How do I use Drive in the master out?
# How do I use Drive in the master out?
Drive increases the perceived loudness of your mix and adds harmonic distortion at higher levels. It's located in the Master Out section (T4) of the Mixer mode and acts as the final stage before audio leaves the OP-1.
Accessing Drive
- 1.Press Mixer key
- 2.Press T4 to access Master Out
- 3.Turn the white encoder to adjust Drive amount
How Drive Works
Drive uses compression to make your mix louder and fuller. At moderate settings, it adds warmth and presence without obvious distortion. At higher levels, it introduces pleasant harmonic distortion that can make sounds feel more aggressive or saturated.
The orange encoder controls Release time, which affects how the Drive compression behaves. A longer release time creates a "pumping" effect where the compression is more audible and rhythmic. A shorter release makes the compression more transparent.
Practical Use
Use Drive to:
- Make quiet mixes sound fuller without adjusting individual track levels
- Add character and warmth to sterile-sounding recordings
- Create intentional distortion effects on the entire mix
- Compensate for volume loss after applying heavy EQ
The Drive setting applies to everything going through the Master Out, including what gets recorded to Album mode.