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Old Blood Noise Endeavors Dark Light Dual Reverb

Reverb
Key facts
TypeDual reverb pedal combining Dark Star and Sunlight1
MakerOld Blood Noise Endeavors3
ReleasedLimited release, shipping from mid-January 20244
StatusSold Out; re-released in a new colorway from 09/05/25 to 10/15/251
BypassTrue bypass via soft-touch footswitches1
RoutingSeparate stereo, parallel mono, and series mono1
ExpressionExp jack for external expression control2

The Dark Light is a dual reverb pedal from Old Blood Noise Endeavors that puts two of the company's reverb circuits, Dark Star and Sunlight, in a single enclosure. Dark Star contributes its dark, pitch-shifted, delayed, and bit-crushed reverb voices, while Sunlight brings its bright, modulated, comb-filtered, and band-passed voices, and the pedal lets you run the two sides separately, in parallel, or in series1.

It was built as a limited release. Pedal of the Day described it in February 2024 as a pedal that "will easily go up against any reverb pedal out there," in a purple enclosure2. Old Blood Noise Endeavors now lists the Dark Light as sold out1.

The Dark Light is a limited-edition pedal and is listed as sold out by the maker. A second run in a new colorway was open from September 5 to October 15, 20251.

What it is and what it does

Old Blood Noise Endeavors describes the Dark Light as "a dual reverb featuring both Dark Star and Sunlight"1. Each side keeps the core sound and control set of the pedal it came from, then adds new control options on top2. Gearnews reported at the announcement that the pedal "is based on the combination of two existing reverb pedals from OBNE," the pitch-shifting Dark Star and the Sunlight4, and Delicious Audio likewise noted that it "combines the unique features of the company's Dark Star and Sunlight"3.

For a player, that means two contrasting reverb characters in one box: one dark and degraded, one bright and filtered, with the routing to stack them, split them, or run them in stereo234.

The controls

The control set breaks down like this:

ControlWhat it does
Wet and Dry volumesSeparate wet and dry level controls for each side, replacing the previous Mix control1
Hold switchCreates indefinite reverb trails while the pedal is engaged1
Hold toggleChooses between holding Dark Star, Sunlight, or both1
SpreadSets the stereo spread, allowing Dark Star and Sunlight to blend into each other's outputs1
Bypass footswitchesSoft-touch switches for true bypass and minimal switch noise1

The Wet and Dry volume arrangement is a change from the earlier single Mix approach: instead of one knob blending wet against dry, each side gets its own wet and dry levels, which gives finer control over how present each reverb is1.

The Hold function is the pedal's freeze feature. Pressing the Hold switch sustains the reverb trail indefinitely while the pedal is engaged, and the Hold toggle decides whether that frozen trail comes from Dark Star, from Sunlight, or from both at once1.

Routing and stereo operation

The Dark Light offers three routing configurations1:

  • Separate stereo: each side runs as its own stereo reverb.
  • Parallel mono: both reverbs run side by side on the same signal.
  • Series mono: one reverb feeds the other, Dark Star into Sunlight.

There is independent In and Out routing for each side, and if you plug into only one input and output the pedal automatically drops into parallel mono, so a mono board gets both reverbs without any extra patching1. Gearnews described the same arrangement at the announcement, noting the automatic parallel mono behavior for single plug-ins4.

The Spread control works across those routings by setting the stereo spread and letting the two reverbs bleed into each other's outputs, which softens the separation between the dark and bright sides1.

Expression control

An Exp jack on the pedal accepts an external expression pedal and can be assigned to control any combination of Ctrl 1, Ctrl 2, Decay, Rate, Depth, or Input2. Gearnews reported the same feature at launch, describing an Exp jack "that enables control over various parameters through an external expression controller"4. In practice this means a player can sweep decay time, modulation depth, or the input drive into the reverbs with their foot while holding a chord.

How Dark Light relates to Dark Star and Sunlight

The Dark Light is effectively both pedals at once. Old Blood Noise Endeavors frames it as taking "Dark Star's dark pitch shifted, delayed, and bit crushed reverb voices and Sunlight's bright modulated, comb filtered, and bandpassed reverb voices" and putting them in one enclosure1. Pedal of the Day called it a combination of the Dark Star Pad Reverb and the Sunlight Dynamic Reverb, with new control options added2.

The differences from buying the two pedals separately come down to the shared enclosure and the additions: the Wet and Dry volume controls that replace the Mix control, the Hold toggle that can freeze either or both reverbs, the Spread control that blends the two sides, and the routing options that include series mono, which a two-pedal setup would need patch cables to achieve1.

Availability and history

Gearnews announced the Dark Light in December 2023 as a limited-edition dual reverb, set to start shipping in mid-January 20244. Pedal of the Day reviewed it in February 2024 as a limited release2. Old Blood Noise Endeavors later made it available again in a new colorway from September 5 to October 15, 2025, and the product page now lists it as Sold Out1.

What reviewers said

Pedal of the Day's February 2024 review covered the pedal's feature set and came away with a strong overall verdict2:

"this purple beauty will easily go up against any reverb pedal out there"2

Pedal of the Day, February 20242

The same review noted that each side "maintains its core sound and control set, then expands from there," which is the practical case for the pedal: players who already know Dark Star and Sunlight get both sounds they recognize plus the routing and control additions2.

Videos

Old Blood Noise Dark Light
Harp Lady
Old Blood Noise Dark Light - An Ambient/Post-Rock Dream Machine!
The Pedal Zone
Old Blood Noise Endeavors Dark Light Dual Reverb (Stereo)
Pedal of the Day

Questions

Is the OBNE 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 also keeps switch noise to a minimum. Each side of the dual reverb has its own bypass footswitch.

Does the Dark Light work in stereo?

Yes. The pedal offers separate stereo, parallel mono, and series mono routing options, with independent In and Out jacks for each side. If you plug into only one input and output, it automatically runs in parallel mono.

Can you use an expression pedal with the Dark Light?

Yes. An Exp jack lets an external expression controller move any combination of Ctrl 1, Ctrl 2, Decay, Rate, Depth, or Input parameters, so you can sweep reverb characteristics in real time while playing.

Can you run Dark Star and Sunlight in series on the Dark Light?

Yes. Series mono is one of the routing options, so the Dark Star side feeds the Sunlight side in one chain. Parallel mono and separate stereo routing are also available, and a Spread control lets the two sides blend into each other's outputs.

Is the Dark Light still available?

No. It was a limited release that first shipped in mid-January 2024, then was made available again in a new colorway from September 5 to October 15, 2025. Old Blood Noise Endeavors now lists the pedal as sold out.

Sources (4)
  1. Old Blood Noise Endeavors, Old Blood Noise Endeavors, 2025-09-05
  2. Old Blood Noise Endeavors Dark Light Dual Reverb, Pedal of the Day (www.pedal-of-the-day.com), 2024-02-19
  3. Old Blood Noise Dark Light Stereo Reverb, Delicious Audio, 2025-06-25
  4. OBNE Dark Light, gearnews.com, 2023-12-15

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