The PastFx Canberra Overdrive is a tube-like low-gain overdrive and boost, and the lowest-gain offering in PastFx's Spectrum Collection. PastFx describes it as excelling at clean to edge-of-breakup tones with focused low to upper mid-range, working as a clean to mildly crunchy drive, a boost, and an all-around tone shaper that articulates low and midrange frequencies for warmth and presence even when playing clean1. Players looking for more gain from the same maker can compare it with the PastFx TD-Y Overdrive, while players after a clean volume lift on its own may want the PastFx Power Booster or the broader Boost Pedals page.
Controls and clipping
The top panel carries four controls, which PastFx describes as shaping the sonic character of the effect1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Shapes the gain of the effect |
| Level | Sets the level of the effect |
| Bass | Shapes the bass of the effect |
| Treble | Shapes the treble of the effect |
Inside, an internal switch selects between symmetrical and asymmetrical clipping, with asymmetrical as the factory default1. Because the switch is internal, changing it means removing the back plate rather than reaching for a top-panel toggle.
The LED is also worth knowing about before you buy: it is dimmable and internally adjustable, so a too-bright indicator on a dark stage is a fixable problem rather than a permanent one1.
Power and bypass
The Canberra runs from a 9V center negative power supply, drawing only 5.5 mA, or from a 9V battery1. That draw is light enough for any standard pedalboard supply, and the battery option makes it usable without a supply at all. Operation is true bypass, so the circuit is out of the signal path when the pedal is off1.
Origins: the Buffalo FX Carrera
PastFx states plainly that the Canberra is a faithful reproduction of the Buffalo FX Carrera overdrive1. The Carrera was an overdrive with boost from Buffalo FX, described as "a low-to-mid gain boostable dirt pedal"2. It was also built with high end parts from MMK, Wima, Epcos, Vishay and Panasonic, and used Neutrik fully enclosed panel mount signal and DC jacks2. A brand new demo of the Carrera was released by Livingroom Gear Demos3.
The Carrera drew attention from demo makers when it was new. Livingroom Gear Demos released a demo of the Buffalo FX Carrera Overdrive34, and an In The Blues video summed it up as a "Clear and round overdrive with a great sounding two band EQ"4. That two-band EQ arrangement of bass and treble is what the Canberra carries forward1.
Videos
TheSuperFunAwesomeHappyTimePedalShow
Middle Aged Gear Junkie
The Pedal Picassos
Questions
Is the PastFx Canberra Overdrive true bypass?
Yes. PastFx specifies true bypass operation for the Canberra Overdrive, so when the pedal is off, your guitar's signal passes through without the circuit loading it. Combined with its 1 MΩ input impedance, the pedal is designed to sit on a board without dulling your clean tone when switched out.
Can the Canberra Overdrive run on a battery?
Yes. PastFx says the Canberra runs on a 9V centre negative power supply or a 9V battery. Its current draw is only 5.5 mA, which is light enough that a battery is a practical option, and the pedal is easy on any standard pedalboard power supply.
What clipping options does the Canberra have?
The Canberra has an internal switch that selects between symmetrical and asymmetrical clipping, with asymmetrical set as the factory default. The switch is inside the enclosure, so changing the clipping character means taking the back plate off rather than turning a knob on the top panel.
How much current does the Canberra Overdrive draw?
PastFx lists the current draw at 5.5 mA at 9V. That is low by pedal standards, so the Canberra will run comfortably from a battery or share a current-limited output on a pedalboard power supply without trouble.
Is the Canberra Overdrive based on another pedal?
Yes. PastFx describes the Canberra as a faithful reproduction of the Buffalo FX Carrera overdrive, a low-to-mid gain overdrive with boost that Buffalo FX built with high end components. The Canberra carries that circuit into PastFx's Spectrum Collection.
Can you dim the LED on the Canberra?
Yes. The Canberra's LED is dimmable and internally adjustable, so if the indicator is too bright for a dark stage or a dim room, you can open the pedal up and set the LED brightness to suit.
Sources (4)
- Canberra Overdrive, pastfx.com, 2026
- Buffalo FX Carrera Overdrive Boost, Pedal of the Day, 2018-01-17
- Buffalo FX Carrera Overdrive, Delicious Audio, 2017-09-26
- Best "Non-Clone" Overdrive/Distortion Pedals Of 2017 According To In The Blues, Delicious Audio, 2018-01-17
