Actually this is much like the difference between the ts-9 tubescreamer and the new vintage tubescreamer with the square button. Ac would be like the vintage with a rounder, fatter sound and ts would be the zen with a more nasal but singing tone. Mind you i'm illustrating the nature of the difference not comparing to tubescreamers. I own all but the zen which id like to get my hands on. The ac, bb, and rc for the time being replaced tubescreamers and serve me VERY well combined.
At first I thought the Zendrive was too bassy but I definitely hear what you mean by it being clearer at higher gain settings. Really cool demo, man. I would have never even given the AC Booster a second look. Thanks.
@LesterPaul01 I do have a Les Paul, but I sadly don't have either of these pedals anymore. Had to sell to make room for new ones! You really can't go wrong with either of them though.
@machogriz May I ask what pedals took their place. Man, I am a hopless gear whore! LOL. My pedal of choice this week for overdrive is a barber direct drive. Just kidding I really like the barber and it's been my fav for about 3 yrs. now. The timmy pedal has caught my ear though. rock on
@LesterPaul01 haha same here! I dunno what came right after these two, but right now I own the following: Xotic BB mid boost, 2 Xotic EP boost, Barber Unlimited, Barber Unlimited 2, Barber Direct Drive, Barber Small Fry, CMATMODS Butah and Signa Drive, Tech21 Liverpool, Malekko Ekko 616, MXR Carbon Copy, Fulltone Fulldrive 2, Keeley TS9 Mod Plus, GMD Luther Drive, Line 6 Verbzilla, Dunlop 535Q Wah, TC Electronic Polytune, Strymon Brigadier, and a GHeffects Goldrive...I think thats all of them :D
I had both. The Zendrive stays in my pedalboard. The AC is not a bad overdrive, but it has a false pick attack, sounds more harsh and generic to my ears, like a better version of a Tube Screamer.
I A/B'd a Rockbox Boiling Point against the xotic AC and the boiling point got everything of the AC but with much much more presence... and that's but part of the BP's box of tricks. Give it a try it's twice as much but you get 4 times as much versatility.
Great review, I've been looking to get a zendrive for a while now. Do you really think the A/C stacks well against it tonally? I have a hard time telling over youtube
@yallstaz I think for the most part, the AC can really hold its own against the Zendrive. What you hear in this video is pretty accurate to what it sounded like to me when I recorded this demo. There are spots where the Zendrive had a bit more clarity, but not by much, in my opinion.
Actually this is much like the difference between the ts-9 tubescreamer and the new vintage tubescreamer with the square button. Ac would be like the vintage with a rounder, fatter sound and ts would be the zen with a more nasal but singing tone. Mind you i'm illustrating the nature of the difference not comparing to tubescreamers. I own all but the zen which id like to get my hands on. The ac, bb, and rc for the time being replaced tubescreamers and serve me VERY well combined.
whynottalklikeapirat 2 months ago
At first I thought the Zendrive was too bassy but I definitely hear what you mean by it being clearer at higher gain settings. Really cool demo, man. I would have never even given the AC Booster a second look. Thanks.
TheRealRayJ 2 months ago
Sound very familar to each other...
For me, I pick Zendrive over AC by 0.01 point... :)
superannop 3 months ago
I have a Blues Junior with a Canibas Rex and am shopping for a good pedal. Great demo. What are the amp settings you use in this demo?
49bednar 3 months ago
@49bednar to be honest I don't remember exactly what they were, but I usually use the following settings:
Volume: between 3 and 5
Bass: around 9
Middle: around 5 or 6
Treble: around 3 or 4
Master: set to desired volume
Reverb: about 4
Fat Switch On
machogriz 3 months ago
Thanks for getting back so fast. The amp is new to me so I was wondering how to manage the volume and fat settings. Thanks again.
49bednar 3 months ago
Zen drive is so PHAT!
sportsportsport 6 months ago
very good job on that pedal shoutout, thanks.the zendrive can sound darker/ballsier than the AC booster.
rhum66 6 months ago
Dam, it would be a hard choice to choose which one I would take home! great demo. Do you have a Les paul handy??
LesterPaul01 6 months ago
@LesterPaul01 I do have a Les Paul, but I sadly don't have either of these pedals anymore. Had to sell to make room for new ones! You really can't go wrong with either of them though.
machogriz 6 months ago
@machogriz May I ask what pedals took their place. Man, I am a hopless gear whore! LOL. My pedal of choice this week for overdrive is a barber direct drive. Just kidding I really like the barber and it's been my fav for about 3 yrs. now. The timmy pedal has caught my ear though. rock on
LesterPaul01 6 months ago
@LesterPaul01 haha same here! I dunno what came right after these two, but right now I own the following: Xotic BB mid boost, 2 Xotic EP boost, Barber Unlimited, Barber Unlimited 2, Barber Direct Drive, Barber Small Fry, CMATMODS Butah and Signa Drive, Tech21 Liverpool, Malekko Ekko 616, MXR Carbon Copy, Fulltone Fulldrive 2, Keeley TS9 Mod Plus, GMD Luther Drive, Line 6 Verbzilla, Dunlop 535Q Wah, TC Electronic Polytune, Strymon Brigadier, and a GHeffects Goldrive...I think thats all of them :D
machogriz 6 months ago
Dam, it would be a hard choice to choose which one I would take home!
LesterPaul01 6 months ago
in a blind test you can't tell them apart, they are that similar. thanks for that great demo!
frankie28web 8 months ago
Zen drive colors the tone too much for me and loses clarity
LabelBob 8 months ago
@LabelBob really? that surprises me i found they're extremely similar but the zendrive is just a tiny bit more clear in my rig.
Schpudd 7 months ago
both sound scary similar....both great. i'd use either one.
cheers!
jashobbsie 1 year ago
I had both. The Zendrive stays in my pedalboard. The AC is not a bad overdrive, but it has a false pick attack, sounds more harsh and generic to my ears, like a better version of a Tube Screamer.
abnerfm 1 year ago
cool test, thanks a lot
TheNation21 1 year ago
I A/B'd a Rockbox Boiling Point against the xotic AC and the boiling point got everything of the AC but with much much more presence... and that's but part of the BP's box of tricks. Give it a try it's twice as much but you get 4 times as much versatility.
nvbeer 1 year ago
@nvbeer Thanks for that. I own a BP and i was about to buy an AC as well.
DFojas 1 year ago
Great review bro ! both pedals are amazing... very similars.
osvtorr 1 year ago
Great review, I've been looking to get a zendrive for a while now. Do you really think the A/C stacks well against it tonally? I have a hard time telling over youtube
yallstaz 1 year ago
@yallstaz I think for the most part, the AC can really hold its own against the Zendrive. What you hear in this video is pretty accurate to what it sounded like to me when I recorded this demo. There are spots where the Zendrive had a bit more clarity, but not by much, in my opinion.
machogriz 1 year ago
@machogriz Yea i see what you mean. I'm probably going to order a zendrive soon, I want that gritty OD sound.
yallstaz 1 year ago