ShortScale.org

I was playing around with my DS-1 (reissue) today, and then i decided to go on youtube.I found this discussion on a video about how the reissued ones sound way shittier than the vintage ones unless you mod it. I haven't modded mine, and yet i think it sounds fine. Is this true? Videos comparing them (if you can) would be great guys! thanks.

They all kinda sound shitty(ish). Having played a couple MIJ ones, I can say they sound a little more open and natural, but not by much. The only difference between the two is the main Op-amp, so that could be replaced pretty easily.

It's a great pedal to mod because it's so simple. Up the input and output caps, put a red LED (or 2) in the clipping section, and suddenly you have a decent pedal.

DuoSonicBoy wrote:Having played a couple MIJ ones, I can say they sound a little more open and natural, but not by much. The only difference between the two is the main Op-amp, so that could be replaced pretty easily.

yea, this is what I've heard. as I understand it, the new op-amp is higher fidelity. that's why it doesn't sound as good. I've seen some mods people have done on it where they replace all the caps with "nicer" ones. to me that seems to be completely missing the point. It's a distortion pedal. it's not supposed to be effing Hi-Fi.

The best mod I've done to it is getting rid of the mid scoop. The mid scoop is created by overlapping high-pass and low-pass filters in the tone control circuit. I just jumpered out the high-pass filter and it instantly sounded better. it's easy enough to figure out yourself by looking at the schem but there's a .GIF floating around the web somewhere that shows how to do it. I'll see if I can find it.

hit it with a sledgehammer and buy a RAT.

boom, then you'e got a pedal that sounds better than every vintage and modern DS-1.

mage wrote:

DuoSonicBoy wrote:Having played a couple MIJ ones, I can say they sound a little more open and natural, but not by much. The only difference between the two is the main Op-amp, so that could be replaced pretty easily.

yea, this is what I've heard. as I understand it, the new op-amp is higher fidelity. that's why it doesn't sound as good. I've seen some mods people have done on it where they replace all the caps with "nicer" ones. to me that seems to be completely missing the point. It's a distortion pedal. it's not supposed to be effing Hi-Fi.

The best mod I've done to it is getting rid of the mid scoop. The mid scoop is created by overlapping high-pass and low-pass filters in the tone control circuit. I just jumpered out the high-pass filter and it instantly sounded better. it's easy enough to figure out yourself by looking at the schem but there's a .GIF floating around the web somewhere that shows how to do it. I'll see if I can find it.

Thanks, if you could find one for me that'd be great, thanks for the help

Reece wrote:hit it with a sledgehammer and buy a RAT.

boom, then you'e got a pedal that sounds better than every vintage and modern DS-1.

hahahahahahaha, this is true, the rat is about $80 new, and way worth it in the end.

silly_rabbit_band wrote:

Reece wrote:hit it with a sledgehammer and buy a RAT.

boom, then you'e got a pedal that sounds better than every vintage and modern DS-1.

hahahahahahaha, this is true, the rat is about $80 new, and way worth it in the end.

You think so? i havn't tried it out, but i will if it's good. I'm tight on money, but hopefully i'll get some soon. can you get a decent amount of sounds with it? because i lean more twords nirvana-y type stuff. Oh, and if so, for a RAT would you reccomend vintage, the reissue, or the RAT2?

Flipper wrote:

silly_rabbit_band wrote:

Reece wrote:hit it with a sledgehammer and buy a RAT.

boom, then you'e got a pedal that sounds better than every vintage and modern DS-1.

hahahahahahaha, this is true, the rat is about $80 new, and way worth it in the end.

You think so? i havn't tried it out, but i will if it's good. I'm tight on money, but hopefully i'll get some soon. can you get a decent amount of sounds with it? because i lean more twords nirvana-y type stuff. Oh, and if so, for a RAT would you reccomend vintage, the reissue, or the RAT2?

