
Authenticity-minded Warm Audio enters the vacuum left by the departed Fulltone OCD.
Hot, often-Marshall-like drive tones that arenāt burdened by boxiness. Nice dynamic sensitivity. High-quality feel.
Treble tones can be very sizzly, making many amps and guitars a poor match.
$119
Warm Audio ODD Box V1
warmaudio.com
Though, in many respects, you could trace its DNA back to the DOD 250 and MXR Distortion+, the Fulltone OCD hit a sweet spot and felt pretty fresh to a lot of players when it was new. It had the edginess and attitude of those hard-clipping drive/distortion pioneers. But it could also sound more open and natural than some of its fellow hard-clipping circuits when tuned just right. Warm Audioās ODD Box V1, which, as any genius can guess, is an OCD clone at almost every turn, shares those attributes at a very nice $119 price, which is extra attractive given its through-hole construction and the attention that went into its execution.
Sensitive, But Comes on Strong
I came to know the Fulltone OCD via the pedalboard of a studio mate, whose rig was geared toward heavy psychedelic sounds. He used it at a relatively low gain setting and situated it downstream from a germanium Fuzz Face. I tended to experiment with the pedal in that context, and I was always impressed with how it felt aggressive but controlled and not too bossy. Pairing it with the Fuzz Face made for a pretty dangerous combination, too. The ODD Box V1 is capable of all these tricksāthough it often feels a bit bossier than the OCD that lives in my memory.
If you had to classify the ODD Box V1ās essence, āMarshall-yā would be a good place to start. It feels immediate, explosive at times, and brimming with scalding top end if you want it. That tendency toward toppiness can make the ODD Box V1 a tricky fit with some amps. Even at low gain and conservative tone settings, the ODD was a poor fit for a black-panel Vibrolux with a lively treble signature. But a squishier black-panel Tremolux coaxed a thicker, richer tone picture, and a darker silver-panel Bassman (which, to my ears, sounds and behaves much like a mid-scooped Marshall plexi) felt like a near ideal fit.In these more optimal pairings, the ODD Box V1 can shine, particularly in low-to-mid-gain settings. It can coax the midrange hiding in the corners of darker amps, making chords sound thick and vividly detailed. It also lends size to lead tones without sounding fuzzy or obscuring an instrumentās voice. Bridge PAFs growl beautifully in this low-gain zone, and Stratocaster neck pickups take on a tasty edge and satisfying mass. At higher gain settings, the ODD Box V1 fast veers toward tones that, to my surprise, seemed like a good match for thrash and British metal. Itās surprisingly aggressive, and if youāre not careful, treble tones can get a bit sizzly. I had to work the tone controls on my guitar, my amps, and the pedal pretty actively to get it in the right pocket. Itās easy to hear how lightning-fast leads would benefit from these pronounced treble tones. But if you like a more forgiving, compressed touch at these high gain levels, the ODD might feel a bit hot.
āIt can coax the midrange hiding in the corners of darker amps, making chords sound thick and vividly detailed.ā
Though the ODD has a strong personality, its touch sensitivity and responsiveness to varied guitar volume and tone input extends its flexibility and marks another difference between it and pedals with a similar voice, like the Boss SD-1 (which often sounds like a boxier, less complex cousin to the ODD Box V1). Itās pretty easy to summon full-sounding, near-clean tones with a little less guitar volume, and much of that sizzling top end can be rounded off with a quick flick of an instrumentās tone knob.
The Verdict
I love that Warm Audio chases analog authenticity at fair prices. But considering how many rarities and out-of-reach vintage pieces theyāve cloned, itās a little curious that they chose to replicate a pedal as ubiquitous as the OCDāeven in light of Fulltoneās disappearance. The ODD Box V1ās core tonalities tend toward hot, reactive, and distinctly on the Marshall side of the drive spectrum. If thatās a realm where you like to dwell, itās an affordable alternative to pricier amp-in-a-box solutions like the ZVEX Box of Rock, and more dynamic, open, and natural sounding than an SD-1 and its cousins. For all its Marshall-ness, though, with the right ampāusually one on the darker sideāyou can summon some of the personality of an angry Fender tweed or an old Supro running hot and wide open. It looks and feels like itās built for the long haul, inside and out. And if youāre a fan of spot-on aesthetic accuracy, Warm Audio nailed just about every facet of the OCDās look and feel. For players whose style aligns with its bold personality, itās a great value.
