The Limelight is a dual channel overdrive pedal from Electronic Audio Experiments, developed in collaboration with the Los Angeles based punk band Touché Amoré. One channel is an op-amp overdrive; the other is an independent clean boost with its own footswitch, which can push the drive side from overdriven tones into heavy distortion1. The pedal was originally built to commemorate the release of Touché Amoré's 2020 LP, Lament, but it has since earned a permanent place in the EAE lineup2.
The circuit started from a vaguely Blues Breaker-inspired foundation, which the EAE team then reworked with a series of modifications aimed at better articulation and a much wider range of gain. Delicious Audio described the result as a dual channel overdrive with equal parts aggression and chime, an op-amp overdrive that could deliver both chimey and aggressive tones1. RockBoard's PedalPedia entry sums up the intent in the band's own context: bright, clear tones "letting their riffs morph effortlessly between serene clean passages and cacophonous blast beats"2.
The controls and footswitches
The Limelight is laid out as two footswitchable circuits: the left footswitch engages the drive circuit and the right footswitch engages the boost circuit4. Because the boost sits at the front end of the signal path with its own switch, it works whether the drive is on or off, and stacking the two is how the pedal reaches heavier distortion1.
The control set, as listed for the 2026 Limited Tour Edition, is Volume, Tone, Gain, Focus (a Mids / Low-cut control), Boost, plus the Drive and Boost footswitches3. The maker's own page details what the two main knobs do:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Simultaneous control of two gain stages, with a natural midrange boost as you turn it clockwise; approximately 50dB at the maximum setting4 |
| Boost | Adjusts the Boost channel from 0dB to +21dB of clean gain when turned clockwise1 |
| Volume | Sets the drive channel's output level3 |
| Tone | Shapes the drive channel's treble content3 |
| Focus | Mids / Low-cut control for the drive channel3 |
The Gain knob is the unusual one. Rather than a single clipping stage, it controls two gain stages at once, and the circuit naturally pushes the midrange forward as gain rises, reaching approximately 50dB at the top of its range4. The Boost knob is a straightforward clean sweep from 0dB to +21dB1.
Made with Touché Amoré: the V2 and Tour Edition
The Limelight has gone through several stages since the original release. EAE's page for the pedal records two versions, Version 1 and Version 2, with Version 1 noted as the original release4. According to the maker, the project began in preparation for the recording of Lament, when EAE worked with Nick and Clayton of Touché Amoré to create a new op amp overdrive4.
Version 2, covered by Delicious Audio in July 2022, brought significant circuit changes for superior articulation and a much wider range of gain, along with a new mechanical form factor: the enclosure was rotated to portrait orientation1. The stock pedal is offered in several variants, including Black, Stage 4 and Black Stage 4 finishes4.
EAE also produced a 2026 Limited Tour Edition of the pedal, sold alongside the band's tour while the stock edition remained generally available for $249, or £239 from Joe's Pedales in the UK23. The pedal itself was originally developed to commemorate the release of Touché Amoré's 2020 LP, Lament, in collaboration with the LA-based punk band2.
The 2026 Limited Tour Edition was a tour-stand exclusive and not sold through retailers. The stock edition of the Limelight is the version available through the EAE webstore and dealers3.
Where it sits in the EAE lineup
The Limelight is one of several dirt pedals in the Electronic Audio Experiments range, sitting alongside the Longsword and the Citadel. Where the Limelight is specifically an op-amp overdrive with a Blues Breaker lineage and a built-in clean boost, players comparing it against other EAE drives will find the differences come down to circuit topology and gain structure rather than feature count1.
Videos
ambienttrash
Mark Johnston
collector//emitter
News
Questions
How much power does the Limelight draw?
The Limelight runs on 9V DC with a center negative plug and draws 80mA. That is modest by modern pedal standards, so it works fine on most isolated power supplies, though the current draw is high enough that a battery is not part of the design.
Can the Limelight boost be used without the drive?
Yes. The boost is an independent front-end clean boost with its own footswitch, so you can run it on its own as a straight 0 to +21dB volume lift, or stack it into the drive channel to push the circuit from overdrive into heavy distortion.
How much boost does the Limelight have?
The Boost knob sweeps the boost channel from 0dB to +21dB of clean gain. The drive side has its own range: the Gain knob controls two gain stages at once and reaches approximately 50dB at the maximum setting.
Is the EAE Limelight analog?
Yes. The Limelight is an analog pedal, built around an op-amp overdrive circuit. The design started from a vaguely Blues Breaker-inspired circuit that Electronic Audio Experiments then modified for more articulation and a wider gain range.
Sources (4)
- Electronic Audio Experiments Limelight V2 Overdrive, Delicious Audio, 2022-07-13
- Limelight by Electronic Audio Experiments, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2026-04-15
- EAE x Touche Amore Limelight, Electronic Audio Experiments
