The Infanem The Driving Notion is an overdrive / fuzz pedal from Infanem, short for Instruments For A New Electric Music1. What sets it apart from most overdrive pedals and fuzz pedals is its approach to drive: instead of a single Gain knob, the High and Low controls individually adjust the drive and character of those frequency bands, along with the amount of volume output1. The circuit is an entirely discrete signal path designed by Infanem1.
Controls
The 3-knob version reviewed by Pedal of the Day carries these controls1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| High | Adjusts the drive and character of high frequencies and the amount of volume output |
| Low | Adjusts the drive and character of low frequencies |
| Output | Sets the pedal's output level |
Notably, there is no Gain control: the drive character is shaped per frequency band through the High and Low knobs instead1.
Build and construction
Pedal of the Day's review describes the pedal's construction in detail: the Driving Notion uses double sided, through-hole plated PCBs produced in Mulino, Oregon and assembled in-house, in a 1590B Hammond enclosure measuring 4.4" x 2.4" that is screen printed in-house1.
Versions
There are two versions of the pedal, a 3-knob version and a 5-knob version1. The version covered here and in Pedal of the Day's review is the 3-knob.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day's reviewer, Mike B, came away positive about the pedal's flexibility1.
Infanem also makes the 141G Fuzz, another discrete-circuit fuzz from the same builder1.
Videos
gearmanndude
Disarm D'arcy
Pedal of the Day
Questions
Is the Infanem Driving Notion true bypass?
Yes. Pedal of the Day's 2015 review of the 3-knob version lists true bypass switching among the pedal's specifications, so the guitar's signal passes through the pedal unaltered when it is switched off.
What size enclosure does the Infanem Driving Notion use?
The Driving Notion is housed in a 1590B Hammond enclosure measuring 4.4 inches by 2.4 inches, screen printed in-house by Infanem, according to Pedal of the Day's review of the 3-knob version.
Where are Infanem pedals made?
Pedal of the Day reports that the Driving Notion uses double sided, through-hole plated PCBs produced in Mulino, Oregon and assembled in-house by Infanem, whose full name is Instruments For A New Electric Music.
Is the Driving Notion an overdrive or a fuzz?
It is described as both: an overdrive / fuzz pedal. Rather than a single Gain control, its High and Low knobs individually adjust the drive and character of high and low frequencies, letting players shape overdrive and fuzz textures across the frequency range.
Sources (1)
- Infanem The Driving Notion Overdrive / Fuzz (3-knob), Pedal of the Day, 2015-08-27
