Overdrive Shootout
For this shootout, I am comparing two overdrive pedals - the Empress Germ Drive and the Earthquaker Devices White Light. Both are gorgeous boutique pedals made by two of the best pedal companies.Empress Germ Drive
As far as I can tell, without reverse-engineering this pedal, this pedal is basically a TL074-based overdrive circuit using Germanium diode clipping, with an active (meaning boost- and cut- capable) Bass and Treble EQ, provided by powering the Opamp with a TC7660 voltage converter. The circuit is probably not too complex, however - like all Empress work I've seen, the build quality is second to none - using exceptional surface-mount PCB technology, super-smooth potentiometers, and sounds amazing.Read more here: http://empresseffects.com/collections/pedals/products/germ-drive
Earthquaker Devices White Light
As with the Germ Drive, I haven't really traced out the circuit, but the White Light is also an Opamp-based overdrive using diodes for clipping. The Opamp is an LM833, and there is a LOT of diodes on the PCB. The two controls that Jamie Stillman has built into this pedal to shape the tone are "Weight" and a "Comp" switch. The controls are very unique in how they alter the gain, eq and punch of the overdrive - but all I can say is that the results are very musical and versatile. I've had this pedal for 4 years, and it is my main workhorse in front of my amps.read more here: http://earthquakerdevices.com/shop/White%20Light/cat/13099
Comparisons
Drive Range
For this comparison, I am gauging the ability for the gain to go from totally clean - where the pedal can be used as a clean boost ("0" drive) - to all out distortion/fuzz ("10").The Germ drive is a lower-gain pedal, the range is 0 to 5. Below half-way the pedal is more of a boost, and adds warmth that only Germanium can provide. The clipping at low gain levels is more musical, and the breakup is more consistent. At the top end, the EQ settings can really affect the drive, pushing it even further into fuzz territory, especially with a neck pickup and boosted Bass EQ.
The White Light is higher, ranging from 3 to 7. The clipping never really cleans up, but the range is smooth from top to bottom. The Weight and Comp controls change the gain, with Weight settings reducing the amount of clipping, and the Comp control lowering the gain and giving a more "spongy" feel.
Gain Control
Gain control is basically the ability for you to control the amount of gain from your guitar volume knob. The ideal result would be that you could go from full drive with your knob at 10, to clean with the knob at half-way - while not reducing the actual volume output at the amp until you drop the knob below 5.The Germ Drive is exactly this. With the knob from 0 to 5 the sound is very clean and will gradually gain in volume from my amp. Then from 5 to 10, the amp output does not increase, but the gain of the overdrive goes from clean to whatever setting the Gain knob is at on the pedal. This is excellent engineering on Empress' part.
The white light is similar to this, but is never really clean without a reduction in output volume. Additionally, at lower knob settings, the breakup is inconsistent - sort of giving you the impression that the pedal can't decide whether the output is clean or clipped.
Tone Control
The Germ Drive Bass and Treble controls are awesome. This is the benefit of a true active EQ circuit. When you go above 50% on with knob you can FEEL those frequencies being boosted.While the White Light Comp switch seems to only change the playing dynamics - ie. going from a hard attack to a spongy feel - the Weight control is much more versatile. It behaves like a contour knob, allowing you to scoop out a bit of the high mids and fatten up the low and low-mids for heavy, chunky riffs. The graphic shows the "Hand of God" coming from the sky - and this is a perfect description of what the Weight knob does.
A lot of what the Germ Drive EQ does really replicates what the EQ on my Mesa Boogie amp does. The White Light's Weight control is so unique, that it makes this pedal indispensable.
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