10 Best Octave Pedals of 2024

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This is it! You’ve finally made up your mind to add an octave pedal to your guitar effects pedals lineup. You’re ready to follow in the footsteps (no pun intended) of some of the greatest musicians of all time.

You’ve heard Hendrix and Page’s iconic heavy riffs, or maybe Johnny Greenwood and Matt Bellamy’s out-of-this-world tones and want to add that same quality to your sound.

As you probably know, octave pedals dramatically change your tone in a number of ways. But with so many great companies making excellent-quality octavers, how can you even begin to make a choice? Well, we’re here to help you pick out of all the pedals, the best octave pedal for your unique sound!

Our #1 pick for the best octave pedal is the Electro-Harmonix Micro POG. This octaver packs the punch of a much larger octave pedal in a small package, is very user-friendly, and can give you great versatility of tones.

The right octave pedal will boost your sound without drowning it in unwanted noise and fuzz or leaving you bankrupt. So let’s dive right in so you can fast-track your way to fat guitar tones with these powerful pedalboard additions.

1. Best Overall – Electro-Harmonix Micro POG

SPECS

• Type: Digital
• Effects: Octave Up, Sub Octave, Mix
• Dry out: Yes
• Bypass: Buffered Bypass

The Electro-Harmonix Micro POG (polyphonic octave generator) occupies the top spots on most lists of the best octave pedals and for good reason! The original POG is an award-winning pedal, renowned for its flawless polyphonic tracking. It is also a very versatile pedal The EHX Micro POG packs up all that perfect tracking and smooth polyphony into a smaller, simplified, pedalboard-friendly design.

One of the biggest issues with octave pedals is their tendency to glitch out when you try to play more than one note at a time (like a power chord). The Micro POG’s polyphonic super fast tracking ensures that you can play chords, arpeggios, or single notes without having to worry about it glitching out in the middle of a mind-blowing solo.

The Electro-Harmonix Micro POG can also transform your guitar sound into a 12-string, a bass, or even a church organ. Its controls couldn’t be simpler. The Sub-Octave knob adds a lower octave, the Octave-Up knob dials in one octave up, and the Dry knob controls the blends of the effect. These three simple parameters give you complete control over your sound, where you can blend a mix of all three for a full-bodied tone, or even remove one of the octaves for a more intense effect.

2. Best Octave Pedal Under $150 – Boss OC-5

SPECS

• Type: Digital
• Effects: Octave
• Dry out: Yes
• Bypass: True Bypass

Boss pedals have been at the forefront of the music industry for decades. The original Boss OC-2 sound is one that guitarists and bassists alike came to depend upon since its introduction to the market in 1982. Its successor, the Boss OC-3, was hailed as the world’s first true polyphonic octave pedal and became wildly popular in its own right. The Boss OC-5 takes the best features from its two predecessors and combines them into one of the best octave pedals out there.

This octave pedal allows you to switch between two modes: Vintage and Poly. Vintage mode delivers a spot-on recreation of the OC-2’s iconic mono sound, now with an improved response courtesy of its flawless tracking engine. The OC-5’s Poly mode is an enhanced version of the OC-3’s, which adds a bass sound to power chords and open chords, the extent of which can be controlled by the Range knob.

Another great addition to the OC-5 is the new octave-up effect, available in both Vintage and Poly modes. The octave-up pedal effect can be used on its own to create faux 12-string sounds and unique, fuzzy solo tones. You can also blend it with the octave-down effects for super-fat, impenetrable tones.

3. Best for a Big Budget – Digitech Whammy 5

SPECS

• Type: Digital
• Effects: Octave, Pitch Shifter
• Dry out: No
• Bypass: True Bypass

The Digitech Whammy pedal has been an integral part of modern music for the last 20 years. Now in its 5th generation, the Digitech Whammy 5 features all the classic elements that made the original so legendary, but with a whole new set of updates that really take it to the next level, making it another of the best octave pedals you can get.

The Whammy’s main control knob can be turned to various settings, which are divided into three main sections. The Whammy settings are for pitch shifting, from the iconic Dive Bomb at three octaves down, to two octaves up, stopping at several intervals in between, like 5ths or 3rds, making this a pitch shifter pedal too. The Harmony settings add a second tone to your original signal and allow you to blend between two different tones. Finally, the Detune setting does just that: it detunes your signal, which can go from shallow to deep.

Another excellent addition is the Classic/Chords toggle, which takes you from the classic, warbling whammy sound, to a functionality that processes chords very smoothly, without any glitching. Its iconic expression pedal gives you full control over your pitch shifting, ranging from slow and subtle to fast and wild.

This pedal is built like a small tank and can take up quite a bit of space on your pedalboard, but it is absolutely worth it.

4. Best Value – TC Electronic Sub ‘N' Up

SPECS

• Type: Digital
• Effects: Octave
• Dry out: No
• Bypass: True Bypass

The TC Electronic Sub ‘N’ Up features the latest in polyphonic pitch technology. This means you get lightning-fast note tracking and impeccable hi-fi octave tones when playing chords. It can turn your guitar tone into a shimmery 12-string ring or a mammoth synth-style tone with no problem.

