EarthQuaker Devices releases Sunn O))) Life Pedal V3

November 4, 2022 · 6 sources

EarthQuaker Devices announced the Sunn O))) Life Pedal V3 on November 4, 2022, the third edition of its collaboration with the drone band Sunn O))). The maker said the pedal is now in permanent production after two limited-edition runs¹².

The Sunn O))) Life Pedal V3 combines a blendable analog octave, a distortion and a clean boost, with the signal path running octave into distortion into boost¹. EarthQuaker describes the circuit as "An octave fuzz inspired by the Shin-Ei FY2 & FY6 units leads the circuit into a brutal big box rodent inspired distortion"¹. The distortion side is modeled on the classic "White Face" unit, with a three-way clipping switch: OpAmp (no diodes), Asymm (two silicon diodes and one LED) and Symm (the stock double silicon diode configuration)¹.

The V3 adds a third footswitch for the octave, using the company's Flexi-Switch Technology, and the octave section has been retuned. EarthQuaker says the octave "has been fine tuned to make it more pronounced without losing the bottom end"¹. The octave does not work independently; the distortion must be active to use it¹. An expression pedal connected to the Octave EXP input controls the octave blend¹.

Controls are Octave, Distortion (about +60dB of gain), Filter (a low pass filter from around 500Hz to 30kHz), Amplitude (output volume for the octave distortion side) and Magnitude (output volume for the booster, with unity around noon)¹. The octave is monophonic, and EarthQuaker says it works best on single notes above the twelfth fret with the neck pickup¹.

The pedal lists for $299²³⁴. Gearnews listed an MSRP of EUR 429 and a price of $355.00⁵. MusicRadar said the pedal is available now⁶. Guitar.com reported the enclosure is smaller than the original's vintage-style wedge but larger than version two's box².