Tech 21 Tri-O.D. Overdrive Pedal

The unit itself is pretty simple and self-explanatory. There is a huge problem though, especially when used in a live situation: for 4 different modes there is only one switch. So if you want to switch from channel 3 to channel 2, you have to press the switch 3 times. Not very user-friendly on stage, when every bit of a second counts.

I it with a lot of different guitars, mostly with my 1980 Ibanez S540. It works really well with both humbuckers and single coils, blends with the distortion channel of the amp pretty good. The sound is tremendous, actually you can get a huge variety of great sounds since the three channels have very different tonal characteristics. What also works really well is cranking the gain of the channels itself and using your guitar's volume control to control the gain.
Whether you use it in front of an amp (I play it mostly through a peavey classic 30 with a marshall 4x12 box) or directly through the board, it sounds great. Direct recording with this thing is also pure joy.

You could kill a member of the crowd with it. Solid metal. Not one of the effects that break soon.

I play mostly something between rock and metal, with a lot of prog influences. I've been playing for 14 years, a lot of gigging and recording sessions. The tri.o.d has become an important part of my sound, whether live or recording. I use it in combination with a 90s proco rat, and have not needed another distortion pedal ever since.Go out and buy.

I just wanted to say this pedal is so small and you can get so many sounds if you ride all the channels' gain knobs high then control the actual gain using your guitar volume knob with maybe a volume pedal for volume control. Lots of succesful applications using the wide master volume knob control range to match the signal path you want to use (as preamp to board or to power amp or to guitar amp or whatever). It also successfully "tube color"s the rest of the signal path if I set all the channels' gain low and then pass to other effects, which lets me use guitar volume knob for volume instead of gain. Makes the sound through even cheap effects later in the signal path (like Zoom 505) sound really better.

9 just cause 10's 11. (Don't ask!) Though in a fantasy I sometimes think I'll send it to Tech21 for service just to make sure the last little bit of background noise is out of it for when I record with it or.... it's really quiet, don't get me wrong, but when I sometimes go from stage through the house sound I get a little noise. Could be board is sometimes set wrong by sound guy.

Fine.

Don't know.

Get one. So small!

This is a simple, self-explanatory, non-programmable pre-amp/O.D. box. I bought it new, but I've owned it so long I don't remember what happened to the manual, but I've never needed it. The single switch is the weak link in functionality, since, though you can turn off unused channels, you have to "scroll through" active channels. But for my practice/"noodling" purposes it's not really a problem.

The sound quality is excellent, for what it is. It is the quietest O.D. pedal I own, but I use it differently. I also have a AM modded TS9DX, Indyguitarist DS-1, and a couple of stock tube driver type boxes. These "push" the tubes and are used in front of amps with the gain already up. The Tri-O.D. is more of an Amp-simulator and I use it straight into my computer(recording) or a clean amp for low volume practice.
I work at a 24/7 facility and one night a week I work the midnight shift in a monitoring capacity. I keep a Pignose (original model) in my locker and and take in my (hotrodded) Steinberger Spirit, my Tri-OD and a Boss RV-3 reverb box, to mess around with. I get a lot of compliments on that "great sounding little amp". You'd be amazed how good this set-up sounds, even at barely audible levels (can't get very loud at work...)
I hate batteries and use PSA120's for all my stomp boxes (with daisy chains for low draw units).

I've owned it for at least 15 yrs and have never had a problem. If a Boss pedal really pissed me off I'd beat it to death with this. It would make a good hammer. I don't gig at all anymore, but when I jam with others with I carry it in my gig bag as a "back up", mostly for when I can't get my sound dialed in (like in someone's garage). It's super nice if you're using someone else's amp.

Never dealt with 'em, don't expect to.

