The Way Huge Purple Platypus Octidrive MKII is an octave-up pedal combined with an overdrive in one box. It pairs the tones and gain of the Red Llama overdrive with a frequency doubler that creates an octave-up effect, so a single note comes out with a shrieking upper octave riding on top of the driven signal1. Way Huge announced it in November 2018 and released it for 2019 at a list price of $149.9912.
The pedal is the modern version of one of the rarest boxes in the Way Huge catalog. The original Purple Platypus Octidrive was discontinued in the late 90s, with only about 120 or so made3. Jeorge Tripps, Way Huge's founder, re-released it as the MkII2.
Octave up meets overdrive
Octave-up effects work by distorting the input waveform until a frequency doubler produces a note one octave above what you play. On its own, that sound is thin and cutting; stacked into an overdrive, it becomes something else. The Purple Platypus runs the Red Llama's drive circuit and the octave stage together, and Pedal of the Day described the result as running "from eerie ring modulator style effects to downright massive" octave fuzz, noting that it cleans up nicely with your guitar's volume knob and is dynamic and touch-sensitive4.
That character comes from the pairing itself. Pedal of the Day's reviewer loved the unusual combination and thought it "could be the start of a weird and fantastic trend" in the pedal world of pairing effects this way4. Premier Guitar traced the concept further back, noting that the idea inspired Tripps' original Purple Platypus and, in turn, the MkII5.
For players comparing circuits, the Purple Platypus sits between categories: it is not a plain overdrive, but an overdrive combined with an octave up effect. The octave-up content comes from a frequency doubler, and the overdrive stage underneath is based on the Red Llama41.
The controls: Volume, Drive and Hi-Cut
The MkII has three knobs. The original Purple Platypus carried only Volume and Drive, and the MkII adds a Hi-Cut control4.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Sets the output level6 |
| Drive | Sets the gain level; at maximum it produces what Premier Guitar's reviewer called "articulate, circa-'66 biker fuzz tones"5 |
| Hi-Cut | Rolls off treble to shape and season the tone; new on the MkII45 |
The Hi-Cut knob is the practical reason to choose the MkII over tracking down an original. Premier Guitar's reviewer called it a useful control that provides extra versatility by shaping the treble content5, which matters here because octave-up circuits can push a lot of high-frequency energy into the signal.
From the Red Llama to the MkII
The Purple Platypus is a close cousin of the Red Llama. Technically, it is a Red Llama Overdrive with an octave effect similar to the Dan Armstrong Green Ringer added, and the original Purple Platypus shared the same circuit board as the original Red Llama3. Premier Guitar describes the MkII's circuit the same way: derived from the Green Ringer and Tripps' Red Llama overdrive5.
The Red Llama itself has a long history. It was a mid-gain, crunchy, Tweed-style drive that built a fan base after it became Tom Petty's go-to overdrive7. Tripps reissued it as the Red Llama Overdrive MkII in 2012, a straight reissue of the original in a 0.09" aluminum anodized chassis68, and the line continued into a MkIII for Way Huge's 30th anniversary68.
The original Purple Platypus has its own collector's story. Beyond the roughly 120 units built before it was discontinued in the late 90s3, builders who have traced the circuit found variation between units: early ones used germanium diodes, later ones silicon3. One builder who tried a range of clipping diodes (4148, 4001, BAT85, OA7, D9B, D18 and germanium) reported that the diode choice makes a big difference, with BAT85 and D18 sounding best to his ears3.
The original 1990s Purple Platypus and the MkII are different pedals. The original is a rare, discontinued collector's piece; the MkII (WHE800) is the current production version, with the same core circuit plus the Hi-Cut control423.
What reviewers said
Published reviews of the MkII have been positive. Pedal of the Day praised the unusual pairing of octave-up and overdrive and the pedal's touch sensitivity4. Premier Guitar's quick-hit review highlighted the useful Hi-Cut control and the fuzz tones available at maximum Drive, with the demo recorded using a DeArmond Jetstar with DeArmond USA Gold Tone pickups through a '68 Fender Bassman; the test gear also included a Fender Stratocaster, a Rickenbacker 330 and a Fender Telecaster Deluxe with Curtis Novak Widerange humbuckers, through the Bassman and a Fender Champ5.
"Been a while since I've been enamored with an octave fuzz, but this one won me over."
The JHS Pedals blog, surveying Tripps' Way Huge designs, notes the Purple Platypus is an octave drive9, placing it among the maker's more distinctive circuits rather than its straight overdrives.
Videos
Pedal of the Day
The Bass Channel
Musicoff - Where Music Matters
Questions
What circuit is the Purple Platypus Octidrive MkII based on?
It combines two circuits: Jeorge Tripps' Red Llama overdrive and an octave-up stage derived from the Dan Armstrong Green Ringer. The overdrive supplies the gain and tone, while a frequency doubler stacked after it creates the octave-up effect. The original Purple Platypus shared its board with the original Red Llama.
What does the Hi-Cut control do on the Octidrive MkII?
Hi-Cut rolls off treble so you can shape and season the tone. It is new on the MkII; the original Purple Platypus had only Volume and Drive. Premier Guitar's reviewer called it a useful control, and it is especially handy for taming the harsh edge that octave-up effects can add.
What is the difference between the Octidrive and the Octidrive MkII?
The MkII keeps the original's Volume and Drive controls and adds a Hi-Cut knob for shaping treble. The original Purple Platypus Octidrive was a rare 1990s pedal, discontinued in the late 90s with roughly 120 made. The MkII is the modern reissue, released for 2019 at $149.99.
Who designed the Way Huge Purple Platypus?
Jeorge Tripps, the Way Huge founder and pedal designer, designed the original Purple Platypus and re-released it as the MkII. Tripps also designed the Red Llama overdrive, whose circuit the Purple Platypus shares, and later Way Huge pedals such as the Stone Burner Sub Atomic Fuzz.
What is the model number of the Octidrive MkII?
The model number is WHE800. It was announced in November 2018 and released for 2019, priced at $149.99, as a Way Huge Smallsized pedal carrying the Purple Platypus Octidrive name forward from the rare 1990s original.
Sources (9)
- Way Huge Debuts New Purple Platypus Octidrive MKII, Guitar World, 2018-11-27
- Way Huge Purple Platypus Octidrive MkII: An Antipodean Overdrive/Octaver, gearnews.com, 2018-11-19
- Guitar FX Layouts: Way Huge Purple Platypus, Guitar FX Layouts (tagboardeffects.blogspot.com), 2017-04-30
- Way Huge® Purple Platypus Octidrive MkII, Pedal of the Day (www.pedal-of-the-day.com), 2021-03-22
- Quick Hit: Way Huge Purple Platypus Review, Premier Guitar, 2019-02-13
- Way Huge Red Llama Overdrive MkII Pedal Review, Premier Guitar, 2012-01-25
- Best Tweed-Style Overdrives & Fender-in-a-Box Pedals In 2024, Delicious Audio, 2024-11-13
- Way Huge celebrates 30th anniversary with the Red Llama Overdrive MKIII, MusicRadar, 2022-07-05
- MY FAVORITE WAY HUGE PEDALS, JHS Pedals
