The MadeOnEarth LedRover is a fully analog, diode-based stereo distortion built mainly for synthesizers and drum machines rather than guitar. It began as a search for the right distortion for a Roland TB-303. After a year of testing diodes, LEDs, germanium and custom potentiometers, the design was tuned on kicks, snares, cymbals, basslines and leads, covering everything from light warmth to heavy saturation.
-
Diode distortion with two characters: two modes, each placing the diodes at a different point in the circuit
-
Pre-distortion tilt filter: 15 dB/octave slopes at both ends, with the pivot set to bring out the mids
-
x10 Boost switch: drives quiet sources hard into the filter so the distortion starts at the filter input
-
Two-mode VU meter: shows either the wet or the dry signal level
-
Separate Input and Output controls with buffered bypass
-
Custom aluminium case with UV printing and custom potentiometers
The circuit is based on a well-known filter resonance design that puts diodes in the feedback loop. The result is a rounded distortion that can turn aggressive while keeping the character of the source, so a 303 line or a drum bus still sounds like itself under heavy drive.
The tilt filter is steeper than the usual 6 dB/octave type, so it can reshape the tone before it reaches the diodes. Combined with the Boost switch and the Input control, it works in two ways. With the input turned down, the filter becomes much more pronounced. With the input turned up, op-amp saturation is added on top of the diode distortion. This makes the LedRover useful for subtle colouring of stereo material as well as for heavily overdriven percussion and bass.