ACT Entertainment RAT Sterling Vermin

The Sterling Vermin RAT is a boutique distortion pedal from ACT Entertainment, the pro audio company that owns the RAT Distortion brand. It takes the classic RAT formula, the LM741 op-amp driving a pair of clipping diodes, and adds a switch that lets the player choose between two diode types: the traditional silicon pair or BAT41 diodes. ACT announced it in May 2025 at $349 USD, available immediately¹.

Two clipping modes: silicon or BAT41

The headline feature is the selectable diode switch. In one position the pedal runs on classic RAT-style silicon diodes, which Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio describes as giving punchy, mid-heavy distortion. Flip the switch and the BAT41 diodes take over for a smoother, more balanced tone³. RockBoard's PedalPedia puts it the same way: the switch lets you "flip between the classic silicon RAT grind and the smoother, more articulate voice of BAT41 diodes"².

Underneath both modes sits the LM741 op-amp, the chip long associated with the RAT circuit, so the two voices share the same core gain stage and differ in how the clipping shapes it¹³². For a player, that means one pedal covering two related but distinct characters rather than two flavors of the same sound.

ACT's own description of the range is broad. The launch release calls it "a pedal that's equally at home delivering snarling distortion or articulate, low-gain overdrive, with a wide, usable tonal range throughout the entire gain spectrum"¹. De Gregorio frames the same spread as running "from snarling high-gain grit to nuanced overdrive"³. Players who find a standard RAT too much of a one-trick high-gain box are the obvious audience for the lower-gain end of that range; those wanting more of the traditional voice can look at other takes in the distortion category.

Design and build

The Sterling Vermin is built in small batches and hand-soldered at ACT's Jackson, Missouri headquarters¹³. The enclosure is polished stainless steel with laser-annealed graphics¹, and RockBoard's listing describes the pedal as "hand-soldered, this refined take on the classic"².

The hardware details get specific attention in the launch release. The pedal uses CTS pots with oversized knobs, which ACT says give "even, responsive control that affords a satisfying smoothness to the rotation"¹. For a pedal whose two modes invite frequent switching between gain levels, smooth, positive knob travel matters on a board.

Where it came from

ACT Entertainment holds the RAT brand, and the Sterling Vermin is its reimagining of that circuit with what De Gregorio calls "modern refinement and versatility"³. The design is credited to Shawn Wells and Matt Gates¹³, who also spoke for the company in the launch announcement. Premier Guitar's coverage of the release described the pedal as carrying "the soul of a traditional RAT pedal"¹, and RockBoard's listing says it "takes the legendary RAT formula and sharpens it for a new generation of players"².

No independent reviews with measured findings had been published at the time of writing; the character descriptions above come from the maker and from Delicious Audio's product coverage¹³².

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