Octaves Polyphonic Stereo Octaver

If you play guitar or bass, you should also have an octaver pedal (this is our belief at least). Why? Because octave effects can transpose the incoming signal in truly wonderful ways. The Shift Line Octaves is our vision of what this kind of effect is all about.

The pedal generates four polyphonic octaves (2 up and 2 down) from the incoming signal. The fully fledged stereo path offers individual channel processing and allows you to use the Octaves anywhere in your signal chain. The device also has 2 filters for tone shaping, while some of the algorithms also feature an overdrive effect. The modulation section animates the sound, which is then spatially expanded by the stereo section.

The Octaves has 22 algorithms which include classic octavers, organ-like sounds, polyphonic octafuzzes and octadrives with a clean blend.
The pedal was designed with guitar and bass in mind, but you’re free to use it with any other instruments! Just like all the other stereo effects in our line-up, the Octaves can save 33 presets and allows you to control parameters externally.

The Octaves has multi-function controls: each knob and switch can have several purposes. The primary functions are printed in bold. Secondary functions which can be accessed by holding down the TAP / ALT footswitch are printed on the pedal with a border (and printed here in italics). The ones which can be accessed by holding down the ON / DETUNE footswitch are underlined. In this text, each function is marked by the same principle.

Tweaking a secondary control function has no effect on the primary control function value, and vice versa. The primary and secondary functions are independent from each other, but only the latest one you’ve tweaked will have a physical representation (because they are controlled by the same knob or switch).

The dry signal doesn’t go through any AD/DA conversion, so it doesn’t get delayed or affected in any other way. The Octaves uses active bypass and VCA-based dry/wet mixing; this eliminates extra noises when turning the pedal on.

The Octaves can be set up not just as a poly octaver pedal but also as a modulation, distortion or filter effect (or even all at once!). To achieve this, a “digital clean” signal is used. Technically speaking, this signal is already processed so it’s different from the “analog clean”. The main tone which is processed but not transposed is called the ROOT. If you disengage all octave signals, the ROOT (“digital clean”) signal will still be affected by the pedal’s parameters. However, this is just one of the many use cases for the Octaves.

Sometimes you might want to leave the incoming signal completely unprocessed and to mix it with octave signals in various proportions. In this case, the X-MIX knob is your friend: it controls the cross-mix between the “analog clean” and wet signals. Turn the knob fully CCW to hear the fully dry signal which isn’t digitally processed by the pedal. Turn the knob CW to start mixing the “analog clean” with the wet signal. This gives you precise control over the signal mix, allowing for parallel signal processing.

For a start, we recommend turning the X-MIX knob fully CW, setting up the wet signal however you like, and only then adding some unprocessed signal back to the mix (or not adding it at all – whichever way works for you!). If you want to process the incoming signal the same way as the octave ones, you can always use the ROOT signal.

The bottom right knob of the Octaves controls the wet signal modulation section.
The pedal has three modulation parameters: RATE, DEPTH and STEREO.

Use the RATE knob, TAP footswitch and BEAT switch to set the modulation rate. The resulting rate is equal to RATE * BEAT (or TAP * BEAT): the RATE knob and TAP footswitch set the base rate in quarter notes, which then gets altered by the BEAT switch. The latter allows you to turn quarter notes (*1) into dotted 8ths (*0.75) or quarter triplets (*0.66666). You can also set your own tap division values through the config file. The TAP LED displays the set LFO rate.

In most algorithms, the range of the RATE knob is 60 to 0.0416(6) seconds (0,01666(6) – 24 Hz); the set rate can be altered via the BEAT switch.
The TAP footswitch and the RATE knob have the same effect on modulation rate, which is determined by the control that has been used last.

The pedal allows external control over modulation rate via MIDI or analog triggers.
Please see the External Parameter Control section for details.

The DEPTH knob controls modulation depth. Turn it fully CCW to disengage the modulation section; however, some algorithms use the delay section as an indispensable part of the sound, so you’ll hear it even when the modulation section is off. The Octaves has multiple modulation effects: flanger, chorus, modulated delay, phaser and tremolo (including per-voice tremolo). The DEPTH knob sets modulation depth for any effect present in the currently selected algorithm.

The STEREO knob simultaneously affects the right channel’s LFO phase and the micro-delay section. Both of those can help you get a wide stereo signal even from a mono signal source. The micro-delay section keeps working even if the modulation section is off, creating a “small space” (ambience) effect.

Set the STEREO knob fully CCW to have the LFO phases perfectly in sync. Set it to 12 o’clock for a 180-degree phase offset. In the fully CW position, the phase is offset by 360 degrees. This allows you to control signal panning across the stereo field. Keep in mind that phase offset values can be different from 0 in various elements of the signal chain; this means that the STEREO knob will either “expand” the stereo stage or move the elements to different positions in the stereo field, depending on the program.

The terms “algorithm” and “program” are used in the Octaves’ interface.

• An Algorithm is one of the 22 sound-processing algorithms bound to memory slots 1-22. Algorithms have fixed positions and are placed in the OC and FX banks. Their positions correspond to the PROGRAM knob values (see the Algorithms section for details).
• A Program (patch/preset) is the full set of parameter values for an algorithm along with that algorithm’s number. Programs are saved into the pedal’s memory. Note that the first 22 programs are bound to algorithms through the PROGRAM knob values, while the UD bank’s programs can be saved along with the selected algorithm to any of the slots 23-33.

