The Pigtronix Gamma Drive is an analog overdrive pedal built around asymmetrical clipping, using a mixture of germanium, LED and silicon diodes. Delicious Audio's product page describes it as an "overdrive rich in 2nd order harmonics, which creates sweet, blooming tone," and Pigtronix says the pedal's touch-sensitive response gives the overdrive a natural feel as the player digs in more1. It is listed at $1292.
What it does to your sound
The Gamma Drive's character comes from its clipping arrangement. Where a symmetrical clipper treats the top and bottom halves of the waveform alike, the Gamma Drive's germanium, LED and silicon diodes are arranged to clip asymmetrically, which is what produces the second-order harmonics behind the pedal's described sweet, blooming tone1. Pigtronix's own artist page adds that the touch-sensitive response makes the overdrive feel natural as the player digs in harder4.
The pedal also carries a two-band EQ. Delicious Audio reports that with it, "players can dial in Gamma Drive with precision, resulting in a lively, amp-responsive" tone1. In other words, the EQ is there to set the pedal against whatever amp it is feeding, rather than to reshape the guitar outright.
The controls: Gain, Volume and Treble
The Gamma Drive keeps its top panel to three knobs13:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Sets the amount of distortion1 |
| Volume | Sets the output level1 |
| Treble | Boosts or cuts high frequencies centered at 2kHz1 |
The Gain knob controls the distortion level, and the Treble control is active, meaning it can both boost and cut around its 2kHz center13. That is a simpler panel than the related Gamma Drive Mini, which adds a Bass control of its own.
Power and bypass
The Gamma Drive runs on 9VDC power and features true bypass, according to Guitar World's launch coverage3. A standard center-negative 9V supply is the norm for pedals of this kind; there is no battery compartment mentioned in the coverage, so plan a supply slot on your board for it.
The Gamma Drive is one of Pigtronix's mini pedals. Guitar World groups it with the Constellator modulated analog delay, the Space Rip PWM guitar synth and the Moon Pool tremvelope phaser as additions to that lineup, all in board-friendly, sci-fi-themed chassis3.
The Gamma Drive family
The full-size Gamma Drive shares its core circuit idea with the Gamma Drive Mini, released the same month. Guitar Pedal X described the Mini as "a perfect example" of what the writer calls the Harmonic Overdrives sub-genre, and reports that it combines the same Germanium, LED and Silicon diodes for asymmetric clipping, with a two-band active Baxandall EQ: treble centered at 2kHz and bass at 80Hz5. Pigtronix has designed the Gamma Drive concept for versatile playing across a wide variety of musical genres5.
If you are weighing the Gamma Drive against more conventional overdrives, the difference is the asymmetrical, diode-mixed clipping and the harmonic emphasis; for context on the classic symmetrical-clipping approach, see Boss SD-1 vs Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer, or browse the wider field on the Overdrive Pedals page.
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Questions
Is the Pigtronix Gamma Drive true bypass?
Yes. Guitar World's coverage of the pedal's launch notes that the Gamma Drive features true bypass, so when the pedal is off, your guitar's signal passes through without the drive circuit loading it. That matters on a pedalboard where several pedals sit between the guitar and the amp.
What diodes does the Gamma Drive use?
The Gamma Drive uses a mixture of germanium, LED and silicon diodes arranged to produce asymmetrical clipping. According to Delicious Audio, that combination is what gives the pedal its articulate, touch-sensitive character and its overdrive rich in second-order harmonics.
What power supply does the Pigtronix Gamma Drive need?
The Gamma Drive runs on 9VDC power, as reported by Guitar World at its launch. Use a standard center-negative pedal supply and avoid daisy-chaining it with pedals that draw heavily or need different voltages.
Is there a Gamma Drive Mini?
Yes. Pigtronix released the Gamma Drive Mini in September 2021, a mini overdrive with the same germanium, LED and silicon asymmetric diode clipping, plus a two-band active Baxandall EQ with treble centered at 2kHz and bass at 80Hz.
Sources (5)
- Pigtronix Gamma Drive, Delicious Audio, 2022-03-25
- Pigtronix introduces the Echolution 3 stereo multi-tap delay and Gamma Drive pedals, Guitar.com, 2021-09-29
- Pigtronix aims to offer a buffet of tone-boosting capabilities with its new Gamma Drive pedal, Guitar World, 2021-09-28
- Artists - Pigtronix, Pigtronix, 2023-10-12
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2021-09-22
