NuX NDS-5 Fireman Distortion Dual Brown Sound vs ProCo RAT 2
The NuX NDS-5 Fireman Distortion Dual Brown Sound and the ProCo RAT 2 are both pedals sharing gritty, bright, transparent. The NuX NDS-5 Fireman Distortion Dual Brown Sound leans tight and high gain. The ProCo RAT 2 leans low gain and fuzzy.
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Blended from circuit-archetype lineage, dynamic feel, tone-signal overlap and tone-vector distance — the tone vector itself is derived from editorial description text, not a measured acoustic signal, so this reflects how similarly the catalog copy describes the two, not a lab measurement. Shown only within a gear class, and only where there's enough evidence to be meaningful.46% — somewhat different
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Genres both listings are associated with.- Hard Rock
- Rock
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Derived from overlapping tonal signals across both listings.- gritty
- bright
- transparent
ProCo RAT 2
Proco · pedal
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Citation/mention fame — how often this gear is cited across artist rigs and gear discussion.$86.97via Reverb
The NuX NDS-5 Fireman is a two-channel distortion pedal built around a modern take on Brown Sound, the saturated, amp-like distortion character popularized by a legendary amplifier builder. Independent Gain and Volume knobs for each channel let players set distinct rhythm and lead voicings on one pedal, while Bass, Treble, Presence, and Tight controls give precise tonal shaping. A True-bypass/Buffer-bypass toggle and a 9V/18V voltage switch are included, with the 18V setting widening dynamic range and headroom. It's aimed at players wanting tight, articulate distortion with real punch rather than a single fixed high-gain voicing.
The ProCo RAT 2 is a classic hard-clipping distortion pedal whose circuit dates to the late 1970s, built around an LM308 op-amp and silicon diode clipping. Its three controls are Distortion, Filter, and Volume, with the distinctive Filter knob acting as a reversed tone control that runs from bright and cutting to dark and warm. Capable of far more than its name suggests, it spans gritty low-gain overdrive, thick midrange distortion, and nearly fuzz-like saturation while keeping notes present and clear even at high gain. It is a staple of punk, grunge, garage, stoner, doom, and alternative rock, and has been used by players from Jeff Beck and Thom Yorke to countless heavy and experimental guitarists. Dynamic and harmonically rich, it cleans up with guitar volume and stays articulate rather than overly compressed.
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Genres this gear is documented as being used in.- Electronic
- Alternative Rock
- Experimental
- Punk
- Grunge
- Metal
- tight
- high gain
- low gain
- fuzzy
- full
- harmonically rich
- dynamic
- saturated