DS-1? Blech. I gave mine away on this very forum, lol.
You certainly won't get any flipper sounds out of that fizzy little bastard. Go RAT. I've been thinking about picking up the BYOC kit myself.

endsjustifymeans wrote:

Flipper wrote:

silly_rabbit_band wrote: hahahahahahaha, this is true, the rat is about $80 new, and way worth it in the end.

You think so? i havn't tried it out, but i will if it's good. I'm tight on money, but hopefully i'll get some soon. can you get a decent amount of sounds with it? because i lean more twords nirvana-y type stuff. Oh, and if so, for a RAT would you reccomend vintage, the reissue, or the RAT2?

DS-1? Blech. I gave mine away on this very forum, lol.
You certainly won't get any flipper sounds out of that fizzy little bastard. Go RAT. I've been thinking about picking up the BYOC kit myself.

Yea, i think i might get one when i have the money, but what kind of RAT? vintage, rat2, turbo rat, you dirty rat, ect..

i love my ds-1. i love my ds-2 more, but i've got to try this proco rat out. it has to be edzachary what i'm rooking for.

Flipper wrote:

endsjustifymeans wrote:

Flipper wrote: You think so? i havn't tried it out, but i will if it's good. I'm tight on money, but hopefully i'll get some soon. can you get a decent amount of sounds with it? because i lean more twords nirvana-y type stuff. Oh, and if so, for a RAT would you reccomend vintage, the reissue, or the RAT2?

DS-1? Blech. I gave mine away on this very forum, lol.
You certainly won't get any flipper sounds out of that fizzy little bastard. Go RAT. I've been thinking about picking up the BYOC kit myself.

Yea, i think i might get one when i have the money, but what kind of RAT? vintage, rat2, turbo rat, you dirty rat, ect..

The BYOC kit let's you switch between:

Position 1: "Vintage" Symmetrical Distortion
Position 2: "Turbo" Distortion
Position 3: Asymmetrical Distortion
Position 4: Symmetrical O.D.
Position 5: Asymmetrical O.D.
Position 6: MOSFET O.D.

All in one box. Handy.

hotrodperlmutter wrote:i love my ds-1. i love my ds-2 more, but i've got to try this proco rat out. it has to be edzachary what i'm rooking for.

Buzzo's dick commands me to have a RAT (and a boss bass overdrive), I do as Buzzo's dick commands.

Sort of like teh kurdtz for you.

Flipper wrote:

mage wrote:The best mod I've done to it is getting rid of the mid scoop. The mid scoop is created by overlapping high-pass and low-pass filters in the tone control circuit. I just jumpered out the high-pass filter and it instantly sounded better. it's easy enough to figure out yourself by looking at the schem but there's a .GIF floating around the web somewhere that shows how to do it. I'll see if I can find it.

Thanks, if you could find one for me that'd be great, thanks for the help

ah yea, make no mistake, it's still not a very pleasant sounding pedal but if you feel like messing with it this does make a good bit of difference.



that's R16 and R17.

what's the deal with the brat? i really want one based solely on the appearance and name.

It's a cheapo rat basically.

endsjustifymeans wrote:

Flipper wrote:

endsjustifymeans wrote: DS-1? Blech. I gave mine away on this very forum, lol.
You certainly won't get any flipper sounds out of that fizzy little bastard. Go RAT. I've been thinking about picking up the BYOC kit myself.

Yea, i think i might get one when i have the money, but what kind of RAT? vintage, rat2, turbo rat, you dirty rat, ect..

The BYOC kit let's you switch between:

Position 1: "Vintage" Symmetrical Distortion
Position 2: "Turbo" Distortion
Position 3: Asymmetrical Distortion
Position 4: Symmetrical O.D.
Position 5: Asymmetrical O.D.
Position 6: MOSFET O.D.

All in one box. Handy.

And I has a demo on Youtube showing off the clipping modes. Booya!


[youtube][/youtube]