http://www.empresseffects.com/multidrive.html
The Empress Multidrive is capable of so much that I could probably shoot 20 videos for it and not get through it all. Instead, I've chosen to highlight its separate components in separate videos with a good old Telecaster through a super clean HIWATT SA212 Custom 50 amp. The amp was so loud that you'll notice some lens movement when I hit a note or chord with some serious bottom end. (Sorry neighbours!) I should also add that the Multidrive was running at its capacity 18V for maximum dynamics and headroom. A T-Rex Chameleon powered it.
In this video I attempt to show you what the Fuzz component is capable of. Other videos feature the other two components -- overdrive and distortion -- with the same guitar and amp. You'll notice that all of the indicator lights are on below the separate components suggesting that they're all being heard: this is not the case as the two we aren't concentrating on are dialled completely out of the mix.
For those technically curious, I miked the amp with an SM57 (panned slightly left) and a Violet Design 'The Amethyst' condenser (panned slightly right). Each mike fed an M-Audio ProFire 610 interface and Pro Tools 9 did the tracking. On the Pro Tools Master Output I added the Waves CLA Guitars plug-in for some light compression and room (you may notice a light 'club' reverb), and then the Waves L3-16 Limiter plug-in kept levels in check.
I think the Multidrive is a great tool. It's capable of emulating a myriad of classic amps and distortions as demonstrated in many other videos on YouTube. Andy at PGS has done what I regard as the best of these 'emulation' demos, along with Empress Effects' own demos. For this reason I have concentrated on the separate components.
I've sat with the Multidrive and played along with (and tried to emulate the sounds of) Steely Dan through to thrash stuff and everything in between, just to see how close I could to their distortion tones. The Multidrive can do it if you're prepared to put in the time and understand its sonic capabilities and architecture -- a fair learning curve in itself. My only request for future revisions would be to somehow employ a 'Series' stacking capability as well as the 'Parallel' capability that it currently employs. Then I'd like an 'order' switching facility to be able to decide which component comes before which. But I fear that may be asking too much.
In short: There's little the Multidrive can do in terms of distortion/overdrive/fuzz tones. You just have to spend some time with it to understand how to extract those tones. It's a tweaker's paradise or an impatient person's nightmare. I fit into the former. Nice one, Empress Effects!
Big thanks to Dan at Empress for having faith in ye olde Burgerman.
Cheers,
BK2011.