The Rare Buzz Invidia is a distortion pedal from Rare Buzz, announced in February 2025 as the first release in the maker's new "Seven Sinful Tones" series. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio describes it as "a distortion pedal that combines a tone-shaping boost, dynamic active tone control, and classic op-amp clipping for rich, responsive distortion." It uses relay switching, and the enclosure carries Pieter van der Heyden's Seven Deadly Sins artwork in a candy green finish1.
Controls
The Invidia's control set covers gain staging, tone and level in separate stages1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Boosts from subtle to 40db of focused amplification |
| Sustain | Limits signal from boost to clipping stage |
| Tone | Active control to cut through the mix |
| Voice (switch) | Adjusts frequency response: bass boost (down), high shelf (up), or flat (middle) |
| Level | Final output adjustment |
| Output (internal) | Intermediate control set at 50% by default |
The signal path runs from the Gain stage through the Sustain control into the op-amp clipping section, with the active Tone and the three-position Voice switch shaping the frequency response on the way out. The internal Output control adds a second level trim inside the pedal, set at 50% as shipped, before the external Level control makes the final adjustment1.
The name and the series
Invidia is the Italian word for "envy." As De Gregorio put it, "It's named after the Italian word for 'envy' because that's the feeling it's designed to generate among those who don't own it." The pedal is the first release under the "Seven Sinful Tones" series name, and the artwork on the enclosure is Pieter van der Heyden's Seven Deadly Sins1.
Videos
collector//emitter
Harsh Tones, Inc.
Questions
What does the Voice switch do on the Rare Buzz Invidia?
The Voice switch adjusts the pedal's frequency response across three positions. Down gives a bass boost, up gives a high shelf, and the middle position is flat. It is a quick way to shape how the distortion sits in a mix without touching the Tone control, which is active and meant to help the pedal cut through.
What does the internal Output control do?
The Invidia has an Output control mounted inside the pedal, set at 50% by default. It sits between the external Level control, which is the final output adjustment, and the rest of the circuit, giving an extra trim for setting the pedal's overall output level.
What does Invidia mean?
Invidia is the Italian word for envy. According to Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio, the pedal is named after it because that is the feeling it is designed to generate among those who don't own one. It is the first release in Rare Buzz's Seven Sinful Tones series.
Does the Rare Buzz Invidia use relay switching?
Yes. The Invidia uses relay switching, which the maker highlights alongside its premium components and the Seven Deadly Sins artwork by Pieter van der Heyden that covers the enclosure.
How much gain does the Invidia offer?
The Gain control boosts from subtle up to 40db of focused amplification, so the pedal covers everything from a light push to full distortion. The Sustain control limits the signal going from the boost stage into the clipping stage, shaping how hard the distortion engages.
Sources (1)
- New Pedal: Rare Buzz Invidia Distortion, Delicious Audio, 2025-02-26