The Hermida Audio Technology Tiki Drive is an overdrive and distortion pedal designed by Alfonso Hermida with input from Elliot Easton of The Cars. It was built to deliver extremely high-gain tones while retaining clarity, focus, and attack, and Premier Guitar's review lists it at a street price of $2291. When the pedal was shown at the 2010 NY Amp Show, Premier Guitar's Shawn Hammond described it as a collaboration between Hermida and Easton, and as Hermida's darkest-voiced overdrive pedal yet2.
Controls
The pedal's controls are arranged in two rows on its top panel1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Adjusts overall volume1 |
| Gain 1 | First gain stage1 |
| Gain 2 | Second gain stage1 |
| Tone | Shapes the treble character of the gain stages1 |
| Voice | Shapes the pedal's voicing1 |
The two gain stages are the heart of the design: the Gain controls are wired in series so they cascade into each other for more distortion potential1.
What it sounds like
With all controls at noon, Premier Guitar's reviewer found the sound that leapt from the speakers was a classic hard-rock distortion with just the right amount of bite and crunch1. Combining Gain 1 and Gain 2 opened the gates to a world of exciting sounds ranging from vintage Marshall to extreme metal distortion1.
"Pegging Gain 1 gives the Tiki Drive some of the characteristics of a well-rounded fuzztone with a little spit on top of smooth distortion."
At the high end of its range, the pedal holds together where many distortion pedals fall apart1:
"I was really impressed with how Gain knobs 1 and 2 worked with the Tone control to create heavily overdriven sounds that retained chime, clarity, and attack."
Where it sits
The Tiki Drive covers ground from overdrive into full distortion, and its fuzz-like character with Gain 1 maxed puts a toe into fuzz territory as well1. For players who know Hermida's other designs, the Tiki Drive was presented as his darkest-voiced overdrive pedal yet2.
Videos
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Questions
Who designed the Hermida Tiki Drive?
The Tiki Drive was designed by Alfonso Hermida of Hermida Audio Technology with input from Elliot Easton, the guitarist of The Cars. Premier Guitar described it as a collaboration between the two, and the pedal was shown at the NY Amp Show in 2010.
Is the Tiki Drive an overdrive or a distortion?
It is both. Premier Guitar's review describes it as an overdrive pedal built to deliver extremely high-gain tones while retaining clarity, focus, and attack, and its two Gain controls are wired in series so they cascade into each other for more distortion potential.
What does the Tiki Drive sound like with both gain knobs up?
Premier Guitar's reviewer wrote that combining Gain 1 and Gain 2 opened the gates to a world of exciting sounds ranging from vintage Marshall to extreme metal distortion, and that the two gain knobs worked with the Tone control to create heavily overdriven sounds.
How much does the Hermida Tiki Drive cost?
Premier Guitar's review lists a street price of $229 for the Tiki Drive.
Does the Tiki Drive keep clarity at high gain?
Premier Guitar's reviewer said he was impressed with how the Gain knobs and Tone control created heavily overdriven sounds that retained chime, clarity, and attack, even in high-gain tones.
Sources (2)
- Hermida Audio Technology Tiki Drive Pedal Review, Premier Guitar, 2010-12-21
- NY Amp Show '10, Premier Guitar, 2010-06-30
