New Non-BOSS Pedals

[laurie]

All of these pedals look spectacular. Congrats!

[Pepe]

Thank you! I was happy to see the CS9 becoming beautiful again. It was very, very dirty.

[Pepe]

A few days ago I bought another KORG KOT401 Octave V module for the PME-40X pedal system. Some of you might know that this certain model is one of my absolute all-time favourites. Had this been created as a stand-alone pedal instead, it would have a massive cult-following these days. But since it necessarily requires the KORG PME-40X or Yamaha PSE-40A pedalboard (or a self-built adaptor) it isn't as well-known to most guitarists and musicians out there.



Due to its five channels with each selectable and adjustable distortion, it is a little box of sounds aplenty.
1. You can use it as a standard octave effect.
2. You can add distortion to your input signal while you use low octaves in clean mode.
3. You can do it the other way round.
4. You can also simply use the normal input signal with distortion.
6. You can use the low octaves only, with enormous volume, great sound and superb dynamics that simply cannot be compared with the weak sound of 5 BOSS OC-2.
6. You can do the same with added distortion for punchy low drones.
7. You can add the 1.5 Oct Down for pitch-shifter like sounds (19 semi-tones below the original note, creating fourth sounds).
8. The 1 Oct Up is a very clean octave up fuzz with lots of wonderfully weird overtones when played polyphonic.
9. You can add distortion to the 1 Oct Up and instantly step on '70s octave up fuzz territory.
10. Combine it with the normal (distorted) signal or the low (distorted) octaves to achieve ultra fat lead sounds.
11. You can use it as a simple noise gate.
etc.

With all these options available in this tiny format it is no wonder why the circuit is crammed with components. It is completely analogue. And the fabulous tracking works down to the low E of a bass guitar! I don't know any other analogue octaver that can do that. The designers at KORG must have had the ambitious plan to build the most perfect octave effect. I say: Mission accomplished! And up to this day there is nothing like the Octave V. Neither a digital (not that I know of, that is) and definitely not an analogue device. This box of wonders is a unique and great working breed.

Right now I have four of them, which is absolutely insane, because they are very, very rare. The newest addition to my insane collection (that I have to thin out one day) didn't only come with the original blister packaging and the manual, it has also never been used before! It must have been hiding in some showcase for many, many years. The packaging has become very brittle, apparently it was exposed to lots of artificial light. The slider knobs are also a bit discoloured. But apart from that, a light scratch and a small nick this unit is in pristine condition. Some sliders were crackling, but that was no problem for my cleaning skills.

It had two price stickers on it. The newer one (which seems to be from the '80s or early '90s) says "Sonderpreis DM incl MwSt 215,00" (special price 215.00 DM, including VAT). The original smaller price sticker with very faint lettering (you can see it in the picture below, on the manual) says "DM 405,00". 405 Deutsche mark! That was really expensive in 1984! I have never seen original price tags for the single modules, but I suspect that the Octave V was the most expensive one. For good reason!

[bigtone23]

Really like the Ken Skeleton pedals. Super cool!

[Pepe]

I just received an Akai D1 Shred-O-Matic! Around 2002 or so we had this pedal in the music shop that I used to work in. I liked it a lot back then and even twenty years later I think that it is a cool machine!

It has a real 12AX7A tube inside. You can choose the tube sound, a diode distortion or combinations of these two. The treadle can be used as a volume pedal (in effect on mode only), thus creating lovely violin sounds, or you can control the gain with it. Very neat design and awesome sound. It's a keeper!

[laurie]

Nice score. That thing is a beast.

[Pepe]

I have also had the AKAI Variwah one-and-a-half years ago. Sadly it didn't provide the wah (or filter) sound that I prefer, otherwise I had kept it. But the Shred-O-Matic is very versatile and I like the basic sound of it.

[bigtone23]

That looks to be a really cool, versatile dirt pedal!

[Pepe]

A few days ago I received another beauty, an Ibanez DSC10 Digital Chorus:



It arrived in very dirty shape and I was surprised how clean it was in the end. It works perfectly and it sounds really good, especially with the Color knob in the "warm" region. Sadly, the stereo mode does only provide an inverted signal, as most stereo chorus effects do*, otherwise it could be a keeper.

PM me if you are on the search for this pedal from the legendary Ibanez 10-series!



*Negative plus positive effect signal, each at 100% on the left and the right side result in a spacious sounding stereo effect, but this method is not mono compatible. The more you pan the signals towards the middle position, the effect signal becomes more and more inaudible. Both effect signals combined as a pure overlayed mono signal makes the chorus effect vanish completely so you can only hear the bypass sound, even at the most extreme effect settings. Exceptions that I have are the BOSS DC-2 and the RCE-10 that don't provide inverted signals for the stereo option only.

[laurie]

Nicely rescued! Would never know it had been filthy.