Is the Zendrive Worth the Hype?
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- Опубліковано 13 чер 2024
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00:00 Intro
3:01 Why I ended up trying a Zendrive again
10:20 Is this just a tubescreamer?
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JNC on TPS please.
Dan & Mick (mostly Mick) would look on in horror when John showed them good tone coming from an HX Stomp 😂
I would LOVE to see him talking about modellers in TPS
JNC, great vid as usual.Thanks for posting! Would be interesting to see you do an A-B Comparison of the Zen to the Line 6's modeled inspired "Dhyana Drive" in their HX Stomp, Helix Floor, and Helix Native. If using Helix Native, consider also using the HX Stomp or Helix Floor Audio Interface to remain within Line6's ecosystem impedance input levels.
Ok bought a warmdrive after watching this video. Thanks mate!!! Great drive pedal, I am in the zen 😁🤘
Good morning from NYC. Excellent sound as always.
The Zendrive is essentially a tube screamer circuit without the frontend and end buffers, but has an important difference. There is an extra pot (character?) that is connected to the feedback loop of the opamp chip that acts in two ways when you turn the knob: it is a low pass filter and also changes the R1/R2 resistance ratio thereby simultaneously reducing the gain. I have built a couple. You should try the Dover drive especially if you like Eric Johnson. That pedal has a Fuzz circuit going straight into a "set" Zendrive (i.e. the character resistance is set without a potentiometer.
This was so interesting! Thank you for sharing this info
@@BrandonShannonPaul You're welcome. Oh and the Zendrive also uses a couple of transistors in the feedback loop that act as diodes for soft clipping. And a germanium diode too? I can't remember which ones though sorry.
The reality is that a huge amount of overdrives out there use the tube screamer schematic as a starting point and add mods to it. The zen is probably my favourite though!
Awesome intro! You are nailing the tone on the YellowJackets album Robin played on! (Best Robin album ever).
I know this sounds crazy, but I went on a D-style pedal kick a couple years ago and bought several reputable D pedals, including ZenDrive, Dude, Simble, Ethos, and a couple cheaper options. I don't want to type too much, but I kept the Dude (warm, transparent, really does something neat with the pick attack), the Joyo Tai Chi (Zen copy that sounded identical to the Zen to me for 1/4 the price), and I kept the Ethos TWE-1 (not a D pedal, but lovely tones, and quite a beast in itself). I then ended up buying a Ceriatone OTS mini head, which totally and forever scratched the D itch. Great little amp, can't say enough good about it, and a great value. With all that said, the D Fractal models on the FM9 turbo are quite good as well.
I've never played the Ethos TWE 1 and I know it's highly rated....but every time I've listened to a review of one they sound really high gain and nothing like a D type. Not my cup of tea really.
What happened to this guy, Hermida? I have a Unimos and an original Dover Drive. Both are great.
The almost complete Indiana Jones riff was a good touch :D
Yes! :D
There are so many Dumble style pedals now. Of the ones I’ve tried so far (Zen drive included) my favorite sounding one so far is the Ultra Phonix. I still think that I get a better Dumble like tone using an Amplified Nation amp or the Synergy Dumble module over any Dumble style pedal I’ve tried. But in a live setting or in a recording mix, I doubt anyone could tell the difference anyway. So just use whatever inspires you to play more and fits your budget.
I love it. Have and og hermida zen and a zen 2 and 3 or 4 of the lovepedal versions. Probably one of my favorite overdrives
I love the Fractal model of this pedal. I use it in an unconventional way, boosting a Friedman BE for leads. It really fattens up the single note lines.
Absolutely gorgeous tone and playing. I wish I could afford an original Zen drive but since discovering the warm audio warm drive, I’m not sure I need one. I love the tone. I’m getting from the warm drive for $150 and actually have two of them, one on each board. I have heard that this is just a modified tubescreamer circuit, but I have tried the tubescreamer into various Fender amps and while very good could not achieve the beautiful soaring sustained lead tones I get from this pedal into a fender or fender inspired amp. Anyway, love anytime you do a Dumbo inspired video as it is my favorite tone ever. I would love it if you would demo the warm drive and tell me your opinion.
Good day from USA.
