Old Blood Noise Endeavors Beam Splitter

A Modern Approach to "Triple Tracking": From Drive to Faux Chorus Without Changing Pedals

The Beam Splitter does not try to clone a single vintage overdrive; instead, it draws inspiration from a studio concept: layering multiple takes to thicken a guitar. Here, the principle is pushed further with three differently voiced saturations and two built-in micro-delays, capable of delivering both a realistic doubling sensation and an unstable modulation effect. Within the Old Blood Noise Endeavors range, this pedal is designed for guitarists who appreciate expressive drives as well as "living" textures and movements in their sound.

Who Is the Beam Splitter For, and Which Styles Does It Excel In?

The Beam Splitter is aimed at intermediate to advanced musicians, as well as pedalboard tinkerers seeking a versatile distortion that breaks the mold. In alternative rock, shoegaze, indie, post-rock, noise, stoner, or even modern blues, it thickens rhythm parts, widens leads, or transforms a simple line into a "multi-guitar" ensemble.

Live, the separate outputs enable impressive setups (two or three amps, or multiple console inputs). In the studio, it becomes a quick tool to add depth without layering takes, or conversely to enhance an existing double take with controlled micro-instability.

Controls, Sections, and Connectivity: Three Colors, Two Delays, One Goal (Big Sound)

The pedal is structured around three sections usable together: the purple (hard-clipping) is the densest, most compressed and powerful, ideal as the main base. The green (soft/hard clipping) is lighter and brighter, with Time and Decay controls to create temporal offset and a sense of movement. The blue (transistor overdrive) emphasizes playing dynamics and natural grain, with Time and Decay, plus a gain selector to switch from a more open attack to a more aggressive drive.

The shared Deviate control adjusts the amount of random variation applied to the delay times of the blue and green sections: it ranges from a subtle, credible doubling to flanger/chorus-like textures or even intentionally unstable vibrato. For real-time transitions, the Exp input allows Deviate to be controlled via an expression pedal. On the switching side, the relay bypass offers reliable and silent operation, suitable for stage use.

Sound Character

The Beam Splitter stands out with a sense of width and depth rarely associated with a distortion pedal: by stacking the three voices, you get a thick, three-dimensional drive that retains detail in the attack. The purple section provides the "center of gravity" (compression, sustain, authority), the green adds air and brightness that helps it cut through the mix, while the blue enhances dynamics and the organic feel.

With the Time/Decay and Deviate settings, the character can shift from massive saturation to ghostly modulations: a subtle double-tracking style chorus, a grainy flanger, or a lo-fi vibrato that makes the amp seem to "breathe." The pedal responds particularly well to playing nuances and guitar volume when favoring the more open sections, while still capable of a more compressed and dense drive when relying on the purple section.

Technical specifications

Effects	Distortion / Overdrive / Fuzz, Distortion, Overdrive	Type	sector
Technology	Analog & Digital	Use	electric guitar
Format	Pedal	Color	Multicolor
EQ	Tone

Voicings	hard-clipping (purple), soft/hard clipping (green), transistor overdrive (blue)	Expression pedal input	6.35mm TRS Jack (controls Deviate parameter)
Possible textures	flange, chorus, and vibrato sensations via micro-delays and time variation	Dimensions	142 x 113 x 59 mm
Per-section controls	Gain / Volume / Tone depending on the section	Weight	480 g
Green and blue sections	Time (time offset) and Decay (feedback/trail depending on Time setting)	Required power supply	9V DC (center negative), 2.1 mm barrel plug
Shared control	Deviate (random variation of delay time for blue and green sections)	Consumption	150 mA
Selector	Gain on the blue section (adjusts character/amount of saturation)	Battery operation	no
Input	6.35mm Jack (unbalanced)	Power supply included	no
Outputs	3 x 6.35mm Jack (unbalanced) (purple, green, blue)