Xploration • Curation • Recommendation
RhPf Electronics' Shodhana - a Cutting, Crisp, Bright and Balanced Overdrive - kind of works as a combination of Clean and Dirty Boosts - simple but really potent
The Shodhana is quite a distinct overdrive - which kind of pivots around the 1kHz frequency band at the peak of its output profile. The Level side of the pedal essentially works as a Clean Boost / Clean Channel - delivering beautiful sparkly cleans - some of the very best of that nature. And the Drive half is the Dirty Boost - both sides ramp up very quickly - and get progressively brighter and more focused in their output. And you get a lot of Volume - while only relatively moderate gain.
This is a Bright, Crisp, and uniquely Crunchy pedal - where it has a fairly unique timbre and texture. For Fuzz fans who are used to using their guitar controls - you very much need to do the same with Shodhana - where your Drive and Level are your broader brush-strokes - and the your guitar Volume and Tone controls are used to temper that and soften the output. As the pedal gets progressively brighter - the more you need to dial back your guitar tone too - it all works rather splendidly. The crunch is sort of adjacent to that which you get from a Top-Boosted Vox AC30 - but more crunchy and brighter!
Both sides can be operated in a somewhat independent manner - while I prefer the Clean Channel / Level control just on its own - at around the Noon mark - that delivers the perfect sparkly cleans, and clean boost. When I deploy the Drive side - I typically have some level in the mix too - sp as to deliver the best balance of frequencies. So my favourite Drive setting is at circa 1:30 to 2 o’clock, with the Level at around 9 o’c. I then temper that further with my guitar Volume and Tone controls - to get my perfect output.
The Shodhana is mostly referred to as a 'Balanced Overdrive' as you are most typically balancing the relative output of the Clean / Level and Dirty / Drive sides of the pedal. And as mentioned - your guitar controls are the perfect tools to refine and temper that pedal's output.
It definitely leans into the Bright, Crips and Crunchy side of things on the Drive side - while the Cleans are just wonderfully sparkly and pristine. I have 3 killer Clean voicings these days - which is not always a category I'm particularly active in - those are the Drunk Beaver Mariupol Jazz Chorus Drive, the Clean Channel of my DSM & Humbold Dumblifier - and the Clean / Level side of this Shodhana - each of those sounds superb.
Thomas at RhPf wasn't sure I would like this drive - as I typically favour more extended-range variants with multiple controls. While there are a few 2-knob Overdrives that I really rate - including the DOD250 and Hello Sailor Effects Anchor Drive in particular - and this Shodhana now joins that elite company. I really don't mind using my guitar controls in lieu of further controls on the pedal - I'm so used to using those controls with Fuzzes.
The core Shodhana works really well as is. And delivers a pretty unique and distinct voicing. The volume Ramps up incredibly quickly - as does the Crunchiness of the Overdrive. RhPf often refer to the Shodhana as their 'snappiest' pedal - and it very much is that. It had a very rapid attack / onset - and it ramps up incredibly quickly - so you need to apply those controls somewhat diligently.
As mentioned - I like to use the Clean Channel / Level on its own, while I always mix up the Drive side with a little bit of level to properly balance its output - and then I typically temper further with Guitar Volume and Tone controls.
The Shodhana Balanced Drive goes for $179 / CHF 149 on the RhPf electronics Webstore.
I've really been enjoying my continued odyssey though the RhPf range - all of those pedals have really impressed me - and they're all pretty distinct too!
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