kennywtelejazz
The Boss DS-1 is pretty good for a generic distortion pedal ....I used to use one years ago ...
The DS-1 is nice if you are using a Super Strat  w 2 humbuckers ...it can sound very fizzy w single coils ....
 
You may want to compare the Boss DS-1 to the Boss SD-1 when you go out shopping around ...
 
IMHO the SD-1 is much more versatile sounding pedal and it can cover many more styles of guitar playing convincingly ...
The SD-1 is a very good choice for a guitarist that plays dynamically , if you hit soft , it overdrives soft .
When you dig into the strings during a phrase while you are playing the SD-1 it will overdrive along the lines of what a tube amp will do...
I happen to still prefer the SD-1 over the Tube Screamer ..I've had both from the vintage era 80's
Just about every gig I have done in the past 30 years involved using an SD-1, my amp , my guitar , 2 guitar cables , a strap and a guitar tuner
 
For other choices , since you have a Roland Cube 30 you may want to look into trying out the Pro Co RAT ...
The Pro Co Rat sounds fantastic going into Roland Amps ...I used to use a Rat when I had a JC 120 ...
The Rat can do heavy distortion like the DS-1 and it can also do a very nice Overdrive just like the SD-1 can ...
 
On my pedal board right now I use in place of a RAT the MXR M78 1978 Custom Badass Distortion Effect Pedal
I happen to feel it is a pretty nice pedal , I've had one since it came out ....this pedal for a non boutique pedal can cover a lot of ground 
They can be a little tricky to dial a tone in ...it can go from to much to not enough ....
 
Another low cost distortion pedal I happen to love is The Nano Muff which I have ...
that pedal is meant to be left in the signal chain for when you want to go from somewhat clean to overdrive sounds
it sounds very good . Plus it has a nice feel and sound to the distortion as you play ...meaning what you do on the neck comes out of the amp ...
 
The SD-1 , The Nano Muff and the M78 1978 Custom Badass Distortion are the 3 I own currently ...
 
If I had to play out tonight and I didn't want to bring my pedal board , I would just bring the SD-1 , my guitar,  my amp , 2 guitar cables , a guitar strap and a guitar tuner
 
I keep repeating my self ...there is a reason
 
all the best,
 
Kenny
 

Thank you very much for your comment. I bought the Boss ds-1 which sounded great in the shop. OFC when I tried it at home it did not sound very good. I think the problem IS the a bit crap AMP. The Cube 30 is an OK AMP for practicing but on my opinion the sounds it delivers are not so good. I should have bought this instead:BLACKSTAR ID:CORE STEREO 10 V2 COMBO. At least on YouTube videos it sounds good and is cheap. Unfortunately my old nemesis, tinnitus, started to torment me with louder 'messages'. I noticed right after I had played a bit that it had become worse. I stopped playing guitar and also sold some great gear because of it long time ago. I never play loud nowadays but the guy who demoed the pedal did play loud imo even though I told him I got tinnitus. I covered my ears but somehow my tinnitus still is worse now. I am sure that the ringing goes softer and unnoticeable when my ears get a chance to rest.

It is very hard to give advice to someone without hearing how they play...
That said, I would always choose a Tube Screamer over a DS-1.
The Tube Screamer can sound a little smoother than the DS-1.
The DS-1 will be a little more harsh sounding than the Tube Screamer.
The DS-1 is a better choice if you are very good at picking and playing fast, and you need every note to be articulated.
The Tube Screamer is better if you play legato and your fretboard fingers are doing most of the work.
That said, it is ideal to own one of each.
Every guitar player is different. You have to try them all and find out what works best for your style.
 
 

Yeah I find distorted guitar (especially through headphones) is a real tinnitus trigger. I don't know what it is but I suspect it's the prominence of the "honk" range (500-1000 KHz?) My ears are very sensitive to that. 
 
I used to have a Roland Cube and I really loved it, great sound at least with my old Epiphone Spotlight (coil tapped humbuckers). I don't think I ever used a distortion pedal through it though. You may find that you need to do a lot of experimentation with settings (on the guitar, the pedal AND the amp) before you get the best out of it. At least that's what I always found with distortion pedals. 98% of the sounds you get out of them are horrible, but if you can home in on that 2% sweet spot then you're set. 

mikedocy
It is very hard to give advice to someone without hearing how they play...
That said, I would always choose a Tube Screamer over a DS-1.
The Tube Screamer can sound a little smoother than the DS-1.
The DS-1 will be a little more harsh sounding than the Tube Screamer.
The DS-1 is a better choice if you are very good at picking and playing fast, and you need every note to be articulated.
The Tube Screamer is better if you play legato and your fretboard fingers are doing most of the work.
That said, it is ideal to own one of each.
Every guitar player is different. You have to try them all and find out what works best for your style.
 
 

Thank you for your comment. I play badly. Mostly I play along YouTube music vids. I like hard rock, especially Def Leppard, Whitesnake and the late Gary Moore, but I also like to play for example E-type's Life song. Sometimes I try to practice speed a bit without a metronome. I would have gotten the best distortion pedal If I had the money and If I was sure I would keep on playing after a year. I started playing again because I have just lost a friend so it is like I was trying to compensate the loss with playing. Sounds a bit strange perhaps but it helps a bit. One good thing in having suboptimal gear is that it is easier to stop playing If my hands hurt or now that My ears are doing their private abstract art thing. I hope I won't stop playing entirely.

sharke
Yeah I find distorted guitar (especially through headphones) is a real tinnitus trigger. I don't know what it is but I suspect it's the prominence of the "honk" range (500-1000 KHz?) My ears are very sensitive to that. 
 
I used to have a Roland Cube and I really loved it, great sound at least with my old Epiphone Spotlight (coil tapped humbuckers). I don't think I ever used a distortion pedal through it though. You may find that you need to do a lot of experimentation with settings (on the guitar, the pedal AND the amp) before you get the best out of it. At least that's what I always found with distortion pedals. 98% of the sounds you get out of them are horrible, but if you can home in on that 2% sweet spot then you're set. 

Thank you for your comment. Tinnitus is no joyride when it bites hard.
Unfortunately I noticed that the sound was better with a bit louder volume but I had to put the volume way down when tinnitus started to kick me on the b**t. Yeah, I will need to try different settings and with luck I will find good sounds.