EmpyreanDual Distortion

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.

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

The Alpha Omicron is similar in spirit 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 is a direct adaptation of the Alpha Omicron based on our trace. It’s been converted to true bypass and the flip-flop circuitry has been removed, but the effect signal path is the same.

The Alpha Omega is the same core circuit as the Alpha Omicron, but with an added 3-band EQ at the end for more tone-shaping options. We traced the Alpha Omega alongside this pedal, and it is available as the Empyrean Deluxe.