Keeley Electronics 4-in-1 Series #1 : Noble Screamer : Nobels ODR-1 x Ibanez TS808
The Noble Screamer was the first of the 4-in-1 series - which was launched in September of last year. Featuring a beautifully crafted, custom gently-sloping wedge-shape enclosure with complementary colour-coded milled and anodised aluminium knobs. The look and feel here is truly top-shelf and there is a superb smooth tactile high quality feel to the finish. To my mind this is a fantastic execution of a great concept, and distinct from Boss’s double circuit approach - a la JB-2 Angry Driver, and Crazy Tube Circuits’ Motherload - which allows you to combine the 2 circuit’s tone stacks versus alternating them - as is the case with the 4-in-1 series. It’s cool that these 3 great brands have all found their own unique path with dual circuits - and where each approach delivers something distinct!
The concept here is of course the same for all 4 of the 4-in-1 Series - that is to say 2 complementary classic circuits, one soft clipping, the other hard clipping, and each with their own classic tone stack - where you can mix and match those up in 4 combinations as detailed below. There’s usually a distinct difference between the two EQ options, bar for the Angry Rodent where there are closer similarities for their EQ / Tone Stack sections - albeit those render quite differently.
It’s interesting that there are noticeable differences in output volume between circuit types - so for this pairing the Screamer voicing is somewhat quieter than the ODR-1 one - which is reflected in the values of the resulting settings applied below. I was able to get really great sounds out of the Full ODR-1, Full TS808, and TS808 with the ODR-1’s Spectrum Tone Stack options. While I was mostly unable to produce wholly satisfactory tones for my preferences with the ODR-1 Clipping + TS808 Tone Stack - despite several trial sessions and best intentions - actually - more on that later.
The TS808 with the ODR-1 Spectrum Tone Stack was the most satisfying surprise here - while overall I felt that the ODR-1 with its own Spectrum Tone Stack delivered the most balanced and best results for me. Second was the beefed up Screamer with the ODR-1 Spectrum Tone Stack - ideally I would want to keep the treble higher and dial the bass back a bit further, but it delivers a really satisfying output anyway. Both those modes work well with roughly the same settings, and output is significantly higher than either combination with the TS808 LPF Tone Stack. The Classic TS808 sounds pretty decent, while, as mentioned - I couldn’t get fully optimal tones with the TS808 Tone Stack combined with ODR-1 clipping - at leat not for a number of attempts.
The next model I will be tackling is the Blues Disorder - where the early running there seems to indicate that my preferred combination is looking to be one of the alternatives - or the BluesBreaker clipping with the OCD Tone Stack - more of that next week!
Controls : Tone, Tone Stack Switch : OD (Spectrum EQ) / TS (LPF EQ), Drive, Drive Clipping : OD (Hard) / TS (Soft), Level.
THE 4-IN-1 OPTIONS
EQ + CLIP Variations
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OD + OD = ODR-1 Classic
TS + TS = TS808 Classic
TS + OD = ODR-1 with TS808 LPF Tone Stack
OD + TS = TS808 with ODR-1 Spectrum Tone Stack
Trial Sessions and Test Results
Ideal EQ + CLIP Settings per preferences
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OD + OD : Tone @ 3 o'c, Drive @ Noon, Level @ 3 o'c
TS + TS : Tone @ Max, Drive @ Noon, Level @ Max
TS + OD : Tone @ 3 o'c, Drive @ Noon, Level @ 3 o'c
OD + TS : Tone @ Max, Drive @ Noon, Level @ Max
As mentioned in the intro - the TS808 Tone Stack would seem to be the weakest link here - as when it is deployed you consistently get a lower, less vibrant output. Typically the EQ's / Tone Stacks here contribute most towards the level of output and vibrancy - where you need the TS808 side Volume and Tone controls to be set quite a bit higher than on the ODR-1's Spectrum Tone Stack.
I could instantly find really useful sweet-spot tones across OD + OD, TS + TS, and OD + TS Combinations - I really put in a valiant effort on the TS + OD combination - but could not initially get that to an output profile that was fully satisfactory for my own preferences.
I always thought there might be a likelihood that one of the combinations was somewhat slightly weaker than the rest, and indeed that seems to be the case here for this Green Edition. The good news though is that the OD + TS Combination is my second favourite and really makes this pedal worthwhile - as you get 3 highly usable great sounding varieties here.
I'd be interested to hear from readers as to what their take on the TS + OD combination is. Perhaps I'm missing a trick!
UPDATE! - I finally found a usable tone for the TS + OD combination - with settings of Tone @ 4 o'c, Drive @ 3 o'c, and Level @ Max. Generally you have to balanced the output by adding quite a bit more gain into the mix. It's still though the weakest of the 4 Modes - so doesn't really impact on the podium positions!
Favourite Modes in Order :
EQ + CLIP
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OD + OD : Best balanced for the overall most satisfying output
OD + TS : Beefed up Screamer - More Treble, More Bass - sounds immense!
TS + TS : Classic Signature Screamer, well-balanced
TS + OD : I Didn't get on particularly well with this combination!
So the short verdict here is that 3 of the combinations are superb, and one doesn't really do too much for me - I still really like those odds though!
The 4-in-Series pedals are all priced at MAP / RRP $199 in the US, €259 in the EU, and £199 in the UK, of course available direct from the Keeley Electronics Webstore, and at all leading dealers!
Demos
