Digitech’s Best Kept Secret! (DF-7 Distortion Factory)

[@ZachYoung626]

This channels never ending assault on gear snobbery makes me very happy.

[@tompoynton]

On the day that Teenage Engineering released a $1200 mixer, this couldn’t be more apt

[@needlenosemusic]

@@tompoynton over….rated…. *clap clap clapclap*

[@withinthrall1445]

@@needlenosemusic are you saying the company is overrated or the mixer? Because I own an op-1 and some of the pocket operators and they are all amazing.

[@needlenosemusic]

@@withinthrall1445 for sure TE has done some cool stuff. I’m just not impressed with the cost of that mixer. It’s just very niche and not for someone like myself at all. I’m sure it works wonderfully as all their stuff does, but man that price point is insane.

[@tompoynton]

@@luckyd2126 Thanks Obama!

[@JohnDeeHanson]

Thanks for mentioning the engineering guys in the credits. These guys were a great team. Billy Clements had the best ears and guitar chops in the business. He wouldn’t let a pedal out that didn’t sound right. Jeremy Geisler is still involved with creating cool sounds by working on actual DSP chips for Analog Devices. A true lover of good guitar sounds. Craig DeVries (rhymes with The Breeze) was a great hardware guy who was able to squeeze the last dB of noise out of a circuit, which has always been one of the hardest parts of creating a good digital pedal. There were others, mechanical design engineers, product guys who helped to define what it was supposed to be, techs and testers. All in all, some great people whom I miss working with everyday. Thanks for making some great videos!!

[@el84band83]

John is so right with this group that worked on this pedal. I worked with them too. What a great group!

[@gaetanbollaert2830]

👏🏻

[@Danthehorse]

John, kindly start a pedal company with chaps you mentioned, and build on the superb hardwire series . Thank you.

[@JohnDeeHanson]

@@Danthehorse The HardWire pedals were great pedals. Craig DeVries did the hardware design on the digital pedals, and I did the design of the analog distortions. I can honestly say that they were some of my favorite designs that I did when I worked at DigiTech.

[@Danthehorse]

@@JohnDeeHanson it's such a shame all that momentum is lost . You guys were really hitting a stride.

[@smackofalltrades]

If youre still on the fence, a really cool mod to do to this pedal is to open it up and stuff it with about $1,000 cash, and it will even more accurately replicate the old circuits and parts.

[@savoirfaire8979]

scientifically proven

[@sunburst7246]

Germaimium cash?

[@999manman]

Will it replicate the 'green' sound?

[@mattgilbert7347]

Then you could use that to buy the one on Reverb listed for, you guessed it, $1,000. True story.

[@vladv5126]

But it has to be unmarked, used 20s.

[@jaaaash1382]

This demo is a perfect example of the "if it sounds good, it is good" philosophy. You love to see it, very much appreciated. ❤

[@RockG.o.d]

nah, that digitech sounds really bad, I know because I have been playing guitar for years and can't even tell the difference between a boss metal zone and a big muff.

[@andrewsorensen2316]

Thanks for mentioning the engineers. Those guys almost always get lost in the stories. You're a real class act.

[@jhspedals]

Truly, the engineers are THE unsung heroes of the industry.

[@georgebarry8640]

@@jhspedals When companies let go of their engineers (in the pedal industry)..I have seen blogs through much salt at the company. In my mind Id always like to know WHERE they went (to another company we know?). I think that would make for a GREAT JHS episode. I think people would love to know that where certain people go..there is an inclination towards a certain COOL outcome.

[@lacaz212]

Hi JHS Pedals, just got that DF 7 you sent. Thank you so very much and I will be using it on the pedalboard in your honour. JHS Pedals rule!

[@tudorcroitoru8762]

The part where you gave shoutouts to the engineers and project manager is great. It's great to see engineers getting publicity for their work!

[@jhspedals]

They are the heartbeat and blood.

[@evowire]

Thanks for this shoot out. I worked at Digitech for many years. Most of the engineers were also musicians. They painstakingly designed these to be as authentic as possible. Having said that, my all time favorite series, was the Hardwire pedals. It sucks that the brand is in zombie mode at the moment.

[@roxynox]

@Guitar and Spiders is there a significant difference between the made in USA vs China Hardwire pedals?

[@evowire]

@@roxynox They were built with the exact same components, so no difference at all.

[@HondoJarrus]

Back in the day I picked up a used Hardwire RV-7 and still love it - prices are crazy now, oof! The HT-6 tuner is on my main board these days, some cool features on that pedal.

[@jessevandendoren]

I love my DL-8 delay to death!

[@mudsh4rk]

Digitech PDS-1550 is my all time favorite distortion pedal for synthesizers.

