The Airis Effects Savage Drive is a hand-built overdrive pedal from Canada aimed squarely at down-tuned high gain metal. Delicious Audio's page on the current version describes it as extremely loud, tight, dynamic and aggressive, and quotes the builder presenting it as "the most aggressive overdrive out there"1. It sits among overdrive pedals rather than distortion pedals, but its design brief is high gain rhythm playing on lowered tunings.
What it does to your sound
Airis Effects built the pedal around a specific problem: how a drive or boost sits with an amplifier's low end. Delicious Audio passes on the builder's reasoning: "The difference between loving and hating a drive or boost pedal is the lo-mid frequencies it has present. This pedal changes that"1. The result, as described, is a pedal tuned for tight, aggressive low-tuned rhythm tones rather than a mild clean boost.
The V5's EQ gives the player direct control over that balance. The Low knob "can tighten your sound when dimmer and enhance your chug at higher levels," with some fuzziness available at its maximum1. Earlier versions of the pedal had only a two-knob EQ section, so the expanded controls are the most visible change in the redesign1.
On the output side, Robyn N's 2016 review at Pedal of the Day found the volume and gain knobs "very much like a regular tube screamer volume and gain knob but with more sweep"2, a familiar arrangement for anyone who has used a Tube Screamer-style drive.
Power: 9V only, 25 to 40 mA
The Savage Drive needs care with its power supply. Delicious Audio's page is emphatic1:
"The Savage Drive features an onboard bi-polar power supply, so it requires 9volts ONLY!!! Higher voltage will only damage it."1
Use a 9V DC center-negative adapter with a 2.1mm plug only. The pedal draws 25 to 40 mA, and the adapter is not included with the pedal1.
The V5 redesign and earlier versions
Airis Effects unveiled the V5 in March 2022 as a full redesign of the circuit, expanding the EQ from the two controls of previous versions to a four-way section1. The build hardware was also specified up: Neutrik jacks, Alpha pots and high quality low tolerance components, in a heavy duty diecast aluminum enclosure that stays lightweight1.
The Savage name also appears on related pedals from the French builder Anasounds, which are different designs sharing the family345:
- The Anasounds Savage Originale MK1 Reissue is described by its maker as warm and extremely responsive to playing dynamics, perfect for rock, pop, folk or blues3.
- The Anasounds Savage & Cerberus ltd edition is listed by the maker under both distortion and overdrive categories5.
- Anasounds' pedal-chain buying guide describes the Savage as a transparent overdrive with very low gain but high volume, made to hit the tubes and bring out the amplifier's personality4.
What reviewers said
Robyn N at Pedal of the Day, reviewing the earlier version in 2016, gave the pedal a strong verdict: "The Airis Effects Savage Drive is one of the most underrated overdrive pedals out there," describing it as versatile despite a metal-oriented graphic overall2. Delicious Audio, covering the V5, suggested that "extreme tone lovers should give the [Airis Effects Savage Drive] a try"1.
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Airis Effects
Airis Effects
Ola Englund
Questions
What does the Low knob do on the Savage Drive?
On the V5, the Low knob shapes the low end in a way that matters for down-tuned playing. At lower settings it tightens the sound, and at higher levels it enhances the chug, with some fuzziness available at the maximum setting. Delicious Audio's description of the pedal highlights this control as central to the V5's redesigned EQ section.
Is the Airis Savage Drive true bypass?
Yes. The V5 is true bypass and uses a heavy duty mechanical footswitch, according to Delicious Audio's product page for the pedal. That means the pedal's circuit is out of the signal path when it is off.
Where is the Airis Savage Drive made?
The Savage Drive is hand built in Canada by Airis Effects. Delicious Audio's page on the V5 describes the Canadian builder's pedal as, in the builder's own presentation, the most aggressive overdrive out there.
Does the Savage Drive work for genres other than metal?
Possibly, despite its metal orientation. Robyn N at Pedal of the Day called the Savage Drive one of the most underrated overdrive pedals out there and described it as versatile despite a metal-oriented graphic overall. The related Anasounds Savage mk1, a different take on the Savage name, is described as warm and responsive to playing dynamics, suited to rock, pop, folk or blues.
Sources (5)
- Airis Effects Savage Drive V5, Delicious Audio, 2022-03-03
- Airis Effects Savage Drive, Pedal of the Day, 2016-02-28
- Savage Originale mk1 reissue, Anasounds, 2025-01-17
- Learn how to chain your effects pedals, Anasounds, 2020-09-18
- SAVAGE & CERBERUS, Anasounds, 2022-07-05
