The JHS Boss DS-1 Synth Drive Mod is a Boss DS-1 distortion pedal rebuilt by JHS Pedals with three additional switches that push the circuit well beyond a standard distortion. JHS describes it as "a modified DS-1 with exceptional distortion tones, massively improved response, better dynamics as well as enough range" for a wide variety of sounds, and goes further, calling it the pedal with more tone and creativity than any other in the JHS range1. It sits in the distortion family but reaches into fuzz and synth territory through its switches.
The three synth switches
The heart of the mod is a set of three switches JHS added to the sides of the pedal. The company says these "allow for the most unique tone shaping abilities" they believe they have offered in a pedal1.
"Mutations to the original circuit include three unlabeled synth switches as well as the additions of a secondary LED and stylish white knobs."
The switches are unlabeled, so the sounds they produce are discovered by experiment rather than read off the enclosure. Each switch changes how the modified circuit behaves, and they can be used one at a time or in combination21.
What the switches do to your sound
JHS lists the range of sounds the switches produce, individually or collectively, as lo-fi overdrive, fuzz, synth droning, octave distortion, ring modulation type frequencies and more1. The reviewer at Pedal of the Day heard much the same palette:
"Combining various synth switch combinations with the 12-6 position ranges of the controls will reveal many interesting synth waveforms to include octaves, ring modulation, droning, and lo-fi pitch squeals."
His review described synth waveforms including octaves, ring modulation, droning and lo-fi pitch squeals from the switch combinations2. In other words, the pedal moves between conventional drive sounds and noises closer to an octave and pitch or ring modulator effect, depending on switch settings.
With the synth switches off, the pedal returns to more familiar ground. The reviewer found that "The Synth Drive DS-1 is fully capable of reproducing classic distortion sounds when the synth switches are off," so it can be used as a straight distortion pedal when the experimental voices are not needed2.
New units and mail-in modifications
JHS offers the Synth Drive in two forms: new complete DS-1 Synth Drive units, and a mail-in service where customers send their own DS-1 to JHS to be modified2. A player who already owns a DS-1 can therefore have the mod fitted to the pedal they have rather than buying a separate unit.
The Synth Drive is not the only DS-1 treatment JHS has offered. The company also sells the Boss DS-1 Lexi Drive Mod, another modified DS-1 that conditions the pedal with higher quality components and adds a three-way gain switch choosing between crunch, boost mode and high gain saturation3. The two mods take different approaches to the same base circuit: the Lexi Drive refines the DS-1's gain structure, while the Synth Drive adds a bank of switches for sounds the original circuit was never designed to make.
What reviewers made of it
Pedal of the Day's review is the main published verdict on the pedal. Max F. summed it up as "a complete reimagining of the original circuit," suitable for use as a quality distortion unit or as a powerful noise generator, and called it interesting, versatile and reasonably priced overall2. That reading matches the pedal's split personality: a working distortion when the switches are off, and a source of synth-like waveforms and noise when they are engaged.
Videos
Curtis Kent
shnobel
Pedal of the Day
Questions
Can I send in my own Boss DS-1 for the Synth Drive Mod?
Yes. JHS offers the Synth Drive two ways: as a new, complete DS-1 Synth Drive unit, or as a mail-in service where customers send their own DS-1 to JHS to be modified. Pedal of the Day's reviewer noted both options when the pedal was reviewed in 2016, so a player who already owns a DS-1 can have it converted rather than buying a second pedal.
What does the JHS Synth Drive Mod sound like with the synth switches off?
With the synth switches off, the pedal behaves as a conventional distortion. Pedal of the Day's reviewer found the Synth Drive DS-1 fully capable of reproducing classic distortion sounds in that state, so it can serve as a straightforward distortion pedal and the synth features stay out of the way until you flip a switch.
What sounds can the synth switches produce?
JHS says the three switches, used individually or together, yield everything from lo-fi overdrive, fuzz, synth droning, octave distortion and ring modulation type frequencies, among other sounds. Pedal of the Day's reviewer described synth waveforms including octaves, ring modulation, droning and lo-fi pitch squeals when the switch combinations were paired with the pedal's control positions.
Is the JHS Synth Drive Mod based on the Boss DS-1 circuit?
Yes. JHS describes the Synth Drive as a modified DS-1, and Pedal of the Day's reviewer likewise described mutations to the original circuit, including the three unlabeled synth switches, a secondary LED and white knobs in place of the originals. The starting point is the standard Boss DS-1 distortion circuit.
Sources (3)
- BOSS DS-1 SYNTH DRIVE MOD, JHS Pedals
- Guest Reviewer Fridays: Boss DS-1 (JHS Synth Drive Mod), Pedal of the Day, 2016-09-09
- BOSS DS-1 LEXI DRIVE MOD, JHS Pedals
