Back in the mid 90s I had a proco rat and a Marshall bluesbreaker pedal I got in the pawnshops for probably less than 100 bucks both. Never would I have thought they would be worth more than the price of my first car.
To my ears the 1981 Inventions pedal sounds clearer, with more clarity. It has a really nice chime to it if you listen in carefully. Very much looking forward to receiving mine for my pedalboard. Matt’s put the hard yards in to perfect it - well done Matt. Nice demo, very nice indeed.
I don't think that this is a "clarity" issue; I think they simply voiced the 1981 DRV to have a more "modern" sound, with more presence and high mid harmonics. The Rat sounds just like the Rat always did; it doesn't necessarily lack clarity, but it doesn't have the same presence as the 1981 DRV.
The 1981 sound wimpy and thin in most of the settings. Those saying the Rat is harsh just need to dial the filter down a smidge. You can't compare two pedals by matching the dials. You have to match the sound as close as you can and then listen.
The demo is okay, but agreed that the comparisons in tone should be done with ears, not eyes. Matching dial settings don't (or rarely) equate, and not for just this example.
No shade towards the DRV, as it's a great sounding pedal. But when put head-to-head against an actual RAT, the DRV always comes off as sounding slightly more brittle.
I guess you could say that "voicing" a common circuit is worth the extra money if that voicing hits the mark. I dunno, I think I'd rather have a go at voicing one of the many RAT clones than pay +$300 for a $60 circuit. Depends on the person I guess
I think around 1:50 they sound similar. Overall, I have loved the 1981 tho. I am always excited over new gear and I think @matthewhoopes has done a wonderful job on this pedal.
This is the fourth of fifth comparison of these two I’ve watched in a row, and my conclusion is the same every time. The hype surrounding the clone is just that. Hype.
Wow, I’m quite impressed. I like the mid foward that the old rats have. But on higher settings 1981 sounds much better. Rat get a bit mushy sounding, idk…I love old Rats but this 1981 wow!!!!
I admit that the 1981 looks about as cool as any pedal ever made. But, when you hear both of these together, and then you see the price difference, it kinda becomes a no-brainer as far as I'm concerned.
Rats of the same time period as depicted in the video with desirable chips and good condition can cost much more than the 1981. If you get one that’s already pretty well beat-up (or parts missing/broken) or the import version with less desirable chips, then the price is lower. I’m still considering getting a new, less expensive Pro Co Rat, but I’ve heard quality control for those is all over the place these days. I usually find that “buy nice or buy twice” tends to ring-out pretty true.
@@coupe-lee you can get vintage rat 2s with the lm308 chip for $180-$200. They made them all the way up till the 90s. That’s less than the 1981 drv. Not “much more”
Abel Ramirez yeah the Rat is a steal $$ the 1981 is nice sounding but it’s just a Rat with a cool housing that will look great on gear snobs pedal board
True, to be fair, a lot of pedal designs are amateurish and ugly. Within reason, I'm happy to pay a bit more for a nicer-looking enclosure. This is just a comment about pedals in general. In this case I think the RAT looks nice and very solid, and the price difference is too high.
The Rat sounds much better as expected...the 1981 is another hyped up Rat derivative/flavor of the month that will be forgotten about sooner than later.
Good comparison. But if you plan to buy the 1981 DRV to get a much improved RAT clone imho your wasting your money. I'm buying the DRV to get a different type of sound based on a RAT design.
yeah!... the 1981 sounds (to my ears) better than the RAT ... but not 200$ more ... perhaps 20$ ... so i'll keep my RAT ... both sound lovely though ..
Lets take classic pedal and add more bass and triple the price. Sounds better alone but when the drummer and bassist kicks in, nobody hears it anymore. Quite lame ripoff, these are just too similar.
The Rat wins again. As usual. In comparison videos the Rat has defeated the Legendary Big Muff, the Boss Ds-1, the Mxr Distortion +, the Ibanez tube screamer, the Boss Od-1 and many others and Jeff Beck has used it since the 80s. It seems that the Rat is king 👑
km5658 they are two different circuits, aligning the knobs won’t do anything to compare their sound, I do it by ear to get each pedal close to each other in tone and volume as I go through the gain range
The 1981 has more presence but not enough testicular fortitude
based
Back in the mid 90s I had a proco rat and a Marshall bluesbreaker pedal I got in the pawnshops for probably less than 100 bucks both. Never would I have thought they would be worth more than the price of my first car.
