ShortScale.org

Hi, I just received my pro/official pre-built OD2 and Mouse pedals and feel that they don't sound/behave quite like I would have expected based on all the great reviews but having not played them before (nor a real Rat) I am not sure if there are issues or maybe my expecations are just wrong. I know a lot of people here build and use a lot of dirt pedals so maybe you can help me figure this out...sorry no sounds though, I 'll have to try and describe what I am hearing...

OD2
- there is a really pronounced unatural sounding "buzzy/distortion" kind of sound on a lot of settings (more pronounced when using more treble, overdrive and the none/led clipping options) that decays very quick releative to the rest of the signal. It's like there is a buzz that fades out quickly while the rest of the sound decays much more slowly/smoothly.

Mouse
- the tone knob does almost nothing until about 2-3 o'clock. Before that it is super bassy/muddy and very little gain, even when cranked. After that, it quickly increases the gain/treble and it is unusable for the last little bit on the treble knob (just gets super buzzy) - is this normal for a Rat?
- the OD clipping sections are very "hollow" sounding, like something is missing. It sort of reminds me of my Fuzz Factory when I lower the tone control of my guitar (even a little bit) - suddenly most of the signal disappears and there is just a warped trebly sort of sound left (though it is less promounced on the Mouse)

So what do you think? Is this how they are supposed to sound and they just may not be what I am looking for? I have a Tech21 Double Drive 3X which does a huge range of tones but I am finding the controls a little annoying (presets make it touch to make quick changes on the fly and they sort of "jump" when changed) but it sounds really good to me compared to these pedals - I was hoping to replace it with these (especially because of the OD2 built in clean boost). I assume mine are built right since I had them assembled by the official BYOC bulder. Any thoughts/suggestions much appreciated.

If you're unhappy you should definitely return them. That doesn't sound good at all.

Mike wrote:If you're unhappy you should definitely return them. That doesn't sound good at all.

Yeah, that's what I was beginning to wonder..though not sure about the return policy when the pedal is pre-built though.

I messed around with the Mouse for a little while more and am wondering if I am starting to "get it". Mike (or any other pedal expert ), maybe you can tell me if this makes sense...I am finding that the Drive knob adds a LOT of bass as your raise it (is this normal for a Rat?) so it effectively makes the filter knob useless except for tha last 20% or so of it's range where it is really interactive. The problem I was having with the OD clipping settings I seem to be able to dial out by rolling back the tone on my guitar. The issue just seemed a lot more pronounced on the OD settings because I was using them with a lot less drive (because even the OD clipping settings are pretty dirty and I was trying to see how much dirt range I can get out of the pedal) - even on the RAT settings, if I roll the drive way back I hear the same kind of thinness unless I roll the treble back on my guitar. I am getting some pretty good crunch tones now though I am not really sure how versatile all the clipping settings are - they may just overlap a lot with different positioning of the other knobs. I also find when I have the drive high that it cleans up pretty nicley when I roll back my guitar volume - still not sure how I feel overall but it's not near as bad as I first thought. Does this sound "broken" to you or is it maybe just a matter of getting used to it?

I can't seem to explain that buzzy problem with the OD2 though - I hear it a little bit sometimes with other drive pedals but not nearly as pronounced and not with such a fast, obvious decay.

Thanks.

Maybe some samples would help us help yooou?

Doog wrote:Maybe some samples would help us help yooou?

Thanks, I'll see what I can do...I could try using my toneport but not sure how well it will work with pedals in front of it.

What kind of amp are you playing these through? I used to have a Boss OD-2 and it sounded like total crap through a solid state but was really nice through a toobz.

EDIT: I just read about the Tech 21.

Shaguar wrote:What kind of amp are you playing these through? I used to have a Boss OD-2 and it sounded like total crap through a solid state but was really nice through a toobz.

EDIT: I just read about the Tech 21.

Yeah...I thought about that too. I tried them through my Champ 600 (with weber speaker) and 70s SF Champ...admittedly they are not the best amps with dirt but my Tech 21 Double Drive dirt pedal sounds much better than these do. I also tried using them without my other pedals in case it was related to the chain and with my Jag, tele and old harmony guitar but that did not really make much difference either. They are not all bad...it just seems thay have a way more unusable than usable settings and I was expecting sort of swiss army knife type pedals with all the options that they have. I also wonder if I am just crazy at this point.

Got some help from the BYOC forum on the OD2...there is an internal trim pot labelled "LOUDNESS" which was set too high (well, I guess it depends on what you want). Lowering it reduced the buzz a lot but also the gain, and some of the range on the tone knob...I will have to spend some more time tweaking till I find the balance. With it set low I get a nice slightly dirty boost now when using the "none" clipping option...lots of ranges on tones on this pedal.