Boss DS-1
The Boss DS-1 is a distortion pedal for guitar, manufactured by the Roland Corporation under the brand name Boss since 1978. The first distortion unit made by Boss,[1] it has become a classic effect, used by many notable guitar players.[2] Boss produced a successor, the DS-2.[3]
DS-1
Circuit design
The DS-1 has a very simple circuit, based on a single op-amp. The distortion is produced using a variable gain circuit with diodes shorting the output to ground to produce hard clipping of the input waveform similar to the Pro Co RAT distortion pedal. This distortion stage is followed by a passive tone filter and volume control. The tone control is scooped in the midrange. It consists of a simple fixed -6dB/oct low pass filter and a simple fixed -6dB/oct high pass filter using a potentiometer to mix the two signals. Given this, the sound of the pedal has what can be described as a "nasal" tonal quality. Its simple circuit makes it a popular pedal to modify amongst DIYers, with much information and schematics available online. Notable companies offering modified versions of this pedal include Keeley, JHS, and Analogman.
Notable users
- Kurt Cobain[4][5]
- Joe Satriani[2]
- Mike Stern[6]
- Steve Vai[2]
- Luca Bob Gotti[2]
- Steve Rothery[2]
- Kim Deal
- Jeff Rosenstock
- Robert Smith
- Miki Berenyi
- Peter Steele
- Wata
- Glenn Frey
DS-2
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Although it bears the same "DS" name, the Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion is circuit speaking very far from the DS-1, using several transistors and no op amps. It has with two modes producing a distinctly different sound, "I" and "II", the latter has more volume, more midrange and it is best suited for solos. These modes can also be selected via an optional footswitch.
Notable users
- John Frusciante - Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Kurt Cobain - Nirvana
- Kim Deal - Pixies, The Breeders
- Kelley Deal - The Breeders
- Rivers Cuomo - Weezer
- Prince
- Gianni Cerda - Sillo's Iguana
- Steve Vai
- Neil Zaza
- Satchel
- Steel Panther
References
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