[@Sandman60077]

Funny fact, the DF7 distortion Factory was the very first thing I EVER ordered on Amazon. It was December 24 2007, and the funny thing is that because it was my first time using Amazon and I didn't really know what I was doing that I mistakenly purchased 3 of them! One of them I finally sold on Reverb last year, another is broken because I tried taking it apart when I thought I was gonna be the next great pedal builder after watching a JHS video, and the last one still works and I keep it around for nostalgia reasons. 👍

[@otakuholly8885]

Taking apart something sure youll learn everything... then breaking it instead xD! Thats basically what happend to my metal zone lol i FINALLY got it functioning again thank god

[@nedim_guitar]

@@otakuholly8885 Hey, well done! 😄

[@flatgroundtv7097]

The price drastically rise up after this video being posted and sold out everywhere. Well deserved pedal to be given some respect and prestige. Thank you for highlighting it out. ✊🏽

[@MrKjDrake]

I need to get in their secret circle so I can buy 25 pedals for $40 each before they rise to $400 after the video comes out and make a small fortune. 😂

[@RockG.o.d]

@@MrKjDrake better than crypto haha.

[@gaetanbollaert2830]

I saw 700€ on reverb rn 😂 I gonna keep it anyway 🙄

[@TheCyberMantis]

@@MrKjDrake That's what Josh does. He sneaks out and buys all these pedals up. Then he makes a video like this, and that's how he rigs the market!

[@nunyabusiness5075]

It does make me wonder how many were for sale on ebay/reverb/whatever at a decent price before this review came out. I now see the cheapest one on reverb is $250 and there are none on ebay. When I check out the completed listings on ebay for the past three months they all sold for less than $100. Any guesses how long it'll take before they come back to that $65 price? A month or two? longer? Yeah, I should learn to play something better before I go searching for pedals.

[@UsTheMusicTVOfficial]

Once again, this shows just how UNDERRATED Digitetch/DOD really are. This is yet another company that really understands the needs and desires of the musician. Stereo outputs, and a cab sim?! Your already on your way to putting on a great show! I've seen em before (and I use this brand), maybe i'll have to get one this time around.

[@SneedyKetler]

The company went under for a while, so used is the way to go

[@sweetvelvetjamz]

I love digitech. I made a DF-7 CAB SIM DEMO here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mHWlpoeVeb5mlaM

[@bobbywright6354]

dude i bought one of these 2 years ago at a local music shop for a 40 bucks and i felt like i had found some secret alien tech that no one knew about except me lol. seriously one of the best pebals ive ever had.

[@edbstrung]

I also got mine for $40 off someone on Craigslist about a few months before this video was released. I also thought what the hell…why is no one talking about this pedal?! I especially love how overwhelming the bass can get by tweaking the EQ which is great for playing alone at home. Nothing like getting huge swelling bass coming out of my guitar. The EQ has way larger parameters than the pedals the DF-7 emulates. (I play through a class A hardwired tube amp)

[@jvegas]

Dudes so I’m looking for a first dist pedal. And I suppose variety is a must cu⌛️💿 I don’t know what I like yet. Got a DD3 delay, a JHS hall reverb and some crazy Chinese fuzz. No dist yet… considering this as my first buy

[@BrentBeaver68]

I still have my DF-7 I bought new in '06, it was my main distortion pedal for years. Having the extra eq available for all the pedal models is absolutely awesome. And, I have the box 😉.

[@ogmakefirefiregood]

He Has The Box!

[@georgebarry8640]

@@ogmakefirefiregood He Has the box!!!!!

[@Ndlanding]

@@georgebarry8640 Eh?

[@ChrisHannahSolstone]

The jamming in this episode was top notch guys! great job.

[@TheBorjaLopez]

Thank you very much for your show. You have helped me a lot in a very hard and sad stage of my life, your videos distract me, entertain me and also I have learned to appreciate my gear, to enjoy the possibilities of its sound and to enjoy the music without worrying about the G.A.S. :) And also I have a lot of Digitech gear! I think it's great! Love you guys, never stop to make vídeos.

[@-processdrone-]

I hope things get better soon Borja. Humans live on the equator and on the south pole, humans can adapt and survive in incredible ways, go human go!

[@NaanProphet]

This is why I'm subscribed. Josh's dry sass knowing he's blowing down gear snobbery. I love it.

[@WillDeutsch]

You normally do an good job with the A/B testing -- but normally I can hear some sort of change --- this time --- the only way I knew you were changing was the little light. Great job!

[@bartvschuylenburg]

I could hear the difference with the DoD, but that difference is probably just as large as between two “identical” DOD pedals.

[@nedim_guitar]

@@bartvschuylenburg I agree with that. The difference was so small, though, that I had to question if I really heard any difference at all.

[@Martin-vp9lv]

This video is clearly fake. None of the guys are even playing. I’m sure Josh just downloaded some audio off the internet.

[@NewFalconerRecords]

@@Martin-vp9lv Clearly.

