The HAO Omega Drive Sixteen, also called the OD-16, is an overdrive pedal built around a familiar idea: a Tube Screamer-style drive circuit, but run at a higher internal voltage. It takes an incoming 9-volt DC supply and converts it to 16 volts DC inside the pedal, which HAO said dramatically improves headroom and dynamic responsiveness1. The pedal was announced on December 31, 2009, by Godlyke Distributing as the first model in HAO's "Premium Workshop" series of professional-grade effect pedals1.
What it does to your sound
The OD-16 sits in the Tube Screamer family of overdrives, but HAO described its tonal character as more aggressive than the standard "Tube Screamer" overdrive, with tight and punchy lows and lower mids along with rich, sparkling harmonic overtones1. Premier Guitar's reviewer put it another way, writing that the OD-16 specializes in dirty sweetness, organic grit, and abundant overtones2.
The higher internal voltage is the pedal's distinguishing feature. By converting the incoming supply of 9V DC to 16V DC, the circuit gets more headroom to work with, which is what HAO pointed to when describing its improved dynamic response12. For a player, that means a drive that keeps more of the note intact when picked hard rather than compressing as early.
If you are weighing the OD-16 against the classic Tube Screamer designs, the Boss SD-1 vs Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer comparison covers the pedals it departs from.
Controls
The OD-16 keeps its control set simple, with Volume, Tone, and Gain controls, plus a Tone On/Direct toggle switch that lets you bypass the tone control, which can clean up an overdriven signal12.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Sets the pedal's output level1 |
| Tone | Shapes the treble response1 |
| Gain | Sets the amount of overdrive1 |
| Tone On/Direct toggle | Bypasses the tone control entirely, which can clean up an overdriven signal2 |
The Tone On/Direct switch is the fourth control worth knowing about. Premier Guitar's review notes it lets you bypass the tone control, which can clean up an overdriven signal2. That gives the pedal a wider usable range than the knob layout suggests: with the tone stage out of the circuit, the drive section can be run darker and rawer.
Power and bypass
The pedal runs from a 9-volt battery or an AC adaptor, and its internal voltage-doubling circuit converts that incoming 9 volts to 16 volts DC for the audio circuit12. The doubling happens inside the pedal, so a standard 9-volt supply is all that is required at the jack.
The OD-16 supports 9-volt battery operation as well as AC adaptor power1. The internal circuit runs at 16 volts, but the conversion is handled by the pedal itself, so no 16-volt supply is needed.
Switching is true bypass using a 3PDT footswitch, so the circuit drops out of the signal path when the pedal is off1.
Where it came from
The OD-16 was announced on December 31, 2009, by Godlyke Distributing, which handled HAO in the US1. HAO described it as the culmination of several years of research and development by the new HAO engineering staff, which included significant input from Japanese guitarists and other industry professionals1. It was the first model in the Premium Workshop series, a line of handwired designs12.
Premier Guitar's review noted that HAO's alliance with Godlyke Distributing had raised awareness of their pedals considerably in the US2. The review also placed the OD-16 within that Premium Workshop series of handwired designs2.
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar's review is the main published verdict on the pedal. Its reviewer characterized the OD-16 as specializing in dirty sweetness, organic grit, and abundant overtones2, and highlighted the Tone On/Direct toggle as a practical feature for cleaning up an overdriven signal2.
"the OD-16 specializes in dirty sweetness, organic grit, and abundant overtones"
Videos
Okamoto's Gear
Brett Kingman
chuckyambe
Questions
Does the HAO Omega Drive Sixteen run on a 9V battery?
Yes. The pedal supports 9-volt battery operation, and it can also run on an AC adaptor. Internally, an voltage-doubling circuit converts the incoming 9-volt DC supply to 16 volts DC, which HAO said improves headroom and dynamic response, so the battery powers the pedal even though the circuit itself runs at the higher voltage.
Is the HAO Omega Drive Sixteen true bypass?
Yes. The OD-16 uses true bypass switching built on a 3PDT footswitch, according to the 2009 release announcement carried by Premier Guitar. That means the pedal's circuit is removed from the signal path entirely when it is switched off.
How much did the HAO Omega Drive Sixteen cost?
At its December 2009 release, the OD-16 carried a list price of $349 with a street price of $260, according to the Godlyke press release. A later Premier Guitar review listed a street price of $349.
Is the HAO Omega Drive Sixteen handwired?
Yes. Premier Guitar's review describes the OD-16 as part of HAO's Premium Workshop series of handwired designs. The pedal was developed over several years by HAO's engineering staff with input from Japanese guitarists and other industry professionals.
How does the Omega Drive Sixteen get 16 volts from a 9V supply?
The pedal contains an internal voltage-doubling circuit. It takes the incoming 9-volt DC supply, whether from a battery or an AC adaptor, and converts it to 16 volts DC inside the pedal. HAO said this dramatically improves headroom and dynamic responsiveness compared with running the circuit at 9 volts.
Sources (2)
- Godlyke Launches HAO Omega Drive Sixteen Overdrive, Premier Guitar, 2009-12-31
- HAO OD-16 Omega Drive Sixteen Pedal Review, Premier Guitar, 2010-10-20