I’m looking to replace my current relatively cheap (sub-$100) distortion pedal.
I can get the Analog Drive for $180 brand new and was wondering if that’s a good deal and worth it? I don’t particularly like to distort anything but my guitar, so I figured I’d get the AD before I get the AH. Seems pretty nice for a guitar pedal. I use a Fender Stratocaster.
If you are planning on already getting the AH I wouldnt get the AD, just straight AH if that is what you are getting eventually.
The main problem I have with just the Analog Heat is I can’t distort my guitar and the stereo output of my Elektron gear at the same time.
I thought it was just for one instrument.
Honestly though I still would think about it twice if you are getting the AH anyways. There are good distortion pedals out there for less and a smaller form factor, the AH would overlap a lot of what the AD has to offer.
Also once OB comes out for the AH you can just drag them into your guitar or synth or whatever other instrument you want to dirt up.
If you play your guitar live then yeah I would maybe look into the AD just so that you can stomp on it while on a gig.
True.
You’re right about just dirtying up one instrument. But if I got the AH I’d most definitely try out distorting tons of stuff alongside my guitar.
I guess it’s time to start saving!
I have both. I find AH better for guitar, cleaner circuits, AD is really noisier. Dirtier too.
AD works pretty well for the price, I sold some distortion pedals after. I prefer its dirty sound on drums, much more drive.
Concerning filters / eq AH is much better of course, it can be used as a wah. AD wah effect with mid freq control is not really usable as a real wah.
AH : Envelope control + lfo !
Get one AH and 2 AD. 
Far better drive or distortion pedals for guitar than the AD.
For sure. But it replaced my DS1, Fullbore Metal and Ultimate Octave.
I wish it could be smaller and less noisy.
Got mine yesterday. I’m a bit dissapointed, it’s decent but not great. The hi-gain circuits are OK for bedroom-level players but they are WAYYYY to noisy and compressed to be played at stage levels: instant feedback guaranteed (nasty pick-up feedback, I mean). Unusable with single coils or floating PU’s IMO. And the “regular mid-gain” distortions are a bit too “mid-gain”, no way to really drive them. My vintage RAT beats them all in that respect, except perhaps the TS clone which has its own caracter.
Maybe when I will have some time to experiment with the specific features like midi control I’d change my mind because of added creative possibilities (using the Octatrack’s sequencer and midi lfo’s to modulate the settings), but for know my RAT will stay onboard, my custom booster too, and I might reconsider my old vintage Big Muff for some added madness.
I paid 160€ so I don’t feel bad about my purchase but if had paid the introductory price of over 350€ I would probably have returned it. BTW, is there a way to know which firmware I’m on?
EDIT: Ok, I take some of my words back. I messed around a bit with my cab sims and preamp, and it happens that when I push my clean channel (tube preamp) just over the edge of overdrive, just a bit, and with a good cab sim and adequate mic, the AD comes to life. It still needs a noise gate, but that’s not a huge issue. It really needs that tiny bit of tube shimmer, otherwise it’s sound is too flat. So well, with a good set-up it’s actually pretty cool.
I found AD better than AH for drums / 303 ish sounds and AH maybe better for guitar, much less noise. The OCTAVIA (Harmonic / Round Fuzz) mode is better on AH.
In a studio setting maybe. The AH is not designed to be on a pedalboard… the AD is, and that’s what makes it roadworthy. BTW, I’m getting used to it. Happens I got a Two Notes Torpedo CAB almost at the same time, and that’s quite a change of paradigm for me as a guitar player. My initial impression was perhaps a bit biased. I’ve been working with both the CAB and the AD a bit now (including a rehearsal) and I must say that I’m getting a huge range of usable sounds out of my pedalboard-only rig right now (for guitar that is T-Rex Nova Comp=>AD=>Two Notes LeClean=>Two Notes Torpedo CAB=> FOH mixer + stage monitors). Overall, it’s a very versatile set-up and easy to manage.
Same here! Amps are too loud! 
I had also the VB101 and the Live with Mesa Studio Preamp and after with a VHT Black Beauty! So heavy!
Sold finding better sounds in Guitar Rig in a Muse Receptor (vst host).
I’d like to try a Torpedo Cab again. So you like the Clean apparently.
Nor the Octatrack, but we’d use it as an fx pedal in stage! 
OT on the floor!
If you haven’t seen these, here’s some good demos:
More experimental usage:
I considered getting it too, but ended up with the hudson electronics broadcast (24 mins in)
If you are gonna get the AH perhaps it’s worth checking out something that gives you a different flavour (even if the AD is multipurpose & has the benefit of presets etc)
I can also recommend the Broadcast. I’ve never tried it on anything but guitar though. That will change very soon!
Broadcast is a fuzz isn’t it?
AD don’t have great fuzz modes but I have a really good versatile fuzz with the Nitrogen 21.
It’s a copy of the preamp stage of an old broadcasting console. It’s a great fuzz, but there’s way more in there. It’s a unique pedal. I love mine.
LeClean + leCab = pure awesome. If you have a GREAT booster upfront (I have this one: http://vleffects.free.fr/bullitt_fat_vintage.html , he says it’s low gain but I do not exacly agree, it spits out quite some juice) then Booster + leClean + leCab => absolute pure awesome. I had the leClean for over a year and was happy with it, but adding the CAB changed everything. It’s a system, really. Two Notes released the new CAB-M but I prefer midi and footswitches over bluetooth and size-reduction so I got the CAB instead. (New firmware = dual mic’s!!). I’ve been struggling with my guitar sound for ages, these days are over. This is IT.
I ran my minilogue through the broadcast followed by the Avalanche Run, sounded huge!
That looks like a really cool pedal. I need to try one some time. After years of searching for the fuzz tone I was after, I ended up with an Analog Man Sun Face NKT Red Dot, and I love it. I asked Analog Mike to give me a wide sweep on the bias knob and it turned out so good.
Hey, came across the Broadcast recently and it looks like a nice affordable colour box, have you tried it on line level signals?