Overdrives with midi-selectable presets

[JediMasterThrash]

Curious if there's some good overdrives that have midi-selectable presets?

I got recommended a few. But some are kinda weird, like you're unable to save all the OD parameters to the preset, or you can only assign params over midi but not just select a preset with all settings defined. And some sound like they only work with their custom midi controllers and not just generic midi.

So looking for something where
1. All parameters are saved as part of the preset
2. The preset can be selected via midi
3. Works with generic midi controller
4. Sounds good with very low noise floor. It still has to stand up to my favorites like the MXR m77 and Xotic BB-MB and Dr. Scientist The Elements.
5. Includes at least an asymmetric clipping option and HP/bass and treble controls.

The Boss OD-200 might be a good option but also kinda big, i'd rather find something in a standard pedal footprint.
The broken arrow is one where the midi control seems kinda wonky like you can't really get full presets.
Strymon sunset may be an option, though again not a fan of the form factor.
There's a medea green fox, never heard of that brand before. Always a bit weird of going too boutique and having to spend a bunch of money just to find out the noise level is too high or thwubs out the 7 and 8 string.

 

[Vostre Roy]

And some sound like they only work with their custom midi controllers and not just generic midi.

Not sure how much this would bother you, but the only option that I personally know would be the Source Audio L.A. Lady Overdrive with their Midi adapter. Also cannot speak about that particular pedal, but I own their EQ2 pedal and the quality is top notch.

L.A. Lady Overdrive

The L.A. Lady Overdrive is an intelligent guitar overdrive, fuzz, and distortion pedal with programmable presets, expression control, stereo inputs and outputs, and Neuro Desktop editing capabilities. It has overdrive engines based on classic stompboxes a

www.sourceaudio.net

Otherwise, the Boss or any multi effects would be your best bet for an OD with Midi functions IMO

 

[MatrixClaw]

If you want full control of the params, there's a good chance it's going to be a fully digital drive. Most of the analog drives are just switching on and off and maybe some modes (like the Jackson Audio pedals).

I've had the Sunset - it sounds great but I only found myself using two settings and while it sounds great, there's just something about it that sounds too "clean". It's a very polished sounding pedal and it works great as a boost or OD, but it didn't sound as full and lush as my analog drives.

The OD-200 is a "hybrid" drive. They've never really said what's digital on it, but there's definitely speculation. I assume at least the controls are digital, but I'm sure at least the X models are as well. It sounds FANTASTIC, though. I've always kind of steered away from Boss as a brand since I passed the beginner phase, but it's great. If I could just have one drive on my board, it'd be this one. The distortions and fuzz in it were the biggest surprise to me, they're great and the EQ is super powerful on it. That said, it definitely comes with some quirks:

1. You can't use the Boost side without the Drive side being on. A huge misstep on their part IMO. Most of the drives are the same as the boosts, but they sound different and there are more boosts than drives. A weird choice for sure, but I've found you can setup a Klon drive to be nearly transparent and then use the boost on top of it and it reacts how I'd expect.
2. They put 1/8 TRS MIDI jacks on it and there's not really any options but buying the Boss cable, or using a 1/4" to 1/8" converter, which sucks. Their cable is only right angle on the TRS side, too. Super annoying.

The Broken Arrow is great. Didn't have any issues with mine. Tons of good TS/SD-1 sounds in it. I also own the Golden Boy and Asabi, which are equally great in their own right. They all have asymmetrical if I remember correctly, but asymmetrical with a different base voicing. I'm really curious about the Optimist and that'll probably be my next one I buy.

Other options: Source Audio LA Lady (tons of MIDI options and sounds here, but as far as I know, you need their Neuro Hub to get MIDI capability, which kinda sucks). There's also the RJM Overture that I'm really curious about, the Wampler Pantheon Deluxe, Neunaber Neuron, TC Nova Drive and a few others. Would love to try them all and probably will at some point haha!

 

[budda]

What are your other pedals? Condense to an fm3 or hx fx?

 

[Shask]

I was thinking Source Audio also. Might be easier to just use something like the HX Stomp.

 

[StevenC]

Chase Bliss Preamp MkII or Condor

 

[op1e]

TC Nova Drive?

 

[JediMasterThrash]

I started off with a lot of multifx pedals but over time gradually moved the fx to stand-alone pedals as I found the quality of sound to be much better. So not really anything else to combine with this OD.

I've alreayd got a disaster are micro and 1/8" trs cable (for my echolution), so the cabling doesn't bother me, just want to be able to control it with standard mini output form the g-system.

What's the difference between the boken arrow, golden boy, and asabi? It seems like they all have identical controls.

 

[MatrixClaw]

What's the difference between the boken arrow, golden boy, and asabi? It seems like they all have identical controls.

The Broken Arrow's base sound is the Tube Screamer, the Golden Arrow's is the Bluesbreaker (King of Tone) and the Asabi is a Guv'nor base (switchable to a RAT with an internal module change) with a clean boost on the Drive side, the Optimist is a Klone on OD-1 and a Timmy on OD-2, it also has a switchable 3-band EQ.

