.
I ordered a Mad Professor Stone Grey Distortion, which is supposed to nail the modern heavy tones while maintaining clarity. All I can say is that it too had an upper midrange hump, and worse it was extremely noisy even at moderate settings.
I tried a Suhr Riot. Better, but not different enough or good enough to merit the $200 price tag.
Then, on a whim, I ordered the Mesa Boogie Flux Drive. I'm no Mesa fanboy. I think they make a lot of great, iconic amps but they're just not for me. However, I do appreciate how they are always pushing themselves to create innovative products. I figured their four new pedals were just a way to capitalize on the huge pedal boom (and maybe that's true). However, I think they nailed it with the Flux Drive. But it's not that simple.
When I first plugged the FD into the M12, I did my usual initial test with all the controls at noon (and remember, the FD has separate bass and treble controls instead of a tone control). The first thing I thought was, "Dammit, here's another pedal I have to return." It too sounded midrangey and boxey compared to the OCD. I was disappointed.
I tried playing with the controls. More bass. Less treble. Etc., etc. I couldn't find the sweet spot. Then, on a whim, I just dimed all the controls (except the level). Gain, bass, and treble full-up. Holy sh*t, this was the sound! So full and big, totally saturated without being over-the-top, and almost zero noise! I turned on the OCD, and the impossible happened: the OCD sounded thinner by comparison.
I played some more with the controls, and I found that for my setup (with a Strat), I had to keep the treble maxed to get rid of the honk. Sounds backwards, but it worked. I could then dial back the bass and gain to my liking. Taking the treble back makes it more boxey, which might be good sometimes, but for me, nothing is beating the sound of the Flux Drive with gain, bass and treble full-up. I've had similar experiences with amps that sound great with all the EQ controls maxed (my Bassman and Alessandro Doberman for example) so this really should not have surprised me so much!
So now I've got the OCD as my low gain and the FD as my high gain, and it's an amazing setup. I've also got a Lovepedal OD11 first in the chain (always on) just barely goosing the signal for flavor. Even with all three pedals on at once, the noise is acceptable. Really.
Anyway, what the Flux Drive loses in versatility it more than makes up for in it's ability to nail THE tone for me. I haven't had a chance to try their other three pedals and I doubt I will as I'm happy...for now!
A little background before the Flux Drive review:
When I got my M12, I had to totally re-think my dirtboxes. For years, nothing could knock my Rockbox Boiling Point off my board. It's an amazing pedal, well worth the cost IMO, but for some reason I don't care for it with the M12. It seems to have a pronounced mid-hump, almost like a TS-type sound. So I dusted of my OCD (V4) and WOW! I suddenly remembered why I used to love this pedal so much. The OCD really is transparent, preserving the complete tonal range of the M12 without emphasizing any specific frequencies. It became the new pedal to beat.
I love the OCD with the controls all at about noon, but when the gain is cranked it gets a bit too compressed and lackluster for me. I figured I'd keep the OCD for low-to-mid-gain sounds, but I wanted a new pedal for heavier tones. The search was on.
I needed an articulate pedal...nothing "metal" or scooped, but definitely more gain. I revisited the MXR Badass 78. While it's a good pedal, it sounded thin compared to the OCD. I then tried stacking two OCDs, which sounded great, but I wanted something a little different.
I ordered a Mad Professor Stone Grey Distortion, which is supposed to nail the modern heavy tones while maintaining clarity. All I can say is that it too had an upper midrange hump, and worse it was extremely noisy even at moderate settings.
I tried a Suhr Riot. Better, but not different enough or good enough to merit the $200 price tag.
Then, on a whim, I ordered the Mesa Boogie Flux Drive. I'm no Mesa fanboy. I think they make a lot of great, iconic amps but they're just not for me. However, I do appreciate how they are always pushing themselves to create innovative products. I figured their four new pedals were just a way to capitalize on the huge pedal boom (and maybe that's true). However, I think they nailed it with the Flux Drive. But it's not that simple.
When I first plugged the FD into the M12, I did my usual initial test with all the controls at noon (and remember, the FD has separate bass and treble controls instead of a tone control). The first thing I thought was, "Dammit, here's another pedal I have to return." It too sounded midrangey and boxey compared to the OCD. I was disappointed.
I tried playing with the controls. More bass. Less treble. Etc., etc. I couldn't find the sweet spot. Then, on a whim, I just dimed all the controls (except the level). Gain, bass, and treble full-up. Holy sh*t, this was the sound! So full and big, totally saturated without being over-the-top, and almost zero noise! I turned on the OCD, and the impossible happened: the OCD sounded thinner by comparison.
I played some more with the controls, and I found that for my setup (with a Strat), I had to keep the treble maxed to get rid of the honk. Sounds backwards, but it worked. I could then dial back the bass and gain to my liking. Taking the treble back makes it more boxey, which might be good sometimes, but for me, nothing is beating the sound of the Flux Drive with gain, bass and treble full-up. I've had similar experiences with amps that sound great with all the EQ controls maxed (my Bassman and Alessandro Doberman for example) so this really should not have surprised me so much!
So now I've got the OCD as my low gain and the FD as my high gain, and it's an amazing setup. I've also got a Lovepedal OD11 first in the chain (always on) just barely goosing the signal for flavor. Even with all three pedals on at once, the noise is acceptable. Really.
Anyway, what the Flux Drive loses in versatility it more than makes up for in it's ability to nail THE tone for me. I haven't had a chance to try their other three pedals and I doubt I will as I'm happy...for now!