The Black Arts Toneworks Raw Heart OD is a dual overdrive/distortion pedal that puts two of the maker's circuits in one enclosure: the low gain Witch Burner and the Quantum Mystic OD. It was designed with Mike Scheidt of the band YOB, and Black Arts describes it as working equally well with a clean amp or driving a dirty amp, either as a standalone distortion into clean platforms or as a boost into a saturated amp1. RockBoard's PedalPedia classifies it as an overdrive/distortion pedal2.
On price: the maker lists the Raw Heart OD at $279 USD1.
Two overdrive circuits in one pedal
The pedal grew out of work with Scheidt. Black Arts says it worked with Mike Scheidt from YOB to design a distortion pedal, starting from the shortcomings of his favorite distortion at the time, the Ross Distortion, using his pedal as a starting point1. The Quantum Mystic OD, the other half of the design, has its own history: RockBoard notes it was used on the 2014 YOB album "Clearing the Path to Ascend"2.
The Raw Heart combines the two designs in one box. Black Arts frames it as the maker deciding it was time to release both as a dual design1, and the enclosure carries art by Heavy Metal Talisman3.
The controls
The feature that shapes the tone most is a three band active EQ placed between the gain stages. Black Arts says that by adding it among other tweaks, the maker achieved the desired tonality and aggression; the EQ controls low, mid and treble and boosts those frequencies into more or less distortion1.
The other key control is a stacking order toggle. It changes which circuit feeds the other31:
- Witch Burner > Quantum Mystic
- Quantum Mystic > Witch Burner
That order matters in practice because each circuit colors what the other receives, so the same two circuits give different results depending on which one is first in the chain13.
From the Witch Burner and Quantum Mystic
Both named circuits are Black Arts Toneworks designs, and the Raw Heart is their combined form: the Quantum Mystic OD and the low gain Witch Burner as a dual design13. The maker is based in Tennessee, where Delicious Audio describes Mark Wenz as the man behind the Black Arts Toneworks creations4.
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Questions
Is the Raw Heart OD true bypass?
Yes. Black Arts Toneworks lists the Raw Heart OD with dual true bypass switching, so each of the two circuits can be switched out of the signal path independently when disengaged.
What power supply does the Raw Heart OD need?
The Raw Heart OD runs on 9V DC with a center negative plug, the standard pedalboard supply arrangement. RockBoard's PedalPedia lists the current draw at 10mA, so a normal isolated output or a daisy chain with headroom covers it.
Can you use both circuits at the same time?
Yes. The pedal can run a single circuit on its own or both circuits in series, and a toggle changes the stacking order: Witch Burner into Quantum Mystic, or Quantum Mystic into Witch Burner.
Who is Mike Scheidt?
Mike Scheidt is the guitarist and vocalist of the band YOB. Black Arts Toneworks worked with him to design the Raw Heart OD, and RockBoard notes that the maker's Quantum Mystic OD was used on YOB's 2014 album Clearing the Path to Ascend.
Is the Raw Heart OD analog?
Yes. RockBoard's PedalPedia lists the circuit type as analog.
Sources (4)
- Raw Heart OD, Black Arts Toneworks
- Raw Heart OD by Black Arts Toneworks, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- RAW HEART OD, Black Arts Toneworks
- DOD Boneshaker Distortion By Black Arts Toneworks, Delicious Audio, 2015-03-03
