Empyrean DeluxeDistortion

From the vendor

A dual-mode bass distortion that delivers modern rock & metal bass tones by way of carefully-tuned signal filtering, plus a clean blend to retain the low end. Also includes a 3-band EQ for more flexible control of the blended tone.

The Empyrean Deluxe Distortion is based on the Darkglass Alpha Omega, a dual-engine bass distortion designed in collaboration with Jon Stockman, bassist of the Australian progressive band Karnivool. It was first released in 2017 and traced by Aion FX in 2025.

The Alpha Omega is an upgraded version of the Alpha Omicron (which we also traced and released as the standard Empyrean) in the same way that the B7K is an upgraded B3K. The core circuit is the same, but a 3-band EQ has been added to the end of the Omega and B7K so it acts more like a full preamp than a straightforward drive pedal.

The Alpha Omega & Omicron have many similarities to the B3K and Duality, featuring several shared design elements that have become Darkglass signatures. But the two distortion sections (called Alpha and Omega) are unique to this pedal, and there are no overdriven CMOS stages like the B3K or Duality.

After some standard tone shaping, the signal is split into two paths. The Alpha path is described as punchy and tight, while the Omega path is described as brutal and raw. The “Mod” control blends between the two. Then, as with the other Darkglass circuits, there’s a clean blend to mix in the dry signal.

The Empyrean Deluxe is a direct adaptation of the Alpha Omega based on our trace, minus the XLR output. It’s been converted to true bypass, but the effect signal path is the same.

Note: This project uses a type of capacitor that has been temporarily discontinued by WIMA. Please see our news article about the issue and the substitution spreadsheet for project-specific recommendations. The build document has not yet been updated to reflect this.