Keeley Electronics D&M Drive & Boost Pedal

The Keeley D&M Drive is a two-channel drive pedal designed by Daniel Steinhardt of The GigRig and Mick Szersynki of That Pedal Show.

The result is a pedal with two completely independent channels. A high-voltage boost on one side and a multi-stage drive on the other.

Each has its own footswitch and controls, and each can be used alone or stacked in either order via a simple toggle switch. The D&M Drive won Guitar Player magazine’s Editor’s Pick Award in 2017 and remains one of Keeley’s most consistently respected pedals.

So, why is the D&M Drive so well thought of…

What stands out is how little it compresses your signal compared to most. The Drive side is built around a Tube Screamer-style circuit, but it doesn’t squash your dynamics the way a lot of TS pedals do.

Playing / pick attack comes across well, and low end stays active rather than getting thinned out, so the pedal doesn’t shrink your guitar’s voice.

The Boost side is the more sensitive. Low gain settings work well with a light touch whereas winding it up gets you searing sustain and even then chordal definition is not lost.

Because you can choose which side is first in the signal chain, you get different characters – smoother and rounder one way, more edge and harmonic bite the other.

Great a low volumes too!

The Boost Channel

The boost side sits between a clean boost and a light overdrive — not quite a transparent booster, but less aggressive than a conventional overdrive. It has good headroom and a forward, present midrange.

Dialled in carefully it can push an amp into break-up; pulled back, it adds output and clarity without altering the underlying tone too much. The gain range runs from clean through to warm, smooth saturation.

The Drive Channel

The drive side is a different proposition. Multiple gain stages deliver a heavier, more saturated sound. From its lowest settings it produces a natural overdrive character. Increase the drive and it moves into valve amp-type gain with quick attack, strong harmonic content, and good sustain.

The Switching System

A toggle switch selects whether the Boost or Drive channel comes first in the signal path. Boost into Drive gives a smooth, round tone going into a heavier gain stage. Drive into Boost gives a driven tone boosted with added clarity and harmonic refinement. Both are useful in different contexts — worth trying each with your specific amp.

The TRS insert jacks take this further, allowing integration into a professional switching system such as TheGigRig G2 or G3. Pedalboard designers can configure the boost and drive to switch independently via the switching system, rather than being tied together as a pair.

Controls

• Boost side: Level, Gain, Tone
• Drive side: Level, Gain, Tone
• Order toggle: Selects whether Boost or Drive comes first in the signal path when both channels are active
• TRS insert jacks: Enables integration with professional switching systems as two independent effects

Key Features

• Two independent channels — high-voltage boost and multi-stage drive, each with dedicated footswitch
• User-selectable channel order — Boost or Drive first
• TRS insert jacks for pro switching system integration (TheGigRig G2/G3 compatible)
• Boost channel: high headroom, distinct midrange voice, warm saturation at higher settings
• Drive channel: multi-stage gain, quick attack, rich harmonics, strong sustain
• True bypass
• All analogue
• 9V DC centre-negative, 55mA
• Silicon and Germanium components
• Guitar Player Editor’s Pick Award 2017
• Made in the USA

Watch The Keeley D&M Drive In Action

FAQs