Start with the tone you want to emulate. Then consider the build quality, quality of components, and features you need. Interesting, your synth outputs would be line level, are you using line level or instrument level pedals, do you use an additional device? I wouldn’t say there is one universal best overdrive pedal. The best distortion pedal depends on your tonal needs, budgets, and personal preferences. And it’s the same with any other of the guitar pedals out there. The Empress Effects Multidrive is the best distortion pedal for flexibility that is designed to deliver amp-like guitar tones. The Boss HM-2 has been the go-to distortion pedal for a huge number of notable guitarists over the years.

The current production model retains the original straightforward design. It has an Output knob for adjusting output gain, and a Distortion knob that adjusts the level of distortion. It goes from from crunchy to fuzz-like. The RAT 2 is a surprisingly versatile distortion pedal with an unmistakable sound signature. It leans more to the "fuzz" side of the spectrum than many pedals featured on this list. The pedal is still capable of everything from light overdrive to heavy levels of distortion. It is versatile too! Inside, we’ve got two gain stages with independent tone & volume controls. You can choose to run those gain stages in series for higher-gain tones, or blend them together via a special blend control. Joyo also seems to offer rebranding services, but not as much as Mooer. Ammoon and Harley Benton are rebranded Joyo pedals. The Normal channel is by no means average by any stretch of the imagination, just adjust the gain, tone and volume dials to get the desired output and you will be amazed by its rich, full-bodied output that sounds just as good clean as it does heavily distorted.

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Below we've put together a list of popular pedals and their corresponding inexpensive clones, some of which we sell. These are all real clones, not pedals which pretend to be original and cost twice as much as the pedal they're cloning. So the ones we list here are clones, and don't try to hide that fact (and in some cases even make it obvious with a nod to the original in the name). The Rowin Plexion is an affordable, compact distortion pedal with 2 gain modes (Normal and Bright), much like the amp it was modeled after.

The Fender Pugilist is my favorite distortion pedal from Fender’s new range of beautifully designed pedals. In fact, it is one of the best distortion pedals on the market today (in my opinion). Especially considering its feature set, price-point, build quality, and tone. The MXR M75 Super Badass lives up to its name when it comes to tone and versatility. Specifications This "Plexi-drive" style mini guitar pedal offers an array of low gain tones as well as access to "hot-rodded" higher gain tones. As much as distortion pedals affect tone, other factors like your amp and skill level have to be factored in. So when comparing, you have to consider other gear used.If you're looking for a budget-friendly high-gain distortion pedal with tons of EQ options, this pedal delivers quite well. It should definitely go on your to-try list. Specifications Now that we’ve covered the best distortion pedals, I’ll answer some common questions: What is a distortion pedal? Those things are so cheap and compact, I'd like to use them to insert essential FX to individual synths (at the moment, I have a pedalboard bus set up as sends for the lot of them).

There’s also a bass boost switch which works nice with single coils like strats or teles. And it works great with a clean amp or an amp that is already distorted.

Rebrands

Tone City and Movall always seemed to share the same pedals too. But Movall seem to not be around anymore. The RAT 2 is a true bypass pedal. True bypass pedals let your signal pass through the unit unaltered when the pedal isn't engaged, as is preferred by many tone purists. This can be especially important if you plan on using multiple pedals. The Rowin Plexion is the best distortion pedal that gets you close to the best British amp tones of the 70s, 80s, and beyond at a very affordable price point. Specifications

The key to the pedal's versatility lies in the range of its distortion and its three-band EQ. These two features together make it possible to dial in a ton of different gain profiles, all of which are pretty convincing in their own right. This amount of tonal control makes stand out from other cheap pedals. While the “HM” stands for “Heavy Metal”, it’s not just a high gain pedal for Swedish death metal bands. True bypass is where your guitar’s signal passes straight through a pedal unaffected. It essentially bypasses the components of the pedal to pass your signal through the next cable. A lot of guitar players prefer this because they feel like it makes their tone more transparent. However, this isn’t necessarily the case. The main effect that true bypass has is that it shortens the overall distance your signal travels before it reaches your amp. This can help your signal maintain high-end response. As the distance from your guitar to your amp increases you gradually start to lose high-end frequencies. This starts at roughly 18.5 feet, according to BOSS). However, true bypass doesn’t do anything to improve your tone.The Fender Pugilist is an incredibly versatile distortion thanks to its two gain stages and ability to run them in series or blend them together. There’s a dual version of the pedal that offers more flexibility.