The Red Witch XENIA Overdrive Engine is a compact overdrive pedal built around a single gain dial. Red Witch describes it as "the juiciest overdrive sounds distilled into a tiny box with a single dial," with a circuit inspired by the gain stages of classic English amplifiers. It is made in New Zealand, carries a lifetime warranty, and was listed at 149 USD, though the pedal is currently sold out on the maker's product page.12
What it does
Red Witch positions the Xenia as an amp-style overdrive: "Drawing on the greatest British fire-breathers of the last century, Xenia allows you to get phenomenal 'controls dialled' overdrive tones." The company says the circuit is inspired by the gain stages of classic English amplifiers, and designer Ben is credited with the pedal: "Ben designed this pedal to do just that."1
If you are weighing it against other drive pedals, it sits on the overdrive side of the line that separates overdrive pedals from distortion pedals: the maker's own descriptions point at blues, classic rock and crunchy metal gain rather than full-on distortion21.
The controls
The Xenia's control layout is deliberately minimal. There is one external dial and one internal trimmer12:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain dial (external) | Sets the preamp gain. Dial it back for barely-breaking-up blues tones, set it half way for classic rock, dim it for crunchy metal gain.12 |
| Master volume trimpot (internal) | Sets the overall output level. Red Witch calls it set and forget: adjust it once inside the pedal and leave it.2 |
That single-dial approach is the pedal's whole operating method. As the maker puts it: "Set the gain control. Click the switch."1 The trade-off is that there is no external level control, so if you want to change your output volume you are opening the pedal up rather than reaching down mid-song.
Build, size and power
The Xenia is a small enclosure, measuring 105mm x 50mm x 45mm and weighing 145 grams.1 Red Witch lists the current draw at 15mA, a light load that is easy on a shared power supply.1 Switching is true bypass, so the circuit is out of the signal path when the pedal is off.1
The Xenia was listed as Sold Out on Red Witch's product page as of 26 October 2026.1 The maker also ran a "Perfectly Imperfect" sale listing for the pedal at 149 USD, for units with cosmetic imperfections.2
Each pedal is hand signed and numbered, and Red Witch ships all of its pedals in 100% recycled packaging.12
Where it sits in the Red Witch range
Red Witch builds a family of drive pedals around different takes on gain, and the Xenia is the minimalist entry: one dial, no external volume. Other pedals in the maker's range offer more control, including the Red Witch Epiphanous Overdrive, the Red Witch Seven Sisters Scarlett Overdrive, the Red Witch Panoptia 2 + 1 Overdrive, the Red Witch Galvinium, the Red Witch Factotum, the Red Witch Nonpareil and the Red Witch Epiphanous Drive12.
Videos
Red Witch Pedals
Gadget Doodles
Questions
Is the Red Witch Xenia true bypass?
Yes. Red Witch specifies true bypass switching on the Xenia Overdrive Engine, so when the pedal is off, your guitar's signal passes through without the overdrive circuit in the path. Engaging the effect is a one-step affair: set the gain control, then click the footswitch.
How much current does the Red Witch Xenia draw?
Red Witch lists the current draw at 15mA. That is a light load by pedal standards, so the Xenia sits comfortably alongside other pedals on a standard 9V DC power supply without straining it.
Where is the Red Witch Xenia made?
The Xenia is built in small batches by hand in New Zealand, according to Red Witch. Each pedal is also hand signed and numbered, and the company ships all of its pedals in 100% recycled packaging.
How do you set the volume on the Red Witch Xenia?
The master volume is set with an internal trimpot rather than an external knob. Red Witch describes it as set and forget: you open the pedal, set the output level once to match your rig, and leave it. Day to day, the only control you touch is the single gain dial on top.
Sources (2)
- XENIA Overdrive Engine, Red Witch Pedals
- XENIA Overdrive Engine, Red Witch Pedals
