The Fuzzrocious Dark Driving V3 is a low to medium-gain overdrive pedal, the third version of a circuit the PA-based company launched at the dawn of its journey as a simple one-knob overdrive. Paolo De Gregorio, writing at Delicious Audio, called the third iteration "an incredibly versatile tone device."1
What it does
The Dark Driving V3 keeps the lower-gain tone of the previous Dark Driving and adds two voicing options. Its Light and Dark modes are tweaked for a more dramatic tonal difference than before, delivering thicker dark sounds and brighter and more piercing light ones.1
The Tone control can further sculpt the sound, with a wider sweep than its predecessors, which makes the pedal usable also for bass players.1
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Tone | Sculpts the sound, with a wider sweep than in earlier versions1 |
| Light/Dark toggle | Selects between the brighter Light voice and the thicker Dark voice1 |
V3 compared with earlier versions
Two changes set the V3 apart from what came before:
- Smaller enclosure: all the lower-gain tone familiar from the previous Dark Driving is packed into a smaller pedal enclosure with a smaller pedalboard footprint.1
- Mode switching: the Light/Dark mode is controlled by a toggle switch rather than a second footswitch, as it was in V2.1
For a player deciding between versions, the practical difference is footprint and switching: the V3 keeps the same lower-gain character but takes less board space and changes voices with a flick of the toggle instead of a stomp.1
Power
The pedal runs at 9 to 12V. Running it at 12V gives extra headroom, a point De Gregorio felt was worth flagging.1
At 12V the pedal gains headroom, so a supply capable of 12V is worth having if headroom matters to you.1
For other drives from the same maker, see the Fuzzrocious LunaReclipse, the Fuzzrocious Big Fella and the Fuzzrocious K-A-E-D-E-N Drive, or browse the wider field in Overdrive Pedals.
Videos
Fuzzrocious Pedals
Fuzzrocious Pedals
Patrick Hunter
Questions
How is the Dark Driving V3 different from earlier versions?
The V3 is the third version of the Dark Driving circuit. It packs the lower-gain tone of the previous Dark Driving into a smaller pedal enclosure with a smaller pedalboard footprint. In V3 the Light/Dark mode is assigned via a toggle switch rather than a second footswitch as in V2, and the Tone control has a wider sweep than its predecessors, which makes it usable also for bass players.
Can the Dark Driving V3 run at higher voltage?
Yes. It can run at 9 to 12V, and running it at 12V gives extra headroom.
Sources (1)
- Fuzzrocious Dark Driving V3, Delicious Audio, 2023-01-06