Upon power-up, the pedal reads all program settings from memory, and all saved settings are restored. This way, the Octaves can be seen as a collection of presets accessed via the PROGRAM knob. The loaded program settings might not be reflected through the physical interface, but changing any parameter will automatically prompt the interface to update and save that value.

The Octaves allows you to change programs via the CTRL input. By default, the CTRL input is set to receive MIDI (Channel 1). You can change the MIDI channel and other parameters via the Setup Mode (without having to connect the pedal to a computer).

The Octaves has 22 effect algorithms split into two banks:

• The OC bank has 11 classic octave effects.
• The FX bank has 11 experimental octave effects.

The UD bank allows the user to place 11 algorithms in any order.

The Octaves has 33 memory slots for programs. The programs are split into 3 banks of 11 slots each. To select the bank, set the BANK switch to the desired position:

• UP: UD (User Defined). The LED above the ON footswitch lights up in magenta. This is essentially a “favorites” bank which contains programs and algorithms saved by the user in any order. The first program of the UD bank is also the Quick Access program.
• CENTER: FX (Effects). The LED above the ON footswitch lights up in red. This bank contains experimental octave effects. The positions of this bank’s algorithms cannot be changed.
• DOWN: OC (Octaves). The LED above the ON footswitch lights up in blue. This bank contains classic octave effects. The positions of this bank’s algorithms cannot be changed.

Turn the PROGRAM knob to select a program within a bank.

The positions of this bank’s algorithms cannot be changed.
When using MIDI control, this bank responds to PC 00-10 (as noted in brackets).
If your MIDI controller uses 1 as the index for the first PC command, this range is shifted to PC 1-11.

The positions of this bank’s algorithms cannot be changed.
When using MIDI control, this bank responds to PC 11-21 (as noted in brackets).
If your MIDI controller uses 1 as the index for the first PC command, this range is shifted to PC 12-22.

This bank contains user-selected programs (and their respective algorithms) arranged in any order.
Each of the programs can be altered by the user (including changing the algorithm). When using MIDI control, this bank responds to PC 22-32 (as noted in brackets).
If your MIDI controller uses 1 as the index for the first PC command, this range is shifted to PC 23-33.

The pedal’s interface implements the Quick Access function, which allows you to quickly recall the first program in the UD bank. This way, you can instantly switch between the currently selected program and the first memory slot of the “favorites” bank. If you find yourself using a particular program very often, it’s a good idea to save it as the first program in the UD bank: this way, you can swiftly recall it whenever you like.

To recall the Quick Access program or to exit from it, briefly press the ON footswitch twice. If the LED above the ON footswitch glows green, it indicates that the Quick Access program is active. If the Quick Access program has been recalled but the pedal is in bypass, the ON LED flashes repeatedly: this way you can tell which settings will be used once you turn the pedal on.

Saving a program to the Quick Access slot is done in the exact same way as saving any other program (please see the Program Management section for details).

You can set the CTRL input to control the Quick Access function. To do that, enter Setup Mode or change the settings in the USER.SET config file. You can also disable the Quick Access function¨through the main UI. Please see the support page for details regarding Quick Access configuration.

The CTRL stereo input allows you to set up external control over the pedal’s parameters. It has several operation modes:

1. Passive controller (normally open momentary button). This mode controls the pedal’s footswitches (TIP — TAP/ALT, RING — ON/CMD).
2. MIDI (Type A) control over all parameters. This mode is selected by default.
3. S-trigger. “Short circuit trigger”, analog trigger/gate with the same polarity as the pedal’s. This is the recommended trigger type. The TIP contact controls the TAP function. Use only TS (mono) cables for this mode.
4. V-trigger. “Voltage trigger”/”positive trigger”, analog trigger/gate with polarity opposite to the pedal’s. If no external signal is coming into the CTRL input, the ALT LED will light up and some of the pedal’s functions will be inactive. Those functions become active as soon as the control signal is connected. The TIP contact controls the TAP function. Use only TS (mono) cables for this mode. Use this trigger type if you have no S-trigger source or if you prefer V-triggers for other reasons.
5. Passive expression pedal. This mode allows you to control one of the pedal’s knobs (RATE by default) via an expression pedal. Expression pedals with TS connections are recommended.
6. Passive controller (normally open momentary button) or analog S-trigger. The TIP contact controls the Quick Access function, while the RING contact controls the TAP function.

Please see the support page for details regarding CTRL configuration. 

LEFT IN / RIGHT IN: 6.3 mm, mono, unbalanced, 1 MOhm input impedance. LEFT IN is the main mono input.
LEFT OUT / RIGHT OUT: 6.3 mm, mono, unbalanced, 100 Ohm output impedance. LEFT OUT is the main mono output.
CTRL: 6.3 mm, stereo. Accepted control sources: normally open momentary button, MIDI Type A, 5 V analog trigger (S-Trigger/V-Trigger), passive expression pedal (TS or TRS, 10-25 kOhm).

Power: 2,1/5,5 mm, negative tip.

• 9V DC 200 mA.
• 12V DC 160 mA.

The pedal can’t be battery-powered.
Use a regulated PSU only.

Dimensions (LхWхH): 110х104х56 mm (4.3x4.1x2.2”).
Weight: 350 g (0.77 lbs).