Zendrive 1 Vs. Zendrive 2 Vs. Mosferatu (Part 1 of 3)

[BenjaminMochar]

Hey,

I am debating between a zendrive and a mosferatu. I mostly play worship stuff like Hillsong and Jesus Culture. What do you think would be a better fit for me?

[29396]

Hey man, would the Zendrive sound good stacked with an Xotic RC Booster for your typical Hillsong worship stuff? My idea was to use the Zendrive as the 1st stage OD, then kick in the RC for leads.

Nice demo btw, God bless.

Joe

[Passenger95]

@29396 For sure! That RC stacks great with almost anything. Awesome pedal. :-)

[29396]

@Passenger95

[29396]

@Passenger95 Thanks

[lukatme2]

sounds really good. Have you tried a BB preamp and if so, how do the2 compare?

[Passenger95]

Unfortunately, I haven't. I apologize. I have played Xotic's RC Booster though, and it was definitely high quality stuff. So you probably can't go wrong with either the BB or the Hermida stuff. But there is something special about the way the Hermida pedals maintain the amp's character when pushed. Sorry I couldn't be of more help!

[brandon5pennies]

would you say the zendrive 1 or 2 is better for a shawn lane like tone? more of a smooth tone?

[Passenger95]

For a Shawn Lane tone, I'd say Zen1 out of the two of them. But for his tone, you might be better off with a Skreddy Top Fuel or a Matchless Hotbox. :-)

[brandon5pennies]

why not the zendrive 2? you would think that the tube would give it a smoother sound i know that guthrie govan uses the zendrive 1 i just haven't heard enough of the zendrive 2 to really understand which would suit what better

[Passenger95]

Well, in the end, use whatever works for you. :-) Just in my humble opinion, most of those guys' playing the smooth rock/metal leads, are getting most of their tone from a cranked amp and pickups...the pedals are secondary. So, it is possible to get that tone with Zens. But the Zen2 is very warm and bluesy sounding with that tube, the opposite of what I've heard from Shawn Lane. And if you check Hermida's site, both pedals were built w blues intention in mind. In the end, play what you dig! :-)

[openroadband]

I have to ask the dumb question... How do you run those pedals at 12 volts? and what is the benefit?

[Passenger95]

You can run them higher than 9 volts by just getting an adapter that's rated higher. Or, in my case, I'm powering them with the Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2, which has a switch on the bottom for the outlets, to have them output 12 volts instead of 9.

The more volts you run an overdrive at, the more clean headroom it gets, which increases transparency. However, the more volts, the more sag; and too much sag, and you lose tightness....

[Passenger95]

.....So there's a happy medium for each drive pedal somewhere between 12 and 24 volts. Each pedal is different. And also, you HAVE TO make sure the pedal can handle more than 9 volts. Some can't. If it's not in the pedal's manual, check with the manufacturer. I believe the Hermida pedals shown here can all go from 9 to 18 volts. Other pedals, like the Fulltone OCD can go all the way to 24 volts.

[openroadband]

Other than using the Voodoo Power 2, if you just use a different adaptor, I'm quessing you have to watch the amp rating?

[Passenger95]

I hesitate to say this, because I'd hate to kill pedals, but in my humble experience, I've found that the pedal only uses the power it needs. So, even though the Zens only need 100mA of power, I have hooked them up to adapters rated at 500mA and been fine. You do need to make sure the mA rating is not lower than what your pedal requires. But higher is fine.

Although, definitely cross check this somewhere. :-) I read this somewhere, and it's worked for me, but I tend to be an idiot, too. hehe

[Gust9]

You're right, a voltage source (wall wart) will give a set voltage and the current that is drawn. It can only supply a certain amount of current, but will supply anything below that limit, nothing more. So yes, it's perfectly safe, I actually use 1A adaptors and they are great for powering multieffects or multiple pedals, but also fine for single effects.

[Passenger95]

Thanks for the clarification! Really appreciate it. :-) Cheers!

[xiphoidprocess]

Killer tone, man. And nice demo. Thanks. What type of strat by the way? Gerard ..........? It sounds killer.

And have you ever tried a box of rock zvex? I have one and am loving it. I'm getting an ocd, on the list for a king of tone and am probably getting an zendrive. Any suggestions?

[xiphoidprocess]

And what type of amp are you playing through?

[Passenger95]

It's a Holland. EL84 tubes, but more of a Bassman circuit.

[Passenger95]

Thanks for the kind words. It's a Gerard Melancon strat. I've yet to try the Box of Rock or the King of Tone, but the OCD is a fine pedal. I did like the Zen a little more, but that was strictly a preference thing. Congrats on the King of Tone, bro! :-)

[guns1rose]

Have you compared the ZENDRIVE 1 to the Fulltone OCD? I have the ocd v4 bt im thinking it sounds a little thin. Im going to buy the zendrive soon...

[Passenger95]

Yes, I've owned them both...the Fulltone is a great pedal, but it can be a bit thin. I've found it to be better on high gain/glassy lead sounds; where the Zendrive 1 is better for a warmer blues overdrive, and all around low to mid gain overdrive sounds.

Hope that helps! :-)

[Smrtokvitek]

zendrive 2 is awesome

[Passenger95]

Totally agree. Extremely amp-like, which totally trips me out.

[ZenDriveSeven]

Great demo! Your overall tone is fantastic!

[Passenger95]

Well thank you for the kind words, and glad the demo could be of some use. :) Have a splendid day!