Chunk Systems Octavius Squeezer
CHUNK SYSTEMS
Octavius Squeezer
Boasting tons of mental-sounding fuzz, wah, octave doubling and built-in synth effects, the Octavius Squeezer will definitely inject some Chunk into your funk!
Words: D.P. Wilson
After a long period of relative unpopularity, purpose built stomp boxes for bass guitar seem to be coming back into vogue, undoubtedly helped by the likes of Chris Wolstenholme of Muse and the irrepressible funk legend Bootsy Collins. The far-out vibe of Chunk Systems’ Octavius Squeezer perfectly encapsulates the ‘Boutique’ feel of a hand made pedal that is truly wacky, both electronically and cosmetically. Devices like this could inspire bass players who once merely relied on a bass, a lead and an amp to plug into pedal boards to rival those of many guitarists!
Features
Despite sounding like a psychedelic Transformer that juices oranges the
CHUNK Octavius Squeezer
SRP £419.00
All prices include VAT CONT
ACT
Bass Direct T:
01926 886433 W:
www.bassdirect.co.uk
Octavius Squeezer from Australian bass pedal gurus Chunk Systems is actually an all-analogue bass synth pedal. Whereas true guitar synthesis requires extra MIDI pick-ups and the like, this Octavius Squeezer is a pukka old-school pitch tracking analogue synthesizer that could also be considered a multi effects units thanks to its Fuzz and envelope filter circuits. All of the audio is processed in the analogue domain, the digital software is the bit that allows you to store presets and create editing menus that would otherwise need masses of knobs. Two knobs (with push buttons) flank the LCD display and the two footswitches whose role can be assigned between, bypass, preset up/down, tap tempo and the built-in tuner! The front edge of this industrial-looking pedal includes a cover for a 9-volt battery (I would still recommend a mains PSU) and a slot for a standard SD memory card for storing presets or uploading firmware updates from Chunk Systems as they become available. The unit also operates in true bypass meaning that when switched out none of your sound goes through the circuitry of the pedal, guaranteeing that your clean sound remains just that.
Sounds
Octavius Squeezer comes with 30 pre-programmed tones that offer
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www.playmusicpickup.co.uk SHOULD I BUY ONE?
This is a cool and unique sounding pedal marred somewhat by the clunkiness of its interface. However, if you want these cool sounds, this is the only pedal I know that’ll give them to you. Nevertheless, part of me almost wishes that Chunk Systems would add more controls, making the Octavius Squeezer altogether more usable and ultimately more fun.
THE GOOD BITS: Great choice of BIG tones. Good build quality.
THE NOT SO GOOD BITS: Awkward to program.
multiple variations of Octave, Fuzz, Envelope Filter, and Synth or any combination of these effects. The fuzz is utterly uncompromising, unleashing a grinding, teeth rattling fuzz that itself often sounds synth- like. The envelope filter has so many options it must be amongst the most flexible out there but needless to say it’s a Funkateers dream. The modus operandi of the Octavius Squeezer, however, has really got to be that great sounding synth: Fat, buzzy, funky, industrial… I could go on all day but you get the picture. What I would say though is that you really do have to adjust your playing so that you play very accurately. However after a while you do naturally adapt your playing style and you can also mix your original bass sound back in with the effected sound. Programming your own sounds
is where the Octavius Squeezer falls down somewhat. Programming a pedal with two push-button knobs feels akin to trying to decorate your house through your letterbox! Cycling through the different editing options requires repeatedly pressing the left hand knob and then turning the said knob when you arrive at the parameter you want to change; one too many presses and you’re cycling through them all again. With so little apparent intuitiveness to the programming, you really need to know what sound you want before you start programming, which kind of cancels out the likelihood of stumbling over unexpected new sounds via a happy accident. If you are willing to put the time in I am sure you would get there and create some great sounds but you will need to invest the time. PM
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