DOD Looking Glass Overdrive

Introduction

The DOD Looking Glass Overdrive is the result of a collaboration between DOD and the boutique pedal company SHOE Pedals. Christopher Venter of SHOE Pedals is known for his unique circuit designs, colorful take on classic effects, and minimalist design aesthetic. This partnership brings together Christopher's expertise with DOD's accessibility, offering a versatile overdrive with classic tone appeal at an affordable price.

Designer Christopher Venter shares his inspiration: "Years ago, living in Brooklyn, I embarked on a quest to find an overdrive that truly suited me. Many were minor variations of classic op-amp designs that simply didn't cut it. After trying a ridiculous number of pedals, I realized none fully satisfied me. Initially focused on experimental fuzz pedals, I decided to break that mold and create a truly great overdrive I actually wanted to play. After starting with theory and refining it through extensive playing and testing, I devised the 'Savior Machine,' named after a favorite David Bowie song."

When DOD approached him for a new pedal collaboration, Venter was given creative freedom. He revisited his roots, designing a high-gain fuzz, but realized a more universally appealing overdrive was needed. This led to the Looking Glass: an exceptionally responsive Class A FET design intended to reward players for their unique playing style. It excels in blues, hard rock, indie, experimental music, psychedelic genres, shoegaze, alternative, punk, and bass guitar, offering a flexible way to shape your sound while maintaining an ideal tone.

Controls and Features

The Looking Glass Overdrive features the following controls:

• 1. LEVEL: Adjusts the output level of the effect. It is recommended to lower this when switching to a higher gain setting to avoid large volume jumps.
• 2. GAIN: Controls how easily the pedal is pushed into overdrive. The Looking Glass rewards dynamic playing, allowing most settings to produce a clean sound with light picking. The highest level of overdrive is achieved by turning this knob up.
• 3. BASS CUT / TREBLE:
  • BASS CUT: Adjusts the amount of low-end content in the signal before the overdrive. It is recommended to start with this control set at noon and adjust up or down to thicken or clarify the overdrive to your preference. A tip: setting this control at its maximum value produces a very raw sound.
  • TREBLE: Adjusts the brightness of the pedal's overdrive sound. A tip: you may want to align this control approximately with the Bass Cut knob for a balanced sound. This is easily done due to the concentric design of the control element. For less neutral sounds, set both indicators differently to create the drive sound that best suits you.
• 4. INPUT FILTER: This is a variable filter that shapes the tone of the input signal. To better match brighter guitars and reduce the prominence of pick attack, turn this control further left. For a brighter sound with a more pronounced attack, turn this knob all the way up. This control also adjusts the mid-tone content of the signal, making the mid-tone more prominent as the knob is turned further left.
• 5. HIGH/LOW: The Looking Glass offers two distinct boost modes. The LOW mode is used for clean tone shaping, slight compression, and lower overdrive. The HIGH mode picks up approximately where the LOW mode leaves off by increasing the pedal's output, allowing you to set low to high gain overdrive sounds that remain highly touch-sensitive across the entire range. Note: It is recommended to lower the volume when switching between modes to avoid loud volume jumps and the noise of re-biasing when the pedal adjusts to a new gain setting.
• 6. INPUT: Connect your instrument here.
• 7. FOOTSWITCH: Engages and disengages the effect.
• 8. LED: Illuminates when the effect is engaged.
• 9. OUTPUT: Connect to the input of the next pedal or the input of your amplifier.

Internal DIP Switches: The input filter control is passive and works well with your guitar's electronics when not using a buffer before the Looking Glass. When using buffered pedals before the Looking Glass, you may want to adjust the left DIP switch (1), which slightly increases the pedal's input impedance.

Specifications

• Input: 1/4" TS Unbalanced - 260 kΩ (DIP 1 set to on) / 235 kΩ (DIP 1 set to off)
• Output: 1/4" TS Unbalanced - 1 kΩ
• Current Draw: 4 mA
• Bypass: True Bypass
• Power: 9VDC alkaline battery (not included) / PS0913DC power adapter (optional)
• Warranty: 1 Year

Usage and Placement

Most guitarists and bassists prefer to place the Looking Glass at the beginning of their effects chain. A typical effects signal chain might consist of Overdrive effects first, followed by modulation effects (Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Tremolo, etc.), and finally time-based effects (Delay and Reverb). Placing the Looking Glass at the front of your chain helps preserve the overall ambiance, regardless of the combination of pedals that follow. As mentioned, feel free to experiment with different effect placements.

Safety and Compliance

Please read and follow these important safety instructions:

• General Warnings:
  • Read all instructions before use.
  • Keep these instructions for future reference.
  • Heed all warnings.
  • Follow all instructions.
  • Do not use this apparatus near water.
  • Clean only with a dry cloth.
  • For indoor use only.
  • Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
  • Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
  • Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.
  • Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods.
• Electrical Safety:
  • Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding-type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.
  • Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched, particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus.
  • Use only with a cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table specified by the manufacturer or sold with the apparatus. When a cart is used, use caution when moving the cart/apparatus combination to avoid injury from tip-over.
  • Servicing should be performed by qualified service personnel if the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.
  • The power switch on this device does not disconnect the mains supply.
  • The mains plug must remain readily operable. If the mains socket is inaccessible, a suitable means of disconnection must be incorporated into the wiring.
  • When connecting to a 240V supply, a suitable power cord certified to CSA/UL standards must be used.
  • Wiring Instructions: The conductors in the mains lead are colored in accordance with the following code: Green and Yellow – Earth / Blue – Neutral / Brown – Live. If the colors of the conductors of the mains cord of this apparatus do not correspond with the colored markings identifying the terminals in your plug, connect as follows: The conductor which is colored GREEN AND YELLOW must be connected to the terminal in the plug marked with the letter E, or by the symbol of earth, or colored GREEN, or GREEN AND YELLOW. The conductor which is colored BLUE must be connected to the terminal marked N or colored BLACK. The conductor which is colored BROWN must be connected to the terminal marked L or colored RED.
  • Grounding Warning: In the event of a fault, grounding provides a path of least resistance for electric current. If the grounding is faulty, certain fault conditions in the unit or system to which it is connected may cause the full mains voltage to be present between the chassis and ground. If you simultaneously touch the chassis and ground, you could receive a severe shock or death.
• Disposal: Do not dispose of this product with general household waste. There is a separate collection system for used electronic products in accordance with legislation requiring proper treatment, recovery, and recycling. Ensure that your discarded product undergoes the necessary processing, recovery, and recycling to prevent potential negative impacts on the environment and human health.
• Altitude Warning: This unit is designed for use at low altitudes. Do not use this product above 2000 meters (approx. 6560 feet).