The 1981 Inventions DRV MOD 2 HYPERFADE is a distortion pedal and a modified take on the 1981 Inventions DRV, the circuit that started the Nashville company's run of small-batch drives. Where the standard DRV is an overdrive and distortion in one box, the HYPERFADE is a variant of that circuit that uses a considerably larger input cap for more low end, which the maker describes as very noticeable. It is a high quality and unique distortion pedal in sound and design, in the maker's words, and it is currently sold out1.
What it is and how it sounds
The HYPERFADE is a mod of the DRV that uses a considerably larger input cap, added for more low end. The maker describes the result as huge, warm, and the most aggressive circuit the company has done, with tons of low end thump. The hybrid clipping section, which uses two different "secret" diodes, gives it more midrange grit than LED clipping alone, and at the lowest gain settings it runs cleaner than a standard DRV1.
The circuit's lineage matters to players who know the DRV. The original was originally engineered and designed by Jon Ashley of Bondi Effect, and the HYPERFADE version has been redesigned and engineered by John Snyder of Electronic Audio Experiments1.
"It's huge, warm, and also the most aggressive circuit that I've ever done."
The controls
The pedal keeps the DRV's familiar two-knob layout, and the maker's notes on each control come straight from the product page1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Runs from barely clipping clean at zero up to nearly fuzz; the maker says he loves the middle range in particular1 |
| CUT | A cut control; the maker suggests it sounds cool to open the CUT knob all the way1 |
The enclosure is black with HYPERFADE print, which the maker calls a personal favorite, in powder coating with a slight texture, wearing oversized black metal knobs1.
Power and bypass
The HYPERFADE runs on 9 to 18V standard Boss-style power, so it will sit happily on a board with a normal center-negative supply. A battery clip or power supply is not included, and the maker recommends an isolated power supply2.
Bypass is set with an internal switch to select true-bypass, which the maker describes as "almost always worse, but sometimes better." If your long cable runs or other pedals make a buffer useful, leave it in its default mode; if you prefer true-bypass, open it up and flip the switch1.
How it compares to the other DRV versions
The DRV MOD 2 HYPERFADE is a variation on 1981 Inventions' DRV distortion circuit. The maker describes it as "huge, warm, and also the most aggressive circuit that I've ever done," with more midrange grit than LED clipping alone, tons of low end thump, and a sound cleaner than a standard DRV at the lowest gain settings1.
The company's bass-oriented variant, the DRV BASS MOD V2, shares much of the same DNA: the same gain knob character up to nearly fuzz, the same CUT knob advice, and the same internal true-bypass switch. It differs in power, running on 9V standard Boss-style power rather than the HYPERFADE's 9 to 18V, and it came in Blackout or Stormtrooper colorways with long point black knobs on black or dumble knobs (UFO) on white2.
Availability and shipping
The HYPERFADE is sold out as of 25 October 2026. When batches are available, the maker ships internationally at a flat rate of $35 USD via UPS Expedited, and EU orders will be responsible for VAT taxes. Pedals from this batch are hand assembled by the maker in Nashville, TN1.
Videos
Mike D. Martinez
BUSCADORES DEL BUEN TONO by AlberTone
Sources (2)
- DRV MOD 2 HYPERFADE, 1981 Inventions
- DRV BASS + GTR MOD LED, 1981 Inventions
