The MC Systems Dynamic Drive is an overdrive pedal from MC Systems. Guitar World's Billy Voight described it in 2014 as "an overdrive pedal with three familiar knobs at the top; Drive, Tone and Level," with the Drive knob setting the amount of drive1. Its distinguishing feature is a V-Switch, a second switch that gives you two extra modes beyond the standard on-off footswitch, so a single pedal can cover rhythm and lead settings without a second unit.
Controls and modes
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive | Sets the amount of drive1 |
| Tone | Tone shaping, one of the three top knobs1 |
| Level | Output level, one of the three top knobs1 |
| V-Switch | Boosts or cuts the amount of drive1 |
| Alternate Mode | Boosts or cuts the Level; Voight found it "works great as a boost for solos"1 |
The two V-Switch modes work differently. In its default role the V-Switch boosts or cuts the amount of drive, while Alternate Mode instead boosts or cuts the Level1. That makes Alternate Mode the solo lift: you set a rhythm sound with the knobs, then step on the switch for a level jump rather than a gain jump.
"Alternate Mode works great as a boost for solos. In the clip, I gradually boost the Drive and Volume without blowing out"
In his 2014 review, Voight demonstrated gradually boosting the Drive and Volume without blowing out earbuds, and came away finding Alternate Mode useful as a solo boost overall1.
How it compares
The V-Switch idea shows up elsewhere in the overdrive world, and the two modes are not universal. On the NKM Dynamic Drive from MC Systems' Apollo range, Guitar.com noted that "the V-Switch controls the Drive setting," the same drive-side job the Dynamic Drive's V-Switch does by default2. The UME OverUnity Dynamic Drive takes a different route to a two-character pedal, with a Vintage/Modern Mode on the drive side3. Players comparing these pedals are essentially choosing where the second switch acts: on drive amount, on level, or on a vintage-versus-modern voicing.
Videos
The Pedal Picassos
Future Heroes by MC Systems
Sources (3)
- Gear Review: MC Systems Dynamic Drive, Hybrid Chorus and String Reviver Pedals, Guitar World, 2014-09-23
- MC Systems Apollo Range Effects Review, Guitar.com, 2015-01-21
- UME OverUnity Dynamic Drive, Delicious Audio, 2019-11-04
