Bassic Review – Seamoon FX Octatron and Funk Machine Pedals

The controls are also sensitive to adjustment, as you can see in my video. Listen to the settings where I created a sub-like depth on my passive bass, and also how I dialled in a sweet spot by cranking the Freq and Depth for some Bootsy quack. Subtle playing yields gradual, vocal shifts, while aggressive picking makes the Funk Machine spit some nasty, aggressive wah. The toggle switch at the top of the pedal engages an onboard boost preamplifier. When this is enabled, more gain extends the filter’s effect making for a sharper sound.

Under the pedal cover, I noticed two internal controls not mentioned in the enclosed manual, so I asked Seamoon about them. They responded very quickly with an explanation. I’m also pleased to say that they promptly furnished me with an updated version of the manual, with a pictorial guide for said controls. The first is an input pad, should you find your instrument clipping the Funk Machine. No issue, here, with my low-output Precision. The switch is set to bypass as factory default. The small trimmer pot is to adjust the gain for the preamplifier (engaged by the aforementioned toggle switch), should you find that you need more gain, because the filter is not pronounced enough. It is set to unity as a factory default; the best place to start. I felt that I didn’t need to move these from the default position for my bass, but you may find that hot output instruments, or when the pedal is used with other sources, tweaking to taste may be needed.

Whether you’re going for tight disco bass lines or psychedelic jams, the Funk Machine inspires seriously funky playing with its organic, dynamic envelope effects. I actually had to cut out footage from my video as I jammed away for some time with these two effects!

Octatron Analogue Octave Pedal

One look at this glowing nebula pedal and you know you’re in for a treat! The cosmic graphics hint at psychedelia, but Octatron’s all-analogue design and signal path takes your bass signal on a different kind of trip, bringing the deep bass, one and two octaves lower.

It has four key controls, clockwise from top left:

1. Dry – Blends your direct bass sound.
2. Sub Filter – Adds extended low end, from rounded to pronounced. Dial to taste.
3. Two Octave – Goes two octaves down for massively low sub-bass.
4. One Octave – Drops one octave down, filling out bass frequencies.

The Octatron gives you the controls to balance fat octave tones. The clean blend ensures your fundamental bass sound isn’t lost, or, at the other end of the dial, removed all together, for brilliant analogue synth-type sounds. Separate octave levels let you tune your bass rig to the resonant frequencies of the universe, or assist you in locating the “brown note” with earth-shaking sub frequencies. Ha ha!

A bit about Octave pedals in general:

The circuitry in any analogue octave divider pedal will have tracking limitations; it’s just how it is if we want that tone. It can’t compete with the digital domain for pitch accuracy. However, many players prefer the vintage warmth and tone analogue provides over some digital counterparts. The Octatron stays clean and articulate at lower control positions, and delivers bowel-loosening rumbles at higher levels – oozing old-school vibes. As I mentioned above, the one thing that makes the analogue octave tone stand out is the octave sound, alone. Take some time to pull back the dry direct signal altogether and the bass stops sounding like a bass. It’s hard to describe the sound: warm, organic, synthy. In fact, bassists like to pair this setting with a gated fuzz and maybe an envelope filter to crush the bass sound and have it react more like the keys of an organ.
The sub EQ adds weight and fills out my bass tone in a musical way, too – I’d leave it on all the time! But kick the Octatron into overdrive for massively meaty dub bass, as octave layers rumble forth.

And, if all this wasn’t enough, Seamoon’s packaging is just as eye catching! Colourful era-inspired graphics on each of the pedal boxes stand out against the sea of brown pre-fab shipping boxes in the mass-production market. Inside, Seamoon provide a simple one-page manual, so users won’t get bogged down with the technical side of things. Each pedal comes in a soft drawstring bag with the Seamoon logo embossed on the outside. More treats await us in the form of a logo sticker and engraved plectrum. My favourite touch, a Seamoon casino chip to match the pedal, too!

Built by Pedal Pioneers

Neil Jason’s legendary career speaks for itself, while Ben Fulton’s two decades of design expertise place him firmly among the top pedal pioneers. The name you may recognise from Red Witch Analog (amongst others) with quite a following of major artists like Steve Vai, Steve Lukather and Andy Summers from The Police. I think it’s safe to say that the electronics and design are of the highest quality, built with years of knowledge and experience behind them.

Each pedal exhibits the highest level of quality in sound, design and construction. These are pro-grade effects made to stand the test of time, not budget toys. Premium analogue guts, sturdy metal enclosures, and solid footswitches. But most importantly, the Octatron and Funk Machine deliver inspiring tones that will hopefully make you a better bass player. These pedals capture the elusive magic of vintage funk in a reliable, gig-ready format.

The pedal shells are metal and on inspection, the electronics inside are neatly laid out with tidy, quality soldering. The pedals do not take batteries but run off your standard ‘pedal power’ adapters, 9VDC, with a 2.1mm plug. The Funk Machine draws just 13mA

The Bottom Line