Musitronics Mu-Tron Octavider+

The Musitronics Mu-Tron Octavider+ is an analog octave and pitch pedal that combines three voices in one box: a thick analog octave-down, a fuzzy ring-modulated octave-up tone, and a creamy hi-fi fuzz tone¹. Musitronics calls it the newest reincarnation of the classic Mu-Tron Octave Divider, the pedal that made the sub-octave sound familiar in the 1970s¹. It is made in the USA and runs on a standard 9V DC supply in a rugged Mu-Tron enclosure¹.

What the Octavider+ does to your sound

The core of the pedal is its octave-down engine. Pedal of the Day described it as newly developed circuitry that analyzes the original signal and pairs it with the note one octave below, matching tone color and dynamics over an exceptionally wide range³. On top of that sit two more voices: the Ringer, which adds a slight octave-up tone with a fuzzy, ring-modulated character, and the Fuzz, which Musitronics describes as a warm hi-fi fuzz¹.

The maker's own pitch for the pedal is direct:

Pedal of the Day's reviewer echoed the same idea, writing that the pedal "will turn your instrument into a fat monophonic synthesizer" and calling it "a small but powerful machine" that combines fuzz and octave effects³. The reviewer also noted it "works wonders with both stringed and wind instruments, making it an all-around powerhouse for any musical genre"³.

The controls: Mix, Tone, Ringer, Fuzz and two switches

The Octavider+ keeps its panel simple: four knobs and two toggle switches.

The Stabilize switch is the pedal's tracking aid. Musitronics says the unique stabilization circuit, patent pending, enables the Octavider+ to lock into the musical tone and sound a simultaneous sub-octave¹. Pedal of the Day put it more strongly, writing that the switch activates a circuit that lets the pedal lock into the musical tone and sound a simultaneous sub-octave "with accuracy that is not found in any other device"³.

The Bass Only switch removes your dry input signal entirely, so what you hear is the generated octave voice on its own rather than a blend¹. Between Bass Only and the Mix knob, you can go from a fully wet sub-octave to a subtle thickening under your original note.

How the Fuzz and Ringer interact with the Mix

The Fuzz side is an independent, hi-voltage, high-fidelity circuit that adds harmonic overdrive tones from one single knob, according to Pedal of the Day³. The knob is interactive: Musitronics designed it to increase fuzz as you turn it clockwise while interactively decreasing output level². Turning it down decreases both the fuzz and the output³.

The Ringer behaves differently from the other voices. On the Black Limited Edition, Musitronics states that the Ringer effect is added to the output regardless of Mix, and that the octave-up character is strongest with Mix full down². That means the Ringer stays audible even when the Mix knob is rolled back toward your dry signal, while the octave-down and fuzz follow the Mix setting.

Pedal of the Day's reviewer found still more range in the interaction between the pedal and the guitar itself³:

In Musitronics' November 2019 news, the maker suggested one recipe: turn on the octave, blend in some Green Ringer, engage the fuzz, for what they called "KILLER analog fun"⁴.

Based on the classic Mu-Tron Octave Divider

The Octavider+ traces directly back to the Mu-Tron Octave Divider, which Musitronics describes as producing a sub-octave with many of the characteristics of the original signal⁵. The vintage unit's built-in ringer provided a fuzz tone in the low register and a fuzz octave-up in the high register⁵, the same two-voice architecture the Octavider+ carries forward. The modern Octave Divider reissue keeps the octave-down and ring-modulated octave-up voices, while the Octavider+ adds the third voice: the hi-fi fuzz⁶.

The current Octave Divider also carries an auxiliary impedance-compensated output⁶, a feature the Octavider+ facts do not list.

The Black Limited Edition

The Octavider+ Black Limited Edition is a limited-run version of the same circuit, listed at $299.00 USD². Its control set matches the standard pedal: Mix, Tone, Ringer, Fuzz, Bass Only and Stabilize². It is powered by industry-standard 9V DC, made in the USA, and carries the same 1 Year Limited Warranty².

The maker's product table gives two weight figures, 1 lb and 14 oz, and two dimension figures, 4.75" x 2.5" x 2.25" and 5 x 4 x 4 in, for the Black Limited Edition²; the standard pedal's listing gives 1 lb and 4.75" x 2.5" x 2.25"².

Using it with other Mu-Tron pedals

Musitronics says the Octavider+ is designed to work in a complementary fashion with the Mu-Tron Micro-Tron IV and Phasor III, so that together the pedals produce a modular synthesis system⁷. For a player building a Mu-Tron board, that means the octave and fuzz voices are meant to feed and interact with the envelope filter and phaser rather than sit as an isolated block.

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