The DS-830 is a distortion pedal that also features adjustable bass and treble controls. The Distortion Master has a claimed 59dB of boost available via its gain and level controls.

It's a large, very solidly built pedal like the rest of the series, but Maxon says that the size is necessary to optimise component positioning to minimise noise and colouration.

Sounds

There's a great range of punchy distortion on tap here of the sort that can make a small amp sound like a cranked stack, especially with the bottom end beefed up with the bass knob - the two tone knobs, in fact, offering a wide tonal range.