The Shnobel Tone Mid Driver is an overdrive pedal aimed at thick, mid-centric lead tones. Shnobel Tone describes it as giving players "those thick mid centric lead tones that will make your guitar stand out in even the most dense" mix, and Paolo De Gregorio of Delicious Audio, covering its unveiling before NAMM 2022, called it the maker's take on the "mid-rich" overdrive a-la Tube-Screamer, although it's not a clone.12 For more on the effect type, see Overdrive Pedals.
Relation to the Daily Driver
The Mid Driver is not an original circuit. Shnobel Tone states plainly that "The Mid Driver shares the circuit with the Daily Driver," and Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio described it as "a variant on the one employed in the previous release, the Daily Driver."12 The difference is voicing: Shnobel Tone says the Mid Driver "has more gain and is voiced with mids and lower mids pushed forward to add weight to your guitar sound."1
The Daily Driver line has since grown well beyond the original pedal. Related pages on this site cover the Shnobel Tone Daily Driver, the Shnobel Tone Frank Simes Overdrive (another Daily Driver-derived collaboration), and the Shnobel Tone Stereo Daily Driver.
Buying and returns
Shnobel Tone sells the Mid Driver direct at $259.00, with a 30 day money back return policy.1
Shnobel Tone states that international customers are responsible for paying custom duties and import taxes.1
Videos
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Questions
Is the Shnobel Tone Mid Driver true bypass?
Yes. Shnobel Tone lists the Mid Driver with a true bypass foot switch, so the pedal's circuit is removed from the signal path entirely when the effect is switched off. That matters if you run long cable runs or many pedals, since a buffered pedal would load your signal even when bypassed.
How much current does the Mid Driver draw?
Shnobel Tone specifies a current draw of 70mA at 9 volts. That is higher than many compact overdrives, so it is worth checking the current rating of your power supply or daisy chain before adding the Mid Driver to a board.
What is the difference between the Mid Driver and the Daily Driver?
The Mid Driver shares its circuit with the Daily Driver, but it is voiced differently. Shnobel Tone says it has more gain, with mids and lower mids pushed forward to add weight to your guitar sound, aimed at thick, mid-centric lead tones.
What are the input and output impedances of the Mid Driver?
Shnobel Tone lists the input impedance at 1M Ohms and the output impedance at 100 Ohms. A 1M Ohm input is high enough that the pedal will not noticeably load the pickups of a guitar plugged directly into it.
Sources (2)
- Mid Driver, Shnobel Tone
- Shnobel Tone Mid Driver, Delicious Audio, 2022-10-04
