Roger Mayer Octavia VS Tycobrahe?

[bwanasonic]

I am interested in making the earlier RM version of the Octavia. I have the schematic from fuzzcentral and it looks a very close relative of the green ringer. Most DIY sites seem to feature the Tycobrahe incarnation. Maybe I haven't looked around enough. The transformerless RM version seems a lot friendlier to my limited skills, and easier to stick in a small enclosure. Besides, it's what Jimi used! Anyone here compared the two types? Any advice/ experience appreciated.

Kerry M

[Mike Nichting]

The RM is a milder Ocatve/fuzz than the Tycho octavia.
If you think it would be easier to start with the RM then do that and build the Tycho later on. You will enjoy both of them.

Good luck,
mike

[JohnM]

The RM was my first effect and I like it.  You'll get the Purple Haze sound.  I haven't built the Tyco, but my impression from sound clips is that the RM is smoother/more tame.  If you want something crazy, go for the Foxx Tone Machine - my personal favorite (and I bet Jimi used it, too, for that matter).  (Or you can just by a Danelectro French Toast pedal for ~$20).  The FTM has a cool, fuzz-only mode, too.  When playing, the Octave is most pronounced with neck pickup and/or w/treble rolled off your pickup.  Have fun!  -John

[petemoore]

I have the Fox Tone Machine in a Nice boxx.  Gets thick fuzzy octave. Very good and pretty easy.
 The Tychobrahe [what a name[ Octavia is just getting siggnal to pass now for me gotta do some studying on the tranny's and get some 1N34's [using 1N914 for testing] and see what it does then...right now it's 'werking' but gating etc.
 I built a flimsy Bobtavia [it kinda 'fell' apart..scavenged]..ringier [IMO] and cool 'ghosty' octave! EZ build w/ LM386 [I think] and Radio Shack transformer.

[Rodgre]

If you want something crazy, go for the Foxx Tone Machine - my personal favorite (and I bet Jimi used it, too, for that matter).

My favorite as well, but I doubt Jimi used one... Foxx didn't really happen until after he died, if I recall. Same with the Big Muff. Someone back me up here....

The Foxx Tone Machine is probably the most versatile Octafuzz circuit, because it can do straight fuzz, which sounds great too, and you can clean it up for more of that "Purple Haze" cleanish octavia tone, or you can crank it full out for sick smashing pumpkins uber fuzz.

Roger

[BILLYL]

I HAVE BUILT BOTH THE FOXX TM AND THE Tychobrahe.  THE TYCHO DESTROYES SOUND - MY SON CALLS IT THE DEATH MACHINE.  BUT THE FTM IS MY OVERALL FAVORITE.

[Stuart]

The Tycobrahe version is actually the earlier circuit. Supposedly, they copied one of Roger Mayer's early Octavias, which was taken to them for repair by Noel Redding.

The "rocket" RM Octavia has a cleaner sound than the Tycobrahe Octavia, but RM has said that the one they copied was supposed to work on 24V, not 9V. If you run it on 24V it will have more headroom and you'll find it produces a much cleaner octave.

[JohnM]

My favorite as well, but I doubt Jimi used one... Foxx didn't really happen until after he died, if I recall. Same with the Big Muff. Someone back me up here....
Roger

I'd be curious to know (although I doubt it's possible).  There's a track on the Experience 4CD set that really sounds like an FTM.  You *need* to hear it if you haven't.  It's "Hear My Train A Comin'"  Disk 3 Track 3.  I guess it could be the RM Octavia...    :shock:

[MartyB]

The two I've built are the Tychobrahe and the Foxx Tone Machine.  I like them both, but have been thinking about building the RM Octavia.  The Tycho is, to me, 'sound destructive' as somebody else said.  It's got a cool sound - just not Jimi.  The FTM has a stronger octave effect but has alittle too much distortion/fuzz with the octave setting to sound like JH, at least in my version.  I've been able to soften the sound at the cost of some volume by using germanium transistors, and making one substitution in one of the diodes.  Been after that Purple Haze-Fire-F :roll: oxyLady sound. But you know, I keep thinking, "whatthe hellbusinessdoihavetryingtosoundlikeJimiHendrix ?".  Ya know what I mean?    :roll:

[Ammscray]

I've always thought the RM was tame and never thought it sounded like Jimi at all...we may never really know what he used...when recording Electric ladyland he would often use homemade pedals from people that would drop them off at the studio...Dan Armstrong said there were boxes of them around...

I never believed the story about Tychobrahe ripping the design of RM either...they bear no resemblance to each other really...the RM design looks to me to be devised from the earlier japanese octave units such as the Univox Uni-fuzz, super-fuzz, etc which were around as early as the early 60's and way before RM...

BTW, Tycho Brahe was a noted Danish scientist who observed stars with his homemade instruments way before the telescope was invented, and he was as accurate with his findings as anyone would be today with modern equipment...

My fav is the Tyco for "band of gypsies" stuff, although the FTM is awesome too for over the top mayhem, the only problem is that it doesn't cut through a mix live like the Tycho does...

[swt]

if you are going for the r mayer, you should take a look at stuart site, as his got some correction to the schem you are talking about.

[SeanCostello]

I have commercial versions of both the Roger Mayer Octavia (in the cool spaceship) and the Tychobrahe (in the form of the Fulltone Octafuzz). My impressions:

- The RM is much smoother and cleaner. You can get an octave sound with less distortion than the Tychobrahe, and you won't get much of a "gating" sound in the sustain. With the drive turned up, you can get a really gritty octave distortion, but still smoother than what the Tychobrahe puts out.

- The Tychobrahe sounds INSANE. With the drive at max, the attacks of notes seem to "go away," as if they are choking from the intensity of it all - then they blossom into a wonderful wall of sound. The clean sound doesn't seem to be as nice, but I didn't spend much time in that sonic space with the Tychobrahe.

It seems like the Tychobrahe would be easier to make. BTW, I traced out the Octafuzz many years ago and sent the schematic to people; some of the schematics out there are corrected versions of what I traced out. Ideally, the Octafuzz is truly a straight clone of the Tychobrahe, as it was advertised.  My guess is that there weren't any "innovations" in the Octafuzz design, except a substitution of parts that were available at Mouser for the parts that were available in the 1970's.

Sean Costello

[jsleep]

The Company was named after Tycho Brahe, but watch your spelling and look at an original, the company name is Tycobrahe, no "ch".  Maybe they had the same problem with this name as Ridder Assoc had with "Octive" on the Foxx Tone Machine. :roll:

JD

[Rodgre]

Maybe they had the same problem with this name as Ridder Assoc had with "Octive" on the Foxx Tone Machine. :roll:

JD

By same problem, do you mean illiteracy? :shock:

Roger

[Ammscray]

The Company was named after Tycho Brahe, but watch your spelling and look at an original, the company name is Tycobrahe, no "ch".  Maybe they had the same problem with this name as Ridder Assoc had with "Octive" on the Foxx Tone Machine. :roll:

JD

I know how to spell the name sir thank you, I don't know about anyone else who misspelled it bit I referred to it that way on purpose...notice the "tyco" at the end...and thanks for confirming that the company was named after him... :roll:
what's your problem?