The JFX Empyrean is a boutique guitar effects pedal from JFX Pedals designed to combine several classic analog style circuits into a single unit. The maker's listing describes it as integrating multiple fuzz styles, a clean boost, and a preamp section inspired by vintage modulation hardware, and it is cataloged under distortion, booster, fuzz and overdrive1. For a player, that means one box that can cover several jobs a pedalboard would otherwise split across separate fuzz, boost, overdrive and preamp pedals.
What it does
The Empyrean's premise is consolidation. Rather than choosing between a fuzz, a boost and a preamp, the pedal puts all three functions in one enclosure. The maker's listing breaks the pedal down into these parts1:
- multiple fuzz styles
- a clean boost
- a preamp section inspired by vintage modulation hardware
Because the circuit type is listed as digital1, those sounds are produced by digital processing rather than the discrete analog circuitry the individual effect types are traditionally built from.
Two practical points follow from the specifications. First, the pedal runs on mains operation1, not a battery or standard DC adapter supply, so it may need its own power arrangement on a pedalboard built around conventional pedal supplies.
The Empyrean is listed as a digital circuit running on mains power1, which sets it apart from typical compact fuzz, boost and overdrive pedals that run on batteries or DC adapters.
Second, it is produced in limited quantities1, so it is not a pedal you can count on finding at any given dealer.
A note on the name
Another Empyrean exists in the gear world, and it is a different thing entirely. Aion FX, a DIY pedal project house, offers two printed circuit board projects for builders that carry the Empyrean name, both bass oriented and both based on Darkglass designs23:
| Project | Type | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Empyrean Deluxe | bass distortion and EQ project | Darkglass Alpha Omega2 |
| Empyrean Dual | bass distortion project | Darkglass Alpha Omicron3 |
Aion FX states that the Empyrean Dual "is a direct adaptation of the Alpha Omicron based on our trace," and that the Alpha Omega "is available as the Empyrean Deluxe"23. Those are DIY projects for builders, not finished pedals from JFX Pedals, and the two share nothing beyond the name.
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Questions
Is the JFX Empyrean analog or digital?
The maker's product listing on RockBoard's PedalPedia describes the Empyrean as a digital circuit. That is unusual for a pedal that combines fuzz, boost and overdrive style effects, and it also runs on mains power rather than the 9V battery or standard supply most players are used to, so it is worth planning your pedalboard power around it.
Is the JFX Empyrean still in production?
According to the maker's product page, the Empyrean is produced in limited quantities. It is a boutique pedal, so availability can vary, and it is not a mass produced unit that every retailer keeps on the shelf.
Sources (3)
- JFX Empyrean by JFX Pedals, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Empyrean Deluxe Distortion / Darkglass® Alpha Omega, Aion FX, 2025-03-28
- Empyrean Dual Distortion / Darkglass® Alpha Omicron, Aion FX, 2025-03-28