[@ttestates1]

Of all the A/Bs you've done, this one was crazy, all comparisons were identical!

[@CaevanOShite]

"Companies don't make things, people do." Excellent point, and very cool crediting those individuals by name.

[@Russell_Optics]

It never ceases to amaze me how much people are willing to spend on something because of a name brand, an artist that used it, internet hype, or that elusive rare or vintage piece that is no longer available when there is something else new or old that sounds just as good or better for 1/10th the price. The name or brand is a very powerful tool...Gibson is another example.

[@SparkyGoldsmith]

$400 for a Peavey Decade because one of the most annoying bands ever to pollute the airwaves used one.

[@brandonpsullivan]

I used to have that pedal! For like ten years it was my primary hard rock/metal recording tool. I put it on guitar and bass and I loved it. For some idiotic reason, I sold it a couple years ago in a pedal purge. Honestly, I think it was some misguided "this isn't a real pedal" mentality I had been corrupted by. I miss it and would love to pick another up again just to have it in my toolkit. Thanks as always for these demos and for pushing so much positivity into a confusing obfuscated market.

[@mattgilbert7347]

Without this video I would never have purchased a DF7 for a very reasonable price. I love it. The cabinet simulations are pretty damn good!

[@professor_hoi]

Death Cab albums are time capsules to many people. The first few seconds of Something About Airplanes will always teleport me to '98-99 - sitting on the floor of Meow Meow in Portland, absorbing Chris Walla's memorizing guitarscapes, admiring Ben Gibbard's unique shoulder dances - everyone had amazing cardigans.

[@AnthonyGargini]

After you put out this video the price on Reverb went from 50 to 300 bucks. Very clever. You caused demand to go up and raised the price, thus making your pedals a much better value. Truly a master of 4d chess.

[@matttaylor4467]

As a chorus junkie, I snagged a CF-7 off Reverb a couple of years back, and it is the mainstay chorus on my El Primero tone plank. It weighs a ton! It lives there with my pre-Pandemania purchased Digitech Polara. Digitech kills it in the making great noises department.

[@devinftf]

The Polara is my favorite reverb pedal. It will never leave my board.

[@matttaylor4467]

@@devinftf Aces! A close second for me is the Joyo Atmosphere. It's got all the best of the Polara, IMHO, as well as a few different options of its own. Forest setting is just a chorus added in, and sounds quite nice.

[@devinftf]

@@matttaylor4467 You have my attention. Honestly that whole Joyo R-series sounds great.

[@gregsimmons8130]

I have this pedal. Bought new in our around 2005 and have loved it ever since. Recently I offloaded a ton of gear on Reverb and this was one pedal I refused to let go of. I’m new to your channel but am a fan! And I love love Death Cab; my favorite album is Thank You For Today. Thanks!

[@j.maddox940]

Y'all are such an inspiration! Thanks for breathing some fresh air into guitar these last few years. There's a lot of toxicity and insecurity in guitar and you always keep it real. Also, Nick you shred dude!

[@washparkmusic]

5:29 “Nick, do you wanna smell the..” “No”

[@endlessfrogs2972]

1st! I am glad to get this featured. I wanted to hear more about the Chorus Factory.

[@mikerainonemusic3059]

These jams are getting so good to the point where u guys might need to do an album..

[@homunculusSZN]

And now it costs almost 200 bucks. Josh is forever my favorite because he shows why these pedals are as good. Someday I’ll have one and I’ll piss off my neighbors!

[@ad_burner_sc]

great review & good on you for naming the gifted gentlemen behind the df-7

[@ZigmaIwu]

I got the DF-7 several years ago as a gift from a friend who stopped playing guitar, he thought it was a cheap, shitty sounding pedal. He was so wrong, first of all, it's true that you have to spent quite some time setting it up and messing with the EQs to get cool sounds but I always got a pretty decept distostion after all, specially being bassist. The most remarcable thing of this pedal is that's perfect for bass because you can EQ all the distortions in order to make it perform better low frequencies, so you finally end up with perfectly bass-EQed muff sound, or even a reliable "bassy" version of the Tubescreamer and the DOD, that I've used a lot and sounds so damm good. So if you are a bassist and you want to mess with different types of distortions, pls do yourself a favor and go for it!

[@aliasdandavisofficial]

Thanks!

[@murph1017]

The Expression Factory also has all of these distortions built in. I have one of those. It's my emergency pedal in the event my pedalboard fails. It's good stuff.

[@raybrooks2429]

The Expression version is such a great value. On top of all the distortions, you also have 2 wahs, space synth, a truncated whammy, univibe, flanger, chorus, and the final selection when the pedal is off(I think, can't remember) can double as a volume pedal! That's several thousand dollars worth of effects crammed into a $150 pedal. I believe you can also hook up the FS3 switcher to it as well to independently change effects. It has had a place on my board since 2007.

