This pedal is not made to play "Vai" songs only. It is a Tube Screamer and a DS-1 with mods. You can play anything with it. Nice looks. 2 of the most famous circuits of dirt. What not to love? I love mine.
I believe these are pretty much Keeley modded DS-1 & TS-9's. DS-1 for rhythm in a clean channel and TS-9 for pushing an already overdriven tube amp. If you use it like that with a Jem out front, you get that Vai feel and sound. It's a fantastic pedal when it's used properly.
You want that old tube screamer tone. Here it is. Louder DS-1 done. Ibanez made this unit highly modable. Hence the reason Keeley was brought in. These are as good as any early 1980s tube screamer.
Agreed, they should have made it with that option; but it's a relatively cheap pedal made for a specific purpose (the actual switches suck tho, broken the red side twice so far)
Whilst that seems like a fantastic option it's not how Steve uses the pedals so I guess it's to his spec. However the way I use it is Green for Rhythm then switch to Red for Lead
Because that's how Steve tailored it with Ibanez for his Rig cause he used the distortion part (DS-1 based circuit) on his clean channel & the overdrive part (OD-1 based circuit) on the lead/drive channel as a boost for his preamp so he incorporated this as to not forget both signals pushing each other/feedbacking when on the gain channel on his Carvin.
@@vexguineusing an od with distortion, stacking can do wonders, more gain or overdriven solo/boost, and more. The JHS sweat tea is amazing because you can run both sides together and with a switch change which side is first. You can have your OD after the distortion or vice versa. OD after distortion is better as a boost. OD before distortion is better for more gain/sustain. You don’t know what you’re talking about.
I remember seeing promotional stuff everywhere for this pedal when I first started playing. I also remember people who tried it being annoyed that both sides couldn’t be active too
I wouldn't call this "a bad pedal" it's just that for much less than what it costs you can get that sound with a tube screamer and a boss ds1. You can also stack them together, which you can't with this one. As big Steve Vai fan i didn't like this pedal when it came out, i remember trying it twice in a local guitar store cause i was just looking for a reason to buy it 😀 Recently i saw a few ones for sale at crazy price ranges and i went back to listen to demos of this one and still didn't like it much. Basically it's a Tube Screamer and a Boss DS1 together. Btw you got to bear in mind that usually he uses his pedals along with his signature Carvin amp's drive channel. When i saw him live years ago he still had the DS1 on his pedalboard but I'm not sure about seing this one. He switches between pedals when playing live so not all of his sound comes from this pedal (or similar ones) so don't expect to have his sound solely by purchasing this. That's also probably why many were disappointed by this.
I recently got the EVH distortion pedal with the built-in noise gate,... just amazing when you need massive sound but with tamable quiet after the storm. Wish all high gain pedals had this built-in noise gate.
*Design technology in both commercial and the mostly DIY boutique industries is still incredibly lack.* The pedal sounded great to me, but that's most gear when you hear it online then using it the "versatility" has been cornered around certain amp textures and response curves and the designers' ears. *As a scientist and an engineer, I know there are some recipes for one size fits all, but I'll be damned if I will just give them away!*
I use it as the only source of distortion on a Fender Deluxe Reverb. the best sounding pedal I could find for distortion. DISCLOSURE: I quit looking for distortion pedals about 6 years ago when I bought a 5150 III amp...who the hell needs pedals when you can get REAL distortion?
I've had this pedal for a long time and I still struggle to find use for it. The low end is just do out of control that is muddies up the tone. I guess it's fine for Steve who doesn't really play rhythm guitar but for the rest of us this really has a hard time fitting in a full band mix. The distortion side is great for creamy saturated lead tones with a neck pickup ala For the Love of God but that's about it.
Show some obscure eastern european gear like vermona amps and jolana/musima guitars or soviet rack delays(рх-1000, лель). This was a standard setup in mid 80s russia.
Do you know if there any other ways to achieve star connection, or am I going to have to try and track one of these down? I feel like star connection is the one element of my sound I’m lacking in right now.
