Low-gain overdrive pedal with sidechain HPF? (Affect the signal only above "x" frequency)

Killens84

Killens84

Supporting Member
Sep 3, 2008
2,092
4,470
5,119
40
Mississippi
#1
I have a Fairfield Barbershop that I really like, but I wish there was a way to have it only affect the signal above a certain frequency, and leave everything below that frequency clean. I know some people run separate dry and wet signals, but I'd like to keep it simple with just one signal. Is there a transparent, low-gain overdrive pedal that sounds like mild tube saturation, and also has a HPF in the sidechain?

For example, the same way the Cali76-CB compressor works... You can adjust that HPF to only have the pedal compress the signal above wherever the HPF is set. Does that exist in an overdrive pedal, specifically one that's a similar tone to the Fairfield Barbershop? Or, alternatively, is there a simple way to make that same thing happen with my Barbershop? My idea is to keep everything below 120-200hz clean, while having the pedal add mild overdrive to the signal above that frequency. Any thoughts, ideas, or suggestions are welcome. Thanks!
 
  • Like
Reactions: hieronymous, Coughdrops and hbabels
#2
There's a few companies doing multiband distortion pedals, where you can set individual distortion levels for each frequency band. Iron Ether makes the QF2, and Source Audio makes the Multiwave bass distortion (I think the newer Aftershock is capable of it as well, but I could be wrong).

Iron Ether also makes the Divaricator, which splits your high and low bands and gives you an effects loop for the high band. You could get that and run your dirt in the loop to retain your clean low end.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ThrewSilver, Stumbo and hbabels
#3
Killens84 said:
I have a Fairfield Barbershop that I really like, but I wish there was a way to have it only affect the signal above a certain frequency, and leave everything below that frequency clean. I know some people run separate dry and wet signals, but I'd like to keep it simple with just one signal. Is there a transparent, low-gain overdrive pedal that sounds like mild tube saturation, and also has a HPF in the sidechain?

For example, the same way the Cali76-CB compressor works... You can adjust that HPF to only have the pedal compress the signal above wherever the HPF is set. Does that exist in an overdrive pedal, specifically one that's a similar tone to the Fairfield Barbershop? Or, alternatively, is there a simple way to make that same thing happen with my Barbershop? My idea is to keep everything below 120-200hz clean, while having the pedal add mild overdrive to the signal above that frequency. Any thoughts, ideas, or suggestions are welcome. Thanks!
Click to expand...

I unfortunately don't know of one but man I LOVE THAT IDEA !!
I would totally buy that pedal!! You hear that customs pedal builders ??!!
Slightly gritty boost to light OD with a crossover to affect which frequencies get that and the rest stays clean. That would be awesome !

Closest I can think isn't out yet but the tech 21 dUg pedal will have a crossover and above that is what gets overdriven and then you blend with a clean signal kinda like the tech 21 dUg amp but that does way more distortion than what you're suggesting

You could creat this with something like a boss line selector and a graphic EQ pedal but then that's 3 pedals and a lot of pedalboard space for a simple effect.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lemueldave
#7
Good suggestions. I do like to keep my setup as simple and small as possible. My pedalboard is a Pedaltrain Nano, with just four pedals on it, so I'd like to not add more pieces to it, or have to carry a larger board. It'd be great if there were a single low-gain overdrive pedal that had a crossover frequency selector built in. Everything under the crossover is dry, everything over it is affected. That would preserve a nice, clear bottom, but still give that tube-like saturation in the mids and highs. My ideal overdrive would be something like the Creation Audio Grizzly, with that HPF/crossover feature built into it. Not a true HPF in the sense that it's reducing any frequencies; just a HPF in the sidechain, that dictates at what frequency and up the effect is in the signal.
 
#8
There are plenty of pedals that don't quite fit your description but may still achieve what you want.

Many full range overdrives like the Barbershop or VT Bass can get overly compressed or farty when feed a bass heavy signal. But some roll off the deepest lows to the drive circuit and combine that with a full range blend to (e.g. Darkglass Vintage). Some pedals like the EBS Billy Sheehan or Ashdown J-Lo even have filters to allow you to only distort a narrow midrange band.

Those pedals however still have the dry signal as full range, but then there are some out there that add a low pass filter to the clean side as well as a high pass to the dirt side. For example the Amptweaker Tightdrive / Tightfuzz and FEA Photon.
 
#9
I don't know of any dirt pedals with sidechain circuitry, but this may be what you are looking for:

deluxe-bass-big-muff-pi.jpg


-Frank
 
  • Like
Reactions: nbsipics and twistd
#11
I use a Fender Sub-Lime Bass Fuzz extensively, its really full and warm, not really aggressive. I know it probably does a fuzz sound best, but it's the only pedal ive encountered with a crossover freq like that. I think that function is what makes the pedal great; it is much more natural and cohesive sounding to me than separate full-range dirty and full range clean channels being blended
 
#12
dannybuoy said:
^ doesn't really do low gain OD though!
Click to expand...

Was going by what I read in a Premierguitar review:

Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Bass Big Muff Pi Pedal Review

"It took some time to find the sweet spot for my rig, but once I did, the crossover was amazingly effective at calling up a variety of tones—from slightly driven bluesy grind to warm and scrappy punk bite or ridiculously in-your-face fuzz that pushed my speaker cab to its limits."

For $120 new, this might be a perfect pedal to mod. If the gain is too hot then modding it for less gain shouldn't be more than changing out a few resistors or adding diodes.

-Frank
 
  • Like
Reactions: dannybuoy
#14
I had a custom COG TK-421-X that would have done exactly what you're looking for. It had LPF for both clean and drive, and and HPF for the drive channel. You could then blend them together. If you're willing to put some money into it I'm sure Tom could put this together for you.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AccessAllAreas
#16
I tried this using a crossover and was not happy with the results. The overdrive sounded really thin until I dialed the crossover under 100Hz, at which point it was not really doing anything
 
#18
the Wounded Paw Black Sheep has 3 bands of overdrive, and you could just use the high band and max blend (which is about 50-50)...but like the above poster said, it's weak sounding Just overdriving highs. Hissy fizzy non musical...I set the Black Sheep full Low band half mid band and almost no high band. That's nice sounding to my ears. The Grizzly Bass overdrive can get you there too with it's 2 bands of drive and eq-ing ability.
 
#19
I think you can also get very close with the way huge pork loin. One of the trim pots is a filter for the clean blend (or whatever you want to call their "British preamp") so you should be able to roll off the highs and mix it with the overdriven signal.

That's more or less what the a crossover would do, sort of reverse engineered. The part that's lacking is the hpf on the drive, but maybe that's less important.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back