I'm a Blues/Rock/Jazz player, mostly the bues/rock thing. I love bending and shaking strings through a driven tube amp, cranked to where I can feel it. I am, however, working on Jazz chord melody and comp playing, but am pretty bad so far.
I've been playing since 1965 with the occasional 5 yr break. Chords in 60's, licks in 70's, tricks in 80's, scales in 90's, Jazz now. I currently use a 86 US Strat Plus(laces), a 79 Les Paul deluxe, a 91 ES165 and the Korean Steiney (with Duncan 59 & JB and a Lace gold with switching galore.)I have a 63 Fender Bandmaster (purchased in 67!), an 86(?) Fender Champ12 and a Traynor YCV-80 2-12. I've owned lots of guitars and have owned a Mesa Dual Recto half stack, Ampeg V-4 (100W 4-12 Half Stack), and Peavy Classic 30. All tube amps except the Pignose. I've owned several multi-effects/pre-amps and hated them all. I'm down to 7 essential stompboxes now. (GIVE ME KNOBS!!!)
When I bought the TRI-OD it was a fancy new whiz bang gizmo. I loved it then and I love it now. I don't use it with my Tube amps much, but I use it for practice and direct a lot!!
If I lost it, I'd be on eBay looking for a replacement in minutes.

It is relatively simple to operate. For live applications the single foot switch can be a little bit of a draw back. For practice and jamming it is fine though.

Used into the "effects return" jack of my little 1X12 30 watt Electar combo it makes it sound like a new amp. A much more expensive amp I might add. IMHO Sansamp comes as close to tubes as you can get without having tubes, and if you have volume or DI issues it may be the better way to go. The amp simulations don't sound exactly like these amps, but they are scarily close.

These boxes are built well. Heavy guage metal and sturdy switches.

Have not needed it but they have an exellent web site.

I like classic rock. I can get all the sounds I like from this pedal. I have been playing for 27 years and have owned Marshal JCM900's and currently am using Crate solid state combos and heads. I have guitars ranging from Squires to Gibson Les Pauls. What I like the most about this pedal is that it gives me big amp tone from a small amp if I wish. I don't use it with my bigger amps as they have 3 chanel operation and sound fine in their own right. I don't record with it because I have a Sansamp G2 that I use for that.

This unit is fairly easy to use...you can get real cool distortions in the blink of a eye...it gets sometimes, tough, until u get used with the different channels and options u have..! but nothing that 1 or 2 days cant solve...i dont give it a 10 for three main reasons: first, it only have one foot switch, and having 2 more wouldnt make it much more expensive (at least i think) - but it's forgiveable...second - and worst - is the irritating (to say the least) feature that sets up a bypass mode if u turn one of the channels off...its really annoying...i hate to step on the pedal twice to activate the channel i want and turning off one of them makes no difference, u only turn the pedal off on the second click. iknow that the bypass option can be useful for some, but they could have put a "bypass on off" switch or at least an internal jumper...the third - that is forgiveable 2, and possibly to make this unit cheaper - is that it doesnt have independend tone switches for each channel nor presence or middle controls but its ok...this pedal is great anyway...

It's really awesome...its been 9 years since the first review was submited in this forum and the reviews are still positive...and there's a clear reason: this unit will blast ur head off! the distortion is awesome and have so much gain that i never use more than "5" on the drive control....i have a 1997 R9 Fernandes (made in Japan) with a 500T gibson humbucker as my bridge pickup, the amp is a 50W Marshall Valvestate...i play mainly newschool punkrock and i bought it expecting to use the mesa channel to sound like millencolin and new found glory...but the marshall (brit) channel really made me crazy...its fuckin'awesome...its got so much crunch that almost barks!!! the calif (mesa) channel is great 2, but its basically for a bassy metal sound (specially nu metal like slipknot and system of down)...the tweed (fender) channel doesnt matches my guitar 2 much (the clean 500t sound sucks), but its cool on single coil guitars, specially with a little or no drive (i tested on an american standard fender start and its superb). I basically use it for live perfomances plunging directly into power amp or simply "inputing" it on the amp..i never used for recording but i will do soon...!

in a few words: great - a really good thing to spend ur money on

it seems to be pretty tough...! not as a metal zone (that u can let a truck pass over it)..but ok!

well here in brazil i dont know if theres even a tech 21 office...in case of tech issues, ill have to find a different way of getting support!

