The Pearl OD-05 Over Drive is an overdrive pedal with a parametric mids control, released around 1981 under Pearl's Sound Spice series. Pearl had Korg Japan develop a series of effects pedals under the Pearl name, and the OD-05 was part of that line1. It is long discontinued: Pearl dropped the pedals in the mid-80s and left the effects pedal market for good1.
What it does
The OD-05's distinguishing feature is its parametric equalizer, which allows either a cut or boost of up to 15dB in a range from 100 Hz to 4 KHz. That EQ sits before the clipping stage, so it shapes the signal that feeds the overdrive itself rather than acting as a tone control after the fact1. Aion FX describes the pedal as an overdrive with "a parametric mids control", a layout that sets it apart from the fixed-tone overdrives common in its era1.
For a player, that means the midrange character of the drive can be tuned: the center frequency is swept across 100 Hz to 4 KHz, and the selected band can be cut or boosted by up to 15dB before the clipping stage1. If you are weighing it against more conventional overdrive circuits, the comparison pages for overdrive pedals and the Boss SD-1 vs Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer cover the standard fixed-tone designs it differs from.
History and status
Pearl's Sound Spice series was developed by Korg Japan under the Pearl name, with the OD-05 Overdrive appearing around 19811. Pearl discontinued the series in the mid-80s and exited the effects pedal market for good, which makes the OD-05 a discontinued design with no current production1.
The Pearl OD-05 has not been made since the mid-80s. Any unit on the used market is a vintage pedal, and the circuit survives mainly through DIY projects such as the Pearl OD-5 Overdrive page.
Videos
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Questions
Who made the Pearl OD-05 Over Drive?
Pearl developed the OD-05 as part of its Sound Spice series of effects pedals, with the designs handled by Korg Japan. Pearl had Korg Japan develop a series of pedals under the Pearl name, and the OD-05 Overdrive was one of them, appearing around 1981.
Is the Pearl OD-05 still made?
No. Pearl discontinued the Sound Spice pedals in the mid-80s and exited the effects pedal market for good, so the OD-05 has not been made for decades. Players looking for its circuit today generally turn to DIY layouts or later pedals inspired by it.
Sources (1)
- Fractal Parametric Overdrive / Pearl® OD-05, Aion FX, 2022-04-08
