The Diamond Pedals Drive is an overdrive pedal from Diamond Pedals, the Canadian builder based in Montreal, Quebec. It combines the company's classic overdrive platform with an active two-band Baxandall EQ, plus an optional Warm High Shelf filter, so a player can shape bass and treble independently of the drive setting rather than working with a single tone knob12.
The drive section is built around a Burr-Brown op-amp, and Delicious Audio's builder's notes describe its range as running from a gritty clean boost to thick, natural asymmetric saturation2. The pedal traces its circuit to Diamond's earlier J-Drive, Blaze and Fireburst designs, distilling what the maker calls their most desirable and functional elements into one box12.
An overdrive with an active Baxandall EQ
What sets the Drive apart from most overdrive pedals is the EQ section. Instead of the passive tone control found on a typical overdrive, which can only cut highs, the Drive uses an active Baxandall circuit with separate bass and treble bands that can boost or cut. The bass band is centered at 150 Hz with a range of plus or minus 6 dB2. Delicious Audio notes that this dual-band EQ, together with the option to engage the Warm High Shelf filter, lets a player fine-tune the pedal's response in a way a single tone knob cannot2.
The circuit itself draws on Diamond Pedals' back catalog. The maker describes it as combining the signature drive and EQ soundblocks of the original J-Drive, Blaze and Fireburst pedals, so players who know those older Diamond designs will find familiar elements here12.
The controls
The published specifications give a partial picture of the control layout:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive | Sets the amount of overdrive, from gritty clean boost to thick asymmetric saturation2 |
| Baxandall EQ Bass | Boosts or cuts the bass band, centered at 150 Hz, plus or minus 6 dB2 |
| Baxandall EQ Treble | Boosts or cuts the treble band of the active EQ2 |
| Warm High Shelf Filter | Optional switchable filter that rolls off the high end for a warmer character2 |
A separate item worth knowing about: GuitarPCB sells a DIY circuit board called the Diamond Drive, an overdrive project with an A100K drive potentiometer, based on the signature drive and EQ soundblocks of the original J-Drive, Blaze and Fireburst pedals12. That is a home-build project, not the factory-built Diamond Pedals product, and the two should not be confused.
Power and connections
The Drive runs on a 9 to 18 VDC supply with negative tip polarity through a 2.1 mm barrel jack, the standard arrangement for pedalboard power supplies2. Running it at 18 volts is an option for players who want additional headroom from the op-amp section. Current draw is a modest 17 mA at 9 VDC, so it places a light load on any isolated supply1.
Input and output jacks are top-mounted rather than on the sides, which saves horizontal space on a pedalboard12. Input impedance is listed as greater than 1 megohm and output impedance as less than 10 kilohms, figures consistent with preserving the signal from passive pickups and driving long cable runs2. Switching is relay-based true bypass, so the pedal's circuitry is out of the signal path when disengaged12.
Where it comes from
Diamond Pedals builds the Drive around a Burr-Brown op-amp drive section, in a compact form factor with top-mounted jacks2. The circuit draws on the company's older J-Drive, Blaze and Fireburst pedals, and the drive section is described as delivering anything from a gritty clean boost to thick, natural asymmetric saturation2.
Questions
Is the Diamond Pedals Drive true bypass?
Yes. Both the maker's product page and press coverage list the switching as relay true bypass, so the pedal's audio path is out of the circuit when it is disengaged. The relay-based switching also lets it run on the wider 9 to 18 volt supply range.
Is the Diamond Pedals Drive polarity negative tip?
Yes. Diamond Pedals specifies a 9 to 18 VDC power supply with negative tip polarity and a 2.1 mm barrel jack, the same arrangement as most standard 9V pedal power supplies.
How much current does the Diamond Pedals Drive draw?
The maker lists a current draw of 17 mA at 9 VDC. That is a light load, so it can share a typical pedalboard power supply output with plenty of headroom to spare.
Where is the Diamond Pedals Drive made?
Diamond Pedals designs and builds all of its pedals in its own shop in Montreal, Quebec, and the Drive is listed as made in Canada.
Is the Diamond Pedals Drive the same as the Diamond Peak?
No. The Diamond Peak Hybrid Overdrive is a different pedal released by Animals Pedal in 2021 in collaboration with Skreddy Pedals, an updated version of the Major Overdrive circuit. The Diamond Pedals Drive is made by Diamond Pedals of Montreal.
Sources (2)
- Diamond Drive, Diamond Pedals
- Diamond Pedals Drive, Delicious Audio, 2023-05-29