[@mathisto21]

I’m in my 40s and this unreal pedal was my second pedal…my first was a Zoom 505. Man I had soooooo much fun with those bad boys. Thanks Josh for giving this classic a shout out

[@runutsutube]

I've had the expression factory on my board for the last 15 years, it's been a real trooper all along! I don't use the gain side of it but having a wah, a vibe, a rotary, a whammy and flanger under the same expression pedal is just perfect for me. And the space station shimmery preset can sound absurdly huge if you put some gain and a reverb after it.

[@otakuholly8885]

My favorite part is the engineer shout outs. As an aspiring pedal maker its nice to see the faces so thank you very much!

[@aceflibble]

Damnit, I've enjoyed buying and using 2000s Digitech pedals on the cheap for years... RIP those bargain prices now. (I've totally used those mixer outs a lot of the years, and they're what drove me to eventually go 'ampless'. The distortion and chorus factories and the Screamin Blues and Hot Head from their analogue clone line are basically two-channel amps-in-a-box. I always thought it was a shame Digitech stopped doing that form factor with the mixer out.) EDIT: Yup, all three pedals are now in short supply on both Reverb and eBay, and the listings that are up are mostly at £130+ now. The video's only been up for 25 minutes...

[@FranciscoGarcia-hi3zx]

Foreals. Makes me feel like I have to buy them before they are gone or ridiculously priced up.

[@stuartchapman5171]

I love those Digitech. I use them for sound design and feed them loud signals and feedback loops. They love it. No clipping. And Chen they get glitchy it's glorious. Oh and hey work well as a preamp for obscure 1meg impedance mics. And and......

[@Gloveberg1]

Luckily the "Josh Scott Bump" only lasts a month or two (usually)

[@Circadianarrhythmia]

Eh, it’s always better for people to know about their options than for them to be secretive and extra extra cheap. And usually the hike from the jhs episodes only lasts a bit until people move back on and resellers give up on the high prices not getting many sales

[@Gloveberg1]

@@Circadianarrhythmia Case in point is the DOD 250's. After the episode on them every version from the 250 to the FX50 and FX50B all jumped at least $50, or more in some cases, but they're already nearly back down to where they were.

[@antonvillalon]

Thanks to you Josh, I am now a proud(er) owner of the CF-7 and DF-7. You just validated how much these pedals are so good and now have prices off the roof. My only regret is that If only I had also bought a used EX-7 earlier... Looking forward to your CF-7 comparison!

[@FK-ee1qm]

My uncle used to be a gigging guitarist and a couple of years ago he gave me his own ex-7 expression factory for my birthday after he stopped touring for good. This thing is crazy but i don't use it enough. 7 expression effects + 7 additional od/distortion effects? It gets rather complicated pretty quick but still love how it emulates gear I'm never getting my hands on. (like the univibe, leslie or the space station)

[@grantlazenby8192]

Awesome video, I bought a DF-7 10 years ago for R25. I still use it a ton, it's a really great piece of gear! Thanks Josh and team.

[@joshmou]

Watching this pedal go from selling for $60 to $150 within an hour of this videos release. Crazy stuff.

[@markholden1662]

$750 now...

[@TwistedIdentity]

@@markholden1662 -slowly facepalms- That brings my piss to a boil when people price gouge shit just because a KZbinr mentioned it.

[@mikecorey8370]

$300. as of 9:28 PM EST

[@lumpynehar1581]

Up to 900 now

[@needlenosemusic]

It’s worth what people are willing to pay. And if they’re willing to pay as much as it’s gotten up to, they’re idiots. Let them.

[@swmorgan515]

I've had this pedal for years it is great. One really nice bonus with the Muff sim in this pedal is that you get a mid control with a freq control set where that mid bump is. Fuzz pedals are notorious for disappearing in a live mix, but with the mid control on the DF7 you can fix that.

[@backinthecity]

I think the issue is most people experience some of these pedals with their first terrible setup. My impression of the Boss DS-1 was based off of a squire $100 guitar through a cheap 15 watt rogue combo amp (btw amp had great cleans haha) I won’t say that the gear snobbery doesn’t exist but I think both are contributing factors.

[@ANDYWOUNDSABRXS]

yep same for me, did it with a DS1 trying to make hardcore punk but didnt know how to even palm mute properly, thought it as awful.

