TANDRIVER

$5.00 $7.50

TANDRIVER

TANDRIVER is a wave shaper / distortion module based on two classic tangent-based clipping functions often used in the synthesiser and effects plugin domain. TANDRIVER is slightly unusual in that it allows you to choose between the two functions for the positive and negative input signal which can often give a nice blend between hard and soft clipping. We also thought it might be cool to try this effect on guitar, so we did, and we liked it so much we added some guitar specific features such as noise reduction, speaker cab and double-tracking emulation and a guitar amp inspired tonestack plus 5-band EQ.

Initially we borrowed the basic design from our low gain overdrive module CLIPDRIVER, then totally re-worked the drive section. We then extended TANDRIVER with noise reduction features so it could be used as a one-stop recording and giging machine.

TANDRIVER has two totally independent channels for processing stereo or dual mono inputs. When either input is used on its own, it will be routed to both outputs.

The large red button at the top of the module toggles TANDRIVER between active and bypass mode.

GATE enables a “set it / forget it” noise gate which is useful for high DRIVE settings or when the background noise level becomes noticeable. The LED next to the button will indicate when the gate is open (blue) and closed (red).

TIGHT mode when lit, increases the overall compression for a “tighter” feel, useful for lead playing. When off, the response is a bit more dynamic and “open”.

BUZZ KILL is useful if you experience mains hum noise, typically when using single coil guitar pickups. Set it to the left for 50Hz and to the right for 60Hz depending on where you are in the World. US for example, would be 60Hz. The centre position is off / no BUZZ KILL filter.

CAB SIM mode when lit, engages our guitar amp cabinet simulator based on the 12” speaker emulation in the JUNIORVERB DELUXE+. For extra realism we’ve added a touch of room ambience to give your guitar a sense of space.

ADT mode when lit adds a subtle amount of automatic double-tracking effect, giving a fuller sound and a little stereo enhancement. If you like the ADT effect but feel the need to tweak it further, you may also be interested in our FAKE TAKE module which has lots more double-tracking parameters to tweak!

DRIVE increases the gain of the signal going into the clipping section which gives you something between light crunch and pretty heavy overdrive tones depending on the strength of the incoming signal. Due to the variable and smooth clipping applied, TANDRIVER can respond well to dynamics and playing style when used with electric guitar. For example, try setting the gain high, then roll back your guitar volume for rhythm playing and turn it all the way up for a solo - no separate gain boost required! Alternatively, use the same technique with our MORE OR LESS module to reduce or increase your guitar volume by an exact amount with the flick of a switch.

LEVEL is an attenuation control allowing you to reduce the final output level if needed. This control does not change the drive effect, and at maximum setting, there is no attenuation.

Next we have a pair of switches to change the wave shaping functions applied to the positive and negative side of the input waveform. In musical terms the ATAN (arctangent or inverse tangent) function tends to produce a smoother overdrive with softer clipping, compared to the TANH function. TANH (hyperbolic tangent) leans more towards a harsher and brighter tone, not unlike a square wave when pushed really hard. It’s often possible to achieve sonically interesting results by applying different functions to the + and - parts of the input signal so we encourage you to experiment with different settings!

BASS, MIDDLE and TREBLE are active cut and boost controls for low, mid and high frequencies. At their centre position, no cut or boost is applied. These controls are applied before the clipping stage so can have quite a dramatic effect on the type of tones TANDRIVER produces, so we urge you to experiment!

The left / right arrows control adjusts the bandwidth of the middle frequency between 0.5 and 5 octaves. Around 2.5 octaves gives a classic “midrange hump”. At maximum, when boosting, the MIDDLE control is effectively operating as a full range boost. Please note that the MIDDLE control has much more gain boost available so small adjustments can have quite a dramatic effect on the overall tone!

To the right of the MIDDLE control is a L/M/H frequency shift switch that changes the centre frequency of the MIDDLE control to 500 (L), 625 (M) or 750 (H) Hz.

The MIDDLE control can also be switched in and out with the adjacent button.

The CV DRIVE section allows you to select between two different DRIVE settings by sending a CV trigger (1.0V or more) to the input jack. For example, you could use our MIDISWITCH-3 to setup a MIDI controller to switch between a rhythm and lead sound.

The EQ section (also CV switchable) is a 5-band graphic EQ based on a classic guitar amp. In contrast to the tonestack, the EQ occurs after the drive section allowing you to fine-tune your overall tone before it goes on to the CAB SIM processing. Each band covers a 1 octave range with the centre frequency shown below the slider.

CV MIDDLE allows CV switching of the MIDDLE control when using it as a variable boost or cut effect.

The FX INSERT section is an optional effects loop that occurs before the drive section. This allows effects to be inserted after the GATE and BUZZ KILL processing. For example, you could insert our MORE OR LESS boost module so that the boost is applied after the guitar signal has had mains hum attenuated and without any background noise being amplified when the GATE is closed.

Please note that TANDRIVER has been designed so its output should not exceed +/-5.0V so you can push it as hard as you like! If you’re using instruments such as guitar, keep in mind TANDRIVER increases the gain of incoming signals so will also amplify any background noise. In most cases, the built in GATE and BUZZ KILL features should get you through the gig or recording session without noise-related hassle, but if you find yourself wanting more tweakability, we also have a dedicated BUZZ KILL noise reduction module available.

We hope you enjoy going off on a tangent with TANDRIVER!

Title of Song

  • TANDRIVER-GUITAR-Ben-Rockin.mp3
  • TANDRIVER-GUITAR-Bluesy-Ben.mp3