Warm Audio ODD and Mutation Phasor Demos | PG Plays
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- Confessions of a Pedal Nerd āŗ
- Warm Audio RingerBringer and Warm Bender Demo āŗ
- Warm Audio RingerBringer - A Comprehensive Review āŗ
- Warm Audio Pedal76 & WA-C1 Pedal Demos with Tom Butwin - Premier Guitar āŗ
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- Warm Audio WA-C1 Pedal Demo/Review - Premier Guitar āŗ
Lutefish, the real-time music collaboration device and platform, is excited to announce a suite of new features designed to simplify setup, streamline collaboration, and offer more flexible subscription options for Lutefish Stream users. These latest updates, Audio Presets, Automatic Session Recall, Improved Scheduling with Contact Visibility, and a new Yearly Subscription Plan, are all about making it easier than ever for musicians to jam together, no matter where theyāre based.
Save Time and Stay in the Flow with Audio Presets & Session Recall
Musicians can now save and reuse their exact audio settings, reducing setup time and ensuring every session sounds exactly as they want.
- Automatic Session Recall: When users leave a session, their current audio levels are automatically saved and restored when they rejoin.
- User-Defined Audio Presets: Each user can create and name up to five custom presets, like āBand Practice,ā āStudio Mic Setup,ā or āQuick Jam,ā making it effortless to jump back in with the perfect sound.
āThese tools are all about saving time and hassle,ā said Patrick Finn, Business Manager at Lutefish. āMusicians want to make music, not spend time rebalancing levels every session. With presets and recall, weāre giving them time back and helping them sound their best, every time.ā
Smarter Scheduling and Contact Visibility
The latest update to Lutefish also made it easier to find collaborators and book sessions. Users can now:- View all their contacts at a glance when scheduling a session.
- Instantly identify which contacts own a Lutefish Stream deviceāso they will always know whoās ready to jam.
Go Yearly and Save 20%
Lutefish now offers a Yearly Subscription Plan, providing users with the same great access as the monthly plan at a 20% discount.
This option is now available within the Lutefish app and web platform, and current monthly users are eligible for a discount with an upgrade to a yearly subscription.
Lutefishās mission has always been to empower musicians to connect and collaborate without boundaries. With these new updates, Lutefish Stream continues to break down barriersāwhether youāre jamming with a friend across town or collaborating with a bandmate 500 miles away.
For more information and to start jamming today, visitlutefish.com.
The veteran Florida-born metalcore outfit proves that you donāt need humbuckers to pull off high gain.
Last August, metalcore giants Poison the Well gave the world a gift: They announced they were working on their first studio album in 15 years. They unleashed the first taste, single āTrembling Level,ā back in January, and set off on a spring North American tour during which they played their debut record, The Opposite of December⦠A Season of Separation, in full every night.
PGās Perry Bean caught up with guitarists Ryan Primack and Vadim Taver, and bassist Noah Harmon, ahead of the bandās show at Nashvilleās Brooklyn Bowl for this new Rig Rundown.
Brought to you by DāAddario.Not-So-Quiet As a Mouse
Primack started his playing career on Telecasters, then switched to Les Pauls, but when his prized LPs were stolen, he jumped back to Teles, and now owns nine of them.
His No. 1 is this white one (left). Seymour Duncan made him a JB Model pickup in a single-coil size for the bridge position, while the neck is a Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound Staggered. He ripped out all the electronics, added a Gibson-style toggle switch, flipped the control plate orientation thanks to an obsession with Danny Gatton, and included just one steel knob to control tone. Primack also installed string trees with foam to control extra noise.
This one has Ernie Ball Papa Hetās Hardwired strings, .011ā.050.
Here, Kitty, Kitty
Primack runs both a PRS Archon and a Bad Cat Lynx at the same time, covering both 6L6 and EL34 territories. The Lynx goes into a Friedman 4x12 cab thatās been rebadged in honor of its nickname, āDonkey,ā while the Archon, which is like a ārefined 5150,ā runs through an Orange 4x12.
Ryan Primackās Pedalboard
Primackās board sports a Saturnworks True Bypass Multi Looper, plus two Saturnworks boost pedals. The rest includes a Boss TU-3w, DOD Bifet Boost 410, Caroline Electronics Hawaiian Pizza, Fortin ZUUL +, MXR Phase 100, JHS Series 3 Tremolo, Boss DM-2w, DOD Rubberneck, MXR Carbon Copy Deluxe, Walrus Slo, and SolidGoldFX Surf Rider III.
