Thinking about trying another Airis Savage Drive 2.0

[harddriver]

I had a version 2 I think. I originally got it to drive my splawn modded 2203 into modern Dime type of tightness but I felt the tight and bite controls produce drastic changes to the tone enough for some reason. Well the VFE standout did what the Savage drive couldn't do for that one application. Maybe the bite and tight controls are more noticeable on a Mesa Dual Recto versus my Marshall?

Now for hard rock into my 72SL and 68 plexi I liked it... the hifi quality of the Savage due to it using the Burr Brown chip.

Exactly what is the bite and tight controls on the savage? Is the tight controlling the freguency Q of the lows to cut or boost them? Airis was a little vague on that explanation.

Is the bite control like a hit cut?

I kinda like what I am hearing in the Wizard Leopard also has that clarity I like but for some reason I'm thinking it would be nice to have that tight control to loosen it up some at times that the Savage Drive had.

 

[napalmdeath]

Try a V3, that's what I have. They cleaned up the noise filtering in it in addition to the top-mount jacks.

I find it only colors your tone when you get crazy with the Bite. The Bite & Tight really react to one another. The Dragon is a tad compressed, but there's an internal trim pot to adjust it. It's a tight pedal as well.

Or, I'd recommend a VFE Dragon.

 

[apophis]

The Savage V4(newest) is great, sounds a bit less Hi-fi in a way. Also the gain pot will add some low mids that were not there on v3 and v2.Also if you can get one, the proto drive, or smg proto are great, they have a mid sweep knob that makes em work for almost any amp and guitar

 

[JerEvil]

Man I really want a V4. Airis is a funny brand. I wrote them off because of their silly “I’m so brutal” artwork but fuck me, my Tight Pre and Tight Scream are amazing.

 

[apophis]

Man I really want a V4. Airis is a funny brand. I wrote them off because of their silly “I’m so brutal” artwork but fuck me, my Tight Pre and Tight Scream are amazing.

Yeah at first I didnt like the first pedals they made but v4 changed my mind, and now i have a brutal drive, proto drive and tight pre...they all sound awesome, he really stepped up his game with these to be honest. There have also been a few I did not like that much but he offers enough options where you can try out until you find something, but you really cant go wrong with some of them

 

[harddriver]

I am thinking the Version 3 Protodrive might be more to my liking versus the V4 Savage drive. I like the Midsweep and Q control idea, seems like it would be awesome in theory anyway.

Will the Protodrive still have about the same low cut as a standard Maxon OD808?

 

[apophis]

I am thinking the Version 3 Protodrive might be more to my liking versus the V4 Savage drive. I like the Midsweep and Q control idea, seems like it would be awesome in theory anyway.

Will the Protodrive still have about the same low cut as a standard Maxon OD808?

yeah it does cut some lows, especially on focused mode, but the mid sweep is the magic knob on this one, you can make it work with virtually any guitar or amp just by tweaking... You could try joining the Airis facebook group and ask if somebody would sell

 

[napalmdeath]

Their prices have skyrocketed lately. I bought the Tight Pre when it came out, and it was $85. Now they're double.

 

[JerEvil]

Their prices have skyrocketed lately. I bought the Tight Pre when it came out, and it was $85. Now they're double.

Yeah I bought the Tight Scream and Tight Pre for that as well. They are in plain enclosures. I want to have someone illustrate some art on them.

 

[stratjacket]

I’ve owned one for about 4 years now, not sure what version it is but it’s a mainstay on the pedalboard. Love it.

For right or wrong, I’ve always looked at the Bite control as a 2nd presence control, it adds overall edge to the sound. The Tight control, I’ve always felt it was a high pass filter to be able to sculpt the bottom end. I don’t know if that is correct, but it’s the way it feels to me. They also play off each other.