[@Juiceboxbrian]

really good insight, I absolutely agree. Well said

[@caca_spaniel_1239]

ds1 is one tricky pony to dial in tbf. The tone knob is a weird filtrr

[@aceflibble]

That's what gave the Metal Zone its reputation. Kids who can't play and have no idea how to set the controls and EQ on anything, using crappy guitars and crappy amps, expected to turn on the Metal Zone with the controls set randomly and instantly sound like Arch Enemy shredding death metal riffs at a million notes a second. They get frustrated that it hasn't made their playing any better and their 1x8" combo doesn't sound any bigger, and they blame the pedal. Meanwhile that pedal was Prince's lead tone for over a decade both in studio and live, and Nightwish tour a thousand stadiums with a Metal Zone on their guitarist's board. Same goes for basically all Line 6 products pre-Helix, obviously the Digitech stuff, the DS-1 as you said, in fact a lot of 'standard' Boss pedals have this kind of reputation.

[@boofert.washington2499]

@@aceflibble I had all that beginner equipment and figured out that EQ the day I got it. The MZ is the shit.

[@ClifBratcher]

Yes! I've been recommending the DF-7 for years. It's cheap, it's small, it sounds good, it's sturdy, it even has a decent eq. I've moved on to building my own distortion hardware these days, but still keep a DF-7 nearby. It just does what it does well without any frills.

[@nodairyclefairy265]

I had one of these in high school, played it through some crate head and a cheap huge 4x12 cab. Had no idea what I was doing, I bought it because I had a digitech mulit effects unit (rp500) and I liked that, so I figured I would also like the DF-7... and I was right! Kept my SOAD ripoff riffs nice and heavy lol

[@viciousraccoon4961]

Got this pedal when it came out as a teenager. Heard from gear snobs it didn't stand up to standalones. Got a MT-2 and A-B'd them. I couldn't discern a difference that couldn't be accounted for by slightly different EQ. Have since tried against a big muff and a tube screamer, negligible difference again. Pedal is a monster.

[@diegogonzalezvenegas6702]

My brother was in a band and someone just abandoned a Digitech Grunge in our home after rehearsal. Some months ago I found it and messed with it. My favorite trick is using the cab simulator output into a real amp, it really smoothens the sound, you can even control the gain with the level knob of an overdrive in front of it

[@tylerdarling6895]

I bought this at 16 because I was starting a band. Already spent a ton on a Randall half stack. It was my amp, this pedal and a cry baby. That was my rig. 2024 and I’m still using it, in fact I am hooking up for my son to play now. This pedal is great, and after finding this video today just made me smile. Also Plans is a fantastic Death Cab record. Transatlantacism is my favorite , but Plans is #2. Not a bad song on it.

[@laudnivek-k9]

I especially love the part where you show who made the pedal. Great channel history and entertainment.

[@DinoCovelli]

Thank you for making this video! I've had the EX-7 Expression Factory on my board since maybe 2009 and it has the DF-7 built into it, albeit that you have to sort of hack it in order to strictly use the distortion modes without the effects. That said, add on the 7 amazing effects that come with that pedal, and I don't understand how it never caught on. It has a built in Space Station, Whammy, Leslie, Univibe, A/D/A Flanger, and two iconic Wah's. I mean the thing is a workhorse. The cons for me is that there's no presets, but I've been using it for years in a cover band setting and I can do so much with it. The Big Muff is so convincing, that when we do Smashing Pumpkins covers (not often enough) it just sounds too good to be true. I recently passed a digital piano through its Lesley setting for a live Pink Floyd tribute (Echoes) and it completely nailed the sound. I'm really happy to see these pedals get some love. They were way ahead of their time, and people just weren't ready for this genius.

[@notzech]

Digitech as a whole is underrated. The DL-8 is a fantastic pedal.

[@RagdollOC]

I totally agree!

[@steobrien2907]

The lo-fi and tape settings sound amazing

[@Beermaker2000]

Word, I was just using my DL-8 yesterday, the Tape, LoFi and Analog are great sounding. It has analog dry through, stereo, tap temp, and a looper, and I bought it on Musicians Friend STOTD for $60.

[@geoffmagnusson3355]

Agreed. Their Whammy/DT or Drop pedals are like voodoo and are staples for me.

[@jhspedals]

Yuppppp!

[@LateBoomerGR]

I hate I haven't found your channel prior to a few months ago. Love your pedals, your videos, and appreciate the conversations you have with us all sharing what you've learned over the years and your personal opinions. Thank you.

[@JeffHendricks]

The EX-7 Expression Factory has these distortion sounds in it as well- if you click the heel down, it turns on the effect with the OD pedal on as well. It also has speaker sims. Hugely advanced for the time. It's also the same PC board/DSP as the Jimi Hendrix Experience pedal. Even has "Hendrix" printed on the board.

[@BeachCat]

I love my DF-7, and the fact that it's so underrated. It takes up about one twentieth of the pedal board space of the original pedals.

[@SisterRose]

Ironically the only one that sounded remotely different was probably the Metal Zone, and that's likely down to it's weird tone stack. Really impressed with how *exact* everything sounded and how you were able to dial them in so precisely similar.

[@nunninkav]

yep, the sweeping pots make it hard to nail down. The clipping on the waveform however was spot on.

