The Old Blood Noise Endeavors Excess is a distortion pedal with a modulator built in, pairing a three-knob distortion with a three-knob modulation section that covers chorus and delay1. Released in November 2017 by the Oklahoma company Old Blood Noise Endeavors, it was described by MusicRadar as teaming "high-gain distortion, chorus and slapback delay for an '80s-inspired tonefest"234. An updated V2 arrived in early 2022, shrinking the pedal into a more compact enclosure and adding routing and switching options35.
Old Blood Noise describes the current V2 as "a distortion paired with delay, chorus, or harmonized fifths, inspired by the greatest sounds of the 80s and now available with modern tweaks like independent switching and routing options for your present-day music-making"6.
A distortion and a modulator in one pedal
The original Excess combined a classic three-knob distortion with a further three-knob modulation section, where a second footswitch switched between chorus and delay1. Each section had its own Volume control, which gearnews.com noted should make it "easy to get the whole effect to balance nicely and get it sounding how you want it"7. The distortion side had controls for Tone and Distortion to shape the character and intensity of the drive7.
A series/parallel switch allowed the distortion to flow directly into the modulation, or summed the two to a single output, which MusicRadar described as "offering a clear mod with a distorted layer underneath"2. The modulation parameters were controllable via an optional external expression pedal, making it easy to tweak live7.
The V2 keeps the same concept in a smaller box. MusicRadar describes it as "taking that same distortion, modulation and delay and housing it in a more compact enclosure, and adding extra controls so you can tease ever-more creative sounds from a unit that has distortion on tap, but also chorus, delay and harmonised delay"5. The distortion range is wide: as MusicRadar put it, "You can run it as a low-gain overdrive pedal or dime it for saturated, hard-clipping distortion"5. Delicious Audio adds that the V2's distortion section can produce several dBs of extra volume compared to V1, reaching from light overdrive through fuzzy distortion4.
The controls: distortion, modulation and routing
The V2 carries six knobs in two rows, with the top three (Volume, Tone, Gain) dedicated to the distortion and the bottom three (Volume, Time, Depth) controlling the modulation and delay5. Two toggles handle mode and routing, and two soft-touch footswitches switch the sections independently16.
| Control | Section | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Gain | Distortion | Sets drive amount, from light overdrive to fuzzy distortion4 |
| Tone | Distortion | Shapes the distortion's character4 |
| Dist Vol | Distortion | Sets the distortion section's level6 |
| Time / Rate | Modulation | Adjusts the modulation in each mode10 |
| Depth / Feedback | Modulation | Sets modulation depth64 |
| Mod Vol | Modulation | Sets the modulation section's level6 |
| Modulation toggle | Modulation | Selects Delay, Chorus, or Fifth6 |
| Stacking toggle | Routing | Distortion into Modulation, Modulation into Distortion, or parallel6 |
| Left footswitch | Modulation | Engages the modulation channel5 |
| Right footswitch | Distortion | Engages the distortion channel5 |
The routing toggle is where the V2 earns its keep for players who want flexibility. In Series mode, the distortion flows into the modulation, stacking their sound and volumes4. In Parallel mode, the two effects are summed to a single output, which Delicious Audio describes as "a clear modulation with a distorted layer underneath, cleanly separated"4. A second routing toggle "allows to reverse the order of the effects or run them in parallel, which opens up an entire world of sonic possibilities"4.
The three modulation modes each get Time, Depth, and Volume controls4. Delicious Audio notes that all three modes "deliver a chorus effect, with added delay and (polyphonic) fifth in the last two modes listed"4.
The Fifth mode
Fifth is a harmonized delay in which your signal is repeated a perfect fifth above the note you are playing5. It joins Delay and Chorus as the third modulation mode on the V2's toggle6. The harmonized fifth was present but hidden in the original Excess, and the V2 makes it selectable4.
Expression control
The V2 has an expression jack to externally control Rate, Depth, or both6. MusicRadar highlighted this as a feature that lets you "control Rate and Depth parameters on the fly"5. There is also an internal trimpot to set the wet-dry mix of the modulation section4.
Power: 9V, at least 125mA
The V2 requires a 9V DC center negative 2.1mm jack power supply capable of 125mA, and the supply is not included6. The original Excess ran on a standard 9V DC center negative supply as well7.
The 125mA current requirement means the Excess V2 cannot run on a battery, and it is worth checking that a daisy-chain supply can deliver enough current for it alongside other pedals6.
From the original Excess to V2
The original Excess launched in November 2017 at $199, in what gearnews.com called "a neat, well laid out pink pedal"327. JHS Pedals' history of the brand calls it "kind of an odd duck in the OBNE family," and notes that its circuit drew on four existing circuits: the Ibanez Session Man 1 and 2 (SS10 and SS20), the Ibanez SC10 Super Stereo Chorus, and the Ibanez FC10 Fat Cat, which is originally based on the ProCo RAT3.