That pedal was one of my biggest disappointments gear-wise EVER. I even bought it TWICE just to be 💯 sure it was actually THAT BAD and not at all what was advertised.
It is not bad at all. 2 circuits: tube screamer 808 and the DS-1 both with some mods. 2 of the top sellers of the last 4 decades. They are modded to Vai's specs that keeley made for him. The Jemini is the clone of those 2 pedals in a single box. Saying that Jemini is "THAT BAD" is the same that saying that the TS and the DS-1 are "THAT BAD". Obviously they are not.
I like pedals with history and a personality behind them. The looks of this one is unbeatable. Vai's signature and the circuits based on Kelleys mods on TS9 and DS1 make this a good option for my board. 2 of the most classic circuits on planet earth with cool leds and paint job that pays tribute to one of the most virtuous guitarrists that walked on this planet. Vai is from the top club. Hendrix>Halen>Vai. I do much prefer classic brands and circuits over these new "xyz" garage made pedals with stupid stickers and a out of context drawing that a "nobody guy "made and everybody lose their minds for.
Looks and collectibility aside, this thing is dookie in a Suzuki. Sounds like a tube screamer on one side and a woofy muffled distortion on the other. I think it’s hilarious that the manual unironically gives you Steve’s preferred light brightness setting. Brighter light = toan and chops like Vai.
Did plug that pedal into a Fender amp? I have never heard great distortion coming out from a Fender amp. I’d say don’t mock the pedal. Plug it into amps like Marshall, Laney, Hughes & Kettner and it’ll work great👍Fender’s have great clean, but that’s all they have
Eu explodiria quando visse que não dá pra usar os dois pedais juntos!!! absolutamente absurdo en: I would explode when I saw that you can't use both pedals together!!! absolutely preposterous
Your review: not a great review! If you plug in a distortion pedal and turn the distortion all the way down of course it's gonna sound like shit. I don't think this is the right pedal for you. Steve Vai is not a death metal guy.
If you don’t like the sound of Steve Vai why do you need to talk about this great pedal? I have bought a lot of distortion and overdrive pedals and sometimes I use them in different situations, but to me this is the best sounding pedal to get the ultimate quantum of gain for to a high gain sound to make it full bright fat and let it sing. And thank god that you just can’t use one side at the same time…but if you don’t like to use it like Steve Vai you should don’t mess with it and try another pedal that fits better to the sound that you prefer. I use especially the green mode in front of a high gain channel and in that way it works better than any other distortion/overdrive pedal I have…I found my perfect sound in this pedal…but if it works for me it doesn’t mean that others will able to handle it…I think everybody should find out what works best for them…it would be very much boring if everyone would sounds the same…just my opinion…by the way, I own two of them…I bought one when the Jemini came out and the other one this year…just because it’s the best pedal to get the sound that I like…for me it works perfectly. So everyone should just use the stuff that works best for you that’s what I’ve learned over the years…even it will just be a cheap pedal like a Klon Centaur or whatever makes you happy…peace and happiness to all
The only reason for buying this is to feed Ibanez and the only reason to own it is as a gimmick. Im sure everyone knows thats a finish off of some of his earlier guitars. Especially the Universe. It might get mildly collectible with time, but us Vai fans are so old now we'll all die before its a good investment :)
Each pedal was swirl dipped. No two are alike. Limited run, This is as gimmicky as any DS-1 /808 in someone's pedalboard. These do cure the problem later tube screamers have, that suffer from too much low end roll off. Low pass filtering. Jemini was the first tube screamer that I know of tuned for low tuning, with the JRC4558D.
If you're interested in trying/demoing a different dual overdrive, you oughta give the new Nordvang pedals a chance! I ended up buying the '83 Drive for the BB/Klon thing.