Its great...the drawbacks i mentioned before are no obstacle to this little beauty! run and get yours! its out of line and will became a treasure soon!

This is a follow up review. I had this pedal about two years ago and sold it. Went through a bunch of new overdrive pedals and amps, and ended up buying this pedal again, after relaizing that there is nothing, and I mean NOTHING out there that sounds better. Concerning ease of use, the pedal is brain dead simple. However, for this to be the perfect pedal, there needs to be small eq knobs for each chanel and three foot switches. Yes, I know the TRI-AC has these features, but the TRI-AC doesn't have the small footprint and beefy feel this little wonder has. Also, technically you still have to "program" the TRI-AC. Nothing beats real eq knobs on a OD pedal for the gigging musician. Tech 21, are you listening? Two points off for lack of seperate EQ knobs and single footswitch.

The reviewer below me is correct. The Tri-AC sounds nothing like a Mesa or Marshall. It sounds better. Better you say? Yup, here's why. To get a tube amp to sound good you have to run it wide open. Looking back over the past 5-10 years I can only think of one gig where I was able to run my amp near wide open. So what's the sense of owning a tube amp when the only time you can get it to sound great is at rehearsal?

I make a good living. In the past 5 years alone I've owned a Mesa dual recto, a Mark III, a Marshal TSL 100, and a DSl 401, not to mention numerous solid state amps. I would like to think that by now I know good tube amps, and good tone. To sound good, a tube amp should be run wide open (or close to it). The problem with using a tube amp is that the human ear does not perceive sound correctly at the pressure levels generated by the volume of a wide open tube amp. I'm sure most of you have experienced this a time or two during a loud rehearsal. This is what makes the playback of a tube amp (at normal volumes) sound much better than the same tube amp at high volume levels. Now, what if someone created a pedal that could capture the characteristics of a wide open tube amp at normal listening levels? Enter Tech 21. The Tri-OD as well as the other Sans Amp products allow you to emulate the characteristics of a wide open tube amp at reasonable volume levels. So while your "tube snob" buddy sounds like crap because he can't crank his $2,000 Mesa stack at his next gig, you can smile, knowing that your Tri-OD powered rig will undoubtedly sound much better.

I currently run the following rig:

Ernie Ball Music Man (main axe) and Washburn WCE USA Custom shop (backup axe) into Tri-OD, then either into an assortment of Boss pedals, or straight into an amp. Current amps: Roland Jazz chorus 120 and Gallien Kruger MLE (either by itself or pushing a 4X12 cab). Yup, I dumped all of my tube amps and I've never been happier. No more $200 tube jobs, no more worrying about bumps and road wear, no more mysterious problems. The Tri -OD (pushing the above-mentioned amps) is FAR less noisy than any of my tube amps were.

Built like a tank. The TRI-OD is so small (and inexpensive) that I carry a spare in my gig bag......but I doubt I'll ever need it.

I've spoken with several sales people and the VP of sales when I was trying to get my hands on an early version of the Trademark 300 head (just after they were released and before they were readily available in the normal supply channel). All nice guys. The Tech 21 technical support guys are probably about as bored as the proverbial lonely Maytag repairman.

Been playing about 20 years. All styles. Lately some of my "bedroom demos" have found their way into several modules of the popular on-line PC game "Never Winter Nights'. You can check them out on my website www.songofthewoods.com. Recently I have been gigging quite actively with a local Top 40 band (I must be getting old). The TRI-AC allows me to nail pretty much any sound I need from "clean to scream". Being a hopeless gear junky, I've had the ability to compare it to many other pedals I've owned including the Hughes and Kettner Tubeman (another very nice pedal, but still unable to compete with the SansAmp sound), POD 2.0, POD pro, Zoom Tri Metal, Zoom Power Lead, Zoom GFX-8, Boss HM2, Boss Metal Zone, Boss VF-1, Digitech 2101, Alesis Quadraverb GT, SR&D Rockman, SR&D Sustainor, Marshall ShredMaster, as well as the built in distortion of many different amps (both solid state and tube). The fact that the only distortion/OD pedal I currently own is the TRI-OD probably speaks louder than anything more I could say about the TRI-OD.

