Sunn O))) Life Pedal Octave Distortion + Booster

Sunn O))) and EarthQuaker Devices are pleased to bring you the Sunn O))) Life Pedal V3. The Sunn O))) Life Pedal circuit has been meticulously tweaked from the original to squeeze every last drop of heavy crushing tone available. The octave section has been fine tuned to make it more pronounced without losing the bottom end and we added a third footswitch, utilising Flexi-Switch Technology®, for the octave to allow an additional method of quick and radical tone shaping. We are excited to have this back in permanent production, it is a true labour of love.

Birth of a Life Pedal

In the writing sessions for Life Metal Stephen & Greg worked extensively shearing their tones towards a broader energy spectrum over high powered saturation and across planes of sonic character, with the ambition to take full advantage of Steve Albini’s (the recording engineer for the album) exacting capture skills. 

The results are astounding: there is breadth and luminosity of colour, vast sonic cosmoses, flashes of abstract colour (synthetic and objective) through resulting themes which emerged from the mastered depths of saturation and circuits between the two players and their mountains of gear. 

The Sunn O))) Life Pedal is designed to represent the core front end chain used in those sessions, to drive the tubes of the band’s multiple vintage Sunn O))) Model T amplifiers (or take your fancy) into overload ecstasy. This is a 100w tube amp full stack’s holy dream, or its apostate nightmare. 

An octave fuzz inspired by the Shin-Ei FY2 & FY6 units leads the circuit into a brutal big box rodent inspired distortion, recreated with the best components, and including a three-way clipping switch (OpAmp, Asymmetric & Symmetric). Second stage is a purely clean boost to further overdrive the preamp tubes of your vintage system into -scaped harmonics, and feedback overtone bliss. 

What Is It?

Sunn O))) Life Pedal is a distortion with a blendable analog octave up and a booster combined in one compact package. The “Amplitude” side is faithfully modelled after the classic “White Face” distortion unit, using modern, reliable components to last a lifetime. The only modifications made to the original circuit are in the clipping section. The traditional circuit uses a single pair of silicon diodes for a tight, compressed crunch. The Sunn O))) Life Pedal introduces two additional clipping options to better adapt to different rigs. The first position is no diodes to allow for full, grinding OpAmp assault at maximum volume. The second position utilises two silicon diodes and one LED in an asymmetrical clipping configuration. This delivers a slightly compressed and smooth crunch, similar to a valve amplifier. The last position is the stock double silicon diode configuration which provides that classic tone you know and love. 

The Octave in the Sunn O))) Life Pedal is an all-discrete, analog full-wave rectifier base on a classic vintage design. Located at the input of the circuit, the Octave control slowly blends in the octave effects as you turn it clockwise. This feature can also be used via expression control allowing for wild, hands-free octave swells mid-riff. The octave is tied to the distortion circuit and can only be used if the Amplitude is active. Because this is an analog octave effect, it is monophonic and works best playing single notes above the twelfth fret while using the neck pickup. Playing chords with the analog octave will sound clanging and chaotic. Using the bridge pickup and playing below the twelfth fret will produce a very subtle octave effect. Going full Octave transforms Sunn O))) Life Pedal from a simple distortion device into a swelling, raging fuzz similar to the classic Super Fuzz! 

The “Magnitude” section of Sunn O))) Life Pedal is a simple all-discrete MOSFET booster designed to blast your preamp tubes and drive them wild. It is a 100% clean, no-nonsense, high impedance booster that adds very little colour to your tone. It does not add distortion on its own but has plenty of output to push your amp into saturation. 

The signal path goes Octave > Distortion > Boost. The octave distortion and booster can be used independently with their own respective footswitches.

Flexi-Switch® Technology

This device features Flexi-Switch® Technology! This relay-based, true bypass switching style allows you to simultaneously use momentary and latching style switching.

• For standard latching operation, tap the footswitch once to activate the effect and then tap again to bypass.

• For momentary operation, hold the footswitch down for as long as you’d like to use the effect. Once you release the switch the effect will be bypassed.

Since the switching is relay based, it requires power to pass signal.

Power 

This device takes a standard 9 volt DC power supply with a 2.1mm negative centre barrel. We always recommend pedal-specific, transformer-isolated wall-wart power supplies or multiple isolated-output supplies. Pedals will make extra noise if there is ripple or unclean power. Switching-type power supplies, daisy chains and non-pedal specific power supplies do not filter dirty power as well and let through unwanted noise. DO NOT RUN AT HIGHER VOLTAGES!

Dimensions: 4.75 x 5.65 x 2.25 in. (121 x 144 x 57 mm) with knobs

Current Draw: 15 mA

Octave Distortion: Input Impedance: 1 M /
Output Impedance: <1 k

Booster: Input Impedance: 500 k /
Output Impedance: <1 k