 

[MetalHeadMike]

Not sure what version Savage Drive I had, but I liked it. As I compared against different pedals I found I like others more. It was a great boost but the Duncan 805 just sounds more natural and crunchy to me. The 805 has sent about 7-8 ODs down the road (VFE Dragon, Waza SD-1, Maxon OD9, Pro plus, Shur Koko original to name a few). The new Mesa Goldmine has actually had my 805 sitting collecting dust for the last few weeks (not because it's better, but different). Not as cutting or tight as the 805, but sounds great/feels great.

I hesitate to buy any more ODs without a three band eq...such a huge feature set for me. Pedal trims low end to tighten, then use the pedal eq to add bass back in to thicken it back up.

 

[apophis]

Not sure what version Savage Drive I had, but I liked it. As I compared against different pedals I found I like others more. It was a great boost but the Duncan 805 just sounds more natural and crunchy to me. The 805 has sent about 7-8 ODs down the road (VFE Dragon, Waza SD-1, Maxon OD9, Pro plus, Shur Koko original to name a few). The new Mesa Goldmine has actually had my 805 sitting collecting dust for the last few weeks (not because it's better, but different). Not as cutting or tight as the 805, but sounds great/feels great.

I hesitate to buy any more ODs without a three band eq...such a huge feature set for me. Pedal trims low end to tighten, then use the pedal eq to add bass back in to thicken it back up.

If the savage has inputs on sides its v1 or v2, if on top it is v3. New graphic is V4.

 

[napalmdeath]

Not sure what version Savage Drive I had, but I liked it. As I compared against different pedals I found I like others more. It was a great boost but the Duncan 805 just sounds more natural and crunchy to me. The 805 has sent about 7-8 ODs down the road (VFE Dragon, Waza SD-1, Maxon OD9, Pro plus, Shur Koko original to name a few). The new Mesa Goldmine has actually had my 805 sitting collecting dust for the last few weeks (not because it's better, but different). Not as cutting or tight as the 805, but sounds great/feels great.

I hesitate to buy any more ODs without a three band eq...such a huge feature set for me. Pedal trims low end to tighten, then use the pedal eq to add bass back in to thicken it back up.

If the savage has inputs on sides its v1 or v2, if on top it is v3. New graphic is V4.

They had the old graphics on V4 for a time. And, I believe V1 & V2 had clipping diodes, but don't quote me on that. Not that it's a bad thing..

 

[Readyaimfire]

I’ve got a v2 savage and a brutal drive. They work great on darker sounding amps. I find them a bit much on some brighter sounding amps though.

 

[harddriver]

Not sure what version Savage Drive I had, but I liked it. As I compared against different pedals I found I like others more. It was a great boost but the Duncan 805 just sounds more natural and crunchy to me. The 805 has sent about 7-8 ODs down the road (VFE Dragon, Waza SD-1, Maxon OD9, Pro plus, Shur Koko original to name a few). The new Mesa Goldmine has actually had my 805 sitting collecting dust for the last few weeks (not because it's better, but different). Not as cutting or tight as the 805, but sounds great/feels great.

I hesitate to buy any more ODs without a three band eq...such a huge feature set for me. Pedal trims low end to tighten, then use the pedal eq to add bass back in to thicken it back up.

You are stoking my interest in the Duncan 805. Please tell me more, I like the description of natural and still crunchy. I also like the full eq in the design. Is there alot of compression in the Duncan 805. I didn't really hear any compression in the Airis Savage drive which I liked.

I tried a VFE Merman which was cool and had a nice clarity to it but I heard a compression with it that I didn't care for... it was a great sounding pedal just what I was looking for. I like the uncompressed boost clarity that you get from say like an EQ pedal, like the Boss GE7 or MXR 6 Band with a slight flat mids boost and low end cut that makes it a much more natural sounding boost to my ears.

I think that why I like the sound of this Wizard leopard but I would like the mids adjustable which leads me to the Airis Protodrive that I am also intriqued by. Your description sounds like the Duncan 805 is in this camp.

Funny enough Mike you bought my Savage Drive from me......