The Moai Maea is KMA Machines' analog octaver pedal, part of the wider field of octave and pitch pedals. KMA describes it as an homage to the powerful analog octaver tones of yesteryear, and it generates one higher octave and up to two sub-octaves from your input signal1. Because the circuit is analog, it works monophonic only: it follows single notes, not chords1.
Pedal of the Day's review describes the character of each direction. The higher octave has an edgy and fuzzy character reminiscent of old late '60s early '70s octave-up tones, while the sub-octaves turn your guitar into a filthy bass guitar with ground shaking lows2. The reviewer's overall verdict was that KMA "has come out with another innovative, intriguing gem of a pedal," calling it "an octave pedal, to be sure, but one like no other we've encountered"2.
Controls and layout
The Moai Maea gives each octave voice its own mix control, so you can build a blend of clean signal, upper octave and sub-octaves rather than accepting a fixed octave sound1. A rotary switch selects the sub-octave mode: the first octave (-I), the second (-II), or both mixed together (-I/-II), which Pedal of the Day notes gives you the sought-after wall of low end12.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Clean Blend | Mixes your root signal with the octave voices3 |
| Octave +I Level | Sets the level of the higher octave3 |
| Octave -I Level | Sets the level of the first sub-octave3 |
| Octave -II Level | Sets the level of the second sub-octave3 |
| Sub Octave Selector | Rotary switch: -I, -II, or -I/-II together1 |
| SHRIEK footswitch | Turns the higher octave on and off2 |
| DRONE footswitch | Turns the sub-octave on and off2 |
| Internal trim-pots | Volume and Fuzz trim for the +I octave, plus an internal Phase Inverter dip-switch3 |
Each octave section is foot-switchable, so the SHRIEK and DRONE switches let you bring the upper octave or the subs in and out while playing2. The internal Phase Inverter dip-switch is worth knowing about if you run the pedal alongside other gear, since phase relationships between pedals can cause cancellation3.
The Moai Maea is monophonic by design. KMA is explicit that "Moai Maea is an analog octaver and therefore works monophonic only"1. Single-note lines are what it is built for.
Where it came from and related pedals
KMA describes the Moai Maea as generating one higher octave and up to two sub-octaves, and each octave section can be switched on its own from the footswitches, so a player can bring in the upper octave, the sub-octaves, or both together as the song calls for2. The higher octave carries what the maker calls an edgy and fuzzy character, reminiscent of old late '60s early '70s octave-up tones, while the sub-octaves are said to turn your guitar into a filthy bass guitar with ground shaking lows2. Reviewers took to the design as well: one wrote that KMA "has come out with another innovative, intriguing gem of a pedal," calling the Moai Maea an octave pedal unlike any other encountered2.
Videos
KMA Machines
Alberto Barrero
EytschPi42
Questions
Is the KMA Moai Maea analog or digital?
It is fully analog. KMA Machines describes the Moai Maea as an analog octaver, and because of that it works monophonic only: it tracks one note at a time rather than following chords. Pedal of the Day's review likewise frames it as KMA's take on long forgotten analog octaver tones, with an upper octave that has an edgy, fuzzy character reminiscent of late '60s and early '70s octave-up sounds.
Can the Moai Maea track chords or only single notes?
Only single notes. KMA Machines states that because the Moai Maea is an analog octaver, it works monophonic only. Playing single lines lets the circuit lock onto the pitch and generate its octaves; chords and intervals fall outside what the analog tracking is built to follow.
Can you use the higher octave and sub-octaves at the same time?
Yes. The pedal generates one higher octave and up to two sub-octaves, and each octave section has its own level control and its own footswitch, so you can blend the clean signal, the upper octave and the sub-octaves together or switch any of them in and out while you play.
What does the SHRIEK switch do on the Moai Maea?
The SHRIEK footswitch turns the higher octave on and off. Its counterpart, the DRONE switch, turns the sub-octave section on and off. That lets you jump between octave-up and octave-down sounds mid-song without touching the knobs.
What is the difference between the Moai Maea and the Queequeg?
The Queequeg is the sub-octave half of the Moai Maea turned into its own pedal. Guitar Pedal X reports that KMA extracted the Moai Maea's Sub-Octave Channel as the stand-alone Queequeg Sub Generator, and later released the Queequeg 2 with two sub-octaves. The Moai Maea keeps both directions: the sub-octave channel plus the analog upper octave Shriek channel.
Sources (3)
- MOAI MAEA, KMA Machines
- KMA Machines Moai Maea Analog Subsonic Octaver, Pedal of the Day, 2021-02-25
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2023-10-13
