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midibuddy
Silver Member
Ecuador
285 Posts |
 Posted - 04/05/2006 : 07:37:58
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I recently acquired a used DS-1 pedal (a new one, made in Taiwan), I thought it was a good deal so finally decided to give it a try, it was cheap.
I wanted a "hard" distortion in my pedalboard, I already have the OD3 and the SD1.
- The first thing I noticed when using the Distortion, is that the knobs are all in different places from they should be!
- Second one is that you have to set it at full level just to match your guitar volume... low output, which I don't like...
- Third one, the tone really works different than any other BOSS pedal. On the other ones, it's like a boost/cut in a certain fixed middle frequency, on this one, it actually boosts and cuts lows and highs. For my taste, the pedal is too trebly, you have to set it up like at 10 o'clock for it not to sound harsh.
Any recomendations on using this pedal? Boost it with my OD pedals? Use it to boost them? Wait until I get a tube amp to use it?
Do you too get a low output from this pedal?
I'm using it with a Crate 120W solid-state, 1X12" combo amp
Any help will be appreciated
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Goran
Double Platinum Member
Sweden
2203 Posts |
Posted - 04/05/2006 : 09:36:01
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My DS-1 don´t have that low output, but you´re right about the tone-control, it is VERY trebly after 12 o clock.
I also have a Stinkfoot modded DS-1, this one sounds way better than the stock, and a lot different (more like an overdrive). More gain, more useable tone-control.
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bossarea
Forum Admin
United Kingdom
3652 Posts |
Posted - 04/05/2006 : 11:45:20
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I haven't experienced the volume drop either.
I do agree about the tone control though. This is also mentioned in the Boss book by the featured collector. He said that the trick to use the DS-1 is to never push the tone control pass 12 o'clock (IIRC). |
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FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 04/05/2006 : 18:11:55
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| i had a question about the od2 and low volume i also have a jap ds1 and a fz3 the fuzz has the loudest output,i'm using a strat with the clapton active pickups in it,if your guitar has active pick ups it can cause this if the amp volume is too low i think it has to do with clean headroom for the pedal to drive into,what i have done is made sure my amps are set clean i turned up the master volume and keep the channel volume low(i'm using a musicman combo and a marshall jmp superbass mk2 in stereo)if i use some of my other guitars with regular pickups i don't seem to have the same problem,analogman has an item on it at his website and i saw a review in one of the guitar mags this month (i think its guitar buyer)carl martin have brought out an amp for pedals it has a lot of clean headroom because some of their customers were having similar problems, hope this helps... and i agree the ds1 stock is very trebly after 12 o'clock i saw a picture of satriani's pedalboard somewhere on the net it looked like he only turns the treble to 9 o'clock sounds good to me....... |
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midibuddy
Silver Member
Ecuador
285 Posts |
Posted - 04/05/2006 : 19:18:57
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So do you think I might have a faulty pedal?
It's definitely not as loud as my overdrives, close to half their output...
I use my humbucker and play very hard to set my clean level, and that's the level the pedal should match, but it only does it at full ouptut. |
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FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 04/05/2006 : 19:55:17
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what sort of amp are you using..? i also have the pedal output maxed and what i could see of satriani's one his was maxed out too...i have a yamaha sg 2000 with humbuckers and had volume issues as well with the od2and ds1,what sort of other overdrives are you using?are they boss? maybe i'm wrong but i think boss distortions/overdrives aren't as loud as some other makes.. i have got my best results with my old strat and telecaster with passive pickups,i think there was also an issue with power adaptors make sure it is the right one as some boss pedals are funny,i tried a adaptor with my dd3 once it has a bright red led everything seemed fine but no effect.... there's a guy called stinkfoot who seems to be a bit of a genius with boss pedals maybe he could help.... |
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midibuddy
Silver Member
Ecuador
285 Posts |
Posted - 04/05/2006 : 20:25:19
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I'm pretty sure that the power adaptor is right, because it's a new MIT DS-1, and it should work well with my BOSS power adapter and daisy chain, and, like all my pedals, it has the same voltage requirements.
I'm using a crappy 120W solid state 1x12" Crate combo amp (GX120), which is like 10 years old hehe, maybe that's part of the issue.
My BOSS OD3 is the loudest of all my ODs, I put the level to half and it's a bit louder than my guitar, which is ok 'cause I use it for solos.
The BOSS SD-1 is not quite as loud, but I only put it like at 1-2 o'clock to match the guitar level.