Crazy the two zens even sound a little different from each other. Both great but one definitely sounded a little brighter to me on the same settings
In your opinion, how does it differ to the Dude from J Rockett? And also the Lovepedal version? Touch sensitivity and reaction to volume pot etc.
I have one of the Lovepedal ones. It's not a _bad_ pedal by any means, but it's never really flipped me over. One thing that I haven't really gotten to it that you got there is that my LP one doesn't clean up really well w/ the volume knob on the guitar. I keep it around because it's definitly the kind of pedal where you could show up at a gig and plug into a Jazz Chorus or a JTM 45 and could coax something good out of it. It's an 'opinionated' pedal as we say in the software biz. It makes pretty much everything sound like it. It's just not a favorite sound of mine? Maybe not surprisingly I loathe tube screamers as well, so maybe it's just not for me. One very clever stackign option I'll put with this is the Pantheon from Wampler. The Pantheon can be set to be pretty 'full range' sounding, without a huge mid bump. If you have a clean amp and use a Patheon to dirty things up a little, my Lovepedal ZD does an excellent job being a 'better tube screammer' or a 'better klone' into that Pantheon. But love the Pantheon in general. Nice little name check on Revelation there as well sir!!! Beautifully done as always.
I own one of the original Mad Professor Simble OD pedals (now discontinued), and it’s often compared to a ZenDrive. I’ve never played a ZenDrive but really wonder how they compare!
Does a Zendrive pair well with a Marshall DSL and a strat?
Haha you too eh John ?
After seeing the TPS Robben Ford episode I went searching ...
Well, I DO have a birthday coming up ... that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. 😜
I'm a bit of a Caline fan, and whaddya know?
They do a pedal called the Caline CP-502 Mellow Drive ... which is reported to be based upon the Zen.
One thing I haven't done yet is to compare it to the Dhyana Drive in the Helix / Native (note to self).
I also found a deal on an Epiphone Riviera which, to be fair, I had been considering for a while (that or the Uptown Kat - bad reviews on the Kat though).
I DO hope this Riviera turns out to be a good'un when it eventually arrives ...
It'll be my first mini-humbucker guitar.
We need a zen drive vs helix zen drive shootout John. Dana make it happen
Hard to know what I'm hearing, because the tone through what I think is the DAW sounds so odd to me. I don't know if it's strange compression or what. Would love to hear this same demo recorded from a room mic of some kind, even a cell phone.
I dunno. Been down this path with the centaur, a really top level KLONE which I loved vs the helix version and they were almost identical, I’ve gotten really used to these and added the Matthews architect v4. The helix one is definitely as useful and can be fully midi controlled, or guided by snapshots. I would like to see a deeper comparison of the zen drive vs modellers .
How does this compare to the Dude pedal is the question?🤔
Similar, but the Dude is is my favorite. I run a Rat in front with gain at 9:00 amazing rock tone.
Warm audio makes a variation(warm drive), also demon fx makes a penny pedal clone as well.
A little 1978 Superman theme in there. Not sure if intentional or not, but it was there. Ha!
I totally heard it -- obviously Indiana Jones too.
It's amazing with Humbuckers, very crappy with single coils, now there are tons of options that do that job without the $300 price tag
Not sure if I like the Zendrive on the LP. But it sounds super sweet on the strat. Especially on the bridge pickup only. I think too much lows make it sound grimy and rough.
have the warmdrive from warm audio ...think sounds more or less the same and is much cheaper ;)
i had one. it sounded good with any amp. should've never sold that one.
Can we talk about how JNC snuck the Indian Jones theme in on a pedal demo?
I ended up liking the dude better but zen drive is a great drive pedal, robben's sound is in his hands, like you, and whatever he uses just sounds good, like you. thanks for the great videos
I don't know John. When you play the actual Zen pedal and assuming you are playing through an amp. Comparing it to the Helix model, it sounds so much more open and articulate. I've used the Zendrive model on the Helix and although its good into some amp models, I don't get it to dial in as good as the real pedal. But as you have shown is it much more than a screamer. Jurys out I guess.
