The Photon Death Ray is a pedal from Doc Lloyd Audio that sits in an unusual spot: the maker's listing places it in the compressor category and describes it as an opto compressor, while the same page also calls it "a fuzz and distortion pedal designed for aggressive and experimental guitar tones"1. Both descriptions come from the maker, so the pedal appears to combine compression-style dynamic response with fuzz and distortion character. For a player, that means it is worth reading as a dynamics-sensitive drive as much as a straight compressor.
What it does
RockBoard's PedalPedia states that "its circuit is intended to react dynamically to picking strength and guitar volume changes"1. That is the defining behavior of an opto compressor, a design that uses a light-dependent element to control gain, and it means the pedal tracks what the player does: a softer pick attack or a rolled-down guitar volume produces a different response than digging in at full volume.
On the drive side, RockBoard's PedalPedia says the pedal "provides controls for shaping gain and tonal response to suit different playing styles"1. Players drawn to fuzz and distortion territory will find that framing in the maker's own description of the pedal's intent.
Enclosure
The unit is housed in a compact enclosure suitable for pedalboards, according to RockBoard's PedalPedia1. No further dimensions, control layout, power requirements or pricing are given in the maker's listing.
The maker's own material gives two different descriptions of this pedal, as an opto compressor and as a fuzz and distortion pedal. Both are reported here as stated; the maker's product page URL itself names it an opto compressor1.
Videos
Eirik Stordrange
Sources (1)
- Photon Death Ray by Doc Lloyd Audio, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
