The KMA Machines Queequeg 2 Subgenerator is an analog sub-octave pedal: it generates sub-octave tones from the note you play, which KMA describes as "very organic and smooth" thanks to its custom all-analog circuit design12. It is a monophonic device, and mixing both of its octaves is said to give a "thunderously massive wall of sound"2. It is an update on KMA's 2016 one-knob Queequeg pedal2.
The Queequeg 2 is an update on KMA Machines' original Queequeg, a one-knob sub-octave pedal released in 20163. It sits among octave and pitch pedals as the maker's current take on the analog sub-octave effect3.
Two sub voices and how to choose them
The pedal's core idea is simple: it generates sub-octaves, and you pick which ones you hear. A three-way toggle selects between the first octave down (-I), the second octave down (-II), or both mixed together (-I/-II)1.
| Toggle position | What you get | KMA's description |
|---|---|---|
| -I | One octave down | "for synthy sub-octave sounds"1 |
| -II | Two octaves down | The additional sub-octave added over the original2 |
| -I/-II | Both sub-octaves mixed | "for a massive wall of sound sub tones"1 |
The -II voice is the new addition in version two. The original 2016 Queequeg had only one sub-octave, and the second voice is what the toggle now selects between2. Delicious Audio describes the mixed -I/-II setting as giving a "thunderously massive wall of sound"2.
Because it is monophonic, the pedal responds to single notes. That is the trade-off common to analog octave-down designs: fast, organic tracking on one note, but no clean sub-octave output for chords. Delicious Audio credits the "custom all-analog circuit design" for what it calls very organic and smooth suboctave tones2.
The MIX knob
Everything else is handled by one large knob. The MIX control blends your clean signal with the generated octaves, going from completely clean with the knob to the left, to 100% sub-octave with no dry signal at all with the knob fully to the right24.
That single-knob layout follows the original Queequeg, whose one SUB knob worked the same way, from completely clean on the left to full sub-octave on the right5. MusicRadar describes the Queequeg 2's version of it as a single-knob mix control for adjusting the blend between the original signal and the generated octaves3. The mini toggle switch sits just below the Mix knob4.
Queequeg 2 versus the original Queequeg
The first Queequeg appeared in 2016 as a one-knob pedal, and the Queequeg 2 is an update on it2. Where the original kept things to a single control, the Queequeg 2 carries the same analog monophonic sub-octave approach forward in KMA's custom all-analog circuit2.
The 2022 Queequeg 2 keeps the one-knob format but changes the rest of the hardware413:
- A second sub-octave, selected with the new three-way toggle2
- Top-mounted jacks, which Gearnews says make it "a lot better for cramped pedalboards, and easier to wire in"4
- Relay-based soft switching for the footswitch24
- A smaller enclosure, described by Gearnews as tweaked and refined for 20224
Power and bypass
The pedal runs on a standard 9V DC power supply with a center negative 2.1mm barrel connector, drawing more than 60mA at maximum1. The supply is optional and not included2. There is no battery option in the listed specifications.
For signal switching, KMA lists the bypass as true bypass1, with the footswitch implemented as relay-based soft switching, which press coverage describes as part of the 2022 update24.
What reviewers said
Coverage at launch was positive about the format. Gearnews highlighted the practical changes, noting the top-mounted jacks and the smaller size, and describing the pedal as having "plenty of low end on offer"4. MusicRadar framed the appeal as "the simplicity of a good old analogue sub-octave pedal," with the sub-octave divisions dialed in via the single mix knob3.
Videos
KMA Machines
The Pedal Zone
MrExcane
News
Questions
Is the KMA Queequeg 2 analog or digital?
It is fully analog. KMA Machines describes it as a custom all-analog circuit design, and press coverage from Delicious Audio, Gearnews and MusicRadar all describes the pedal as an analog (analogue) octave-down effect. There is no digital processing in the signal path.
What is the difference between the Queequeg and the Queequeg 2?
The original Queequeg, released in 2016, was a one-knob monophonic sub-octave device with a single sub voice. The Queequeg 2, released in 2022, adds a second sub-octave selectable from a three-way toggle, moves the jacks to the top of the enclosure, and adds relay-based soft switching. Gearnews also describes it as smaller than the original.
Can the Queequeg 2 play both sub-octaves at once?
Yes. The three-way toggle selects the first octave down (-I), the second octave down (-II), or both mixed together (-I/-II). KMA describes the mixed setting as being for a massive wall of sound sub tones, and Delicious Audio calls it a thunderously massive wall of sound.
Is the Queequeg 2 polyphonic?
No. It is a monophonic sub-octave pedal, which means it tracks one note at a time. Playing chords will not produce clean sub-octaves. KMA promises fast tracking on guitar, bass and synthesizer alike, but on single notes.
What power supply does the Queequeg 2 use?
A standard 9V DC supply with a center negative 2.1mm barrel plug, with a maximum current draw above 60mA. The supply is optional, meaning it is not included in the box. It runs on the same type of adapter as most compact pedals.
Sources (5)
- QUEEQUEG 2, KMA Machines
- KMA Machines Queequeg 2 Subgenerator, Delicious Audio, 2022-04-07
- KMA Machines unveils Queequeg 2 Sub Generator, MusicRadar, 2022-04-07
- KMA Machines Queequeg 2 Sub Generator: Analogue Octaver, gearnews.com, 2022-04-07
- KMA Machines Queequeg Sub Generator, Delicious Audio, 2018-11-27
