DOUBLE TROUBLE
With two identical circuits side by side you get individual controls for Tone, Gain and Output, as well as the ability to use either side independently or combine the two for some stacked dirty goodness. Coming in a black casing, Bad Cat are keeping true to their brand name with two big cats adorning the graphics featuring red LEDs as their eyes. Love or hate the look, it will leave you with no doubt as to when the pedal is on or off. As mentioned earlier, it’s a simple set up control-wise, leaving just the input/output jacks and a handy battery door on the bottom of the pedal, meaning you don’t have to unscrew the whole base if a quick change is needed.
COOL FOR CATS
A bit like their amps, the SD has a ballsy rawness that sounds amp-like and natural, but it also feels good to play. Digging in gives you a little extra, whilst you can also relax for a cleaner dynamic. Gain goes from clean boost and just on the edge of break up through to chunky more saturated rock with lots of sustain. Having the two identical circuits side by side gives you quite a few options. For example, you can find a setting you like, set the other side the same and then increase the Output a touch and you’ve got a slightly louder version of that pedal. Great for having a rhythm and lead sound or two sounds the same but a volume boost for accentuating certain passages. Of course you can also set the Siamese Drive up to be stacked with a heavy gain side and then a cleaner yet louder side for a kick in the guts when needed. Whatever your taste, you’ll get a rich and natural drive sound that could be used with a clean amp or dirty setting for extra saturation.