Taverās Teles
Vadim Taverās go-to is this cherryburst FenderĀ Telecaster, which he scored in the early 2000s and has been upgraded to Seymour Duncan pickups on Primackās recommendation. His white Balaguer T-style has been treated to the same upgrade. The Balaguer is tuned to drop C, and the Fender stays in D standard. Both have DāAddario strings, with a slightly heavier gauge on the Balaguer.
Dual-Channel Chugger
Taver loves his 2-channel Orange Rockerverb 100s, one of which lives in a case made right in Nashville.
Vadim Taverās Pedalboard
Taverās board includes an MXR Joshua, MXR Carbon Copy Deluxe, Empress Tremolo, Walrus ARP-87, Old Blood Noise Endeavors Reflector, MXR Phase 90, Boss CE-2w, and Sonic Research Turbo Tuner ST-200, all powered by a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus.
Big Duff
Harmonās favorite these days is this Fender Duff McKagan Deluxe Precision Bass, which heās outfitted with a Leo Quan Badass bridge. His backup is a Mexico-made Fender Classic Series ā70s Jazz Bass. This one also sports Primack-picked pickups.
Rental Rockers
Harmon rented this Orange AD200B MK III head, which runs through a 1x15 cab on top and a 4x10 on the bottom.
Noah Harmonās Pedalboard
Harmonās board carries a Boss TU-2, Boss ODB-3, MXR Dyna Comp, Darkglass Electronics Vintage Ultra, and a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus. His signal from the Vintage Ultra runs right to the front-of-house, and Harmon estimates that that signal accounts for about half of what people hear on any given night.
Kiesel Guitars has introduced their newest solid body electric guitar: the Kyber.
With its modern performance specs and competitive pricing, the Kyber is Kiesel's most forward-thinking design yet, engineered for comfort, quick playing, and precision with every note.
Introducing the Kiesel Kyber Guitar
- Engineered with a lightweight body to reduce fatigue during long performances without sacrificing tone. Six-string Kybers, configured with the standard woods and a fixed bridge, weigh in at 6 pounds or under on average
- Unique shape made for ergonomic comfort in any playing position and enhanced classical position
- The Kyber features Kiesel's most extreme arm contour and a uniquely shaped body that enhances classical position support while still excelling in standard position.
- The new minimalist yet aggressive headstock pairs perfectly with the body's sleek lines, giving the Kyber a balanced, modern silhouette.
- Hidden strap buttons mounted on rear for excellent balance while giving a clean, ultra-modern look to the front
- Lower horn cutaway design for maximum access to the upper frets
- Sculpted neck heel for seamless playing
- Available in 6 or 7 strings, fixed or tremolo in both standard and multiscale configurations Choose between fixed bridges, tremolos, or multiscale configurations for your perfect setup.
Pricing for the Kyber starts at $1599 and will vary depending on options and features. Learn more about Kieselās new Kyber model at kieselguitars.com
The Sunset is a fully analog, zero latency bass amplifier simulator. It features a ¼ā input, XLR and ¼ā outputs, gain and volume controls and extensive equalization. Itās intended to replace your bass amp both live and in the studio.
If you need a full sounding amp simulator with a lot of EQ, the Sunset is for you. It features a five band equalizer with Treble, Bass, Parametric Midrange (with frequency and level controls), Resonance (for ultra lows), and Presence (for ultra highs). All are carefully tuned for bass guitar. But donāt let that hold you back if youāre a keyboard player. Pianos and synthesizers sound great with the Sunset!
The Sunset includes Gain and master Volume controls which allow you to add compression and classic tube amp growl. It has both ¼ā phone and balanced XLR outputs - which lets you use it as a high quality active direct box. Finally, the Sunset features zero latency all analog circuitry ā important for the instrument most responsible for the bandās groove.
Introducing the Sunset Bass Amp Simulator
- Zero Latency bass amp simulator.
- Go direct into the PA or DAW.
- Five Band EQ:
- Treble and Bass controls.
- Parametric midrange with level and frequency controls.
- Presence control for extreme highs.
- Resonance control for extreme lows.
- Gain control to add compression and harmonics.
- Master Volume.
- XLR and 1/4" outputs.
- Full bypass.
- 9VDC, 200mA.
Artwork by Aaron Cheney
MAP price: $210 USD ($299 CAD).