Just a few knobs. Very easy to use. Needs three foot switches. A single button switching between three channels is absolutely friggin useless.

I use this primarily straight into the recording board. I have a Marshall DSL 100 and Blue Voodoo head that I use for live applications. Had a Mesa Boogie head, but hated it and sold it. This sounds nothing and I mean NOTHING like a Mesa or a Marshall. Still the distortion tones are very good overall. Just don't think your going to sound like a Mesa or Marshall with this.......it ain't gonna happen. The clean sounds are EXCELLENT. You can get that slightly compressed tube sound on the clean channel, with a touch of sparkle. Excellent clean tones!!

Like a tank!!

Haven't used em.

Very nice sounds. A little dry on harmonics. Doesn't have that "singing" quality you get in a good tube amp, but the distorion textures and clean sound are excellent. ASIDE FROM WHAT THE BONEHEAD REVIEWERS STATE BELOW THIS DOES NOT PERFECTLY EMULATE A TUBE AMP. Been playing about 20 years. Have probably owned just about everything out there in that period of time. Don't get me wrong....it's a great little pedal, just doesn't "perfectly nail" the Mesa or Marshall sound, and the Tech 21 Marketing Department should be ashamed of itself to say that it does.

If u have fiddled with around with stomp boxes then this one is no different. I bought it without a manual and I was able to figure it out in seconds. Though I dont really fancy the battery compartment the look and design of this thing looks pretty cool.

This is one of THE best dustortion/overdrive pedals ever! The sound is superb! U can get anything with this baby. Crunchy chords, screaming leads, bluesy riffs.. u name it, it can sound it. Just one minor setback of this unit is the lack EQ controls, eg. MIDS/PRESENCE.. But its nothing an external EQ unit cant fix but for the price well I can at least expect for something more. But Hell.. It still kicks ass anyway!

Its made of metal and u can knock someone out cold. Sturdy knobs and I'm using batteries to operate it and works just as fine.

Never dealt with them before...

I've been playing for ard 7 yrs now and I must say this thing really impresses me. The first Tech21 product that I ever heard being played was actually the GT2 but this baby has the ability to gimme 3 channels so its really useful during gigs/jams. I play mostly metal and I'm super satisfied with it. I HIGHLY recommend it to anybody. Stop using those MT2, Tri-Metal or watever and GET this one!

Easy, very easy, bought used without manual.
I had one question about the speaker emulator, emailed the rep at tech 21 and they sent me a electronic manual within a half hour!! Oh, buy the way you guys that complain the battery is hard to get to because you have to take out 4 screws? PLEASE!

Supurb box for the money, great preamp. It doesn't quite sound like tubes at just barely breaking up, but full on distortion (overdrive)is nice.

Don't drive a tank over it, you will bend the knobs over, or possibly break them off. Very dependable.

First rate company! Incredibly kind and helpful.

I own or have owned a lot of stuff, let me just say this is a better choice for real amp flavors. Records better direct than my POD or Gt3. Works good into a small clean amp for quiet practice. I use my 5150 combo with few effects played loud the rest of the time. For my money find one used and buy it. If you want to switch between amp types live, buy the tri-a.c. This was a fantastic value.

well... turn on any one of the three (hence "tri - od") OD's offered... step on the switch to select between the three sonic choices... not too difficult... may be a little tricky to time in on stage in a live setting though...

the Brit. setting rips your head off in a good sort of way - brighter hi-gain... the cali setting is a little smoother warmer - fat hi-gain... the tweed setting is sweet as butter. Beware!!! this likes a clean power amp or a great clean chanel! It hated going through my overdriven chanel... thought the amp would cave in and die. But let me tell ya son, it sure sounds good through my clean chanel.

just got it. can't say if it is or not... the guy i bought it from never had problems with it... so it would have to be his opinion not mine.

don't know... never dealt with the guys at Tech 21

For what you get and at this price what can I say... It is a keeper!