The Foxrox Electronics Octron Octave Divider is an octave divider pedal that puts an octave up and an octave down effect in one box, giving you the option to use Octave Up, Octave Down, or both at once1. It is all-analog, and Pedal of the Day described it as "full of both options and tones"1. Everything is housed in what that reviewer called a "futuristic-looking silver enclosure"1.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Octave Down | An octave divider based on classic Mu-Tron, OC-2 and Octoplus sounds of the past, with more pre-divide gain and filtering; it tracks your dynamics and ultimately tracks better with better playing1 |
| Direct | Adds your original dry signal into the mix, combining it with the effects from the Octron1 |
| Octave Up | A high gain circuit that uses a pair of germanium diodes to get the octave doubling effect1 |
How the two octave circuits work
The two halves of the Octron come from different traditions. The Octave Down side is a divider in the lineage of the Mu-Tron, Boss OC-2 and Octoplus designs, tracking the pitch of your note and producing a signal an octave below it1. The Octave Up side works differently: it is a high gain circuit that uses a pair of germanium diodes to generate the octave doubling effect, the kind of approach familiar from fuzz and distortion octave circuits1.
Pedal of the Day found the Octave Up section at its best higher up the neck, writing that "this portion of the pedal sounds really good up around the 10th fret and after, especially on the high strings"1.
Run together, the reviewer found the two modes "create big, fat, heavy octave tones, perfect for beefing up a thin pickup sound, or adding another element to your show or recording"1.
On bass
The review demo was done on guitar, but the reviewer added that "this thing sounds sick on bass as well"1. For bass players, the Octave Down section's dynamic tracking and pre-divide gain make it worth a look alongside other bass pedals.
Later versions
The original Octron was followed by newer versions. Pedal of the Day reported that Foxrox released a newest version with a couple more switches and some fun stuff right after their February 2017 review1.
. The pedal tracks your playing dynamics, with more pre-divide gain and filtering that ultimately tracks better with better playing, so it rewards a clean, controlled technique. If you are shopping used, it is worth knowing that the Octave Down knob is based on classic Mu-Tron, OC-2 and Octoplus sounds of the past, and that the middle Direct knob blends your original dry signal with the octave effects1.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day's verdict on the original was strongly positive on the one point that matters most for an octave pedal12:
"the Octron Octave Divider is one of the funnest and best single-note tracking octave pedals we've come across here at Pedal of the Day, and that's a fairly long list"
For more on where the Octron sits among its alternatives, see the site's Octave & Pitch Pedals page.
Videos
FoxroxElectronics
intheblues
Prymaxe
Questions
Is the Foxrox Octron analog or digital?
Pedal of the Day describes the Octron Octave Divider as all-analog. Both of its octave sections, the octave up doubling circuit and the octave down divider, run as analog circuitry, and the pedal blends the effect with your dry signal through its Direct knob rather than processing the signal digitally.
Does the Octron work on bass?
Yes. Pedal of the Day's review was demonstrated on guitar, but the reviewer wrote that the pedal sounds sick on bass as well. An octave divider that tracks single notes cleanly is a natural fit for bass, and the Octron's Octave Down section is designed to follow your dynamics and track better with cleaner playing.
Which pedals is the Octron's octave down based on?
According to Pedal of the Day, the Octave Down section is an octave divider based on the classic Mu-Tron, Boss OC-2 and Octoplus sounds of the past. It adds more pre-divide gain and filtering to that familiar divider approach, and it tracks your dynamics.
How does the Octron track single notes?
The Octave Down section tracks your dynamics, and Pedal of the Day notes that it ultimately tracks better with better playing, meaning cleaner single-note work gets cleaner results. The same reviewer called it one of the funnest and best single-note tracking octave pedals they had come across.
What changed in later Octron versions?
Shortly after Pedal of the Day's February 2017 review of the original Octron, Foxrox released a newer version with a couple more switches and additional features. By July 2017 the reviewer had looked at the Octron3, which puts the octave divider in a smaller enclosure with two new toggle switches and accepts a 9V to 18V power range.
Sources (2)
- Foxrox Electronics Octron Octave Divider, Pedal of the Day (www.pedal-of-the-day.com), 2017-02-08
- Foxrox Electronic Octron3 Octave Divider - Pedal of the Day, Pedal of the Day, 2017-07-06
