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Post by Mark (Basement Enthusiast) on Aug 26, 2015 11:16:04 GMT -7
So, I've been thinkin' as I'm tinkering with my new Z-Drive pedal. Mostly, I'm realizing that this is just as much (or more of) an EQ/Boost pedal rather than an overdrive pedal, despite "drive" being in its name. That's not a bad thing at all--in fact, it's very cool, because think of some other options you now have with it: 1. Have an amp, like the Carmen Ghia, that doesn't have a T/M/B tone stack? Put the Z-Drive in front of it, switched onto the cleaner green/Germanium channel. Boom! Now you've got a tone stack on your amp. And, similarly... 2. Love the extra gain/overdrive you get from the EQ bypass on your MAZ/Remedy/Antidote, but wish you could still tailor the overall EQ? Put the Z-Drive in front of it. (You know what's next, people.) Boom! Now you've got a tone stack again. This might be really fun in the red/Mosfet mode, actually. Mind you, I'm still learning the pedal and I haven't tried all these uses, but I'm pretty sure this thing's more of a swiss-army-knife than we realized it would be. Totally different idea for the pedal: I'm considering picking up 2 × red and 2 × green of these knobs from SmallBear to replace the white Drive & Level knobs on the "green/Germanium" and "red/Mosfet" channels. Might be more intuitively obvious for the eyes & brain to figure out.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2015 11:22:16 GMT -7
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Mark. Great idea about the knobs.
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Post by pcns on Aug 26, 2015 12:53:40 GMT -7
Mosfet side has lots of gain!
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Post by captainron (Ron) on Aug 26, 2015 18:49:52 GMT -7
Green side has a good bit of drive too...for it being the "Boost side". I'm digging this pedal!
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Post by Mark (Basement Enthusiast) on Sept 18, 2015 18:14:36 GMT -7
Totally different idea for the pedal: I'm considering picking up 2 × red and 2 × green of these knobs from SmallBear to replace the white Drive & Level knobs on the "green/Germanium" and "red/Mosfet" channels. Might be more intuitively obvious for the eyes & brain to figure out. Well, here we go fellas—I went ahead and installed the green & red knobs for the Germanium & Mosfet channels: It's lookin' a little "Christmas tree" right now, but I think I'll appreciate it more once it's plugged in and I'm messin' with the settings, going back & forth between the green & red LED's. I mean, what the heck, right? I figure I can always put the white knobs back on if I don't like it. (Afterthought: I wonder if I should've swapped in black knobs for the bigger T/M/B tone knobs, too?)
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Post by walt on Sept 18, 2015 19:30:57 GMT -7
Christmas came early!
I'm more of a set it and forget it guy,so I dialed mine in and use the therapy/guitarvolume to make changes,leaving the knobs on the pedal alone.
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Post by markT on Sept 19, 2015 5:25:37 GMT -7
Totally different idea for the pedal: I'm considering picking up 2 × red and 2 × green of these knobs from SmallBear to replace the white Drive & Level knobs on the "green/Germanium" and "red/Mosfet" channels. Might be more intuitively obvious for the eyes & brain to figure out. Thanks for the idea! Kinda similar.. I can wrap my mind around the green or red channels.... ...it's the counter inverted drive/level, level/drive locations that throws my brain....not sure why, but it does... Thinking about some smaller EQ knobs too as my foot easily moves the treble and bass knobs inadvertently.
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Post by Mark (Basement Enthusiast) on Sept 19, 2015 6:08:28 GMT -7
...it's the counter inverted drive/level, level/drive locations that throws my brain....not sure why, but it does... Yeah, me too.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2015 10:07:24 GMT -7
That's funny, i've had stoves before (the same model twice, actually) that use this inverted control layout for the burners. My brain can't deal with it! I always ended up turning the wrong burner on.
Mark, great ideas about the Z Drive. I see one in my future. And i think you're right about the black knobs. It was the first thing i thought when i saw the pic.
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Post by Stephen on Sept 22, 2015 12:25:10 GMT -7
...it's the counter inverted drive/level, level/drive locations that throws my brain....not sure why, but it does... Yeah, me too. Me too.
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Post by LT on Sept 23, 2015 8:02:54 GMT -7
Great idea Mark. I just ordered a set of the red/green knobbies. I also like the thought about the black knobs replacing the B/M/T ones.
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Post by doctorice on Sept 23, 2015 8:50:39 GMT -7
I'm approaching the Z Drive using the "close your eyes and adjust" approach, same as on Z amps I suppose we could call this the color-blind method....
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Post by DRZ on Sept 23, 2015 9:33:56 GMT -7
I'm approaching the Z Drive using the "close your eyes and adjust" approach, same as on Z amps I suppose we could call this the color-blind method.... Yes Mike is right IMHO. Adjust controls with your EARS not your eyes.