The Sub 'N' Up octaver offers three blendable octaves with individual knobs for an optimal experimentation experience. It also has dry control for an added layer of control and flexibility.

What makes the Sub 'N' Up outstanding though, is the incredible amount of control it offers to allow you to create your own soundscapes. You can access hundreds of pre-programmed sounds created by artists by downloading Sub 'N' Up patches. If you want to take it a step further, you can even create your very own presets with TC's revolutionary TonePrint smartphone app and software.

5. Most Unique – Walrus Audio Descent

SPECS

• Type: Digital
• Effects: Octave, Reverb
• Dry out: No
• Bypass: True Bypass, switchable to Buffered

Walrus Audio is renowned for creating beautiful pedals that produce sound effects that are unlike any other pedal in the market. This incredible legacy means the Descent is not just an octave pedal – it's a creative experience.

While this pedal was created mainly as a reverb pedal, the Descent has three reverb modes that can be wonderfully enhanced with its one-octave-up and one-octave-down capabilities.

The Hall mode is a classic reverb sound that can move your signal from a small-room-echo to a haunting, endless hall echo.The Reverse mode smoothly flips your signal to playback unique responses and can be manipulated with pre-delay time controls. The Shimmer mode is where the Descent’s octave feature really shines, though. You can mix your dry signal and -1, and +1 to create a symphony of dreamy, melodic sounds.

The Descent also can store user presets which can be saved to the pedal’s internal memory for later use. Finally, this pedal comes with an input for an expression pedal for added ease of blend control.

Experimentation is the name of the game with Walrus Audio’s Descent. If you can dream it, you can play it.

6. Best Octave Pedal for Beginners – Behringer Ultra Octaver UO300

SPECS

• Type: Digital
• Effects: Octave
• Dry out: No
• Bypass: True Bypass

The UO300, like all of Behringer’s entry-level pedals, is ideal for musicians who want to dip their toes into the world of effect pedals for the first time. Its simple design consisting of a stomp pedal and three adjustable parameters makes this hands-down the best phaser pedal for beginners.

To kick things off, the Range control specifies whether you want to add beef to the high, middle, or low frequencies. Then, the Direct knob allows you to dial in the preferred amount of your original sound, and finally, the OCT 1 and OCT 2 controls add in the lower octaves.

The UO300 isn’t just great for fattening up guitar riffs – it can add incredible beef to your keyboard and bass guitar too!

While many may scoff at the simplicity of this compact pedal, we’re certainly not complaining. You can get all you’re looking for in an octave pedal at an incredible cost with the UO300.

7. Best Analog Octaver – Earthquaker Devices Tentacle

SPECS

• Type: Analog
• Effects: Octave
• Dry out: No
• Bypass: True Bypass

Let’s take a little break from digital octave pedals, shall we? As far as analog octave pedals go, you really can’t go wrong with the Tentacle. Unlike all other octave pedals on this list, this no-nonsense pedal features not a single knob—a simple footswitch is enough to channel this pedal’s magic.

The Tentacle’s classic analog octave-up effect is the very same sound from Earthquaker Devices’ beloved fuzz pedal, the Hoof Reaper. This is what makes the Tentacle a really good octave pedal to pair up with other effects pedals, especially those that add a good amount of fuzz.

This pedal also features Flexi-Switch Technology—a relay-based, true bypass switching style that allows you to simultaneously use momentary and latching style switching. Tapping the footswitch once activates the octave effect, then tap again to bypass. For momentary operation, hold the footswitch down for as long as you’d like to use the effect. Once you release the switch the effect will be bypassed. Pretty cool, huh?

8. Best Bass Octave Pedal – EBS OctaBass Blue Label

SPECS

• Type: Analog
• Effects: Octave
• Dry out: No
• Bypass: True Bypass

Swedish manufacturer EBS offers us one of the best bass pedals on the market today: the OctaBass Blue Label. The quality and character of the octave tone, as well as the precision and speed of the tracking, are nothing short of outstanding.

The OctaBass Blue Label’s Range switch lets you focus the tracking either higher up or lower down your fretboard, all to match your playing style and needs. Its seamless tone control enhances the palette of sounds, from bright tones to delightfully massive octave effects. This versatility is what makes it ideal for mid-range bassists and guitarists who want to add power to their tone.

This compact octave pedal pairs up wonderfully alongside a distortion pedal, especially for low-end riffs. And feel free to play as fast as you like—the OctaBass Blue Label’s tracking is out of this world.

9. Most Versatile – MXR Poly Blue

SPECS

• Type: Digital
• Effects: Octave, Pitch Shift, Fuzz
• Dry out: No
• Bypass: True Bypass

There is a lot going on in MXR’s Poly Blue octave pedal. It has an incredible octave range of two octaves up and two octaves down, each with its own knob for added control.

Its built-in fuzz is deep and intense, inspired by the MXR Blue Box. Its modulation knob has two distinct tones depending on whether you’re using poly or mono mode.

And speaking of the Poly Blue’s monophonic mode, when engaged it takes you back to the gritty, monophonic tones of analog-style pitch shifters with its warm vibes that match perfectly with the built-in fuzz.

