OBNE Iota: Old Blood Noise’s synth built for the pedalboard
Old Blood Noise Endeavors launches Iota, a sequenced synth in pedal format, played by foot and over MIDI, at $329. Who it is for, what it costs, rivals.
Old Blood Noise Endeavors (OBNE), the US effects pedal maker, has launched Iota, which the company calls “a tone generator, which is to say, a synth for your pedalboard”. Released on 3 November 2026, it lists at $329 on OBNE’s product page, in three finishes (Zenith Silver, Vintage Yellow, Groovy Blue).
What Iota does
Iota does not process an incoming signal: it makes its own sound and runs it as a sequence of notes (a looped run of notes at a set tempo). You pick a sound character, a few notes and how the box moves through them, then set it going. The output then feeds your existing effects chain.
The controls, per the maker
- Twelve pushbuttons set the root note, scale intervals or one of twelve onboard presets.
- Osc, Noise, Octave and Volume shape the core sound: oscillator, noise, register.
- Rate, Range and Direction: speed, range and direction of travel through the sequence.
- Skip and Hold create random or patterned skips; Scramble shuffles the notes.
- Bend, Glide and Swing shape movement between notes (pitch slides, rhythmic offset).
- Env Length, Shape and Mix set each note’s envelope, meaning how it swells in and fades out (see our ADSR envelope guide).
Connections and control
| Item | OBNE spec |
|---|---|
| Expression | expression pedal control over every knob |
| MIDI | control of everything, tempo via MIDI clock, root note via MIDI notes |
| Output | mono or stereo |
| Aux footswitch | manual note triggering, tap tempo or preset switching |
| Power | 9 V DC, centre negative, 2.1 mm jack, 250 mA minimum (supply not included) |
MIDI clock (a tempo signal sent by a drum machine or a DAW) locks Iota to the rest of a rig; tap tempo covers solo playing.
Who it is for
Guitarists and bassists who want a sequenced synth part without leaving the pedalboard, and ambient players who already run everything through delays and reverbs. It is not for playing melodies from a keyboard: it has none, and notes come from the sequence or from MIDI. For an all-round first synth, see our first synth guide.
What it costs
$329 list price on OBNE’s store, power supply not included. The maker gives no euro price on its page.
View at ThomannWhat it competes with
- Korg NTS-1 mkII: a small digital synth with a touch keyboard, sequencer and built-in effects, cheaper, but made for the desk rather than the floor.
- Korg volca (keys, bass, fm and more): compact, affordable sequenced synths that sync up, but with no expression pedal or footswitch for hands-free control.
Iota stands out with its pedal format, standard 9 V pedalboard power and foot control. It does less than those synths on sound shaping: no filter is listed, and the spec sheet points to one oscillator plus noise. No listening verdict here: demos are on OBNE’s YouTube channel. Other single-voice synths are in our Monosynths section.