The Midnight Amplification Mynd Driver is an overdrive pedal built around two independent drive stages, each with its own footswitch, so it can work as two pedals in one enclosure. Pedal of the Day, reviewing it in December 2017, said that with two independent stages "the sonic possibilities seem truly endless," and found that with both engaged "the Mynd Driver covers clean boost to overdrive to distortion with ease"1. For a player, that means one box that can act as a boost on its own, an overdrive on its own, or both stacked for heavier dirt that edges toward distortion territory.
The controls, stage by stage
The two stages are not identical, and the differences are where the pedal's range comes from.
First stage. The first stage carries the basic drive set: Level adjusts the volume and Drive sets the dirt. Alongside them sits a toggle switch that selects either Boost or Drive mode. Pedal of the Day described the choice as "a great boost to puff up your original signal, or add a bit of texture and grit into the mix"1. In practice, that makes the first stage the pedal's cleaner half: a volume-boost or a light grit stage to feed the second.
Second stage. The second stage repeats the same Level and Drive controls as the first, but adds a Tone control "for more depth." The Tone control "lets you dial in the perfect amount of hi/lo frequency you want, working with your amp's natural sound to provide the best possible overdrive tone," according to the review1. It also carries its own toggle switch, this one giving off two different impedance settings, which the reviewer described as offering "more flavor and slightly varying degrees of dirt"1.
| Control | Stage | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Level | First | Adjusts the volume1 |
| Drive | First | Sets the dirt1 |
| Boost/Drive toggle | First | Selects Boost mode to lift the original signal, or Drive mode to add texture and grit1 |
| Level | Second | Adjusts the volume, as on the first stage1 |
| Drive | Second | Sets the dirt, as on the first stage1 |
| Tone | Second | Dials in the hi/lo frequency balance, working with the amp's natural sound1 |
| Impedance toggle | Second | Two impedance settings for more flavor and slightly varying degrees of dirt1 |
Using the two stages together
Each stage can be switched on by itself, and the review's verdict was that "Each of these stages sound excellent by themselves, but turn 'em both on at the same time, and you've got a real powerhouse"1. A common way to run a two-stage pedal like this is the first stage as a boost or light grit feeding the second for the main drive sound, with the Tone and impedance controls on the second stage shaping the final tone into the amp.
"Each of these stages sound excellent by themselves, but turn 'em both on at the same time, and you've got a real powerhouse."
Where it sits in Midnight Amplification's range
Pedal of the Day referred to Midnight Amplification as "our pals down under at Midnight Amplification"1. The site's review of the Mynd Driver described it as an overdrive pedal that "also conjured up some incredible overdrive sounds," and noted that with both stages engaged "the Mynd Driver covers clean boost to overdrive to distortion with ease"1.
Videos
Pedal of the Day
Questions
Can you use each stage of the Mynd Driver on its own?
Yes. The Mynd Driver has two independent drive stages, and Pedal of the Day's review found that each stage sounds excellent by itself. The stages can also be switched on together, which the reviewer described as turning the pedal into a real powerhouse, with a range that runs from clean boost to overdrive to distortion.
What does the Boost/Drive toggle do?
The first stage carries a toggle switch that selects either Boost or Drive mode. Boost gives the original signal a lift to puff it up, while Drive adds a bit of texture and grit into the mix, according to Pedal of the Day's review.
What does the impedance switch on the second stage do?
The second stage has its own toggle switch with two different impedance settings. Pedal of the Day described it as offering more flavor and slightly varying degrees of dirt, so it shapes the character of the second stage's drive rather than its volume.
Does the Mynd Driver go from clean boost to distortion?
Pedal of the Day's review said the Mynd Driver covers clean boost to overdrive to distortion with ease when both stages are engaged, making it a wide-ranging two-stage overdrive rather than a single-purpose dirt box.
Sources (1)
- Midnight Amplification Mynd Driver Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2017-12-13