Instantly thought, -" this ought to be funny".$300? With a " star connection"? What's not to love? It's like a Joyo version of failed Boss OD's; where you're doing yourself a big favor plugging in direct, - into a Gorilla practice amp. Normally, I'd say you can get good sounds out of anything,- yeah, - almost anything.
@@LivingroomGearDemos It's currently my favorite od/ds pedal, it's a combination of a boss bd2 & a jhs angry charlie circuits you can use in series/parallel ... plus a remote mode. I'm a subscriber and i'll enjoy one day you'll make a great review on it as usual
I used own that pedal , I’m Sorry guys and I’m sorry Steve vai fans but it’s a really bad pedal tone wise , you can’t mix them and it’s just a ts9 and ds-1 but lower tone quality, I don’t belive Steve vai use this not even his carvin amps….. Ibanez just wants to sale and this is how sad things get when you play this pedal.
This was made for a guy playing a high output Ibanez. Testing it with some old Gibson wannabe guitar with less than half the output, is like buying a Ferrari and running it on coal :) Try put a booster before the pedal at least. And before that, watch this video on how to use the pedal right: th-cam.com/video/WrBLnB3ze5Y/w-d-xo.html
Uhm, your mix is interfering. It sounds like two different signals; one being a direct guitar signal, then the pedal going through God knows what. With all due respect, this is not a clear representation of the potency of this pedal. I would disagree and say, Not a great recording, using a Great Pedal.
Stuff I use at Sweetwater: imp.i114863.net/P1KkY
Stuff I use at Thomann: bit.ly/mythomannstore
This pedal is not made to play "Vai" songs only. It is a Tube Screamer and a DS-1 with mods. You can play anything with it. Nice looks. 2 of the most famous circuits of dirt. What not to love? I love mine.
Same mate. It's my favourite. I get tones ranging ZZ top and status qua to Steve Vai and black label society.
God I still remember watching the Promo for this on youtube when I was a kid
haha
I believe these are pretty much Keeley modded DS-1 & TS-9's. DS-1 for rhythm in a clean channel and TS-9 for pushing an already overdriven tube amp. If you use it like that with a Jem out front, you get that Vai feel and sound. It's a fantastic pedal when it's used properly.
agreed 👍
You want that old tube screamer tone.
Here it is. Louder DS-1 done. Ibanez made this unit highly modable. Hence the reason Keeley was brought in. These are as good as any early 1980s tube screamer.
i'm shocked and offended you can't run them in series
shoulda been what the switch was for, hey?
Agreed, they should have made it with that option; but it's a relatively cheap pedal made for a specific purpose (the actual switches suck tho, broken the red side twice so far)
@@MrAndyLake heavy foot. Lmao
Whilst that seems like a fantastic option it's not how Steve uses the pedals so I guess it's to his spec.
However the way I use it is Green for Rhythm then switch to Red for Lead
Because that's how Steve tailored it with Ibanez for his Rig cause he used the distortion part (DS-1 based circuit) on his clean channel & the overdrive part (OD-1 based circuit) on the lead/drive channel as a boost for his preamp so he incorporated this as to not forget both signals pushing each other/feedbacking when on the gain channel on his Carvin.
It's a shame this pedal doesn't give you the option to stack both effects.
@@vexguine I completely disagree about stacking overdrives, but to each their own.
@@vexguineusing an od with distortion, stacking can do wonders, more gain or overdriven solo/boost, and more. The JHS sweat tea is amazing because you can run both sides together and with a switch change which side is first. You can have your OD after the distortion or vice versa. OD after distortion is better as a boost. OD before distortion is better for more gain/sustain.
You don’t know what you’re talking about.
