T-Rex Effects introduce Quint Machine, an octave pedal that provides octave up, octave down and fifth up harmonies.
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Including your dry guitar signal, this pedal generates four sounds with each one having independent volume controls. It lets you mix the three harmonies and the dry signal to your preferred levels for various sonic effects.
Looks like T-Rex decided to go the practical route with this pedal, they decided to stick to just one octave up and one octave down. I can’t blame them though because many of the multiple octave options found on other pedals are rarely if not never used. By sticking to just +1 and -1 octaves and equipping the pedal with fast polyphonic tracking, T-Rex was able to avoid the mechanical and cartoonish sounds of higher and lower octaves.
There are four volume knobs found on the pedal. The +1 Octave knob adds a note that is 1 octave higher than what you are playing on your guitar. As you turn up this knob, the octave up volume will also increase compared to your dry signal. Balancing both the dry and +1 octave knob will give you instant 12-string tones, which works because of the pedals polyphonic capabilities.
The -1 Octave knob mixes a note that is 1 octave lower to what you are playing. It works much like the +1 Octave pedal, adding volume to the effected sound as you turn the dial to the right. By turning down the dry signal to zero and maxing out -1 Octave knob, you can produce bass notes that are normally available for bass guitars.
Going beyond the basic Octave functions, T-Rex decided to equip the Quint Machine with a +1 Fifth knob. This one adds a note that is a fifth higher than the note that you are playing, for example if you play an A, the Quint Machine will add an E above the A you’ve played on your guitar. The obvious application for this effect would be creating instant power chords for riff work, and for adding instant harmonies for leads. This knob lets you adjust the volume of the fifth harmony.
Finally the pedal’s Mix knob lets you adjust the overall volume of your dry signal relative to the effected octave and 5th signals. Check out how the new T-Rex Quint Machine performs in this official demo video:
Based on the demo, this can be a great tool for expanding your sound, ideal for adventurous players that want to experiment. The company concludes, “Featuring fast, polyphonic tracking, Quint Machine offers some extremely versatile sonic possibilities for bass, power chords, and even organ-like sounds.“
The Quint Machine Pedal is retailing for $299, head over to T-Rex Effects for more information.
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