Ed O'Brien

Acquired some time between OK Computer and Kid A, the Hotcake almost immediately became Ed’s main source of distortion for his Vox AC30. It served as a fundamental part of certain ambient sounds requiring distortion, such as his pseudo-Ondes Martenot. It is also used on its own on Myxomatosis.

When Ed switched to the Fender Vibro-Kings, the Hotcake was replaced by the Carl Martin AC Tone. Though initially part of Ed’s 2014 theGigRig board, Ed ultimately decided on the Wampler Euphoria instead.

Ed uses the Hot Cake overdrive from Crowther Audio. You can see it on his pedal board in this video.

-2014 Settings: Level 1, Presence 1, Drive 1.

The '90s version of the Memory Man can be seen at the top of Ed's left pedalboard in this image. Source.

A Conversation With Ed O'Brien Of Radiohead – That Pedal Show

Ed has the “Gold Horsie” version. Acquired some time around 2010-11. Used for touring in 2011 and 2012. -2012 Settings: Gain 2, Treble 12, Output 9. -2014 Settings: Gain 9 OR 1, Treble 12, Output 9:30.

Around 0:30, an Eventide H9 can be seen on Ed's pedalboard.

In this video, TheGigRig details the build of Ed O’Brien’s pedalboard setup (video published on Jul 8, 2014). His choice in pedalboard is the Pedaltrain PT-Grande 42”. Details from the video: “Now the reason that we’ve gone for this board and not a twin-tier board is that Ed, when he plays, a large part of his sound is actually tweaking the knobs of all the pedals, so he can’t have anything that is not ridiculously easy to get at. So he wants everything laid out flat. So this is why we’ve gone for a Pedaltrain Grande.” (0:46)

Radiohead's Ed O'Brien – Second Pedalboard Build, That Pedal Show Special

In the video at ‘48:48’ while he’s demoing a riff from Paranoid Android he says:

“It’s not going to sound the same as I don’t have my DD-5”

In this video you can see Mooer Eleclady in his pedalboard.

In this Facebook post from TheGigRig, they shared the photo of pedalboard they made for Ed.

Wampler Tumnus is located under Boss DD5 Digital Delay. TheGigRig adds a little detail to one of the replies in comments column: :

Klon is on his studio board, he has the Wampler Tumnus in his live rig

In this photo, an Electro-Harmonix Stereo Memory Man can be seen on Ed's board.

Middle row on the right in the left pedalboard we can see Ed's Diamond Tremolo TRM-1. Source.

As if one pedalboard wasn't enough, Ed has 2 (shown here) and you can see the Diamond Opto-Compressor effects pedal in the right pedalboard at the top. This comes from an article from Austin City Limits on the gear of Radiohead.

Ed's tech shows his pedalboard, which has an Infinity Looper on it.

Ed's tech shows his board, which has an OTC-201 on it.

"This pedal is visible in photos from the recording of In Rainbows, but it is not immediately evident on any recordings."

Listed under O'Brien's gear on The King of Gear.

Ed O'Brien on That Pedal Show "This is the first time I've used a compressor and I love it!"

A Strymon TimeLine can be seen at 0:36, on Ed's pedalboard.

In this article that discusses the process of making O'Brien's debut solo album, "Earth", he shows the pedalboard that he uses for live performances.

One of them is Boss EQ-200 which is on the right side of Strymon Timeline. Ed says this about the pedal, quotated from Pedal Crush book which in turn reposted by thekingofgear admin here:

I’m excited about the new BOSS programmable EQ pedals. The EQing of sound in the studio is key. I love the idea of a pedal that can store EQ settings that you can change mid-song… or even mid-note! I like those places in between, and the movement between each setting.

A Korg Pitchblack Chromatic pedal tuner is one of many pedals Ed uses per this article from Austin City Limits.

In this photo, a Line 6 DL4 pedal can be seen on Ed O'Brien's pedalboard.

Part of Ed’s 2014 theGigRig pedalboard.

-2014 Settings: Tone 11, Bass 8, Volume 11:30, Gain 11:45, Voicing Open.

In this video, at 0:16, an MXR Flanger pedal can be seen on Ed's pedalboard.

Kevin Cochran takes us behind the scenes of Radiohead's gear when they came through Austin, TX in this article from Austin City Limits.

Ed's pedalboard (the right one) contains a Lovetone Big Cheese effects pedal. Source.

In this video, Ed's tech shows his board, which has a SDD-3000 on it.

In this video you can see Whammy 5 in his pedalboard.

"Ed mainly uses the pedal like a guitar-synth, with his playing controlling the pitch of the pedal’s VCO. It’s best heard on I Might Be Wrong, where Ed loops notes played through the Ring Stinger to create the synth-like textures at the intro and near the end of the track."

Listed under O'Brien's gear on The King of Gear.