Hey, revisiting the old demo format. Good tones, thanks!
only one requires a tetanus shot.
Good job voicing the pedals to each other. The Rat however has a more balanced low mid race which makes it sound thicker or fuller.
This reminds me of celebrity deathmatch.
To my ears the 1981 Inventions pedal sounds clearer, with more clarity. It has a really nice chime to it if you listen in carefully. Very much looking forward to receiving mine for my pedalboard. Matt’s put the hard yards in to perfect it - well done Matt. Nice demo, very nice indeed.
1981 for Church tones
RAT for Hell
bro so truuu
church tones these days are everywhere tho
😁😁😁
Literally laughed out loud at this comment
Remember when demos used to be done through a Vox AC30
the5chord hahahahahah yes! That AC30 was sweet though
Jose preferred it myself.
A Very expensive( and good) Rat clone, vs a Rat. And the Rat rules again
That's a vintage Rat, so very expensive (probably even more than the clone).
Have you considered investing in a looper for these demos?
just something about that 1981...
The Rat has nice fullness and warmth that the 1981 lacks
I don't think that this is a "clarity" issue; I think they simply voiced the 1981 DRV to have a more "modern" sound, with more presence and high mid harmonics. The Rat sounds just like the Rat always did; it doesn't necessarily lack clarity, but it doesn't have the same presence as the 1981 DRV.
Lol they sound the same.
@@atomicfront Hmm... You're the only one in the comment section that can't hear a difference...
Q-tips are cheap, ya know?
@@robertsimpson5801 I have perfect pitch hearing. Others are just pretending they hear a difference.
@@atomicfront = Clown
@@robertsimpson5801 People are often angry about people who tell them the truth. Sorry the easter bunny doesn't exist either.
love the old one! love the mids and the sucking effect
The 1981 sound wimpy and thin in most of the settings. Those saying the Rat is harsh just need to dial the filter down a smidge. You can't compare two pedals by matching the dials. You have to match the sound as close as you can and then listen.
The demo is okay, but agreed that the comparisons in tone should be done with ears, not eyes. Matching dial settings don't (or rarely) equate, and not for just this example.
Would be interested to hear this comparison on bass. :)
Rat sounds angrier than 1981.
No shade towards the DRV, as it's a great sounding pedal. But when put head-to-head against an actual RAT, the DRV always comes off as sounding slightly more brittle.
I guess you could say that "voicing" a common circuit is worth the extra money if that voicing hits the mark. I dunno, I think I'd rather have a go at voicing one of the many RAT clones than pay +$300 for a $60 circuit. Depends on the person I guess
Most pedal heads buy for looks and they like the drv asthetic.
I think around 1:50 they sound similar. Overall, I have loved the 1981 tho. I am always excited over new gear and I think @matthewhoopes has done a wonderful job on this pedal.
Hello, connect my pedal for 100 days to a 12V eliminator, my pedal works perfectly, but I'm afraid of some internal damage. How can I check it?
I had the original and sold it for$10 bucks, did I get ripped off.
does the 'cut' on the 1981 do as much as the 'filter' on the Rat?
I wonder if you could get nearer the sound of the 1981 with a Wampler EQuator before or after a Rat?
nice! This is the only YT video to make this pedal sound awesome! I'm gonna start saving up for one now.
This is the fourth of fifth comparison of these two I’ve watched in a row, and my conclusion is the same every time. The hype surrounding the clone is just that. Hype.
How would this sound through an AC30?
Wow, I’m quite impressed. I like the mid foward that the old rats have. But on higher settings 1981 sounds much better. Rat get a bit mushy sounding, idk…I love old Rats but this 1981 wow!!!!
Both on! Yea!
Nice demo! Bad for my wallet tho
My DRV is on the way. Can’t wait. Sounds so good! It’s not a Rat Clone. It’s so much more.
I admit that the 1981 looks about as cool as any pedal ever made. But, when you hear both of these together, and then you see the price difference, it kinda becomes a no-brainer as far as I'm concerned.
Rats of the same time period as depicted in the video with desirable chips and good condition can cost much more than the 1981. If you get one that’s already pretty well beat-up (or parts missing/broken) or the import version with less desirable chips, then the price is lower.
