Roger Mayer’s bekanntestes Pedal. 1967 entworfen und zu hören auf
den Jimi Hendrix Songs „Purple Haze“, „Fire“, „Little
Wing“ etc. Abhängig vom Spiel kommen die verschiedenen Eigenschaften
des Pedals nach vorne. Am bekanntesten ist der „Pfeifton“ von Jimi
Hendrix. Neben dem Originalton ist ein weiterer Ton zu hören, der
eine Oktave höher klingt. Das Octavia klingt wieder total anders wenn ein
Fuzz davor geschaltet ist. Der Effekt ist am besten hörbar bei Positionsspiel über
der 7. Position der Gitarre. Jimi Hendrix benützte dieses interaktive Pedal
viel in Kombination mit Fuzz und WahWah.
ROGER MAYER WEDGE SHAPED OCTAVIA/OCTAVIO 1968-1969 MODEL SHOWN ABOVE:
There is a lot of misinformation out there on the web and on the forums with
all kinds of people claiming to make a better clone that this one or the other.
If you want the truth and are interested to know please read on and learn the
truth from the man who invented the Octavia / Octavio.
First thing to clear up is why two names Octavia and Octavio. The answer
is simple I always called the boxes Octavia but Jimi and a few others called
them Octavio. The boxes were never labelled by me and the exhibit in the EMP
Museum in Seattle has been labelled by someone else to read Octavio (SEE PHOTOS
OF EMP EXHIBIT ABOVE).
I would like to take this opportunity to set Octavia history straight once
and for all.
1.The Octavia / Octavio sound was first heard on record in the solo of "Purple
Haze" and this solo was recorded on Feb 3rd 1967. I first met Jimi on
Jan 11th 1967.
2. The actual Octavia used on these first recordings did not have the same
circuit, type of transformer or enclosure the wedge shaped pedal in Hendrix
display EMP has, as this exhibit was manufactured at least 20 months later.
It did however use elements of an electronic configuration that could be
considered pivotal. This first unit can be considered as Octavia Evo1.
3. This Evo1 unit used germanium transistors and a ferrite transformer and
also had limited drive capabilities. It was used in the recording of "Purple
Haze" and "Fire" with another custom driver in a separate enclosure
that also used germanium transistors. This driver was placed in front of
Evo1 to give enough drive and extra EQ to satisfy Jimi and produce the sound
you hear on the recordings.
4. After the Purple Haze / Fire session recordings Evo 1 was never used again
in it's original form and I consigned it to the trash bin.
5. It then became obvious that both a driver section and the Octavia section
should be combined into one box.
6. The path of development and understanding through experimentation by Jimi
and I was continuous and fast like in F1 Motor Racing and in the space of
less than a year at least 15 variations and evolutions had been produced.
7. These units were used by Jimi and not housed in a wedge shaped box. Some
only had a life of a week or so as we both learned and experimented and moved
on. It can be thought of as racecar development throughout a season. Maybe
the same chassis configuration but lots of component changes.
8. Later in 1967 after we began recording sessions for the second album "Axis
Bold as Love" which used the latest evo of Octavia on several tracks and
if you listen carefully the clarity and detail of the Octavia effect was
much more defined. Of course at the same time I was updating, building and
customising the distortion units to compliment the latest evo of Octavia being
now used.
9. At the end of 1967 I designed the wedge shaped enclosure that was manufactured
by my fathers electronic company and only 5 or so examples were made.
10. The latest evo of the Octavia were then housed in these new wedge enclosures
and still used germanium transistors and ferrite transformers. They however
had a DPDT foot switch which the previous versions did not have which were
primarily designed for studio work and not suited for touring.
11.Visually the first wedge boxes used different knobs than the example in
the EMP Museum and this identifying factor makes indentification easy to
see which series of pedals they are without even looking inside for confirmation..
12. I went on tour to the USA with Jimi from Jan 30th 1968 until April 19th
1968 where the first wedge shaped Octavia was used on a few special gigs.
We did not use it everyday owing to fact they custom made and could not be
replaced as I was on tour as well. Having gear stolen from the stage was a
real problem every night. We never lost an Octavia though. Jimi and I kept
the Octavias save with us at all times.
