The Lichtlaerm Audio .Ritual. is a post metal distortion pedal from German maker Lichtlaerm Audio, built on the classic Pro Co RAT circuit and stretched well beyond it. Where the original RAT offers three knobs and a filter, the .Ritual. adds a 3-band active EQ, a boost circuit with its own voicing switch, and an Era control that moves between RAT generations. Lichtlaerm Audio describes it as "a super organic, meaty distortion sound based on the classic Proco RAT"12.
The maker pitches it squarely at heavy players: the product page says it covers "anything from early Darkthrone up to Sunn O))) like walls of drone, yet is best suited for Neurosis, Isis, Amenra like Post Metal sounds"1. Every pedal is made to order and may take 14 to 20 days for production1.
A RAT-based distortion for post metal
The .Ritual. takes that circuit as a starting point and extends it for low-tuned, high-gain playing. Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson, reviewing it in August 2024, called it "an immense sounding extended Range rat" whose additional controls and boost "take you up into Metal Distortion territory"2. In other words, it is not a vintage-accurate RAT clone but a RAT stretched for modern heavy styles, sitting alongside Lichtlaerm's other gain pedals such as the Gehenna, Medusa and Altar.
The controls
The current edition carries a large control set for a compact distortion. Guitar Pedal X's listing of the controls, from the August 2024 review and the December 2024 best-of-the-year roundup, breaks down as follows32:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Sets the distortion amount |
| Level | Sets the output volume |
| Bass, Mids, High | 3-band active EQ, ±18dB each |
| Boost | Up to +36dB, with the Range switch |
| Range (Boost) | 3-way switch: Mid / Treble / Full |
| Era | Switches voicing from White Face to Turbo RAT |
| Low-Cut | Cuts low end up to 1.5kHz |
| Boost footswitch | Engages the boost circuit |
| Bypass footswitch | Engages and bypasses the pedal |
The boost circuit is a feature in its own right. Lichtlaerm says it "gives you up to 35dB of slightly gritty boost" and can be used as a full range boost, a mid boost, or a treble boost which cleans up the low end and adds harmonics1. The Range switch selects which of those three flavors the boost footswitch delivers3.
The Era control is the nod to RAT history: it moves the voicing from the White Face RAT to the Turbo RAT32. Karlsson noted that he typically favors LED / Turbo clipping for his optimal RAT tones, "which delivers more searing sustain"3.
Editions and the Cut control
The .Ritual. has gone through revisions. The earlier edition had three toggle switches in the bottom row, including a Comp switch, and no 3-band EQ or Era control3. The Comp switch added two different clipping diodes to the first gain stage, adding compression and gain and smoothing out the gain structure1.
For the relaunch, Lichtlaerm Audio added its proprietary "Cut" control and an active 2-band Baxandall style tonestack1. The current edition goes further still, with the full 3-band active EQ and the Era control replacing the older toggle-based layout3. A player shopping secondhand should therefore check which edition a listing describes, since the control sets differ noticeably between versions.
The earlier and current editions are different pedals on the outside: the old version has three bottom-row toggles and no EQ knobs, while the current one has the 3-band EQ, Era and Cut controls. Used listings may show either.
Where it came from
The .Ritual. did not start life as a planned product. Lichtlaerm Audio says it "started out as a custom order from one of our customers who wanted to have the sound of Post Metal heroes Amenra in a box," and that a prototype was sent to the band1. That custom build became the production pedal, which explains both the post metal positioning and the maker's framing of it as best suited to Neurosis, Isis and Amenra style sounds1.
What reviewers said
Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson has covered the .Ritual. more than once, and his verdicts have been consistently strong. In the August 2024 review, his fourth Lichtlaerm pedal and 39th RAT style distortion, he placed it "right up among the very best of that genre," noting that its extensive shaping abilities made up for lacking multiple clipping options3. In the December 2024 best new distortion pedals roundup he called it "one of the very finest rats with superb extension in every direction"24.
"So my 4th Lichtlaerm Audio pedal is also my 39th Rat style Distortion - and right up among the very best of that genre."
The same review noted the pricing by region: £179 at Joe's Pedals in the UK, €199 from the Lichtlaerm Audio webstore on the continent, and $219 from Eastside Music Supply for US customers3. The maker's own page lists €199.00 including EU VAT, plus shipping1.
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Questions
What circuit is the Lichtlaerm Audio .Ritual. based on?
It is based on the classic Pro Co RAT. Lichtlaerm Audio describes it as a super organic, meaty distortion built on the RAT circuit, but extended well past the original with a 3-band active EQ, a boost circuit with its own Range switch, and an Era control that shifts between RAT voicings. Reviewers group it with extended range RAT style distortions.
How much does the .Ritual. cost in the US?
Guitar Pedal X listed the .Ritual. at $219 from Eastside Music Supply for US customers in August 2024. On the European continent it was listed at €199 from the Lichtlaerm Audio webstore, and £179 at Joe's Pedals in the UK. The maker's own page lists it at €199.00 including EU VAT, plus shipping.
How long does it take to get a .Ritual.?
Lichtlaerm Audio builds every pedal to order, and the maker's product page says production may take 14 to 20 days before shipping. That applies to the .Ritual. like the rest of the range, so players ordering direct from the webstore should expect a wait of roughly two to three weeks for the pedal to be built.
What does the Range switch do on the .Ritual.?
The Range switch is a 3-way control on the boost circuit with Mid, Treble and Full positions. It shapes what the boost footswitch pushes: a mid boost, a treble boost that cleans up the low end and adds harmonics, or a full range boost. The boost itself delivers up to 35dB of slightly gritty boost.
What changed between the earlier .Ritual. and the current one?
The earlier edition had three toggle switches in the bottom row, including a Comp switch, and no 3-band EQ or Era control. The relaunch added the proprietary Cut control, an active 2-band Baxandall style tonestack, and the current version carries the 3-band active EQ and the Era control that moves from White Face to Turbo RAT voicings.
Where did the .Ritual. come from?
It started as a custom order from a customer who wanted the sound of post metal band Amenra in a box. Lichtlaerm Audio built it, sent a prototype to the band, and developed it into a production pedal. The maker says it covers everything from early Darkthrone to Sunn O))) style walls of drone, and is best suited to Neurosis, Isis and Amenra style post metal.
Sources (4)
- Lichtlaerm Audio Ritual, Lichtlaerm Audio
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-08-30
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-08-06
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-12-17
