Vahlbruch FX Vahlbruch Octavia V2

The Vahlbruch Octavia V2 is a handmade fuzz and octave-up pedal from German builder Vahlbruch FX. In the style of the legendary Tychobrahe Octavia, it uses a special transformer with downstream clipping diodes to create what the maker calls the wild and ring modulated "octave-up/OctaFuzz" sounds that Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughan and many others loved to use¹. The signal path is 100% analog, and a toggle switch lets you run it as a pure fuzz with the octave-up effect switched off¹.

The original Tycobrahe Octavia was a fuzz and octave-divider pedal that provided an octave-up effect, built by one of the pioneering effects builders of the 1970s². Guitar World has described the vintage Octavia circuit as "the gold standard" for octave fuzz effects³, which is why it keeps getting reissued and cloned by makers such as Tru-Fi, GUP Tech and Dr. No.

What it does to your sound

The Octavia V2 produces an octave-up fuzz with a ring-modulated character rather than a clean octave shift. As Dr. No puts it about the same circuit family, it is an Octavia, "not to be mistaken by an Octaver": the octave appears as part of the fuzz texture, strongest on notes played high on the neck, rather than as a separate pitched voice⁴. Vahlbruch says the pedal creates "exactly the wild and ring modulated 'octave-up/OctaFuzz' sounds" of the original¹.

A toggle switch selects between two modes¹:

• OctaFuzz: the full octave-up fuzz effect.
• Fuzz: a pure fuzz with no octave-up, which RockBoard's PedalPedia says can also be used on its own⁵.

The controls: Gain, Edge, Volume and the octave toggle

The V2 has three knobs and one toggle¹:

The Edge control is the new shaping tool of the V2. RockBoard's PedalPedia entry describes it as adjusting the treble and overtone spectrum of the pedal, with the V1 frequency response at the fully clockwise position⁵. Delicious Audio's write-up called it a small knob that varies the treble and harmonic content of the fuzz, allowing for a wider spectrum of tones than the original⁶.

Power: 9V, 40mA, positive tip ring

The Octavia V2 requires an external regulated 9V power supply, which is not included, and there is no battery option¹. Current consumption is 40mA¹.

From V1 to V2: Schottky diodes, Edge control and the MagTraB switch

Vahlbruch updated the Octavia in 2023, and the V2 differs from the V1 in three main ways¹:

• Clipping diodes: V1 used new old stock germanium diodes; V2 uses Schottky diodes instead, which Vahlbruch says "sound simply fantastic!"¹
• Edge control: a new knob that the V1 did not have¹.
• MagTraB switch: Vahlbruch's own footswitch design, also new to this version¹.

The underlying circuit is unchanged in concept: a special transformer with downstream clipping diodes, in the style of the Tychobrahe Octavia¹.

What the MagTraB footswitch is

MagTraB is Vahlbruch's proprietary switching system. Inside the button a magnet is integrated, and its position is measured by a sensor on the circuit board; a micro-controller then switches a gold-plated relay¹. Delicious Audio described the result as "completely quiet and extremely sturdy", noting it can power up in either "on" or bypass mode⁷.

How it compares with other Octavia-style pedals

The Octavia family is crowded, and the Vahlbruch sits at the hand-built, feature-rich end of it:

The original Roger Mayer-built Octavia circuit had no octave on/off switch at all, only bypass switching, so the toggle on the Vahlbruch and the Tru-Fi is a modern convenience¹². Roger Mayer's own current Octavia line has also moved on: he told Premier Guitar that "the current range of, say, the Vision Octavias are much more expressive than the old ones", and that the transformer version was never reissued¹³.

Buying one in the US

Vahlbruch lists the Octavia V2 at $249 for the USA and 219 EUR including VAT for the European Union¹. Orders go by email to support@vahlbruch-fx.com, with payment by bank transfer or PayPal, or checkout through Reverb.com¹. Each pedal is handmade in Germany¹.

Videos

Click to load

Click to load

Click to load

Questions