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The Boss DS-1 Distortion is okay i guess.

Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2014 4:19 pm
by darthbatman
Like it's not really bad but sounds kind of..
I dunno help me out guys. I actually don't own any other distortion,
and i use mine in conjunction with an Ehx pog and a looper. On bass.

So i mean like i use the same boss distortion i've had for years.
There are a couple settings where it actually sounds pretty good in my setup.
On bass it can be interesting to just loop a low riff with tone rolled back,
then dime it and bump level a little to do some high register stuff on top.

I guess i'm saying it works for me but if i had some money to splurge on fuzz,
I'd probably go with an Elements.. or maybe something else? What do you think?
I like the idea of having different tones at quick disposal. Seems like presets on fuzz are rare.
Everyone goes nuts round here for a number of diff pedalZ. Am i lame for not getting something else?

Re: The Boss DS-1 Distortion is okay i guess.

Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2014 5:16 pm
by spacelordmother
Use whatever works, mang! And if you like the DS-1, but want more sounds, then running it into an Elements sounds like it would kick all sorts of ass. :thumb:

Re: The Boss DS-1 Distortion is okay i guess.

Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2014 5:24 pm
by darthbatman
aw shit yeah the magic of stacking.
i get pretty cool sounds putting it on either side of the pog. in front of lets me octave a fuzzy signal,
but after gets into a kind of crazy almost-oscillation that just warbles every frequency and resolves out to random feedback notes.

Re: The Boss DS-1 Distortion is okay i guess.

Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2014 6:03 pm
by goroth
I really like the fact that the DS-1 has a distinct voice. It's difficult to get it to sound awesome but it can totally be done. DS-1 stacked into anything would probably be cool. Elements rules all pedals. So buy a few of them. Stacked into an algal bloom could create some fun fuzz textures.

I've only used it on guitar, but doesn't it kneecap all your bass frequencies?

Re: The Boss DS-1 Distortion is okay i guess.

Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2014 6:13 pm
by bigchiefbc
The DS-1 gets shit on a lot, but like goroth said, it definitely has it's own sound. Kurt used one (or a DS-2 on mode 1, same shit) on pretty much everything, and he got it sounding pretty beastly. :idk:

Re: The Boss DS-1 Distortion is okay i guess.

Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2014 6:39 pm
by Jero
Another fan of the Ds-1 here. That's without mangling it too.

Re: The Boss DS-1 Distortion is okay i guess.

Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2014 7:20 pm
by Holy Schnikes
bigchiefbc wrote:Kurt used one (or a DS-2 on mode 1, same shit) on pretty much everything, and he got it sounding pretty beastly. :idk:
So true.

Re: The Boss DS-1 Distortion is okay i guess.

Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2014 7:36 pm
by Gone Fission
I've got a MXR Badass Distortion, which is a DS-1 with the Keeley mods. Sounds like crap if the tone knob isn't below halfway. Is that typical for any DS-1 or just for the MXR? Took me a while to figure out that it sounds okay when set that way, so I'm still seeing if I'll bond with it.

Re: The Boss DS-1 Distortion is okay i guess.

Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2014 8:34 pm
by spacelordmother
Gone Fission wrote:I've got a MXR Badass Distortion, which is a DS-1 with the Keeley mods. Sounds like crap if the tone knob isn't below halfway. Is that typical for any DS-1 or just for the MXR? Took me a while to figure out that it sounds okay when set that way, so I'm still seeing if I'll bond with it.
Nah - the DS-1 circuit is notoriously thin.

Re: The Boss DS-1 Distortion is okay i guess.

Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2014 9:14 pm
by Derelict78
I changed a bunch of the caps and resistors in mine and put one of the diodes on a switch so it's more of an OD now but I set mine with the gain super low and i love it. It's is my clean sound, just a little bit growly.

Re: The Boss DS-1 Distortion is okay i guess.

Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2014 10:15 pm
by Jero
Gone Fission wrote:I've got a MXR Badass Distortion, which is a DS-1 with the Keeley mods. Sounds like crap if the tone knob isn't below halfway. Is that typical for any DS-1 or just for the MXR? Took me a while to figure out that it sounds okay when set that way, so I'm still seeing if I'll bond with it.
I didn't realize that's what the MXR BD was. Sounds about right though. Leaving the tone around 10 oclock and gain to taste, get's me satisfactory results (w/ Ds1).

Re: The Boss DS-1 Distortion is okay i guess.

Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2014 11:17 pm
by darthbatman
goroth wrote:I really like the fact that the DS-1 has a distinct voice. It's difficult to get it to sound awesome but it can totally be done. DS-1 stacked into anything would probably be cool. Elements rules all pedals. So buy a few of them. Stacked into an algal bloom could create some fun fuzz textures.

I've only used it on guitar, but doesn't it kneecap all your bass frequencies?
yeah the super low gets pretty garbled but i sometimes enjoy that sound. i generally play it pretty clangy and bright anyways

Re: The Boss DS-1 Distortion is okay i guess.

Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2014 11:28 pm
by skullservant
Parker from Cough/Windhand use(s/d) a stock DS-1 on bass for ever and ever in conjunction with a Big Muff

Re: The Boss DS-1 Distortion is okay i guess.

Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2014 11:34 pm
by theavondon
Om is a lot of DS-1 on bass.

Also, the DF-2 I had for a while was tight as just a distortion.

Re: The Boss DS-1 Distortion is okay i guess.

Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2014 11:50 pm
by retinal orbita
Derelict78 wrote:I changed a bunch of the caps and resistors in mine and put one of the diodes on a switch so it's more of an OD now but I set mine with the gain super low and i love it. It's is my clean sound, just a little bit growly.
A guy I know did a bunch of plexi/JCM mods to mine and use it the same. Either an OD or clean boost for me, and I really like it. I've started stacking it with my modded rat clone skullservant made me for an overdrive supreme. Even on my shitty ss fender practice amp at home it sounds great. Through my amp setup at my rehearsal space.... Killer!!