About This Item
Description
It sounds like a small 1950s amplifier turned all the way up. Interstellar Overdriver is a true overdrive built on a discrete circuit and tuned to behave like an old tube amplifier: beautifully transparent, and better the further you push it. The manual is blunt about it, calling the pedal explosively loud with a lot of bite, and not to be confused with a mellow screamer.
Which Death by Audio drive is this?
- Germanium Filter: vintage germanium distortion with a sweeping filter.
- Fuzz War: full sustaining fuzz rather than amp style overdrive.
- Thee Treble Overload: a treble focused boost with up to +52 dB of gain.
Interstellar Overdriver is the transparent one. It adds amplifier style bite and volume without the filtering or the fuzz textures of the other drives here.
Why guitarists choose the Interstellar Overdriver
- A discrete circuit keeps the response transparent, so your guitar and amplifier still sound like themselves.
- It is voiced to improve as you turn it up rather than fizzing out at high settings.
- Two controls make it fast to set on stage with no menus and no hidden voicings.
- The Master control lets you use full drive at a controlled output level.
- 1 mA of current draw at 9 V DC means it will run from anything.
- True bypass, hand built in New York City.
Controls and switches
- OVERDRIVER sets the input gain, from a slight boost through to full power amp destruction at the maximum crunch end.
- MASTER sets the output volume of the effect.
- The footswitch is true bypass, with a red indicator LED.
- Input and output jacks are on the sides of the enclosure.
Power and pedalboard compatibility
- Runs on 9 V DC, 2.1 mm barrel, center negative.
- Current draw is 1 mA, so budget that on your supply.
- Death By Audio does not publish battery operation for this one, so plan on a regulated DC supply.
- True bypass means it is completely out of the signal path when it is off, so place it wherever the chain sounds best.
- Jacks sit on the sides of the enclosure, so leave clearance to the left and right rather than above.
- Routing: Mono (single input and output shown on the manual panel diagram).
- It measures 12.06 x 10.29 x 5.51 cm including hardware, so measure your row before ordering.
Technical specifications
| Model | Death by Audio Interstellar Overdriver |
| Effect type | Overdrive |
| Controls | Overdriver, Master |
| Bypass | True bypass |
| Expression or CV input | No |
| Power | 9 V DC, 2.1 mm barrel, center negative |
| Current draw (mA) | 1 |
| Top mounted jacks | No |
| Routing | Mono (single input and output shown on the manual panel diagram) |
| Connections | input jack and output jack (per manual panel diagram); jack sizes and power jack not labelled in the manual text |
| Dimensions including hardware | 12.06 x 10.29 x 5.51 cm |
| Weight | 12 oz. |
| MPN | 720260152331 |
| GTIN | 720260152331 |
| Manufacture and warranty | Handmade in New York City |
FAQ
Is it a transparent overdrive or a distortion? Death By Audio describes it as a true overdrive that is beautifully transparent and tuned to behave like old tube amplifiers, though the manual warns it is explosively loud with a lot of bite.
Is it a Tube Screamer style pedal? No. The manual specifically says it should not be confused with a mellow screamer. It is louder and more aggressive.
How do I use it as a clean boost? Keep Overdriver low, near the slight boost end, and use Master to set the level you want in front of your amplifier.
What power does it need? 9 V DC through a 2.1 mm center negative barrel. Current draw is 1 mA.
Where are the jacks? On the sides of the enclosure, which suits tight pedalboard rows where a top mounted cable would not fit.
Is it true bypass? Yes.
How big is it? 12.06 x 10.29 x 5.51 cm including hardware, weighing 12 oz.