EarthQuaker Devices announces Sunn O))) HalfLife compact pedal

June 16, 2026 · 3 sources

EarthQuaker Devices announced the Sunn O))) HalfLife, a compact and permanently available version of its Life pedal, on June 16¹. The pedal combines an octave, distortion and boost in one enclosure².

The HalfLife is the fourth iteration of the Life Pedal, following the larger V1 and V3 and the V2³. Earlier versions were limited runs that relied on rare, vintage components; founder Jamie Stillman reworked the circuit using readily available modern parts². MusicRadar reports the pedal is approximately half the size of the Life Pedals, and that because of the smaller housing the octave and fuzz cannot be switched separately as they could on the originals¹. The Amplitude and Octave knobs have swapped places, which EQD says makes the control surface more intuitive²¹.

The signal flows from octave to distortion to boost, with independent footswitches for the distortion and booster circuits². An all-discrete analog full-wave rectifier sits at the input, and the Octave knob blends the effect; an expression pedal can be connected to the Octave EXP jack to sweep the mix². The distortion section is modeled after the ProCo RAT "White Face" circuit and has a three-way clipping switch: OpAmp mode bypasses all diodes, Asymm mode combines two silicon diodes and one LED, and Symm mode uses a double-silicon diode configuration². The final stage is a discrete MOSFET booster controlled by the Magnitude knob². The pedal is made in Akron, Ohio, carries a lifetime warranty and ships with EQD's Flexi-Switch Technology¹.

Accounts of price and availability differ. Gearnews lists the pedal at $291 and says it should ship sometime in July². MusicRadar gives a US price of $259 and says it is available now¹. Guitar Pedal X cites a $259 Sweetwater listing, reports US stock available and UK units on preorder, and says the reviewer planned to make it a priority release for the following month³.