[@Zetamen7]

To my ears I only noticed something different in the upper range of the 250, the rest was indistinguishable

[@-processdrone-]

I own a DF-7 AND a Metal Zone. Yes they do sound different, can confirm, but I've been having a fight with myself for some years because I don't want to accept that to me the DF-7 Metal Zone actually sounds better than the original. And if I can't accept that myself I've no idea how I'm going to convince a stranger on the internet.

[@johnbehan1526]

Did I hear a little more growl on the RAT as well? Not enough to be sure, anyways. This era of Line 6 and DigiTech stuff was *astounding* stuff. I couldn't believe the Pod, Metal Master and Synth Bass Wah, let alone this stuff.

[@frankn4skeen]

Indeed, none of the ads around the web are now older than the video, and nothing under 200 (ranging from 2000 to 400). That's exactly how the stock market works ... sort of. I hope nobody ever reviews my favorite guitar that I don't already own.

[@sorenrichenberg3313]

Hey I'm trying to sell this used pedal on Reverb, would you mind making a video about it so I can sell it faster and double my return?

[@chuckbabygorilla]

The Brain Waves Jam was just lovely. When the drums kicked in double time, I got instantly much happier.

[@chuckbabygorilla]

Now the pedal is $500 to $900 on r'verb

[@BigHairyGuitars]

Amazing. I just bought one. Maybe the last one available at $65…forever

[@StavK]

I think I was right on that listing trying to buy it but you lucked out first, lol. Enjoy man!

[@A.PGUITARS]

Me to 😆

[@BigHairyGuitars]

@@StavK Thanks! Just yesterday I was looking to see if someone made a DS-1 but with a treble and bass control. JACKPOT!

[@Clutch3672]

Does anyone repair these

[@barstia7847]

i'm in Argentina and bought 15 days ago this and the chorus factory for $60 each! amazing

[@last808]

Great channel! I just found it last week. You are informative, chill and hilarious! Not to mention you show a lot of respect to your competitors. Love the shout out to the people who were instrumental in developing this pedal!

[@JohnFromArlingtron]

Way back when on a whim I picked up an X-Series Tone Driver and was pleasantly surprised at how good it sounded. That said, I suspect in isolation the "real deals" would sound better (or at least different) but, as is oft the case, mixed in a band you can't hear these differences. But Gearpage nerds don't play in bands :).

[@mikeb5372]

I agree. In a band it seems that the biggest factor is getting the volume set right and having the right amount of gain at the same time

[@BirdmanDeuce26]

@@mikeb5372 I remember having to find this out the hard way - all of the time I had spent in my room carefully "crafting" the "best" settings on my pedals/amps went right out the window when I discovered exactly _none_ of them could cut through the drums and bass with any clarity

[@mikeb5372]

@@BirdmanDeuce26 I didn't run into that problem. After so many years playing live I knew the sounds that would work well in the mix. Actually the sound of the pedal worked better for the audience than it did for me on stage because I like using an amp without miking through the PA. I take it you dialed in too much bass when setting them at home?

[@JasonMcFly]

Yep and the most popular guys with tons of fans and likes and inside info on the latest gear, are garbage players haha. Some never post videos of them playing because they know they're trash, and some have no clue so they post garbage videos full of boutique gear. I hate that place lol

[@BirdmanDeuce26]

@@mikeb5372 I never boosted my pedal's volume enough and cut way too much Mids. I may as well have been miming playing guitar with how lost in the mix I was, hah!

[@Vegokuxoxo]

I used to mess around with one of these a lot back when I worked at a small guitar store, and always I thought it was insanely good for what it was, but assumed I was wrong because no one else agreed at the time. This video makes me feel a little better haha

[@SCSBairsoft]

Can we get a JHS bump for my JOYO compressor pedal so I can then sell it for $1000?

[@thorpers]

So stoked to see these great pedals getting some recognition on the interwebs! Thanks guys

[@spacewhaler8590]

Also, let's not forget that the Expression Factory has the Distortion Factory built into it! ✨✨✨

[@TheCyberMantis]

I want to hear how it does a wah sound.

[@phillseagram]

EX-7 was my 2nd ever pedal, and one of the only pedals I've held onto for 15+ years. Always loved the big muff setting on it. And it's also great for wah, volume, whammy, and more.

[@slamjackson2137]

One of my first pedals back in the mid 2000s. Might even have the box.

[@MrJohnbrown666]

I love the shoutout to the team. It must feel good to have the pedal demoed in such a positive light this after all this time.

[@twarlex]

Since Digitech was acquired by Cortek (Cort guitars) recently, here is hope that they'll put a lot more new stuff out in the future...

[@blakeburns651]

Just curious, whered you here this?

[@gingerAV]

yeah, what?

