The Cole Music Co. ParaDrive is an overdrive pedal with a parametric EQ built in. Instead of the fixed bass and treble shelves found on most drive pedals, it gives you a Frequency knob and an EQ Gain knob: you pick a frequency anywhere from 100Hz to 4kHz, then cut or boost it by up to 15dB1. Cole Music Co. released it in December 2019 at a list price of $1892.
The idea is that a drive pedal with a parametric EQ can shape its own voice. Premier Guitar's reviewer put it this way:
"With the Paradrive, Cole Music Co. gives you a parametric EQ that allows for quite a variety of tones, from low-gain gritty Americana to more scooped, modern-sounding hard-rock."3
An overdrive with a parametric EQ
The ParaDrive pairs a conventional overdrive circuit with what Guitar.com described as a parametric EQ section, noting it "appears to incorporate some Baxandall-esque considerations as well"2. The drive side is built on a dual FET Burr Brown/TI OPA2604AP circuit, which Guitar.com said underpins the two-knob gain structure and gives the pedal its touch sensitivity and medium gain profile2.
The pedal's circuit lineage is unusually well documented. Guitar.com reported that it "combines elements of several notable overdrive pedals, such as the 'Yellow' DOD OD-250, 'Brown' Ross Distortion and the more obscure Pearl OD-5"2. For players who know those circuits, that places the ParaDrive in the soft-clipping op-amp family rather than the fuzz or hard distortion camps.
A toggle switch selects between two diode clipping modes3:
| Toggle position | Clipping | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Left | Four N914 diodes | Recalls old Pro Co RAT pedals3 |
| Right | Pair of BAT41 diodes | More compressed and fuzzy, but with less gain3 |
That gives the pedal two distinct clipping voices on top of what the EQ section can do. Premier Guitar's reviewer summed up the pedal's strengths as "Plenty of gain. Incredible range of frequencies available."3
The controls: Drive, Level, Frequency and EQ Gain
The control layout is four knobs plus the clipping toggle. Premier Guitar's review described the drive and level controls as "pretty self-explanatory," with the toggle sitting below them alongside the frequency and EQ gain controls3.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive | Sets the amount of drive3 |
| Level | Sets the output level3 |
| Frequency | Selects the frequency to target, 100Hz to 4kHz1 |
| EQ Gain | Cuts or boosts the chosen frequency by up to 15dB1 |
| Toggle | Selects N914 (left) or BAT41 (right) diode mode3 |
The EQ is the heart of the pedal. As Premier Guitar's reviewer explained213:
"The idea here is that you chose a frequency and then either cut or boost it to taste."3
Guitar World described the Frequency and EQ Gain pair as letting you "dial in a particular frequency from 100Hz to 4kHz and then cut or boost the frequency by up to 15dB"1. In practice, that range covers the guitar's low end through the upper mids, so you can thin out mud, push a solo frequency forward, or scoop the mids for a more modern rock voice without touching your amp.
Premier Guitar's review included example settings that show how the controls interact. One demo clip was recorded with the bridge pickup, Drive at 5, Level at 4, Frequency at 800Hz, EQ Gain at +6, and the toggle in N914 mode3.
Bypass and build
The ParaDrive uses true bypass switching, reported by Premier Guitar, Guitar World and Guitar.com at the pedal's release412. Guitar.com noted the "true-bypass switching for maximum tonal integrity," and the pedal is housed in a polished aluminum enclosure2. Guitar World's coverage also noted the side-mount jacks1.
With side-mount jacks rather than top-mounted ones, the ParaDrive takes up a little extra horizontal space on a pedalboard, since the cables plug in at the sides of the enclosure.
Where it came from
Cole Music Co. debuted the ParaDrive in December 2019 as the first of its Parametric Pedal Series, priced at $1892. Premier Guitar announced it as the ParaDrive Parametric Overdrive pedal, with a parametric EQ, two clipping options and an MSRP of $1894. Guitar World covered it the same week, highlighting the parametric EQ technology and the same price1.
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar reviewed the pedal in June 2023 and found it lived up to the concept. The reviewer's verdict listed "Plenty of gain. Incredible range of frequencies available" among the pros, and described the tonal range as running "from low-gain gritty Americana to more scooped, modern-sounding hard-rock"3. The review's title called it "an overdrive [with] an identity crisis, in a good way," a nod to how far the EQ and clipping options can push the pedal's voice in different directions3.
Guitar World's news coverage was similarly taken with the EQ section, calling the pedal's parametric EQ technology "incredibly versatile" and suggesting it would make a conventional overdrive "seem like a dullard" by comparison1.
Videos
Demos In The Dark
Questions
What does the parametric EQ do on the ParaDrive?
The parametric EQ lets you choose a specific frequency and then cut or boost it to taste, rather than working with fixed bass and treble bands. You set the Frequency knob anywhere from 100Hz to 4kHz, then use the EQ Gain knob to cut or boost that frequency by up to 15dB. Premier Guitar's reviewer found this gives a wide variety of tones, from low-gain gritty Americana to scooped, modern-sounding hard rock.
What frequency range does the ParaDrive EQ cover?
The Frequency knob covers 100Hz to 4kHz. That spans the low end of the guitar through the upper mids and presence region, so you can pull out mud around the low end or push a solo frequency forward. EQ Gain cuts or boosts the chosen frequency by up to 15dB.
Is the Cole Music Co. ParaDrive true bypass?
Yes. The ParaDrive uses true bypass switching, which Premier Guitar, Guitar World and Guitar.com all reported at its release. When the pedal is off, the signal passes through without buffering, which matters to players who prefer an uncolored bypass path on their pedalboard.
Is the ParaDrive a high-gain pedal?
No. Guitar.com described the ParaDrive as having a medium gain profile with touch sensitivity, and Premier Guitar's reviewer noted it covers low-gain gritty Americana through scooped, modern-sounding hard rock. The BAT41 diode mode is more compressed and fuzzy but delivers less gain than the N914 mode.
Which overdrive pedals is the ParaDrive circuit based on?
According to Guitar.com, the ParaDrive combines elements of several notable overdrive pedals: the 'Yellow' DOD OD-250, the 'Brown' Ross Distortion, and the more obscure Pearl OD-5. Its N914 clipping mode, which fires up four N914 diodes, also recalls old Pro Co RAT pedals.
Sources (4)
- Cole Music's ParaDrive "will make your current overdrive seem like a dullard", Guitar World, 2019-12-17
- Cole Music Co. debuts the ParaDrive, Guitar.com, 2019-12-13
- This Overdrive Has an Identity Crisis-In a Good Way, Premier Guitar, 2020-03-27
- Cole Music Releases the Paradrive Parametric Overdrive, Premier Guitar, 2019-12-18