I remember seeing promotional stuff everywhere for this pedal when I first started playing. I also remember people who tried it being annoyed that both sides couldn’t be active too
I wouldn't call this "a bad pedal" it's just that for much less than what it costs you can get that sound with a tube screamer and a boss ds1. You can also stack them together, which you can't with this one. As big Steve Vai fan i didn't like this pedal when it came out, i remember trying it twice in a local guitar store cause i was just looking for a reason to buy it 😀 Recently i saw a few ones for sale at crazy price ranges and i went back to listen to demos of this one and still didn't like it much. Basically it's a Tube Screamer and a Boss DS1 together. Btw you got to bear in mind that usually he uses his pedals along with his signature Carvin amp's drive channel. When i saw him live years ago he still had the DS1 on his pedalboard but I'm not sure about seing this one. He switches between pedals when playing live so not all of his sound comes from this pedal (or similar ones) so don't expect to have his sound solely by purchasing this. That's also probably why many were disappointed by this.
good point
I recently got the EVH distortion pedal with the built-in noise gate,... just amazing when you need massive sound but with tamable quiet after the storm. Wish all high gain pedals had this built-in noise gate.
Hi Sparks can you give the reference of your EVH distortion pedal please ?
Alternative title: Dude buys Steve's pedal and he doesn't like it
Very close to the title I have now though!
@@LivingroomGearDemos True LOL thanks for the review tho
*Design technology in both commercial and the mostly DIY boutique industries is still incredibly lack.* The pedal sounded great to me, but that's most gear when you hear it online then using it the "versatility" has been cornered around certain amp textures and response curves and the designers' ears.
*As a scientist and an engineer, I know there are some recipes for one size fits all, but I'll be damned if I will just give them away!*
I use it as the only source of distortion on a Fender Deluxe Reverb. the best sounding pedal I could find for distortion. DISCLOSURE: I quit looking for distortion pedals about 6 years ago when I bought a 5150 III amp...who the hell needs pedals when you can get REAL distortion?
Your missing out on all the stacked fun!
I've had this pedal for a long time and I still struggle to find use for it. The low end is just do out of control that is muddies up the tone. I guess it's fine for Steve who doesn't really play rhythm guitar but for the rest of us this really has a hard time fitting in a full band mix. The distortion side is great for creamy saturated lead tones with a neck pickup ala For the Love of God but that's about it.
Vai doesn't play rhythm? What the fuck are you talking about ! Listen to bad horsie. His rhythm sounds amazing .
This is so funny. Steve Vai uses DS1 as distortion :D
Show some obscure eastern european gear like vermona amps and jolana/musima guitars or soviet rack delays(рх-1000, лель). This was a standard setup in mid 80s russia.
It's basically a DS1 and a Tube screamer in one box.
Who cares how it sounds, it looks freaking awesome.
Do you know if there any other ways to achieve star connection, or am I going to have to try and track one of these down? I feel like star connection is the one element of my sound I’m lacking in right now.
this is the only way, unfortunately :/
Been looking for this pedal for over 10 yrs now!!
Guitar center has one
Yeah you can't run them together...and? It's a choice pedal not 2 separate pedals. I use mine a lot and OMFG it's amazing.
Just managed to get one for pretty cheap myself.
Are you sure its not the amp or guitar because its not bass heavy for me, i need to dial the tone back for more bass.
That pedal was one of my biggest disappointments gear-wise EVER. I even bought it TWICE just to be 💯 sure it was actually THAT BAD and not at all what was advertised.
ahahaha
It is not bad at all. 2 circuits: tube screamer 808 and the DS-1 both with some mods. 2 of the top sellers of the last 4 decades. They are modded to Vai's specs that keeley made for him. The Jemini is the clone of those 2 pedals in a single box. Saying that Jemini is "THAT BAD" is the same that saying that the TS and the DS-1 are "THAT BAD". Obviously they are not.
@@vexguine some people are just terrible at dialing in their tone…
I like pedals with history and a personality behind them. The looks of this one is unbeatable. Vai's signature and the circuits based on Kelleys mods on TS9 and DS1 make this a good option for my board. 2 of the most classic circuits on planet earth with cool leds and paint job that pays tribute to one of the most virtuous guitarrists that walked on this planet. Vai is from the top club. Hendrix>Halen>Vai. I do much prefer classic brands and circuits over these new "xyz" garage made pedals with stupid stickers and a out of context drawing that a "nobody guy "made and everybody lose their minds for.
easily in the top 5 coolest looking pedals with the EHX synth 9
Also, don't forget that he use (or used) it to push his Legacy amp's drive.
