The Splinter Drive is a hand-made overdrive pedal from ChiralityAudio, an Italo-Irish pedal company. Delicious Audio describes it as a Tube Screamer 808-inspired dirt box: a familiar overdrive starting point, extended with two toggle switches and an internal 18v supply that give it a wider range than the circuit it draws from1.
At low gain settings, the maker says it works like a clean boost, adding body and sustain without altering the instrument's own character. Push the Drive up and rhythms turn crunchy while leads cut through the mix. At high gain with more bass selected, the extra low end brings not only a bassier tone but also more fuzzy harmonics, edging toward fuzz territory1.
The controls: three knobs and two toggles
The Splinter is a three-knob pedal, but the toggles do much of the tonal work1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive | Sets the amount of gain, from clean boost to fuzzy drive |
| Level | Sets output volume |
| Tone | Shapes the treble response |
| Left toggle | Three separate clipping diode modes, from subtle harmonics enhancement to more complex textures |
| Right toggle | Three amounts of low end, with the L setting the most radical |
The clipping toggle is what broadens the pedal's palette: the three diode modes range from subtle harmonics enhancement to more complex textures. The low-end toggle interacts with gain, so at high gain settings more bass means both a bassier tone and more fuzzy harmonics1.
Power and headroom
The Splinter runs from a standard 9V power supply but operates internally at 18v, which ChiralityAudio says grants better transient response and lets it handle line level signals. That headroom is why the maker describes it as a pedal that works well with synths as well as guitar1.
Versions and build
Two versions exist. The matte black version carries a high quality graphic print. The Custom Shop version is natural brushed aluminum: the maker describes a long manual process of brushing the enclosure and transferring the graphic through etching, so no two look the same. The Custom Shop is manufactured only on demand1.
Switching is true bypass, implemented with a dedicated PCB rather than a hand wired footswitch1.
Circuit lineage
The Splinter runs from a standard 9V power supply but generates increased headroom internally at 18V, which Chirality Audio says grants better transient response and allows the pedal to handle line level signals, making it work well with synths1. The circuit's flexibility extends to its looks as well: the black version features a high quality graphic print, while the silver Custom Shop version is a brushed aluminum enclosure with the graphic transferred through etching, a long manual process that means no two look the same1.
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Questions
Is the Splinter Drive true bypass?
Yes. ChiralityAudio implements true bypass switching with a dedicated PCB rather than a hand wired footswitch, according to the product page published by Delicious Audio. That means the pedal's circuit is taken fully out of the signal path when it is switched off.
Does the Splinter Drive work with synths?
The pedal runs internally at 18v, which ChiralityAudio says grants a better transient response and lets it handle line level signals. That extra headroom is why the maker describes it as a pedal that works well with synths as well as guitar.
Is the Splinter Drive based on a Tube Screamer?
Delicious Audio describes the Splinter as a Tube Screamer 808-inspired overdrive. It is not a straight copy: the two toggle switches, three clipping diode modes and internal 18v operation take it well beyond the stock 808 circuit.
Where is ChiralityAudio made?
ChiralityAudio is described as an Italo-Irish pedal company, and the Splinter Drive is hand crafted in Europe. The Custom Shop version, with its brushed aluminum etched enclosure, is manufactured only on demand.
Sources (1)
- ChiralityAudio Splinter Drive, Delicious Audio, 2021-07-08