[@twarlex]

@@blakeburns651 I have my sources. Mainly the Digitech website, though ;)

[@blakeburns651]

​@@twarlex @Well ill be darned. I think cort should handle digiech better than harmon so im excited for this​

[@twarlex]

@@blakeburns651 yeah, they couldn't handle it much worse, could they

[@harryfonseca1869]

I got mine like 6 months ago for about 60 dollars. I couldn't believe my ears! I honsetly don't own any of the emulated pedals, so I couldn't have a reference to compare to but, man! Do they really sound good! Now, after watching/listening to this I will never get rid of it! Thank you so very much for as usual having me laerned something and being amazed and amused with your peculiar and great sense of humor! Thank you very much sris! Greetings from Mexico.

[@albertplaysguitar]

Not fair. Josh makes every pedal sound great. But seriously, I'm gonna pull out my df7 and mess with it some more.😀

[@xTheZapper]

Or, now you could put it on Reverb and sell it for 4 - 5 times what it was worth last week!

[@albertplaysguitar]

@@xTheZapper I'd be happier with the pedal☺

[@jonathananthony1901]

Just grabbed one off FB Marketplace for $75. Great pedal! I had one for a years back in the mid twenty teens. I never should have sold it.

[@schewepepepes]

if any future "Best Kept Secret" videos could be sent to me directly 24 hours before being public I'd really appreciate it, for uh, reasons

[@KawiMusician]

Thanks Josh. Youve turned me into an absolute pedal nut now. Ive been playing 32 yrs, been in 20 or so bands, and most the time, I used a multi FX unit mostly most those yrs, but I started watching the channel, and in 3 months time I went from 1 pedal, to 19. lol thanks man, love the channel. I need some more JHS pedals. Just always broke, but find some DEALS on Marketplace for pedals, like the Snarling Dog Wah I got for $50.

[@Nightwinflyer]

I've always loved Digitech. They revolutionized multi-fx boards with the RP1000...everyone copied that design. I still use the Grunge, Hot Head, and Bad Monkey pedals.

[@aceflibble]

That series of Bad Monkey, Screamin Blues, Hot Head and Grunge (not so much the Death Metal) are insane. Identical, perfect Ibanez/Boss/DOD circuits, with added bass controls and cab sim outs. They basically make the originals redundant.

[@nikdsh]

Bad Monkey is a beast

[@craiger951]

Bad Monkey has been the only constant on my pedal board!!! Also have the Hardwire DL8 delay on it now.

[@nikdsh]

@@craiger951 hell yeah!

[@SingularityMedia]

I love the bad monkey. I bought 2 so I could use them on stereo stuff. Do they still make them? The old Death Metal pedal is quite popular in noise music circles. I have one, but only really use it when making feedback loops.

[@Gniff85411]

My first pedal was a DigiTech Hot Rod in 2004, so this episode made me so happy. Still have it, but haven’t played it in many years. I’m excited to dig it out and take it for a spin.

[@graydeotto2820]

The ad says the vintage muff is worth 59$ 😅 wish I could get a black russian for that price haha

[@shaunmason3243]

This is the most entertaining guitar related channel on KZbin. I've had so much fun pursuing pedals and sounds that I heard from you. And I'm old enough to be your dad. :)

[@MrSpeed-lt8gr]

I scoffed at these when they came out. And I was wrong. These pedals sound really good. The jam with the tubescreamer sounded EXACTLY the same between the Digitech and the TS9.

[@alexbulliofficial]

I mean they both sound really good but the whole signal, especially the mids, is much less compressed in the Digi vs the TS9. I prefer the Digi but they aren't the same

[@SULatinoamérica]

The amount of joy that this episodes bring to my life has no match... I just love fridays because of this

[@DoubleDguitar]

The EX7 had some great Space Station sounds at a way lower price. Always wanted to check out this drive.

[@seanalexander6310]

A thing you mentioned on the blog, text version that you didn't mention in the video is the tone controls of the DF-7. Put everything at 12 0'Clock and that's the basic model. For most, the level, gain, and hi knobs correspond to most pedals (level, gain, and tone/filter). But then you can boost or cut lows or mids with sweepable mids..

[@WhirRocks]

The distortion factory on 'metal zone' mode, sounded slightly more 'full' than the real metal zone. Barely a difference though. Killer pedal all round.

[@strungth666]

I use the behringer ultra metal right now, and I think it has more snarl to it than the metal zone as well.

[@frankstetka7206]

Interesting. I had bad luck with Behringer Time based effects but I don’t see how they could screw up a distortion unit. I picked up a Metal Zone specifically to mod and someone walked on out of the studio with it, never to be seen again 🥳 I guess it was just not meant to be and I sure as hell am not trying to mod a Digitech and change the flavor of all the other great sounds unless we can go back in time and stop Josh from spreading the word after he secretly stock piled 100 Distortion Factory pedals 🤣

[@strungth666]

@@frankstetka7206 I have the ultra chorus, and vintage delay, and haven't had any issues. I do prefer being able to tap a tempo on a delay, but to me, it sounds/works just like it's boss counterpart...