Looks and collectibility aside, this thing is dookie in a Suzuki. Sounds like a tube screamer on one side and a woofy muffled distortion on the other. I think it’s hilarious that the manual unironically gives you Steve’s preferred light brightness setting. Brighter light = toan and chops like Vai.
hahah
Did plug that pedal into a Fender amp? I have never heard great distortion coming out from a Fender amp. I’d say don’t mock the pedal. Plug it into amps like Marshall, Laney, Hughes & Kettner and it’ll work great👍Fender’s have great clean, but that’s all they have
Steve Vai has so many signature models that it doesn't mean anything.
Doesn’t he have like only two signature pedals and this one is not even made anymore? lol
There is a reason this sounds the way it does in this demo. Feed it into the fx loop of a tube amplifier.
Eu explodiria quando visse que não dá pra usar os dois pedais juntos!!! absolutamente absurdo
en: I would explode when I saw that you can't use both pedals together!!! absolutely preposterous
Congrats, Hope you can review the vox satriani pedals.
its a bit like the bossheavy metal , but creamier sounding, and less "woofyness."
Your review: not a great review!
If you plug in a distortion pedal and turn the distortion all the way down of course it's gonna sound like shit.
I don't think this is the right pedal for you. Steve Vai is not a death metal guy.
What this is is a Tube Screamer and a Boss DS-1 in one pedal
Weird. I like those pedals individually. Must have been modded? Because I don’t like this pedal. Lol
@@LivingroomGearDemos The Jemini is essentially a modded DS1 and a modded TS9 put together.
He has the Box 🤘🏽. I love those two sided monsters 🤘🏽
you love the sound though? :)
@@LivingroomGearDemos never had a chance to try one in my rig , I was also under the impression that you could use both sides at once?
do u want 2 sell it?
I always thought this pedal was like an angry driver!! you can have both going to gather etc. whoops
sounds like the signal is in parallel. Maybe great for bass? Or in an already distorted amp
Usually, if it's total dogsh#t on guitar, it's good on bass.
Bass pedalboards are where terrible circuits go to die, - or retire, as the case may be.
Yeah I had one of these for a while. Sold it 2 years ago. Cool looking pedal, and I’m a big Steve vai fan, but didn’t work for me.
no stacking?
nope
If you don’t like the sound of Steve Vai why do you need to talk about this great pedal? I have bought a lot of distortion and overdrive pedals and sometimes I use them in different situations, but to me this is the best sounding pedal to get the ultimate quantum of gain for to a high gain sound to make it full bright fat and let it sing. And thank god that you just can’t use one side at the same time…but if you don’t like to use it like Steve Vai you should don’t mess with it and try another pedal that fits better to the sound that you prefer. I use especially the green mode in front of a high gain channel and in that way it works better than any other distortion/overdrive pedal I have…I found my perfect sound in this pedal…but if it works for me it doesn’t mean that others will able to handle it…I think everybody should find out what works best for them…it would be very much boring if everyone would sounds the same…just my opinion…by the way, I own two of them…I bought one when the Jemini came out and the other one this year…just because it’s the best pedal to get the sound that I like…for me it works perfectly. So everyone should just use the stuff that works best for you that’s what I’ve learned over the years…even it will just be a cheap pedal like a Klon Centaur or whatever makes you happy…peace and happiness to all
The only reason for buying this is to feed Ibanez and the only reason to own it is as a gimmick. Im sure everyone knows thats a finish off of some of his earlier guitars. Especially the Universe. It might get mildly collectible with time, but us Vai fans are so old now we'll all die before its a good investment :)
Each pedal was swirl dipped.
No two are alike.
Limited run, This is as gimmicky as any DS-1 /808 in someone's pedalboard.
