The Screen Violence is a stereo pedal from Old Blood Noise Endeavors designed in collaboration with the Scottish synth-pop band CHVRCHES and named after their 2022 album of the same name1. It is a pedal of two halves: a tube-inspired overdrive called Violence on one side, and a one-knob ambient effect called Screen on the other, which can be modulation, delay, reverb, or a mix of all three2. Guitar.com's reviewer called it "a pedal as unique as Chvrches' own sound" and scored it 9 out of 101.
The maker's product page currently lists the Screen Violence as Sold Out2.
Overdrive and a one-knob ambient effect in one pedal
The Screen Violence splits its personality across two sides. The Violence side is a tube-inspired overdrive with three knobs, Gain, Voice, and Volume, covering ground from gritty boosts through heavy overdrive2. MusicRadar described this half as delivering "stackable fuzzy, distortion/drive tones"5.
The Screen side is deliberately minimal: one knob that controls numerous parameters at once, moving from dry modulation through long-tail reverb2. MusicRadar characterized that half as incorporating "chorus, reverb and delay"5. A Mode toggle selects between two different voices on the Screen side, and with the mode switch in the down position you can move between three different reverb types, short, medium and long21.
| Control | Side | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Screen knob | Screen | Controls numerous parameters at once, from dry modulation through long-tail reverb2 |
| Mode toggle | Screen | Selects two different voices; down position gives short, medium, and long reverb types21 |
| Gain | Violence | Sets drive amount, from gritty boost to heavy overdrive2 |
| Voice | Violence | Shapes the overdrive's character2 |
| Volume | Violence | Sets output level for the overdrive section3 |
| Violence knob | Violence | Sets input volume on the Violence side2 |
| First toggle | Both | Sets whether Screen runs into Violence or Violence runs into Screen2 |
That first toggle is the pedal's routing switch: it decides whether your ambient Screen effect feeds into the overdrive, or the overdrive feeds into the ambience, two very different sounds from the same two circuits2.
An expression jack on the pedal gives external control of the Screen knob, so you can sweep the ambient side from dry modulation to long-tail reverb with your foot while playing23.
Power and connections
The Screen Violence requires a 9V DC center negative power supply with a 2.1mm jack, capable of 110mA, and the supply is not included2. There is no battery option; Guitar.com's review notes it is powered by a nine-volt mains supply only1. Delicious Audio's listing similarly specifies at least 100mA of 9V DC center negative power3.
No battery compartment and a 110mA draw mean this pedal needs its own spot on a proper 9V power supply, not a daisy chain shared with low-current analog pedals.
Connections are all on the top of the enclosure, and the pedal handles mono, stereo, and mono-to-stereo operation, so a single input can feed two outputs for a wide stereo ambient spread2. Bypass is true bypass via soft-touch footswitches, which keeps switch noise to a minimum2.
Designed with CHVRCHES
Old Blood Noise Endeavors launched the Screen Violence in late May 2022 as its collaboration with CHVRCHES, a pedal named after the band's album4. Guitar.com's review describes it as a "stereo saturated modulated reverb" inspired by the album of the same name, and notes that together OBNE and CHVRCHES "designed a pedal with modulated reverb on one side and a whole lot of gain on the other"1. The maker says the pedal captures effects from the band's acclaimed 2022 album2.
The first 200 pedals came with a signed card of authenticity6. At launch it was available from the OBNE website and at CHVRCHES gigs at $2791, a price MusicRadar also reported5.
The manual includes a few presets showcasing the kinds of sounds the pedal can achieve, and it doubles as a miniature poster1.
What reviewers said
Guitar.com's Jason Mays reviewed the Screen Violence in May 2022 and gave it 9 out of 10, concluding1:
"A pedal as unique as Chvrches' own sound, this could become one of OBNE's biggest releases to date."
MusicRadar named it among the best new stompboxes of 2022, calling it a "versatile multi-fx pedal that provides a short-cut" to the dark, cinematic synth and guitar tones of the band's album5.
Videos
Old Blood Noise Endeavors
Old Blood Noise Endeavors
The Pedal Zone
Questions
Is the OBNE Screen Violence still available?
The maker's product page lists the Screen Violence as Sold Out, so it is no longer available directly from Old Blood Noise Endeavors. It launched in May 2022 at $279 and was sold through the OBNE website and CHVRCHES gigs. Used units may appear on the secondhand market.
Can the Screen Violence run in stereo?
Yes. The pedal handles mono, stereo, and mono-to-stereo operation through its top-mounted jacks, so you can feed it one signal and run two amps or a stereo rig from its outputs.
What does the expression jack control on the Screen Violence?
The expression jack gives external control of the Screen knob, the single control that moves the ambient side from dry modulation through delay and long-tail reverb. Plug in an expression pedal and sweep that whole range with your foot.
Does the Screen Violence take a battery?
No. It runs on a 9V DC center negative 2.1mm power supply only, drawing 110mA, and the supply is not included. There is no battery option.
Sources (6)
- Old Blood Noise Endeavors Screen Violence review: This CHVRCHES signature pedal is a magnificent mashup of reverb and overdrive, Guitar.com, 2022-05-31
- Old Blood Noise Endeavors, Old Blood Noise Endeavors
- Old Blood Noise Screen Violence Modulated Reverb, Delicious Audio, 2025-07-07
- Old Blood Noise Endeavors and CHVRCHES unveil Screen Violence, a shoegazey stereo boost and reverb, Guitar.com, 2022-05-26
- The essential new stompboxes of 2022, MusicRadar, 2022-06-07
- Old Blood Noise Endeavors & CHVRCHES Screen Violence, gearnews.com, 2022-05-26
