The Providence Sonic Drive SDR-4 is an overdrive pedal from Providence that sits close to the distortion end of the overdrive family. Premier Guitar's reviewer described it as "the fat crunch of a distortion pedal with the clarity of an overdrive," and noted that while it is technically an overdrive, it brings "some pretty crunchy distortion at levels above 3 o'clock" on its Drive knob1. That makes it a pedal for players who want one box to cover both ground rather than a clean boost or a light touch of grit.
Controls and bypass
The pedal keeps things simple with three knobs1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Sets the pedal's output volume1 |
| Tone | Shapes the pedal's treble balance1 |
| Drive | Runs from overdrive territory into genuine crunch as it is turned up, with "some pretty crunchy distortion at levels above 3 o'clock"1 |
The bypass arrangement is the pedal's technical talking point. Providence uses true-bypass circuitry in which the bypassed signal passes through only a single switch contact rather than the usual two. When the company reissued the pedal as the limited-run Sonic Drive SDR-4R in 2016, it described the S.C.T. Circuit this way213:
"But in the Sonic Drive, the audio passes through a single contact. The result is higher sound quality and reliability"
gearnews.com's Jef was more skeptical, writing, "This sounds suspiciously like marketing-talk, but you never know. Maybe it does actually help?"3
The SDR-4R reissue
Providence brought the Sonic Drive back as the SDR-4R, a reissue based on the original SDR-4 circuit, at a US street price of $24921. The pedal is technically an overdrive, though the company notes it brings some pretty crunchy distortion at levels above 3 o'clock, and it keeps the original's three-knob layout of Level, Tone, and Drive with true-bypass circuitry using only a single switch point in the bypass signal path1. What the company said about the reissue2:
- A rough, edgy sound with the mid to high range especially emphasized
- Even with distortion, the tonal balance from the 1st string to the 6th string stays well defined
- Suited mainly to rhythm work, but usable for rougher playing as well
Premier Guitar's review noted that an updated SDR-5 was coming out soon, so the SDR-4R may not be the current version of the Sonic Drive12.
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar's review of the SDR-4 summed up its place on a board: "This makes it a solid candidate for rigs where a single pedal needs to handle all overdrive and distortion chores"1. For players comparing it with other Providence drives, the company's range includes the Silky Drive, the Flame Drive FDR-1F with its bass boost button, and the Red Rock OD, each aimed at a different part of the drive spectrum.
Videos
BUZZBEE TV
Sources (3)
- Providence Pedal Reviews: Sonic Drive & More, Premier Guitar, 2010-08-05
- Providence Releases the Sonic Drive SDR-4R, Premier Guitar, 2016-10-03
- Providence Sonic Drive SDR-4R: A rhythm overdrive reissue, gearnews.com, 2016-10-05