The V2 arrived in early 2022, priced at $209 at launch35. The enclosure art for both versions was designed by Atiya Jones3.
| Excess (V1) | Excess V2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | November 20173 | Early 20223 |
| Launch price | $1992 | $2095 |
| Modulation modes | Chorus and Delay, via footswitch2 | Delay, Chorus, and Fifth, via toggle6 |
| Footswitches | On/off plus a chorus/delay selector4 | Separate switches for distortion and modulation4 |
| Routing | Series/parallel switch2 | Distortion first, modulation first, or parallel6 |
| Size | BB-size enclosure1 | About half the size of the original4 |
| Bypass | True bypass6 | True bypass, soft-touch, relay per section64 |
The biggest practical change is the switching. Where the original had an on/off footswitch and another to switch between delay and chorus on the modulation side, the V2 gives each channel its own footswitch4. Guitar Pedal X found real value in this: "While the new edition has the advantage of being easily able to split out the Distortion and Modulation via the footswitches - so there is some really cool granularity there too for sure"1.
Where it sits in the Old Blood Noise lineup
The Excess is one of several drive pedals from the maker. The Fault is an overdrive/distortion combo with a foot-switchable second gain stage and three-band EQ, and its V2 added greater gain ranges, voice control and additional clipping options1112. The Beam Splitter is a triple-tracker overdrive/distortion that received its own V2 in August 2026 with a revoiced third drive, a lower noise floor, digital control, presets and a Spread parameter13. The Excess stands apart from both by pairing its drive with modulation rather than stacking gain stages.
What reviewers said
Coverage of the original was positive on its balance and flexibility, with gearnews.com calling it "a cool-sounding Distortion Chorus/Delay effect for us to geek out over"7. Of the V2, gearnews.com wrote that "Series or parallel distortion, delay, chorus, and harmonised fifths have been crammed into this unit, and it makes for an interesting pedal that straddles a lot of ground"10. Guitar World noted the V2 is "slimmer and more pedalboard-friendly than the original Excess"8, while Guitar Pedal X observed that the split switching might make it "possibly a little more for specialist use"1.
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Questions
Is the Old Blood Noise Excess V2 true bypass?
Yes. The V2 uses soft-touch bypass footswitches for true bypass and minimal switch noise, with true relay bypass for each section, so the distortion and modulation sides can each be switched independently. The original 2017 Excess also had true-bypass switching.
Can I use the distortion and modulation on the Excess V2 separately?
Yes. The V2 has separate footswitches for the distortion and modulation channels, with modulation on the left and distortion on the right. A routing toggle sets the order: distortion into modulation, modulation into distortion, or both effects in parallel.
What does the Fifth mode on the Excess V2 do?
Fifth is a harmonized delay in which your signal is repeated a perfect fifth above the note you are playing. It is one of three modulation modes, alongside Chorus and Delay, selected by a toggle. The harmonized fifth was present but hidden in the original Excess.
Does the Excess V2 have an expression pedal input?
Yes. The V2 has an expression jack to externally control Rate, Depth, or both, letting you move those modulation parameters on the fly. The original Excess also allowed its modulation parameters to be controlled by an optional external expression pedal.
What is the difference between Excess V1 and V2?
The V2, released in early 2022, is about half the size of the original, with separate footswitches for distortion and modulation instead of one on/off switch plus a chorus/delay selector. It adds a stacking order toggle, a selectable Fifth mode, and several dBs of extra volume on the distortion side.
Sources (13)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2022-02-03
- Old Blood Noise Endeavors unites high-gain distortion, chorus and delay for Excess pedal, MusicRadar, 2017-11-29
- EVERTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT OLD BLOOD NOISE PEDALS, JHS Pedals
- Old Blood Noise Excess V2 Distortion + Modulation, Delicious Audio, 2023-07-19
- Old Blood Noise Endeavors upgrades the Excess V2 Distorting Modulator with more controls and a smaller enclosure, MusicRadar, 2022-02-04
- Old Blood Noise Endeavors, Old Blood Noise Endeavors
- Is Old Blood Noise Endeavors' Excess the most flexible guitar pedal out there?, gearnews.com, 2017-11-18
- Old Blood Noise Endeavors downsizes and updates its combination distortion/delay/chorus Excess pedal, Guitar World, 2022-02-03
- Old Blood Noise Endeavors launches Excess V2, Audio Distribution Group, 2022-02-03
- The new Excess V2 from Old Blood Noise Endeavors does more than distort and modulate, gearnews.com, 2022-02-03
- Old Blood Noise Endeavors release Fault V2, Audio Distribution Group, 2020-05-15
- Old Blood Noise Endeavors debuts versatile, slider-equipped Fault V2 overdrive/distortion pedal, Guitar World, 2020-05-15
- Old Blood Noise Endeavors, Old Blood Noise Endeavors