I’m still considering getting a new, less expensive Pro Co Rat, but I’ve heard quality control for those is all over the place these days. I usually find that “buy nice or buy twice” tends to ring-out pretty true.
@@coupe-lee you can get vintage rat 2s with the lm308 chip for $180-$200. They made them all the way up till the 90s. That’s less than the 1981 drv. Not “much more”
@@almostghosts that’s a good point on the time period. I was thinking more 80’s. I ended up going with the JAM RATTLER. And an EQD RAT…
Yeaaaaaaaah, RAT all the way. The DRV isnt bad but for the subtleties and price point: Rat wins.
I would love to see how it matches up with the String Slinger
The DRV sounds nice but I can get a Rat for MUCH less money. Anyway, liked the demo!
Abel Ramirez yeah the Rat is a steal $$ the 1981 is nice sounding but it’s just a Rat with a cool housing that will look great on gear snobs pedal board
you can get a vintage whiteface 1985 Proco Rat for much less money? hmm
I think you could make a fortune by putting cheap pedals in fancy enclosures. And selling for twice the cost.
True, to be fair, a lot of pedal designs are amateurish and ugly. Within reason, I'm happy to pay a bit more for a nicer-looking enclosure. This is just a comment about pedals in general. In this case I think the RAT looks nice and very solid, and the price difference is too high.
So many great sounding Rat clones out there with more features and versatility. I wouldn't pay the asking price for this one.
Do you have any recommendations? I'm after a rat or one of its derivatives.
Is there a big difference between old Rats and new Rats? Rat pedal. Not rat rats
They’re pretty close sound wise. I don’t think the price difference should be that much imo. 1981 definitely looks cooler
The Rat is more compressed, which I prefer. The 1981 seems to have some clean blended in, which I do not prefer here.
Exactly, i prefer the 1981 for that
RAT sounded more scooped. I thought I would like it better, but listening blindly I preferred the 1981.
For $250 the 1981 is a shame comparing to a ProCo RAT which sounds better to my ears.
Yeah, I really wanted to like that 1981 more but the Rat is my main distortion. I love it.
I bet a jhs or keeley mod could refine the rat in a very similar way.
The 1981 looks to pretty in relation to how it sounds. The Rat sounds dirty and looks dirty
The Rat sounds much better as expected...the 1981 is another hyped up Rat derivative/flavor of the month that will be forgotten about sooner than later.
An actual comparison.
Rat sounds too shrill & trebly. Digging the 1981 over the Rat for sure.
The 1981 sounds more trebly. Remove your ear plugs!
Personally RAT>1981
I like both to be hones
Good comparison. But if you plan to buy the 1981 DRV to get a much improved RAT clone imho your wasting your money. I'm buying the DRV to get a different type of sound based on a RAT design.
I prefer the 1981, especially in the lower gain settings. However, I already own a rat and don’t prefer the 1981 to drop 250 on it
The other person with a prominent comment that liked the 1981 more liked it for the exact opposite reason, which was high gain.
Man it's two separate entities lol
Rat The Best
I like the rat a little bit better
yeah!... the 1981 sounds (to my ears) better than the RAT ... but not 200$ more ... perhaps 20$ ... so i'll keep my RAT ... both sound lovely though ..
Well brah... actually a whiteface rat is $350-$500 at the moment, so.....
I like the Rat better and the Jam pedals Rattler BETTER than the Rat
The 1981 sounds anemic compared to the RAT
It does, but it also sounds a little bit more 'controlled' and tight. But I don't use my RAT for tightness, I use it because I want that FAT tone.
Lets take classic pedal and add more bass and triple the price. Sounds better alone but when the drummer and bassist kicks in, nobody hears it anymore. Quite lame ripoff, these are just too similar.
The Rat wins again. As usual. In comparison videos the Rat has defeated the Legendary Big Muff, the Boss Ds-1, the Mxr Distortion +, the Ibanez tube screamer, the Boss Od-1 and many others and Jeff Beck has used it since the 80s. It seems that the Rat is king 👑
at least compare with the same knob settings...
km5658 they are two different circuits, aligning the knobs won’t do anything to compare their sound, I do it by ear to get each pedal close to each other in tone and volume as I go through the gain range