The Mission Engineering Velocity Overdrive is a dual gain level overdrive and distortion pedal for guitar, built on the Nutube technology unveiled by KORG in 2015. It is made under the Mission Engineering/NuAudioTechnology name and sits alongside the company's Delta III in the gain pedal field, among the wider family of overdrive pedals and distortion pedals.1
Controls and gain settings
The pedal's layout is straightforward: a toggle switch selects between two gain settings, LO and HI, and four knobs cover gain, output and the three-band EQ.1
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| LO/HI toggle | Selects between the pedal's two gain settings1 |
| Output | Balances the output level with the rest of the signal chain1 |
| Bass | Controls the bass EQ1 |
| Middle | Controls the middle EQ1 |
| Treble | Controls the treble EQ1 |
The three knobs for bass, middle and treble are described as covering a wide range of different tones, and the output control is there to match the pedal's level to everything around it on the board.1
The two gain modes
The LO and HI settings give the pedal two distinct jobs:
- LO mode delivers subtle overdrive and can be used to push your amp for a natural breakup, delivering a more driven sound at higher gain settings without losing dynamics.1
- In the LO setting it also works well as a boost for low output single coil pickups, enough to get the amp and speaker into breakup, with what Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio describes as excellent touch sensitivity at higher drive levels.1
"A three-band EQ section helps to shape the tone according to your needs."
With amps and digital modelers
Mission Engineering positions the Velocity as a pedal that works in either world. It is described as working equally well with a conventional guitar amp and pedals as it does on the front end of digital amp modelers, cabinet simulators and IRs, so it can serve as a Nutube-based gain stage ahead of a modeler rig just as it can before a tube amp.1
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Chad Boston
Questions
What does the LO/HI switch do on the Mission Engineering Velocity Overdrive?
The Velocity Overdrive has two gain settings, LO and HI, selected with a toggle switch. In LO mode the pedal delivers subtle overdrive and can be used to push an amp into natural breakup, with a more driven sound at higher gain settings that keeps its dynamics. HI mode gives the higher of the pedal's two gain levels.
What is a Nutube and why is it in this pedal?
The Nutube is a tube technology that KORG unveiled in 2015, and the Velocity Overdrive is built on it. Mission Engineering uses it as the gain-generating core of the pedal, which is described as an overdrive and distortion pedal for guitar rather than a conventional solid-state design.
Can the Velocity Overdrive be used with digital amp modelers?
Yes. The pedal is described as working equally well with a conventional guitar amp and pedals as it does on the front end of digital amp modelers, cabinet simulators and impulse response loaders, so it can sit ahead of a modeler as a gain stage.
Does the Velocity Overdrive work with single coil pickups?
In its LO gain setting the pedal is described as working well as a boost for low output single coil pickups, enough to get the amp and speaker into breakup, with excellent touch sensitivity at higher drive levels.
Does the Velocity Overdrive have a three-band EQ?
Yes. Alongside the gain and output controls, the pedal has a three-band EQ section with bass, middle and treble knobs, which is described as covering a wide range of different tones.
Sources (1)
- Mission Engineering Velocity Overdrive, Delicious Audio, 2020-07-22
