The Inspiring Devices Light Roast Overdrive is an overdrive built to be left on. It is designed to give you the pushed clean, and more, and the natural compression of an amp at the edge of breakup, so your amp's clean tone gets the slight give and harmonic hint of a amp that is just starting to work, without changing into a full-on drive1. Pedal of the Day reviewed it in November 2023 and called it an instant sonic hit, noting that Steve at Inspiring Devices sent over his flagship effect1.
What it does to your sound
The design came about from playing pedal platform amps, which are high headroom and super clean but perhaps lack the breakup or slight compression when you really dig in1. The Light Roast fills that gap: it gives your guitar a lively tone, with delicate hints of harmonics and a nuanced overdriven flavor profile, highlighting the distinct qualities of your guitar's original tone1. In other words, it is meant to sit under your playing rather than replace your amp's voice, in the way a dedicated compressor or boost might, but with a light overdriven edge of its own.
Controls
The Light Roast Overdrive has three knobs, as many overdrives do1. The one that sets it apart is Expand:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Expand | Adjust the Expand control for a brighter and more vibrant cup of your guitar's tone1 |
Where it came from
This is the first foray into the pedal world from Inspiring Devices1. Unlike many overdrives that trace their lineage back to an earlier circuit, the Light Roast circuit is its own unique design, and is not based on any other circuit1. That makes it a different proposition from the many Tube Screamer and blues breaker style drives players already know, and it is worth comparing against other always-on style options on the Overdrive Pedals page.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day's reviewer summed up the first impression plainly:
"sent over his flagship effect, and it was an instant sonic hit"
The same review describes it as designed as an always-on pedal, which is the role the maker built it for: a pedal you set once and leave on for the whole set1.
Videos
Pedal of the Day
Questions
What does the Expand knob do on the Light Roast Overdrive?
According to Pedal of the Day's review, the Expand control adjusts for a brighter and more vibrant cup of your guitar's tone. It is one of three knobs on the pedal, sitting alongside the other standard overdrive controls, and shapes how lively the overdriven tone comes across.
Is the Light Roast Overdrive based on another pedal?
No. Pedal of the Day notes that the Light Roast circuit is its own unique design and is not based on any other circuit. It came about from playing pedal platform amps, which are high headroom and super clean but can lack breakup or slight compression when you dig in.
Why is it called Light Roast?
The name fits the pedal's aim: a light dose of overdrive rather than a heavy one. It is designed to give you the pushed clean, and more, and the natural compression of an amp at the edge of breakup, adding hints of harmonics and a nuanced overdriven flavor to your guitar's original tone.
Is the Light Roast meant to be left on all the time?
Yes. Pedal of the Day describes it as designed as an always-on pedal, meant to sit on your board permanently and supply the pushed clean feel of an amp just breaking up underneath everything else you play.
Who makes the Light Roast Overdrive?
The Light Roast Overdrive is made by Inspiring Devices, a builder run by Steve. Pedal of the Day reports that it is the company's first foray into the pedal world, reviewed in November 2023.
Sources (1)
- Inspiring Devices Light Roast Overdrive, Pedal of the Day (www.pedal-of-the-day.com), 2023-11-12