 

[Benny_J]

Elektron Analog Drive hits all the checkboxes except form factor (it’s a pretty large pedal). Absolutely amazing and versatile piece of kit. I used mine in a couple hybrid rigs over the years and it’s killer. Multiple circuits means you can program tones for a wide range of styles instead of needing multiple pedals. The EQ section takes it over the top and allows much more tone shaping than any distortion/overdrive circuit alone. No stacking available inside-it’s just one circuit at a time. That being said, I kind of put it to rest after adding the HX Effects and getting comfortable with using digital for my drives. Now I am doing just about the same thing with an overdrive block and an EQ block - plus doing some cascading stacking. I’m happy with the sound and especially the programmability. I would recommend checking out the HX line including HX One.

 

[Vince]

Curious if there's some good overdrives that have midi-selectable presets?

I got recommended a few. But some are kinda weird, like you're unable to save all the OD parameters to the preset, or you can only assign params over midi but not just select a preset with all settings defined. And some sound like they only work with their custom midi controllers and not just generic midi.

So looking for something where
1. All parameters are saved as part of the preset
2. The preset can be selected via midi
3. Works with generic midi controller
4. Sounds good with very low noise floor. It still has to stand up to my favorites like the MXR m77 and Xotic BB-MB and Dr. Scientist The Elements.
5. Includes at least an asymmetric clipping option and HP/bass and treble controls.

The Boss OD-200 might be a good option but also kinda big, i'd rather find something in a standard pedal footprint.
The broken arrow is one where the midi control seems kinda wonky like you can't really get full presets.
Strymon sunset may be an option, though again not a fan of the form factor.
There's a medea green fox, never heard of that brand before. Always a bit weird of going too boutique and having to spend a bunch of money just to find out the noise level is too high or thwubs out the 7 and 8 string.

Here's the ones I've used, and I love all of them for what they are:

Sunset Overdrive: No screen, but great sounds. Gotta keep the manual handy because the gate and MIDI are accessible but not on a screen. It sounds great, but with some of my amps I noticed some weird artifacts in the bass end on heavy sounds.
Boss OD-200 - it's not that big, it's smaller than it looks and I think it sounds awesome. It can do it all, though you will have to mess with the tone a bit as the knobs do not correlate to where they would on tubescreamers, SD1s, etc., but those sounds are in there. You just have to mix with your ears and not your eyes.
LA Lady: It is MIDI but you can only save 3 or 6 presets. I only saved 3, so I'm thinking thats what it does, but I don't remember fully. I was able to use the PC app to set up a Tone Burst like sound, a Tubscreamer type sound, and then 2 overdrives in parallel going out to two different amps (which is so cool this thing can do this)

To be perfectly frank, if they released an updated LA Lady with a screen and bluetooth I'd buy it tomorrow.

The HX One may be a great option too. I'm not terribly keen on the delays and reverbs in the Helix ecosystem, they sound flat to me compared to other brands, but the overdrives are absolutely top notch.

 

[MatrixClaw]

Here's the ones I've used, and I love all of them for what they are:

Sunset Overdrive: No screen, but great sounds. Gotta keep the manual handy because the gate and MIDI are accessible but not on a screen. It sounds great, but with some of my amps I noticed some weird artifacts in the bass end on heavy sounds.
Boss OD-200 - it's not that big, it's smaller than it looks and I think it sounds awesome. It can do it all, though you will have to mess with the tone a bit as the knobs do not correlate to where they would on tubescreamers, SD1s, etc., but those sounds are in there. You just have to mix with your ears and not your eyes.
LA Lady: It is MIDI but you can only save 3 or 6 presets. I only saved 3, so I'm thinking thats what it does, but I don't remember fully. I was able to use the PC app to set up a Tone Burst like sound, a Tubscreamer type sound, and then 2 overdrives in parallel going out to two different amps (which is so cool this thing can do this)

To be perfectly frank, if they released an updated LA Lady with a screen and bluetooth I'd buy it tomorrow.

The HX One may be a great option too. I'm not terribly keen on the delays and reverbs in the Helix ecosystem, they sound flat to me compared to other brands, but the overdrives are absolutely top notch.

How did the LA Lady sound compared to the Sunset? I loved the Sunset but it felt very cold and polished. It created a very studio tone, but I missed the feel and more amp like sound of an analog drive. I could definitely tell it was digital, but that wasn't bad... It worked great for all applications I just had other pedals I liked a bit better. Curious to try the LA Lady, but I'm afraid it's going to sound similar since it is also digital.

 

[Vince]

If you use the app you can make it sound however you want. It also has all the fuzz sounds too, the LA Lady and their fuzz pedal are the same pedal in different enclosures. So it has that going for it too. I liked it more than the sunset, can't speak to digital sounding though because I thought it sounded as good as any analog pedal, but ymmv.

 

[MatrixClaw]

If you use the app you can make it sound however you want. It also has all the fuzz sounds too, the LA Lady and their fuzz pedal are the same pedal in different enclosures. So it has that going for it too. I liked it more than the sunset, can't speak to digital sounding though because I thought it sounded as good as any analog pedal, but ymmv.

Yeah that's one of the things I'm not super excited about with the pedal - having to use the app. I had the Collider before and I thought it was a great pedal but to get the full use out of it, you had to use the app and I didn't care for that experience. The LA Lady looks super flexible on what it can do, though. It's too bad it can only store 6 presets, but that should be plenty for me.