The Lichtlaerm Audio Gehenna is an ambitious distortion pedal/preamp with 2 switchable gain stages created with the metal guitarist in mind. It aims at delivering tones ranging “from classic NWOBHM to early 2000s Core-music, from raw Black and Death Metal to super tight and modern Djent.”
It does so through an original “cut-control” technology (incarnated by the Cut knob on the top of the pedal) that allows the player to dial in different gain structures, saturation types and also to adjust the frequency response to the tuning of his or her guitar. Think of this as an extra tone sculpting control that lets you make your sound tighter (more modern-sounding) or warmer and bigger (vintage-style).
Even without this novelty, the tone-sculpting capabilities of this device are noteworthy, with bigger knobs for Bass and Treble, and smaller ones for Depth, Lo-Mid, Hi-Mid, and Presence.
The Gain footswitch will toggle the two gain stages, whose volume can be set through the two Gain knobs on the top.
Check out the tones of the Lichtlaerm Audio Gehenna in the video below.
Lichtlaerm Audio Gehenna, Builder’s Notes
Let the fires burn as a signal!
The Gehenna is our take on a highly flexible metal distortion: from classic NWOBHM to early 2000s Core-music, from raw Black and Death Metal to super tight and modern Djent – it’s all in there!
Featuring our proprietary cut-control that allows you to dial in different gain structures, saturation types and adjust the frequency response to the tuning of your guitar: from super tight and controlled to roaring and huge vintage sounds!
The Gehenna boasts one of the most expansive yet easy to use EQ-sections you’ll find in any pedal: An active dual-band mids control allows for tailoring of both high- and low-mids separately while active treble and bass controls and a set of passive presence & depth controls really set this thing apart from other distortion/preamp pedals and allow for immense tone-sculpting capabilities.
The mix of passive and active controls give you sounds that range from classic amp-like distortion to filthy sounding tones you never heard before!
Instead of adding a separate boost in front of the distortion section we added a second, footswitchable gain-control that let’s you switch between two levels of gain inside the insane spectrum that the Gehenna offers: the on-state of Gain I is indicated through the blue LED.
Another unique feature is the level control itself: while a lot of solid-state based devices tend to sound harsh and fizzy when you increase the volume the Gehenna has a unique active output stage that hold the sound together by attenuating harsh frequencies while bringing out the musical mids at high level settings: very much like a tube-amp.The Gehenna was designed to be used as a distortion pedal in front of a clean amp but also lends itself for use as a preamp due to it’s immense output level and flexible EQ – you may want to use extreme settings especially on the presence & treble controls for this, tho!
Features:
- Lichtlaerm Audio Smart Relay technology
- tight, amp-like tone with lots of sustain
- 4-band active EQ + presence & depth
- huge range of gain and output volume
- proprietary cut-control & output stage design
- footswitchable gain-controls
- increased headroom through internal charge pump
- 9V center-negative power supply
- please keep in mind that all pedals are made to order and may take 14-20 days for production!
