The backbone of the Cross Over Drive is four FET transistors designed to capture the response and touch-sensitivity of an amp’s organic overdrive. But making a FET stage behave like a particular tube stage is actually a very complex affair and is not a simple substitute like most other FET-based preamp circuits. Our experience in designing valve amplifiers at MI Audio has seen us obsess over every minute detail of the Cross Over Drive’s circuit from operating points, dynamic range, scaling of clipping thresholds, output impedances, intrinsic capacitances due to the Miller Effect… you get the idea! This obsession has led to an original pedal design like no other that becomes a natural extension of your guitar, amp and playing style.
The most coveted guitar tones are those where the guitar, player and amplifier work as one. Every attack on the guitar string, be it by plectrum or finger pick, legato to down-stroke, neck or bridge pickup –all provide a different tone and feel that traditional overdrive pedals can struggle to capture. This response has been the driving force behind the design of the Cross Over Drive and this attention to detail is what sets it apart from the pack.
The new version of the Cross Over Drive now features an extra two modes, for triple the flexibility. Besides the original Standard (STD) mode, the new LOW Mode focuses on the bluesier side of the pedal, with incredible touch dynamics and better volume sensitivity. The third mode is TIGHT, which is a higher gain, mode, with a more pronounced upper mid focus, for more agressive modern tones.
Controls are:
GAIN – The Cross Over Drive is a boost/enhancer adding some extra sparkle to the guitar’s natural tone. Mid gain mode gives some nice, complex, tube-like overdrive but allows clean-up of the signal via the guitar’s volume knob that A/B’s well against a standard clean. Add a bit more gain for a smooth, harmonic-rich, sustaining lead sound from 70′s rock to jazz-fusion and crank it to enter loose fuzz territory for those big stoner-rock riffs! Due to the nature of its design, every player will make this pedal sound their own – responding to every nuance and attack of your style and genre.
The two knob EQ of DETAIL and BALANCE helps maintain the full drive sound whilst allowing for refinement of the top- and bottom-end.
DETAIL – provides the body of the overdrive tone with lower settings perfect for bright amplifiers.
BALANCE – allows for the adjustment of the amount of top-end harmonics for either a smooth, round lead sound or turned up for a tone that will cut through a mix.
MODE – Low, Standard and Tight.