13. After the winter 68 tour in the USA I returned to work at Olympic Studios
having left the Admiralty Research Laboratories to start a new career designing
and manufacturing recording studio consoles and associated outboard equipment.
I of course still kept in close contact with Jimi and the Octavia development
continued on. I was also meeting lots of other famous musicians and bands
that came to the Olympic Studios who also expressed a desire to have access
and own an Octavia example.
14. It became obvious that a more rugged type of Octavia using silicon transistors
and iron type audio transformer would be needed for rugged stage use. The
use of low noise silicon transistors was an improvement in temperature stability
over the germanium type. The iron laminations construction of the audio transformer
did not have the high frequency detail of ferrite type but overall construction
was more rugged and not subject to breakage from dropping. Ferrite core material
can be damaged more easily than iron laminations.
15. At the end of 1968 I decided to build a limited run of 5 or so Octavias
and 5 Distortion Pedals all housed in the wedge enclosure.
16. EMP and Tychobrahe derived clones.
All the clones I know come from this later series of pedals.
This latest series Octavia configuration used a driver section comprising
of complimentary NPN PNP low noise silicon transistors driving a commercially
obtained iron audio driver transformer. The biasing used for these units
were also varied to provide evos that were designed for up to 24V operation
for recording studio work to a version that would use an internal 9 Volt
battery.
This series of pedals used the type of knobs you can observe on the EMP example.
17. These units were completed in early 1969 and went to guitar players like.
Syd Barrett - Pink Floyd Steve Marriot - Small Faces, Peter Frampton - Small
Faces. Keith Relf - Yardbirds and Jimi of course.
18. In May 1969 I went to live in New York City with my new married American
wife and started Roger Mayer Electronics building and designing studio equipment.
I also had taken a few of the remaining 10 pedals with me to New York. I
of course was still in contact with Jimi and the development of the Octavia
continued. The aim now was to get rid of the transformer altogether and Jimi
and I got together at the Record Plant and Hit Factory to play with the latest
evos and distortions I was developing.
19. After Christmas 1969 I get a call from Jimi saying he needs an Octavia
for his upcoming gig News Years eve at the Fillmore East as all his ones
were gone missing. Luckily I had an Octavia and distortion left from the 10
I had made earlier that year and took these to rehearsal for the "Band
of Gypsys" concert.
The results can be heard on the album on tracks such as Machine Gun etc.
20. 1970 saw Jimi really busy but I still caught up with him in the studio
and showed him the latest version of the Octavia and new devices coming along
when he visited New York.
21. In October 1970 whist working with Stevie Wonder at Media Studios I hear
of Jimi's death. The session was immediately cancelled and everybody was
very sad.
22. The Rocket version of the Octavia is the latest version connected with
Jimi and does not use a transformer but represents the last of the development
program helped and inspired by Jimi.
23. This is the reason I have never myself made a replica wedge box or indeed
ever claimed that the Rocket Box was used was on "Purple Haze" or "Fire".
The wedge box EMP has was never used on these records and was made at least
20 months after the fact. A wedge box made in 1969 was used at the BOG concert
but was not exactly the same as the EMP one.
24. The spirit of the Octavia sound lives on and the latest version the Vision
Octavia is an evolution inspired by my memories of Jimi and his music .It
is a version I believe Jimi would have loved.
25. The Tychobrahe clone or more correctly put innaccurate copy was based
on a 1969 variation of Octavia for 24 Volt operation and this type was copied
from the example Keith Relf had.
So the fact is I think if you want the best and most versatile Octavia sound
buy a new Rocket or Vision Octavia because if in my opinion I believed the
transformer version was better I would surely be still be using them today.
I would obviously reissue my own design if that were the case. By definition
a clone is an actual replica of the original not some copy made from a circuit
drawing found on the web and of dubious origin. I will never reveal the inaccuracies
I have found in the web published schematics and all the clones are not clones
but copies with basic flaws.
"ANYWAY YOU LOOK AT IT I DESIGNED THE ORIGINAL"
Roger Mayer.