As if that wasn’t enough, you can also plug in an expression pedal for more precise control of your unique octave sound.

10. Best Range – Electro-Harmonix Pitch Fork

SPECS

• Type: Digital
• Effects: Octave, Pitch Shift
• Dry out: No
• Bypass: Buffered Bypass

Don’t be fooled by the Pitch Fork’s simple design! This octave pedal has an insane three-octave range that can make your 6-string guitar sound like a 12- or 18-string and can even emulate a potent synth. It’s when you add an expression pedal that this mind-blowing versatility really shines, though! By shifting your foot one way or the other, you can shift from shimmery strings at the top, to a massive bass at the bottom.

Its impeccable tracking allows you to play as fast as you want without having to worry about your octave sound glitching out on you.

And don’t think you have to stick to octaves with the Pitch Fork. Unlike other octave pedals, the Pitch Fork can shift your note up or down by any interval you want, not just multiples of 12.

Finally, a Blend knob controls the mix of the dry signal with the effect tone, so you decide how much or how little of it you want.

Best Octave Pedals Buyer's Guide

How An Octave Pedal Works

The concept of an octave pedal is fairly simple: an octave pedal takes the note you’re playing and then shifts it an octave up or down, depending on the desired effect. Most octave pedals allow you to either blend the two frequencies and play them alongside each other, or remove the original tone entirely.

Some octavers can shift your tone by multiple octaves. Adding lower octaves can fatten up your sound, while higher octaves give it an otherworldly sizzle.

Polyphonic vs. Monophonic

From the words mono—meaning one—and phonic—meaning sound, we can get a pretty good idea of what monophonic octave pedals do. A monophonic octave pedal can only process one note at a time, which means that it does not work well with chords.

Trying to play chords through monophonic octave pedals can cause them to “glitch out”, producing some crazy sounds that a lot of the time come across as unwanted noise.

But keep in mind that the earliest octave pedals were all monophonic! And many talented musicians made the most out of these crazy sounds, incorporating them into their legendary solos. Jimi Hendrix, for example, made this effect famous in songs like Purple Haze.

On the other hand, polyphonic octave pedals—poly meaning “many”—can process multiple notes at a time without the aforementioned glitching.

Most modern octave pedals are polyphonic, since they truly opened up a world of possibilities of what octave pedals can do.

They also provide dual outputs, allowing two-piece bands and singer-songwriters to add intense bass notes to their sound.

Some polyphonic octavers also have both a “monophonic mode” and a "polyphonic mode", offering you the best of both worlds.

Monophonic or polyphonic, it’s all about the sound you want to create!

Reasons to Buy

There’s no denying that octave pedals provide a unique sound to any setup. Their octave-down setting in particular is a great way to add some punch to your solos, making your riffs sound fat and intense.

They can also be used to mimic a variety of instruments, from a 12-string guitar sound to a church organ and everything in between. From fatter lines to otherworldly experimental sounds, octave pedals can make your music truly stand out.

Reasons to Avoid

For many people, octavers can seem like a one-trick pony. Although the effects you can produce with an octave pedal are unique and versatile, they aren’t really heard outside of rock or metal.

They can certainly enhance a solo, turning it into something out of this world, but not everyone needs or wants this effect in their sound.

Again, it’s all about the sound you want to create! So asking yourself if an octave pedal will enhance your music or hinder it is an important place to start.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the difference between octave pedals and pitch-shifting pedals?

All octave pedals are pitch shifters, but not all pitch shifter pedals are octavers. While they both work essentially the same way, the difference between the two is that a pitch shift pedal allows you to change your original note by any interval you want, not just by octaves.

So, while octave pedals shift your notes by 12, 24, or 36 notes, a pitch shifter can move it by 5, 7, or really any number you want.

You can use pitch-shifter pedals to create notes that harmonize with each other, which is why pitch-shift pedals can be more difficult to use than octave pedals—you need to know which notes fit together well.

Which genres can octave pedals be used for?

Octave pedals can show off their incredible capabilities best in rock and metal.

Where does your octave pedal go in the signal chain?

There are no set rules as to where your guitar pedals should go in your chain. As with anything in music creation, it's all about experimenting with different positions to see what you like best.

Having said that, you might want to start off by placing your octave pedal near the beginning of your signal chain, before any modulation or drive pedals to ensure a nice clean signal for your pedal to work with.

Conclusion

And there you have it! Armed with all this knowledge, hopefully, you have a better idea of what the best octave pedals in the market are. But most importantly, you will know which one is the best for you.

Maybe you fell in love with our top pick, the Electro-Harmonix Micro POG, for its impeccable tracking, user-friendly interface, and true polyphonic octave effects.

Or maybe you prefer the pure and clear analog tones and no-nonsense design of the Earthquaker Devices Tentacle.

If you don’t want the same sound that every other guitarist is using, you will definitely want to go for the Walrus Audio Descent’s dreamy soundscapes.

Whichever pedal you use, we’re sure you will be able to create heavy riffs that would make Hendrix proud!

Photo Courtesy Sweetwater