I’ve recently come to the conclusion that I don’t like transparent overdrives. Maybe I’m just old or maybe I’ve been playing tube screamers for too long but I like a little mid hump to my overdrive. It just sounds “right” to me. I’ve been on a search for a “transparent” overdrive for many years and I’ve tried and owned probably close to 100 different ones, (oh….I know…..) and all the transparent ones I’ve tried just sound weird to me….I just can’t get over the overdrive sounding EXACTLY like my amp, (I love my amp btw), I guess I’m just used to a particular OD sound. That being said, the best of the bunch was the Clark/Barber “Gainster”….if you’re into “transparent”, that’s the one for you. For me I guess I’ll just dig out my ol’ trusty ‘83 TS-9…..
I've come to doubt that any overdrives are transparent. They all color the tone in one way or another, that's why we use them...isn't it. Turning any knob on your amp colors the sound as well. I am blessed to have three ODs...I like them all. A TS9, 808 and a Klone made by @Believer7713
I dislike tube screamers and the mid hump so I prefer “transparent” ods with a more naturally flat EQ or ones with three band EQ.
Yeah they don't exist. Overdrive will change the frequency balance. You will find though that some will have a more neutral sound without bone crunching mid humps..but any overdrive will compress the signal and change the spectrum.
I like what a Tubescreamer or SD1 can do for certain songs, but not all songs. I also like what a Marshall BB2 does, or the EHX Glove to get a more Marshall sort of OD sound, but also not for everything. They are different sounds and used where they are best suited they can make your rig more versatile. JMHO.
It's soooo dependent on the rest of your rig and especially on the amp you're plugging in… In a blackface, I love both a Bluesbreaker (quite transparent but some "sweetening" is there) and a Klon (quite a bit of mids). Also like Zendrives (pretty mids-heavy on my settings). In a brownface amp I most like Bluesdriver-type and Bluesbreaker. And let's not enter into heavier-gain. Not sure where this puts me. All I know is that I have no absolute rules in the matter of overdrives.
I just don't like tubescreamers, ive tried a number of times, having owned probably 10 varieties over the years, keeley.modded, ts808, ts9, "boutique" versions and the mid hump and bass amd clarity loss was too much. I did only like the ts types to boost a Rat pedal, but i won't keep a pedal for one too narrow use. I prefer more neutral OD pedals loke the Timmy, Red Llama, OCD, etc
I sometimes like a mid hump, sometimes not - but the notion that the alternative is "transparent" does not fit my experience. Another mostly harmless misnomer, so long as new people are given the scoop now and then.
Not a big TS fan, maybe the TS10, but I do like OD pedals. I think they all add tonal changes, some more than others. For a little boost I use a MRX micro amp thru my Marshall JCM 800.
My hope was, the Ts9 would give me a warm creamy blues sound. It was any thing but. Just seemed like a volume and treble boost.
I have three OD's on my board. The Xotic BB-Pre circuit is based on the TS but has tweaks that make it more versatile. The Timmy is 'transparent' but it adds a little something that works for me. The third is more of a distortion or amp in a box, the JHS @+, a great pedal.
