Warm Audio announces Warmdrive and Centavo overdrive pedals

October 1, 2022 · 5 sources

Warm Audio has launched its own versions of two classic overdrive pedals, the Centavo and the Warmdrive, inspired by the Klon Centaur and the Hermida Audio Zendrive respectively¹. Both pedals are available now¹².

The Centavo is described by Warm Audio as an "accurate recreation" of the Centaur, using TL072 op-amps and "premium" diodes, in a gold-finished enclosure of the same style as the original¹. It has three knobs for Gain, Treble and Output³², plus a MOD switch on the back that engages a mod made famous by Jeff Beck, extending the low end response on the lower guitar strings by changing the value on the high pass filter¹³. The Centavo is buffered and takes a 9V DC pedalboard power supply².

The Warmdrive is a close visual replica of the Zendrive, down to the font and knob choices¹, with four controls: Volume, Gain, Tone and Voice³². Voice modifies the frequency range before the clipping stages and Tone after them³². Its circuit uses 2N7000 MOSFETs, an NE5532 op-amp, carbon resistors and both 1N34A germanium and Schottky BAT41 diodes³². It is true bypass and takes a 9V DC supply².

Guitar World gives the Centavo at $179 and the Warmdrive at $149³; MusicRadar gives the Centavo at $179 street and the Warmdrive at $149²; Premier Guitar gives the same two figures⁴.

In a first-look review, Gearnews reported significant noise during bypass on the Warmdrive when combined with humbuckers, a flaw it said the original did not have, and found the Warmdrive could sound muffled with some pickups⁵. It called the Centavo a well-made Klon clone but found the sound too upfront and glassy with its Jazzmaster, and the gain knob fiddly near bypass⁵.