JHS Pedals Double Dragon Lo-Fi Octave Device

You know how sometimes you can tell a pedal is going to sound wicked rad just by looking at it? That’s how I felt about the JHS Pedals Double Dragon Lo-Fi Octave Device, which we’re going to look at today. Octave pedals with more than 2 knobs are always intriguing, and the lineage that this yellow beast is inspired by is the who’s-who of octave creations. The fact that my daughter has been obsessed with dragons for the majority of her life doesn’t hurt things, either…let’s see what this baby can do!!

The Double Dragon Lo-Fi Octave Device is built on shoulders of 40-50 year old analog octave divider technology — the same technology that gave us the MXR Blue Box, DOD Octoplus, the Boss OC-2, Ibanez OT10, Electro Harmonix Micro-Synth, and other circuits that synth designers helped inspire. Pre-DSP. Pre-precision. All analog warmth. Play single notes and you have a riff machine. Play a chord and the circuit starts to stutter, jump, and fight itself, making something new. It’s not trying to replicate you perfectly — it’s trying to play along with you.

It’s alive!

Grab a Double Dragon from our friends at Sweetwater: https://sweetwater.sjv.io/dya96Q

The Double Dragon is an all-analog monophonic octave-down and up effect. The lower octave is the foundation — thick, analog, with the characteristic behavior that made vintage octave circuits legendary. The upper octave is pure bonus: an octave-up distortion that lands somewhere between an Octavia and a Superfuzz. Gritty. Usable. With a mid-range sting that cuts through the mix. Turn on the Double Dragon and you can’t help but start playing riffs. Your guitar feels twice the size. You fill out the space that used to need a band.

I love the 2nd footswitch for adding in that extra octave up and distortion when you want it – it really makes the Double Dragon Lo-Fi Octave Device one of the more versatile octave pedals I’ve had the pleasure of playing. Also, I love that you can still make useable sounds when you play chords, unlike a lot of octaver effects out there – granted, they’re weird and wild, but they seem a lot more controllable and fun, as opposed to a giant glubby, flurby, irritating mess. Thanks to JHS Pedals for sending this quirky and awesome machine over to me to check out – grab one for yourself at Sweetwater, and head to the JHS website for more info!!