[@scootb7400]

Death Cab will always = Transatlanticism for me. My college roommate was friends with Ben Gibbard because his father was Ben’s boss/manager for a petroleum chemical testing facility in Bellingham, WA. Ben had spent a lot of time with their family, and my friend’s dad had always given him ample time off to tour while allowing him to keep his job. We went to a Death Cab concert in Seattle just after Transatlanticism dropped (but before their TV appearances) and my roommate didn’t bother to tell me any of this information until we went back and met Ben and the band. They were all super cool and conversational, especially Chris Walla. I was completely ignorant of how cool this experience was because my first time hearing their music was in the car on the way to the show. Awesome guys. Awesome memory. Awesome record.

[@HandToolWoodGuy]

I'm a big fan of DOD/Digitech. Would love to find a Bad Monkey or that DF 7. In fact, I'd love to put together an all DOD/Digitech board.

[@PaulyTheFarmer]

A DOD pedalboard would be insane! Still have their Juice Box and Classic Fuzz.

[@bfluker85]

The Bad Monkey is without a doubt one of my all-time favorite pedals. It's the one pedal that hasn't ever left my board for over 10 years.

[@KeithMilner]

I have a Bad Monkey. I even have the box. Sorry, it's not for sale!

[@elycorreia7463]

Words can’t describe how much I love this channel!

[@christopheranderson2158]

Last week, news breaks of Digitech being sold. Millions of Digitech haters cry out in horror, “Who will be the recipient of my pedal ire now!!!”. This week.....Josh begins softening up the Digitech haters to prepare the pedal community for.......wait for it.......JHS NOW OWNS DIGITECH!!!!! Conspiracy theory???? 🤔

[@vondragonnoggin]

I bought a couple JHS pedals recently and it was just a reminder about why getting the box with a pin, a pick, the paperwork, etc was cool again. This guy cares about pedals and the whole experience.

[@FacePomagranate]

Interesting, someone paid over $200 Canadian for one soon after this video was released

[@schnuuuu]

Even here in Germany it is the same. Half hour after the show the were eight of ten Pedals sold on "ebay advertisements". One seller speaks about "sudden attention" und collects biddings now.

[@barrysmith502]

They are 500 bucks on reverb now.

[@louaguado995]

I don't think I've ever seen or heard a multi effects digital pedal compared to the original analog pedals. Excellent idea! 👍😁

[@lewisbeeman]

Now these pedals doubled in price on the used market. I really wish people would not pay those prices and the prices would have to drop.

[@liveatalexs]

Best JHS show episode, and I have seen.... quite a few. Well done! Made me very happy!

[@holgerseffen8020]

I own all three pedals of this series, I'm currently using the CF-7 again and I've been using the EF-7 for 15+ years till it wasn't reliable any more. It ended up being a gamble if it turned on, respectively off, or not. Same problem you get with the JamMan Looper pedals. It's a pity cause they sound amazing. I wish they could solve those durability issues and make a V2. Now I will definitely give the DF-7 another try... thanks, Josh!

[@BladeDoomer86]

Tbh, a pedal used for 15+ yrs couldn't (and shouldn't) really be described as unreliable, now could it??

[@holgerseffen8020]

@@BladeDoomer86 I stopped using it when it became unreliable. And it was only for 12 years, but who cares. It was reliable for 12 years and I loved it, best wah, leslie and pretty much everything else. Does that sound better to you? 😄 My Boss DS-1 is 37 years old and it still works like on the first day. Just saying, there's levels to this stuff. They fixed some problems with the foot switches but still discontinued the JamMan. They even discontinued the Hardwire TR-7, a true gem. What's up with that? It's still on my board as well. Idk, where is this all going? ... Where are we going? ... and why?

[@BladeDoomer86]

@@holgerseffen8020 🤣 who am I? Where am I? Yeah, my Ds1 is almost 15yrs now, and to me that more than justifies it's 60$ price lol Boss is immortal though.. Anyways Cheers

[@utkukaya757]

Worth to mention that pedal has stereo effect. So you can have thick 3d distortion effect. Noone mention about it but it is big plus.

[@GoodVolition]

I've always wanted a proper DSP fuzz with various fuzzes a distortion mode, and most importantly the ability to put it after my octave and modulation pedals. The Z^2 Vector drive is the only one I've seen.

[@suheylunver82]

Man, I watch these videos not only for the reviews but also for the great musical pieces they come up with.

[@bcook6960]

lol. Price on reverb has already doubled

[@brynkasson8100]

I love the smile at 15:22 like “Freebird? Yeah right on”