The TWA Octoverdrive Thick Overdrive + Octavia is an octave distortion pedal: a drive circuit that can also generate an upper octave above the notes you play. TWA built it around what it calls Selenium-Diodes breakup, combined with two selectable modes, Thick Drive and Upper Octave. Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson, reviewing it in March 2024, described it as "a beautifully appointed and richly textured Octave Distortion"1.
What it does
The pedal combines Selenium-Diodes breakup with Thick Drive and Upper Octave modes1. A Mode footswitch switches between the two: Thick Drive for the overdrive voice, Upper Octave for the octave-up distortion character1. A Dry-Blend control lets you mix the unaffected signal back in alongside the effected one, which matters on octave pedals because keeping some dry signal helps chords and low notes stay intelligible.
Karlsson's verdict on the core circuit: "The core and unique Selenium-Diodes infused breakup is really quite densely textured but rich and well-balanced"1. He found the Dry-Blend control helps open out the pedal's core breakup character1.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive | Sets the amount of breakup1 |
| Dry-Blend | Blends the dry signal with the effected signal1 |
| Level | Output level1 |
| Bass, Mid, Treble | EQ shaping1 |
| Mode footswitch | Selects Thick Drive or Upper Octave1 |
| Engage / Bypass footswitch | Turns the effect on and off1 |
Where it fits
As an octave distortion, it sits in the overlap between distortion pedals and octave and pitch pedals: the drive side does the clipping, and the octave side adds the upper harmonic. Within TWA's own range it is a different animal from the brand's straight drive pedals such as the TWA SH9 Scott Henderson Signature Distortion, which stay in overdrive territory without the octave function1.
Videos
AndyDemos
Godlyke Inc.
Godlyke Inc.
Sources (1)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-03-27