These do cure the problem later tube screamers have, that suffer from too much low end roll off. Low pass filtering.
Jemini was the first tube screamer that I know of tuned for low tuning, with the JRC4558D.
YOU SOLD YOUR KoT AGAIN?? 🤦🏼♂️ I’m already looking forward to the delicious regret you’ll be confessing in future vids.
story of my life
If you're interested in trying/demoing a different dual overdrive, you oughta give the new Nordvang pedals a chance! I ended up buying the '83 Drive for the BB/Klon thing.
Yeah, I'd love to try one!
It sounds as it looks.
cool?
@@LivingroomGearDemos Some people may find this pedal beautiful, and they'll probably enjoy the sound. Me, I found the sound and the look very ugly 😁.
Of course someone that isn't really a fan finds a deal on one.
They are pretty cheap here in Norway.
1:27 did i hear Hammer to fall" ⁉️
Banana for scale !
🍌
Looks like it's from the 90s for sure.
What? Are we not in the 90s anymore??!!
Instantly thought, -" this ought to be funny".$300? With a " star connection"?
What's not to love? It's like a Joyo version of failed Boss OD's; where you're doing yourself a big favor plugging in direct, - into a Gorilla practice amp.
Normally, I'd say you can get good sounds out of anything,- yeah, - almost anything.
haha!
It doesn’t sound bad at all. I run one In front of a bunch of tube heads. I agree it sucks you can’t run them both simultaneously
Not true, this is mod able.
Add a 3 way toggle switch for circuit orientation. Google is your friend.
@@GEX-_- I never said it wasn’t modable
I can see you dont play Steves style so why test his petal and say it isnt good?
Fun to try out, I guess. Does it matter that I don't like it though? If you do, great!
Hi, try the boss jb-2 !!
I've never been able to try one. Are they any good?
@@LivingroomGearDemos It's currently my favorite od/ds pedal, it's a combination of a boss bd2 & a jhs angry charlie circuits you can use in series/parallel ... plus a remote mode. I'm a subscriber and i'll enjoy one day you'll make a great review on it as usual
@@TheSpaarkplug you think the angry driver is good😭
@@shoots_austin Yes i think it's really really good For Me !! Cheers
@@TheSpaarkplug I only like the parrallel mode, the blues driver is good but the jhs side is muddy
i've heard qotsa Make it Wit Chu :3
perfect pedal for that tune ;)
I used own that pedal , I’m
Sorry guys and I’m sorry Steve vai fans but it’s a really bad pedal tone wise , you can’t mix them and it’s just a ts9 and ds-1 but lower tone quality, I don’t belive Steve vai use this not even his carvin amps….. Ibanez just wants to sale and this is how sad things get when you play this pedal.
This was made for a guy playing a high output Ibanez. Testing it with some old Gibson wannabe guitar with less than half the output, is like buying a Ferrari and running it on coal :) Try put a booster before the pedal at least. And before that, watch this video on how to use the pedal right: th-cam.com/video/WrBLnB3ze5Y/w-d-xo.html
massive volume drop on the distortion
Honey, I shrunk the Mids.
Samsamp gt2 the Swiss army pedal
if you want a heavy metal pedal get a proper amp a 5150 .this pedal is not for dum player
What a horrible sounding pedal
Uhm, your mix is interfering. It sounds like two different signals; one being a direct guitar signal, then the pedal going through God knows what.
With all due respect, this is not a clear representation of the potency of this pedal. I would disagree and say, Not a great recording, using a Great Pedal.
you're a blues player,, distirtion is nothing for you
No surprise that this is not a great pedal as Steve Vai's tone totally sucks
Clean your ears and try not to be a jealous troll…maybe then you will know what a good tone sounds like someday…peace and happiness
@@schumann1152 over compressed, over distorted, ceramic magnet shite
@jupiter moongauge you must be over tarded if you think Vai's tone is bad
It's almost as ugly as his guitar