Classic ’70s octave fuzz tones in a smart-switching, pedalboard-friendly design: Beetronics debuts the Octahive V2

Beetronics has unveiled the Octahive V2 – shrinking one of the LA-based effects-maker‘s first-ever pedals into a new Babee Series compact footprint.

Like its predecessor, the V2 is a high-octave fuzz, channeling the sound of classic ‘70s fuzz pedals – specifically, the Tycobrahe Octavia.

This time it’s had a redesign, bringing it more in keeping with the smaller footprints and, more eye-catchingly, the lavish steam-punk aesthetics of the firm’s recent builds. 

It still has the Pre (input volume), Honey (gain) and Master Volume control set found on the original, albeit positioned on the rear panel. However, the octave on/off toggle switch that was formally located on the righthand side of the unit has now been cleverly incorporated into the central footswitch. 

Double-tap the footswitch and you can move between the high-gain Buzzz and Octave modes; holding it, meanwhile, will enable you to momentarily move modes, perfect for emphasising certain parts.

A nice touch comes in the option of three footswitch profiles – fast, medium and lazy – which enable you to choose the speed at which the hold switching engages, ranging from 20 ms to 250 ms.

Finally, as you would expect from Beetronics, it’s all been put together by hand in California. 

The Octahive V2 retails for $199. Head to Beetronics for more information.

It follows the Seabee Harmochorus, a chorus pedal that promised "never-before-heard pitch-shifting modulation" when it launched back in March.