Analog Man DS-1 Pro Midrange Mod

The Analog Man DS-1 Pro Midrange Mod is a modified BOSS DS-1 distortion pedal built by Analog Man, the New York shop run by Mike Piera. It takes a stock DS-1, replaces the stock components with high-grade audio parts, re-equalizes the pedal for a punchier sound, removes the inline chip and fits a JRC opamp chip in its place, and adds a Midrange knob the stock pedal does not have¹.

The point of all this is the DS-1's stock voicing. Oscar Jordan, reviewing the pedal for Premier Guitar, described the stock version as having "nasty high frequencies and an ice pick sensation," and said the modification aims to rid the DS-1 of exactly that, replacing it with "thickness, warmth and soul"².

What changes from a stock BOSS DS-1

The DS-1 has been modified by shops for decades. On That Pedal Show, Mick and Dan noted that "analog man and keely and jhs and a bunch of other guys and girls do mods to their ds1"³, and MusicRadar's history of the pedal likewise records that "boutique builders such as Keeley and Analog Man have put their own stamp on the circuit"⁴. GuitarPCB's technical analysis of the circuit lists Analog Man among the popular mods that make the 2000-era DS-1's tone thicker, stronger and more versatile⁵.

Analog Man's version makes several specific changes:

• Stock components are replaced with high-grade audio parts¹
• The pedal is re-equalized for a punchier sound¹
• The inline chip is removed and replaced with a JRC opamp chip¹
• A Midrange knob is added¹

One thing worth knowing if you plan to send in a pedal: the DS-1's board changed from through-hole to surface mount construction halfway through 2016, as Dan and Mick explained on That Pedal Show⁶. The factory op-amp has also changed several times over the years, which GuitarPCB attributes entirely to manufacturing stock and part obsolescence rather than sound decisions⁵.

What the Midrange knob does

The stock DS-1 has Tone, Distortion and Level controls, but no dedicated midrange shaping. The Midrange knob on this mod fills that gap. Premier Guitar's reviewer found that "with the addition of the Midrange knob, players also have the option of dialing in classic tube amp sounds or more modern, 'scooped' tones"¹. That is the practical difference from the standard DS-1 Pro Mod: same parts upgrade and re-equalization, plus a mid control.

How it differs from the Analog Man DS-1 Pro Mod

The DS-1 Pro Mod is Analog Man's base modification of the BOSS DS-1, replacing stock components with high-grade audio parts and re-equalizing the pedal for a punchier sound². The Pro Midrange Mod is that same package with the Midrange knob added¹. Jordan, who already owned the Pro Mod, described the difference in sound: "The first thing that came to mind upon hearing the modified pedal was the word creamy," finding the Midrange version warmer than the DS-1 Pro Mod and "in a totally different solar system than the stock version"².

What reviewers said

Premier Guitar's 2021 review called it a versatile distortion pedal with plenty of warmth, finding "the versatility to move between modern metal sounds and vintage-sounding gain with little effort," and noting it also worked for subtler rhythm tones and blues-rock¹. The reviewer's ultimate test was a weekly gig covering Ernie Isley, Eddie Hazel, Carlos Santana and Prince material¹.

Jordan's earlier 2008 review for Premier Guitar reached a similar conclusion from a different angle, praising the warmth and thickness the mod brings to a pedal he found harsh in stock form².

On That Pedal Show, Dan and Mick pointed to the mod as the answer to the stock DS-1's midrange, noting "there's a great Analog Man Mod that gives you a different that gives you a mid-range control actually"⁶.

Separately, Analog Man's own news page records that Sid McGinnis used the shop's DS-1/Pro pedal with his old 50s Strat and SID TONE tweed deluxe amp⁷.

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