Carl Martin OctaSwitch MKII

The Carl Martin OctaSwitch MKII is a programmable true bypass switcher with eight effect loops and dual amplifier switching capability, designed by Thomas Guldmann¹. A loop switcher sits at the heart of a pedalboard: your effects plug into its loops, and instead of tapping several pedals on and off mid-song, one footswitch calls up a preset that turns the right combination on at once. The MKII does that with dip-switches rather than a menu screen, and it keeps the signal path true bypass so loops that are not in use stay out of your sound¹.

What it does and how it is set up

The MKII's approach to programming is deliberately simple. Instead of scrolling through displays, you configure which effects appear in each loop combination using small dip-switches, which Carl Martin describes as a way to "control them effortlessly"¹. Once a combination is set, you store it as one of eight user presets, or banks, each holding its own unique effect combination. Individual LED indicators show which effects are active in the bank you are on, so you can see your rig's state at a glance¹.

The main features, as Carl Martin lists them¹:

• Eight programmable effect loops
• Eight user presets (banks), each holding a unique effect combination
• Dip-switch configuration instead of a menu system
• Individual LED indicators showing which effects are active in the current bank
• True bypass technology throughout all loops
• Dual amplifier switching capability

True bypass technology runs throughout all loops, which Carl Martin says maintains pristine signal integrity: when a loop is off, the pedal connected to it is completely removed from the chain¹. The dual amplifier switching capability means the unit can also handle routing to two amps, a job players otherwise need a separate AB box for.

The Octa-Switch family

The MKII is one model in a line of switchers Carl Martin has built around the same eight-loop idea. The current flagship is the Octa-Switch MK3, a programmable true-bypass loop switcher in a solid metal enclosure, powered by batteries or an external regulated power supply². Premier Guitar's reviewer counted eight loops, with the last loop stereo, and eight banks, and noted you can use it as "a killer A/B switcher to route two guitars into two separate amps"³. The MK3 adds a switchable input buffer, stereo output support for advanced routing, and two external switching outputs for amp channel switching, multi-amp control and integration with external devices².

Carl Martin also makes the Octa-Switch The Strip, a switcher whose output sends the signal to an amplifier⁴. Looking back at the line, Premier Guitar's reviewer wrote:

Side by side, the family looks like this:

Players on Carl Martin's artist roster use the Octa-Switch MK3, including Rex Brown, Richard Z. Kruspe, Tosin Abasi, Joe Hottinger and Carmine Rojas⁶.

Where it fits on a board

A switcher like the OctaSwitch MKII is a routing tool rather than a tone-shaping effect, so it pairs with whatever pedals you already own: drive pedals in the loops, time-based effects after them, and the switcher deciding which combinations come up with one tap. For players who want the same idea in a smaller footprint, Carl Martin's range also includes the Match Box and Route Box loopers, and the Combinator and Combinator 2 for larger routing jobs. For more on how switchers work and where they sit in a signal chain, see the Switching Pedals type page.

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