Just when guitarists thought the golden age of guitar gear couldn't get any better, Robert Keeley mashed up three classic guitar sounds and added his indelible stamp. The Octa Psi Transfigurating Fuzz Pedal purports to be the ultimate intuitive combination of Pitch Shifter, Octave Generator, and Analog Fuzz. With user-friendly features galore, prepare to have your mind blown. Need to micro-manage the perfect fuzz tone on the fly? Want to strike fear into the hearts of guitar aficionados by unleashing the Devil's Tritone? Look no further.
The Fuzz control section on the right side of the pedal features an On/Off bypass as well as a Fuzz knob that controls the intensity of dirt and offers stacked gain stages. It's all-analog, transistor-based, and includes gain stages that lead to hard clipping. This works in concert with a 3-way Toggle Switch that offers three modes: Scoop, for a standard, scooped fuzz; Punch, which adds boosted bass; and Psi, which discharges "Maximum Overtones." It also has a Level knob that controls the output and an EQ Tone control knob that accentuates brighter or darker sonic colors. Positioned at noon, the Tone control offers a classic scooped sound. Turned clockwise, it delivers a bass cut with more treble and bite. Turning in the opposite direction yields rolled-off treble and increased bass.
The Pitch Control section on the left features a cornucopia of highly musical and pitch-twisted sounds. The Blend knob controls the level of the pitches, as well as intervals and octaves. Pushing this knob down while turning it fine-tunes the intervals. This works in conjunction with the Pitch knob and allows choosing major and minor intervals, as well as octaves up or down. The 3-way Octave toggle switch offers Up for pitching up, Dual, which includes up and down pitches, and Down, which adds muscle mass to the low end.
With a Super Strat plugged into a Bassman clone, the Octa Psi is noise-free and deadly. A wide range of fuzz sounds can be created, from super gnarly to smooth and mellifluous, with just the right amount of compression. Having the ability to dime the EQ is a dream. While the pedal's left side are extrapolations of the Electro-Harmonix Pitch Fork, POG, and DigiTech Whammy pedal, these sounds have been seamlessly integrated with greater fine-tuning options. Precise intervals, chunky octaves, and output blending allow being as crazy complex or as simple as the music requires.
The order of effects can be changed. Switching between True Bypass and Buffered Bypass is effortless, and the effects can be engaged using Momentary and Latching Modes. A Pitch Matrix Chart on the back of the pedal and in the instructions helps you to dial in beefy intervals, while the rear of the pedal includes a Control jack for an expression pedal and a Remote jack for TRS cables and remote operation. Priced at $249, it accepts a 9-volt or 18-volt adapter. Wet/Dry options are also available. Quest Forth... TQ—Oscar Jordan
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