The Electrofoods Nepenthes V2 is a distortion pedal from the small maker Electrofoods, built on the traditional LM308 opamp distortion circuit but with the actual chip replaced by a custom discrete opamp designed in-house. Delicious Audio describes it as "great for surgical shred tones, swampy doom filth, and everything in between"1. It belongs to the same family of opamp distortions as pedals like the PastFX Mischief LM308 Distortion, which does use an LM308 chip2. For more on the type, see Distortion Pedals.
The circuit: an LM308 design without the LM308
The Nepenthes V2 is Electrofoods' take on the classic LM308 opamp distortion architecture, the circuit family behind the RAT-style distortions. Rather than fitting a real LM308, Electrofoods built its own part. Delicious Audio quotes the maker: "we dropped the LM308 like a rotten seed pod and purpose-built our own discrete opamp from the ground up"1. The custom opamp is described as fine-tuned for a thicker mid-range and a clangy, defined high end1.
Controls and boost modes
The pedal's controls, as described on Delicious Audio's product page1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Clockwise for more gain and heavier filth, counterclockwise for sparkle and definition |
| Boost level (V2) | A volume knob for the Boost, new in Version 2 |
| Boost mode | Bright, Thick, or the new Normal/Flat Boost EQ mode |
| Extra clipping | Optional, for increased compression and clarity |
| Boost footswitch | Two-mode boost footswitch |
The boost's two voiced modes split this way: Bright boosts high-mids and treble, while Thick is a more flat, even boost that brings up the low end to match the more prominent top end1.
Nepenthes V2 versus the original Nepenthes
Version 2 adds a volume knob for the Boost and a new Normal/Flat Boost EQ mode, alongside the optional extra clipping and the two-mode boost footswitch1. The original Nepenthes, the same maker's distortion pedal, drew wider attention in 2021 when Guitar World reported harpist Emily Hopkins running two harps through one, paired with the Walrus Fathom, Flower Pedals Dandelion and Fairfield Circuitry Shallow Water3.
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Questions
What is the difference between the Nepenthes and the Nepenthes V2?
Version 2 adds a volume knob for the Boost and a new Normal/Flat Boost EQ mode, according to Delicious Audio's writeup of the pedal. It also carries the other Version 2 additions: optional extra clipping for increased compression and clarity, and a two-mode boost footswitch. The original Nepenthes is the same maker's distortion pedal that the V2 revises.
Does the Nepenthes V2 use an actual LM308 chip?
No. Delicious Audio's product page quotes Electrofoods saying the pedal dropped the LM308 chip in favor of a purpose-built discrete opamp designed from the ground up by Electrofoods. The circuit is still based on the traditional LM308 opamp distortion circuit, and the custom opamp is described as fine-tuned for a thicker mid-range and a clangy high end.
What do the Bright and Thick boost modes do?
Bright boosts high-mids and treble. Thick is a more flat, even boost that brings up the low end to match the more prominent top end. The V2 adds a Normal/Flat Boost EQ mode as well, and Version 2 gives the Boost its own volume knob.
Can the Nepenthes V2 do both tight and doomy tones?
Delicious Audio describes the pedal as great for surgical shred tones, swampy doom filth, and everything in between. The gain knob runs from sparkle and definition counterclockwise to more gain and heavier filth clockwise, and the optional extra clipping adds compression and clarity.
Sources (3)
- Electrofoods Nepenthes V2 Distortion, Delicious Audio, 2021-02-18
- Mischief LM308 Distortion, pastfx.com, 2026
- You'll never be as metal as the sound of this harp run through a distortion pedal, Guitar World, 2021-08-26