Z
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Post by Easyrom on Sept 23, 2015 10:32:55 GMT -7
With my ears, I feel I can set the green side really close to my Klon clone (itself set as a clean boost, the way I use it almost all the time). The two cut switches are really cool too!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 23, 2015 11:29:19 GMT -7
First day back at the studio since my mishap. I can tell you all that the Z-Drive is a great pedal to use on the electric sitar!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2015 10:05:18 GMT -7
A couple other quick comments.
In use I really love having the two Level knobs right next to each other. I found that to be very helpful dialing in 2 different sounds, and setting their levels. It's interesting setting them so the output is the same so you can hear the difference in the 2 sides but then having control if you'd like to have one be louder than the other. The EQ works great. The frequencies that were chosen as the EQ points are really great for the electric guitar (and Sitar). It's very interesting to have 2 different sounding pedals sharing the same EQ. Cut switches also worked really well for me.
I didn't miss the stacking at all. Most pedals with stacking have one main sound then the other sound which adds to it. Where this pedal has 2 different sounds with full controls on them.
I can't wait to mess with it more.
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Post by markT on Sept 30, 2015 18:54:49 GMT -7
Got my new knobs a few days ago....My colors- cream & brown. I wish I could be like you guys and adjust with my EARS not my eyes... ...But my EARS won't reach the thing down on the floor! And I guess there is a reason they make knobs with pointers??? Reference points?? In all seriousness, I've been adjusting amps, pedals, mixers & gadgets with my ears AND eyes for a long time and it's worked just fine....Guess I'll continue. I'm really diggin' this ZDrive. I can't understand the desire to stack channels...or the need for more gain. The Red side has way more gain than I need. I like it with my Maz Jr and Therapy making them essentially 3 channel amp like. I had been playing it through my little Tweed Champ so I had the treble set higher above than if I was playing through my Z amps. Other than that, the above is how I use it. The Green side for a slight gain and volume boost. ( cleans up great and retains the sparkle when lowering the GV ) And the Red side for singing lead tones with a little more volume boost. Works for me. Thanks Doc for another winner!
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Post by Easyrom on Sept 30, 2015 22:55:18 GMT -7
Cream and brown, like it very much! The more I play my Z-Drive the more I dig it! There's so many ways to use it, so many sounds in this little box!
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mmb
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Post by mmb on Oct 1, 2015 12:29:51 GMT -7
Got my new knobs a few days ago....My colors- cream & brown. I wish I could be like you guys and adjust with my EARS not my eyes... ...But my EARS won't reach the thing down on the floor! And I guess there is a reason they make knobs with pointers??? Reference points?? In all seriousness, I've been adjusting amps, pedals, mixers & gadgets with my ears AND eyes for a long time and it's worked just fine....Guess I'll continue. I'm really diggin' this ZDrive. I can't understand the desire to stack channels...or the need for more gain. The Red side has way more gain than I need. I like it with my Maz Jr and Therapy making them essentially 3 channel amp like. I had been playing it through my little Tweed Champ so I had the treble set higher above than if I was playing through my Z amps. Other than that, the above is how I use it. The Green side for a slight gain and volume boost. ( cleans up great and retains the sparkle when lowering the GV ) And the Red side for singing lead tones with a little more volume boost. Works for me. Thanks Doc for another winner! Mark would you please do demo of your Z-drive playing it through your "THERAPY" head and cabinet! I am straddling the fence on getting the Z-drive until I hear a demo clip of it through the THERAPY! :-) Mac
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mmb
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Post by mmb on Oct 1, 2015 12:32:28 GMT -7
The cream and brown knobs really look nice! :-)
Mac
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Post by walt on Oct 1, 2015 18:56:29 GMT -7
I like the different colored drive and level knobs a lot-if I gigged I think that would be the ticket for adjusting on the fly.
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Post by Mark (Basement Enthusiast) on Oct 1, 2015 19:47:09 GMT -7
I like what you did there, Mark.. and now you've got me thinking about keeping the red & green knobs only on my "drive" knobs. [You've got the contrasting color on the Level; I might try it on the Drive.] Maybe that's what'll do it for me to (A) quickly reach for the correct channel, but also (B) properly navigate those counter-inverted level/drive//drive/level knobs as you called 'em. Thanks for shaking up the ideas in my brain a bit!
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Post by Easyrom on Oct 2, 2015 0:27:40 GMT -7
I'm still learning how this box works and tried new things yesterday, like having the bass knob set higher. Helps having a nice, full and hairy clean boost on green side (cut off) and still a "clear" yet creamy saturation on red side (cut on). This box came on the right time for me, cause my all time favorite overdrive (Lazy J Cruiser Deuce, amazing tones) is broken and has to be fixed. The Z-Drive is already in my own overdive pedals podium with the Lazy and the Rockett Archer (love this one too!)
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Post by jammergreg on Oct 3, 2015 2:17:34 GMT -7
I now only use my Z-Drive w/a SL Drive and I'm good to go. I only scratched The surface too.
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