.Ritual.

Post-Metal Distortion

## Description

### Graphic

In keeping with its PROCO Rat influenced circuit, the graphic is of a dead rat with a drop of blood falling from its tail suspended above a chalice.

### Controls

* Bass - Active bass frequency EQ
* Cut - High-pass filter
* High - Active treble frequency EQ
* Boost - Output gain of the boost circuit
* Gain - Input gain
* Level - Output master volume
* Range switch - Switches between full-, mid-, and treble-boost modes
* Clip switch - Switches between three different clipping forms
* Comp switch - Switches between two soft clipping diodes in the first gain stage
* Boost footswitch - SmartRelay footswitch, toggles boost on and off
* Bypass footswitch - SmartRelay footswitch, engages and bypasses effect

### Jacks

#### Top

* In - Signal input
* 9v - 9 volt, center negative power adaptor input
* Out - Signal output

### Webstore Description

> The .Ritual. started out as a custom order from one of our customers who wanted to have the sound of Post Metal heroes Amenra in a box: we started sketching out a feature set, I got in contact with the band, sent them a prototype and we ended up with this pedal:
>
>
> A super organic, meaty distortion sound based on the classic Proco RAT that was vastly improved by using highest quality parts, adding an active 2 band baxandall style tonestack any way more output and a bigger range on the gain-control than on the original. A completely unique feature is the “Comp”-switch that adds 2 different clipping diodes to the first gain stage, adding compression, gain and smoothing out the gain structure bringing you into way more modern areas of sound than you’d ever expect from a RAT! We also included an internal lowpass filter that gives you even more control over the sound! For the relaunch we added our proprietary “Cut”-control that gives you full control over the saturation and overall feel of the gain-structure: modern and percussive sounds, classic distortion with a good amount of hair and warmth or full on drone sounds that make you want to put on a robe and let your chords ring out for minutes!
>
>
> The independently footswitchable boost circuit is a vastly improved version of our tried and proven boost from the “Altar” and gives you up to 35dB of slightly gritty boost than can be used as a full range boost ( O))), anyone?), mid-boost or a treble boost which cleans up the low end and adds a lot of nice harmonics.
>
>
> This thing gives you anything from early Darkthrone up to Sunn O))) like walls of drone, yet is best suited for Neurosis, Isis, Amenra like type sounds that have become synonymous with the term Post Metal!
>
>
> Features:
>
>
>
> * Lichtlaerm Audio Smart Relay technology
> * 3 different clipping forms
> * “Comp”-switch to turn the first gain stage into 2 distinct forms of soft clipping overdrive, giving you modern sounds unheard of RAT-style pedals
> * “Cut” to define the overall feel and tightness of the distortion
> * 2 band active EQ with fixed mid band
> * “Boost” switchable to full-range, mid and treble-focus
> * “Gain” & “Volume” with insane range and headroom
> * 9V center-negative power supply (27V internally created)
>

## History

### 2020

The .Ritual. was announced on August 27, 2020 after being teased two days prior. It had originally been assembled as a custom order for Mathieu Vandekerckhove of Amenra that was described as a Proco RAT inspired circuit with an additional Boost - switchable between full-range and treble modes - an active EQ, two selectable soft-clipping diodes, and three RAT modes modeled after classic versions of the pedal - Classic, Trubo, and Dirty.

.Ritual. guts tease, 2020/08/25.Ritual. official announcement, 2020/08/27
### 2022

After Lichtlaerm operations were quietly put on hold in late 2020, a relaunch of the company was announced on July 1, 2022 with the .Ritual. featured as the fifth returning pedal on July 10. The relaunched versions of the pedals featured new SmartRelay footswitches and were housed in plain black enclosures with silkscreened graphics replaced by gold plated faceplates mounted to the pedal by pot and switch nuts and washers. The new version of the .Ritual. replaced the Attack control with a Cut control and increased the internal voltage to 27 volts.

.Ritual. 2022 Relaunch, 2022/07/10Ritual 2022 Relaunch guts, 2022/07/10

On November 1, 2022, a limited, 5-piece run of black and silver color variant .Ritual.s were released alongside color variants of the Aesahaettr, the Altar, and the Aquaria.

### 2023

On September 17, 2023, in a post on Lichtlaerm's social media pages regarding Guitar Summit 2023, it was revealed that all pedals in production going forward would feature white text and pedals with dual footswitches (except for the two reverb pedals, the Transcendence and the Untiefe) would feature dual bi-color LED indicators rather than a single bi-color LED.

## Videos

### 2021

* January 5 - Peter Geltat
* March 21 - Truck Driver Shawn

### 2022

* July 5 - Truck Driver Shawn (with Aesahaettr, Gehenna, Amber Spyglass, The Key and The Gate)
* August 16 - siets96
* August 26 - Metalhead Productions (with Altar)
* September 18 - Dome
* September 21 - Dome (with Lone Wolf Audio Left Hand Wrath)
* September 28 - SOUNDFARE
* November 2 - Truck Driver Shawn
* November 23 - Dome (with Amber Spyglass, Trugbild, Gehenna, Breathe//Die, Aesahaettr)

### 2023

* March 7 - Joss Allen
* March 13 - That Sounds Terrible
* May 12 - Fuzzed Drones Gear Reviews
* September 1 - Sonic Drive Studio
* October 4 - Mad Steex (feature explanation by Daniel with full Guitar Summit 2023 line)
* October 18 - Max Power's Tasty Tones (with Aesahaettr)