The Old Blood Noise Endeavors Dark Light is a dual reverb pedal that puts two of the maker's reverbs in one enclosure: the Dark Star and the Sunlight. As the maker puts it, "Dark Light is a dual reverb featuring both Dark Star and Sunlight"1. It takes Dark Star's dark pitch shifted, delayed, and bit crushed reverb voices and Sunlight's bright modulated, comb filtered, and bandpassed reverb voices, so a player can run the two characters side by side, blend them, or hold them for sustained ambient washes1.
Old Blood Noise Endeavors announced the pedal in December 2023, with shipping set to start in mid-January 20242. It was re-released as a limited edition in a new colorway, available from 09/05/25 to 10/15/251, and the maker's product page now lists it as Sold Out1.
What it is and where it came from
The Dark Light is a combination of two existing reverb pedals from the OBNE catalog. Gearnews described it at announcement as "based on the combination of two existing reverb pedals from OBNE: the Dark Star which has rich, pitch-shifted, delayed" voices, along with the Sunlight2. Pedal of the Day framed it the same way: "Combining two OBNE reverb pedals into one enclosure, and adding some new control options"4. Delicious Audio called it "a versatile reverb pedal" that "combines the unique features of the company's Dark Star and Sunlight"3.
The pedal's artwork was created by Jon Carling2.
The controls
The control set splits between the two reverb sides and the shared functions that tie them together.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Wet and Dry volumes | Independent wet and dry volume controls for each side, replacing the previous Mix control1 |
| Spread | Sets the stereo spread, allowing Dark Star and Sunlight to blend into each other's outputs1 |
| Hold toggle | Chooses between holding Dark Star, Sunlight, or both1 |
| Hold switch | Creates indefinite reverb trails while the pedal is engaged1 |
| Bypass footswitches | Soft-touch switches for true bypass and minimal switch noise1 |
| Exp jack | Controls any combination of Ctrl 1, Ctrl 2, Decay, Rate, Depth, or Input with an external expression controller1 |
The move from a single Mix control to separate wet and dry volumes for each side is the main control change over the original pedals. Gearnews noted this at announcement, describing "independent wet and dry volume controls for each side, updating the previous Mix control"2. For a player, that means the Dark Star and Sunlight sides can each sit at their own balance of effected and clean signal rather than sharing one blend setting.
The Spread control is the other addition unique to the Dark Light. It sets the stereo spread and lets the two reverb voices bleed into each other's outputs1, which is what turns the two separate reverbs into one blended ambient texture when you want it.
Hold and expression
The Hold switch creates indefinite reverb trails while the pedal is engaged1. A chord held down with Hold active keeps sustaining rather than decaying away. The Hold toggle decides what is held: the Dark Star side, the Sunlight side, or both together1. Pedal of the Day and Delicious Audio both describe the same arrangement, with Delicious Audio calling it a "Hold switch for creating infinite reverb trails when the pedal is engaged"43.
The Exp jack opens the pedal up to an expression pedal. An external expression controller can take over any combination of Ctrl 1, Ctrl 2, Decay, Rate, Depth, or Input1. Gearnews also reported the Exp jack at announcement, saying it "enables control over various parameters through an external expression controller"2.
Routing and stereo operation
The Dark Light is a stereo pedal with three routing options: separate stereo, parallel mono, and series mono1. Each side has independent input and output routing, and plugging into only one input gives automatic parallel mono1. Gearnews described the same scheme: "There are independent input and output routing for each pedal, with automatic parallel mono for single plug-ins"2.
In practice, that means a mono rig needs no configuration, while a stereo rig can run the two reverb sides as separate stereo voices, in parallel, or in series, with the Spread control deciding how much they blend into each other's outputs1.
Power
The Dark Light requires a 9V DC center negative 2.1mm jack power supply capable of 150mA, and the supply is not included1. There is no battery option, and the 150mA draw means it should be paired with an isolated or adequately rated output rather than a low-current daisy chain.
Dark Light versus Dark Star and Sunlight
The difference is straightforward: the Dark Light is both pedals at once. The Dark Star contributes the dark voices, pitch shifted, delayed, and bit crushed, while the Sunlight contributes the bright ones, modulated, comb filtered, and bandpassed1. Beyond combining them, the Dark Light adds the control options the originals did not have: independent wet and dry volumes per side instead of a Mix control, the Spread control for blending the two sides in stereo, and the Hold toggle for choosing which side's trails are held1.
A player who wants only one of the two characters, or a smaller footprint, would look to the individual pedals; a player who wants both characters interacting in one enclosure, with the routing to run them separately or blended, is who the Dark Light was built for143.
Videos
Harp Lady
The Pedal Zone
Mark Johnston
Questions
Is the Old Blood Noise Endeavors Dark Light true bypass?
Yes. Old Blood Noise Endeavors fits the Dark Light with soft-touch Bypass footswitches for true bypass, which the maker says keeps switch noise to a minimum. Pedal of the Day's review confirms the same true bypass arrangement via the soft-touch footswitches.
Does the Dark Light come with a power supply?
No. The maker states the pedal requires a 9V DC center negative 2.1mm jack power supply capable of 150mA, and that the supply is not included. You need a pedalboard power source that can deliver at least 150mA at 9V with a center negative plug.
Can the Dark Light run in stereo?
Yes. It offers separate stereo, parallel mono, and series mono routing options, with independent input and output routing for each side. Plugging into only one input gives automatic parallel mono, and a Spread control sets how far Dark Star and Sunlight blend into each other's outputs.
What is the difference between the Dark Light and the Dark Star and Sunlight pedals?
The Dark Light is a dual reverb that combines both pedals in one enclosure. It takes Dark Star's dark pitch shifted, delayed, and bit crushed reverb voices and Sunlight's bright modulated, comb filtered, and bandpassed reverb voices, then adds new control options such as independent wet and dry volumes and a Spread control.
Can you use an expression pedal with the Dark Light?
Yes. An Exp jack lets an external expression controller take over any combination of Ctrl 1, Ctrl 2, Decay, Rate, Depth, or Input. Gearnews also noted the Exp jack when the pedal was announced, describing it as enabling control over various parameters.
What does the Hold switch do on the Dark Light?
The Hold switch creates indefinite reverb trails while the pedal is engaged, so a chord or note keeps sustaining. A Hold toggle chooses whether the held trails come from the Dark Star side, the Sunlight side, or both at once.
Sources (4)
- Old Blood Noise Endeavors, Old Blood Noise Endeavors, 2025-09-05
- OBNE Dark Light, gearnews.com, 2023-12-15
- Old Blood Noise Dark Light Stereo Reverb, Delicious Audio, 2025-06-25
- Old Blood Noise Endeavors Dark Light Dual Reverb, Pedal of the Day (www.pedal-of-the-day.com), 2024-02-19