My fav zen stack: Joyo Taichi > Irin Taichi!! ( the 25€ Irin Taichi is also excellent, and compliments the Joyo by being a bit darker voiced..., these mod priced pedals compensate my Mad Prof Simble, Wampler Euphoria, Vertex Dynamic Distortion & Source Audio ZIO boost, MXR Fet Driver & DOD/Shoe Looking Glass: being around 200€ range!!)
I have no shame using a 200€ or a 20€ pedal as long as it sounds good to me, one of my basic tone pedals is the Dolamo D-8 overdrive: has the most beatiful basses: as the zendrives have the most beautiful upper mids and his!!!!
My advise/experience ( Im not rich! ) is try find a clone or a used one when youre looking for a pedal: you can then update/upgrade later...,
Cheers, evrybooty!
Zdrive from demonfx is great non-boutique/clone alternative too. Not a single review of it on YT.
Yes, it is a great pedal that I got a long time ago. Many pedals since it is still great. The BB is also great in a similar way. The Dude is good but not as dynamic. Kingtone Duelist one of the great new pedals. I just hate where the adapter goes into the pedal on the side. Someone make a modern day one with everything on top.
I bought one of these in like 2015, along with a wampler euphoria. And even though the zen drive was good, i kept the euphoria and sold me zen drive.
You want to try Zendrive into Boss OD-3.
is this a repost?
every cent!
Did I hear the Indiana jones theme in there, John? 😂
Now the big question, how much difference is there between the Line6 version and the real deal?
Usually the Line 6 models are VERY close ... Assuming a good example was used for modelling.
@@Andreas_Straub Yeah honestly, I'm in the good enough camp, and I have trouble understanding why everyone except uber rich don't just go modelers... Even if you wanted to buy a Zen pedal, buy a Pod Go, you'll get the Zen plus a bunch of extra pedals like King of Tone and whatnot.....!
You can build a 1:1 Zendrive copy for around $40. There is actually very little in the schematics that is different from other overdrives ... but sometimes those little difference are important. In some cases this is driven by belief not facts. A high priced pedal MUST sound better than others using the same internal circuitry ... This is how our brain works and also the reason why so many overpriced boutique pedals sell.
Theres differences: I like my factory Joyo and Irin Taichi better than a Finnish guy`s handmade ZEN( 100€): It´s not as touch sensy as the "cheapos"! a bit strange if you ask me...
@@kimmolingonheimo in many cases the variance of the pots (and some capacitors as well) may require sometimes very notable changes in the settings to get the same sounds. Do NOT assume that the same pot settings will always result in the same sounding results! (Even if the overall schematics are the same!)
I think all the MSLs on Reverb just sold out.
Joyo Taichi squad reports for duty
Thx for the Jurassic Park btw😊
Good review, but I've probably wasted too many years, and too much money, on pedals. I finally just bought a really, really good amp, and it eliminated any need (or desire) for most of them. If you're not getting what you want out of your amp and your guitar for drive, I'd start there. IMHO.
I think it is for a short amount of time whilst you think your Robben Ford then you realise you can’t even get 10% near him and end up selling it. My experience.
I think the Steel String Singer gives me enough Dumble sound instead of paying $400+ for the Zen Drive
Different Dumble sounds, and actually serve a different purpose, chasing the tone of two different amp ideas. ZD going for ODS tones, the SSS doing it’s own thing . My 2c …. YMMV. 😊
In my world there never was a hype about the Zendrive. It's a nice pedal for certain sounds, you can also easily build one by yourself or mod it to your taste, if you know, what to do, it also has been the source for other pedals (Jan Ray, Zenkudo,...) but an overhyped pedal like eg. a Klon Centaur (whyever) and at the moment the ToneX one (even more whyever.) it never was for me.
Also not really my sound. Too much Fender, too little Marshall, so to say.
No
I dont know why people bang on about Robben Ford’s amps, his playing is good but his sound is nothing special. I have seen him live with a dumble and honestly I have seen other players sounding better including Satriani, Vai live sounding better.😅
For drive tones, both the ZD and TS sounded MUCH better than your modelers (which all make an annoying fizzy gurgling sound on the wound strings). The ZD sounded more open and more vocal, than the TS. You play so well, you deserve great tone, go Zen. . . . . . .