Aion FX

Most projects are sold as PCB only, with complete kits listed as "not yet available" on many pages¹. Where a kit exists, it includes the PCB, a finished enclosure, the hardware, and all electronic components²³⁴.

How Aion FX kits work: PCB-only projects and complete kits

Every Aion FX project starts as a printed circuit board. The standard purchase is the PCB alone, and the project page provides the build instructions and parts list as downloadable documents, so the builder sources the enclosure, knobs, switches, and every electronic component themselves¹. This is the cheaper route and the one most projects currently support.

The complete kit option adds the finished enclosure, the hardware, and all electronic components to the PCB, so the builder supplies only solder and tools²¹²¹³. Kits are in stock for a smaller set of projects, including the Phobos Germanium Fuzz⁵, the Oceanid Optical Compressor¹⁴, the Vector Ambient Delay at $86⁸, and the Andromeda Deluxe Natural Overdrive⁵¹⁴⁸. The IVP Preamp, a preamp project, is a PCB-only listing¹⁵.

Build difficulty, from beginner to advanced

Each project page carries a build difficulty rating, which lets a builder pick a first project or gauge a step up. The ratings in the current range run from Beginner through Easy and Intermediate to Advanced¹⁶¹⁷¹.

The Naos Classic Overdrive is a good example of a Beginner project: Aion FX describes it as "a simple yet effective drive circuit that combines a Tube Screamer-style clipping section with a Big Muff-style tone control," and says it is "more transparent than a Tube Screamer with less of a midrange emphasis"¹⁸. It is based on the Yamaha OD-10MII Overdrive¹⁸.

Overdrive, distortion and fuzz kits

Fuzz and overdrive form the largest part of the range. Fuzz projects include silicon fuzzes (Epsilon, Orpheus, Poseidon), germanium fuzzes (Nysiad, Phobos), octave fuzzes (Aperture, Ascalon), and vintage-style fuzz/overdrive circuits (Particle, Calliope, Atom)¹¹⁶⁹. Overdrive projects include the Hadron, Viridian, and Karkadann dynamic overdrives and the Obsidian Metal Drive, rated as an overdrive/distortion¹⁰¹¹.

The Karkadann page states plainly how kit availability is decided:

For more on the effect types themselves, see the site's pages on Overdrive Pedals, Distortion Pedals, and Fuzz Pedals.

Compressor and preamp kits

The compressor line includes two optical designs. The Oceanid Optical Compressor is available as a complete kit at $92 and uses buffered bypass by default, with an internal slide switch allowing the pedal to be used in true-bypass mode instead¹⁴. The Polyphemus Optical Compressor, a PCB-only project at $12.50, is based on the Pigtronix Philosopher's Tone, a vactrol-based compressor and overdrive that Aion FX says is "known for its incredibly long sustain," with a diode-clipping overdrive that can be blended in with the clean compressed signal²². The Meridian Exciter/Compressor, based on the Guyatone PS-021, is a compressor and frequency enhancer²³.

Preamp projects include the Axion JFET Preamp (rated Easy), the IVP Preamp, and the Tesseract Boost/Preamp¹⁵²⁴. For bass players, the TS-50 Bass Preamp is a pedal recreation of the preamp section of the Traynor TS-50B bass amp, sold as a bass preamp and overdrive; Aion FX says the amp is "revered for its unique drive tone" and that the pedal "imparts its own distinctive character that doesn't quite sound like anything else"²⁵. The page notes it shares a lot in common with the Rusty Box but is not based directly on that pedal²⁵. See also Preamp Pedals, Compressor Pedals, and Bass Pedals.

Modulation, filter and delay kits

The Deluge Optical Vibe is a four-stage optical phaser/vibrato inspired by the Uni-Vibe, based on the EarthQuaker Devices The Depths; it is a direct adaptation of the V1 Depths, with the LFO's power supply and ground isolated from the audio signal path to reduce ticking or added noise²⁶. It is rated Easy and the PCB is $12.50²⁶.

The Vector Ambient Delay is based on the Mad Professor Deep Blue Delay and is built around the PT2399 delay chip⁸. Aion FX describes it as "an analog-voiced digital delay" that is "a favorite even among analog purists," equally suited for short slapback effects or longer rhythmic repeats⁸²⁷. The new version of the Vector removes compatibility with the Rebote 2.5 in favor of a simplified build process, and the previous version remains available⁸. It is one of the few projects offered as a complete kit, at $86⁸. See also Delay Pedals, Phaser Pedals, and Vibrato Pedals.

Complete kits and kit availability

Complete kits are the exception rather than the rule across the range. As of late October 2026, kits in stock include the Phobos, Oceanid, Vector, and Andromeda Deluxe⁵¹⁴⁸². Most other projects show the complete kit as not yet available, including the Epsilon, Orpheus, Poseidon, Ascalon, Aperture, Nysiad, Calliope, Hadron, Viridian, Supreaux, Axion, Photon, IVP, Positron, and Tesseract^1161524.

Aion FX tracks demand on each page: the Polyphemus showed 43 people interested in a complete kit²², the Naos showed 16¹⁸, and the Tesseract showed 160²⁴, which is the mechanism the company uses to decide which kits to develop²²¹⁸²⁴.

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