The Daredevil Red Light District is a distortion pedal from Daredevil, a maker that only produces dirt pedals, from even-tempered overdrives and boosters to a range of fuzzes1. It sits among the brand's dirt boxes alongside pedals like the Drive-Bi and the Chicago Rat, and it is built around Daredevil's Fearless Distortion circuit, adding a mid scoop and a hi/lo gain footswitch where the Fearless uses a toggle instead1.
Premier Guitar's reviewer found that in the process it delivers "diabolical crunch that's ideal for hard rock and stoner metal," with a glassy low-gain overdrive evoking early English high-wattage heads1.
Controls and footswitches
The pedal's medium-sized enclosure holds three knobs: volume, gain, and scoop1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Output level |
| Gain | Amount of distortion |
| Scoop | Carves out mids; can be deactivated by an adjacent on/off switch1 |
The scoop on/off switch is positioned so it can be flipped easily with your foot, according to Premier Guitar's reviewer1. Alongside the bypass footswitch, there is a hi/lo footswitch that snaps between two gain stages1.
Power and connections
The Red Light District may be powered via a 9V barrel adaptor on the right-hand side of the unit, or by a 9V battery1. Inside, the reviewer found neat hand-wiring and plenty of room for the battery1.
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar's reviewer compared the Red Light District with Daredevil's Nova and L.S.D. fuzzes and concluded it is more versatile than either of those two fuzzes1.
"But the Red Light District is more versatile than either of those two fuzzes."
Videos
Premier Guitar
Questions
What does the hi/lo footswitch do?
In addition to the bypass footswitch, the Red Light District has a hi/lo footswitch that snaps between two gain stages. That lets you set up two levels of dirt and jump between them mid-song, for example a lower-gain rhythm sound and a higher-gain lead sound, without touching the knobs.
What is the scoop control on the Red Light District?
The scoop control is one of three knobs on the pedal, alongside volume and gain. It carves out mid frequencies, and it can be switched off entirely with an adjacent on/off switch. That switch is positioned so it can be flipped easily with your foot while playing.
What circuit is the Red Light District based on?
The Red Light District is built around Daredevil's Fearless Distortion circuit. It adds a mid scoop control and a hi/lo gain footswitch, where the Fearless Distortion uses a toggle instead.
What styles of music is the Red Light District aimed at?
Premier Guitar's reviewer described its sound as diabolical crunch that is ideal for hard rock and stoner metal. At lower gain settings the pedal produces a glassy overdrive the reviewer compared to early English high-wattage heads.
Sources (1)
- Daredevil Red Light District Review, Premier Guitar, 2017-02-09