For my ears, both have good output.
The Distortion DS-1 has to be set up at full level just to match de OD3 at full volume... It seems that this pedal was designed like that, why, I don't know
Well at least now I know that I didn't get a faulty unit, they are just like that. I might send it to be modded in the future who knows...
How do you set-up your pedals volume? Do you use the humbucker, slam the strings hard (loudest sound) and try to match that volume with your pedals? Is that called setting up for "unity gain" ? |
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FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 04/05/2006 : 20:56:46
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i find i have to leave the od2 and the ds1 maxed,the fz3 and the cs3 about 75% i also find because i'm using the ch1 in stereo i have to max out the level but this does't bother me to much,i had thread about my od2 and volume and asked a question about the od3 and if it would be louder i think i might go for one too...as for unity gain all guitar players are to loud according to my fellow band members..!! these days i just set up my volume level wih my passive strat or tele and then plug in my active strat and i find its a good level for me,were not a heavy metal band so not of all of our songs require heavy distorted rythmn...    my 4 year old picked the smilies |
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RossL
Bronze Member
USA
63 Posts |
Posted - 04/06/2006 : 02:52:44
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I bought one new at GC last year. Mine also has low output. I have to max it to get a volume comparible to the volume of my guitar with the pedal off. I was thinking about modding it.
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midibuddy
Silver Member
Ecuador
285 Posts |
Posted - 04/06/2006 : 07:34:19
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it seems the pedal was designed that way, but I don't know why... it "speaks" or whispers I should say LOL, at half the level of my OD3, and like at 60% of the volume of my SD1, so it's definitely not a loud pedal at all..
But I like how it sounds... as to modding it... How much does that cost? Maybe I should better get another distortion (like a Rat2) instead of modding it... |
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bossarea
Forum Admin
United Kingdom
3652 Posts |
Posted - 04/06/2006 : 11:16:08
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quote:
Originally posted by FRANZONI
my 4 year old picked the smilies
First choice was the Llama. Can't go wrong with that  |
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phostenix
Gold Member
USA
754 Posts |
Posted - 04/06/2006 : 16:36:50
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quote:
Originally posted by bossarea
quote:
Originally posted by FRANZONI
my 4 year old picked the smilies
First choice was the Llama. Can't go wrong with that
Ah, the llama. We 4 years olds all think alike. 
Grace and peace,
Steve
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lazzrath
Bronze Member
Canada
103 Posts |
Posted - 04/07/2006 : 10:25:45
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| The DS-1 is just like that - yours is not defective. All the DS-1's I've ever demo'd and sold to customers all have a low output when compared to other OD's. |
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lazzrath
Bronze Member
Canada
103 Posts |
Posted - 04/07/2006 : 10:28:39
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PS - try boosting the DS-1 with the SD-1 (max level, teeny tiny bit of gain, tone at 10:00)
I use this combo primarily as my main sound - I get a real nasaly, whiny sound out of it which I rather like - it matches my singing. |
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FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 04/08/2006 : 13:21:43
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| midibuddy i was wondering how you got on with the ds1...??another thing you could try is if your amp has a low input and you are using a guitar with powerful pick ups is to plug into the low input it increases the headroom for your clean sound,your crate amp has plenty of volume to do this its mostly small combos ie 15 watt(i have an old selmer stadium 14 watt from the 60's that hates any distortion pedals buts sounds great with the clapton strat straight in..!!) i have had lots of transistor amps some good some crap i have heard good things about crate.. i am strongly thinking of retiring a couple of pedals od2,rocktek phaser and buying the od3 i need my overdrive to to boost my signal your info on the level of it was just what i needed to hear...!! |
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midibuddy
Silver Member
Ecuador
285 Posts |
Posted - 04/08/2006 : 20:18:40
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Hi there Franzoni!
Well actually my DS-1 is actually out of my effects chain, just because I'm too lazy to make myself some electric extension cords. I have the BOSS "octopus" daisy chain cable, but it's designed to have 8 pedals in line, and I arranged them in 2 rows, thus losing 2 current output jacks. I'm having some tiny extensions made to be able to use those 2 "lost" outputs, and then I'll put the DS-1 in my FX chain... Although I didn't like its volume drop, I liked the sound of the pedal..
The Crate amp is ok, but a bigger 2 X 12 combo with 150W minimun of power (and preferably with Celestions) will spread my sound a bit more, and sound fuller... that's what I'm looking for now..
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BOSS DS-1
