The GUP Tech Death By Unicorn Mini is a distortion pedal with an octave circuit and a boost built into the same box. GUP Tech describes it as a "Hot Rodded RAT Disto-Octa-Boost," and sums up the concept plainly: "It's like having a RAT, a Green Ringer, and a boost in the same enclosure"1. In other words, the distortion stage is a modified take on the RAT circuit, the octave stage follows the Green Ringer approach, and a boost sits after both.
The Mini is a tribute to the Life Pedal V2, and GUP Tech is explicit about that lineage: "The Death by Unicorn Mini is our tribute to Life Pedal V2"1. It is the compact version of the company's own Death By Unicorn, and it is built by GUP Tech in Saguenay, Québec, Canada, where the maker says all of its pedals are produced1.
The controls and footswitches
The Mini has two footswitches, and their jobs are straightforward. The right footswitch engages the distortion circuit, and the left footswitch kicks in the post-circuit boost1. Because the boost sits after the distortion in the signal path, it can push whatever the distortion stage produces harder, rather than driving the distortion's input.
The one thing the two footswitches cannot do is switch the octave. That is the trade the Mini makes for its smaller enclosure, and it is worth understanding before buying1.
The octave on the Death By Unicorn Mini is always active. There is no footswitch for it, because the Mini drops the third octave footswitch found on the full-size Death By Unicorn. GUP Tech's advice: "As a result, Octave is always active, just turn it at 0 if you don't want it"1.
The three clipping modes
A three-position clipping switch shapes how the distortion stage clips the signal, and each position has a distinct character1.
| Switch position | Clipping mode | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Top | Classic diodes clipping | The standard RAT-style diode clipping character |
| Center | No clipping | Removes clipping entirely, with more volume |
| Bottom | Asymmetric LED + diodes clipping | An asymmetric clip using an LED together with diodes |
The center position is the odd one out for players used to distortion pedals: with no clipping at all, the circuit behaves more like a loud, open overdrive than a clipped distortion, and GUP Tech notes it delivers more volume in that mode1. The bottom position's asymmetric arrangement, mixing an LED with diodes, clips one half of the waveform differently from the other, which changes the harmonic content compared with the symmetric top position.
How the Mini differs from the full-size Death By Unicorn
The difference between the two versions is purely functional in one respect and identical in every other. GUP Tech states it directly: "It's exactly the same as its bigger 'not mini' version, but lack the third Octave Footswitch"1. Same circuit, same controls, same sound, but the full-size pedal lets you switch the octave in and out with its third footswitch while the Mini keeps it permanently in the path.
For players weighing that trade, the decision comes down to how much they want the octave on tap as an effect to engage and disengage. If the octave is something you want to stomp in for a section and pull back out of, the bigger version is the one that does that. If you set the octave level once and leave it, or keep it at 0 most of the time, the Mini saves enclosure space without changing anything else1.
The Mini also fits into a broader pattern of compact versions of octave pedals. JHS Pedals, for example, lists its Unicorn V2 in a smaller enclosure than the V1, with the same kind of size reduction and no loss of function2. Death By Audio's Octave Clang takes a different approach to octave switching, using a dedicated bypass footswitch with a red LED to turn the octave effect on and off, and adds an internal bias knob for fine-tuning the pedal's response by adjusting the op-amp's behavior3. Against those, the Mini's always-on octave is the distinguishing design choice.
Power and practical details
The Mini runs on the most common pedal power arrangement there is: 9V DC, center negative1. Its current draw is 5mA1, which is very low, so it places almost no demand on a pedalboard power supply and is a natural candidate for sharing a daisy chain with other low-draw analog pedals.
The pedal comes in two colors, Black and Pink1, and is priced at £88.00 GBP1.
Videos
GUPtech
Matt Foy
GUPtech
Questions
Can you turn off the octave on the Death By Unicorn Mini?
No. The octave circuit is always active on the Mini, because the smaller enclosure drops the third footswitch the full-size version uses to switch it. GUP Tech's workaround is simple: turn the octave control down to 0 and it is effectively out of the signal path.
What does each footswitch do on the Death By Unicorn Mini?
There are two footswitches. The right one engages the distortion circuit, and the left one kicks in the post-circuit boost. The octave, which the full-size Death By Unicorn switches with a third footswitch, has no switch on the Mini and runs all the time.
What are the three clipping modes?
A three-position clipping switch selects the character of the distortion. The top position is classic diode clipping, the center position removes clipping entirely for a louder, more open sound, and the bottom position is asymmetric clipping using an LED combined with diodes.
What is the difference between the Death By Unicorn and the Mini?
The circuits are exactly the same. The Mini is the same pedal in a smaller enclosure, and the only functional difference is that it lacks the third footswitch the bigger version uses to turn the octave on and off, so the octave is always active on the Mini.
What power supply does the Death By Unicorn Mini need?
It runs on 9V DC with a center-negative plug, the standard arrangement for most guitar pedals, and draws only 5mA, so it is easy on a pedalboard power supply. That low current draw means it shares a daisy chain without much strain.
What colors does the Death By Unicorn Mini come in?
GUP Tech lists two color options for the Death By Unicorn Mini: black and pink. Both colors carry the same circuit and controls.
Sources (3)
- Death By Unicorn Mini (Mini Corn), GUP Tech
- UNICORN V2, JHS Pedals
- OCTAVE CLANG, Death By Audio
