Ok, so you have eight effects pedals which you use regularly. You use various combinations of these pedals in
various songs, but you are not good at tap dancing…or you are just clumsy and have stepped on the ultra
tricked out-metalized-distortion pedal for the lead in your one ABBA cover. You have seen the digital effects
controllers they use on the big stages and have secretly yearned for one, even though you may never make the
big stage? Enter Thomas Guldmann’s Octa-switch. Your eight effects plug into the eight effects-loops on the
back of this unit (all true-bypass, impedance free gold relays so you can run any of your pedals, new and old
without problem), and then by turning on or off the numbered switches in each of eight DIP Bank switches, you
determine which effects you wish to use simultaneously in each Bank. There is a blue LED for every effects loop
used and for each Bank (so once you are programmed, when you step on Bank 6 you will see the lights of all
the effects you have assigned to Bank 6 and the Bank 6 LED). Once you have each Bank programmed, we
recommend placing a piece of scotch or electrical tape over each DIP (….just to protect the switch from damage
or floods….like beer). There is a buffered (or not….switchable) Mono input and a stereo Output, and the unit is
powered by dual 9v batteries, or by a regulated power supply (we recommend the Carl Martin Big John Power
Supply.
On the front right hand side you find the on/off switch with a red LED to
indicate when the unit is 'on'. To extend battery life always switch the unit
off, when not in use.
Then by turning on or off the numbered switches in each of eight DIP Bank
switches, you determine which effects you wish to use simultaneously in
each Bank. There is a blue LED for every effects loop used and for each
Bank (so once you are programmed, when you step on Bank 6 you will see
the lights of all the effects you have assigned to Bank 6 and the Bank 6
LED).
Please note, the DIP switches are slide type, NOT push down. They are
easily easily operated with a small screwdriver, a pen, or a very very small
finger..
There is a buffered (or not….switchable) Mono input
On large stages when running long connected cables, there is a definite
drop in the high end of your guitar sound (more or less depending on the
input impedance of your amplifier). The solution according to Thomas was
once again ‘simple’. He built in a buffer circuit at the input, so the user can
choose between 100% true bypass, or buffered bypass to ‘beef’ up the
signal.
Loop 8 offer a mono send and a stereo return on a stereo jack plug, with left
at the jack tip and right at the jack ring.
The Octaswitch has stereo outputs, and a stereo return on Loop 8 (this is a
stereo jack with tip-left and ring-right). Since stereo effects like choruses are
placed at the end of your effects-chain, we would typically insert them in
Loop 8. You will only achieve stereo output (with signal on left & right
channels) when you have the stereo return connected in loop 8. When there
is no stereo pedal engaged, there is no signal in the right output.
Example on normal single amp operation
Example on mono dual amp operation
Use a Y-cable in left output with 2 mono and 1 stereo jack, connect Tip & Ring to (+)
Example on dual amp/stereo operation
Use a Y-cable from the stereo unit to loop 8 return, left on ring and right on tip of the stereo jack.
Please notice that there is only full stereo operation with signal on the right output when there is a stereo pedal
in loop 8, and loop 8 is engaged i.e. a stereo chorus, to maintain output on both L/R also without the chorus
effect, you have to bypass the effect on the chorus pedal.
When there is no stereo pedal engaged there is no signal at the right output.
Example on mono operation with mute and tuner out
Connect a tuner to i.e. loop 2 send, and nothing in the loop return, select i.e. program 8 with only loop 2
engaged, this way you mute the system while getting signal to your tuner, without the signal passing through the
tuner.
Specifications:
Size:
Weight:
Power:
510x135x55mm
2,3Kg
2x9V, Battery life aprox. 20 hours with average use, it can be used with external supply
9-12V regulated.
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