Octave Down · One-off prototype
The Cat's Pajamas
One knob, one stomp, one very distinguished cat. The Cat's Pajamas is a sub-octave box with a glitchy, gated, 8-bit streak — it drops your signal an octave and smears it with lo-fi videogame grit. Built on the Parasit Studio 8-Bitar circuit and dressed in a tarot-card wizard cat.
- TypeOctave down / sub-octave (8-bit voiced)
- ControlsOne knob — Volume / Level
- CircuitParasit Studio 8-Bitar
- Power9V DC, center-negative
- StatusAvailable — one of a kind
⚠ Fine print from the void tap to expand / collapse
Not guaranteed new, not guaranteed to be any specific “clone,” and not even guaranteed to be from this universe — it might be cursed. What it definitely is: hand-built, one-of-a-kind, and straight off my bench. It's worn out its welcome here and it's time it found a new home — imperfections included.
Hand-built and one of a kind — and I stand behind it. Stops working within 30 days → full refund or free repair (I pay shipping back to me); free repairs anytime after that. Full returns & repairs terms »
What it does
The Cat's Pajamas is an octave-down pedal — it takes what you play and generates a note an octave below it, then filters that through a deliberately crunchy, lo-fi circuit. The result is that unmistakable 8-bit, chiptune-ish rumble: gated, glitchy, and a little unstable in the best way.
It tracks cleanest on single notes — bass lines, riffs, and leads pick up a fat synthy sub-octave underneath. Feed it chords or let notes ring into each other and it fractures into sputtery, gated glitch artifacts — squelchy, retro, and full of character. Roll the knob back for a touch of grit under your dry tone, or crank it for full 8-bit chaos. It's a minimalist, one-knob design with a big personality.
Demo
Demo video coming soon — it's on the bench being filmed.
Controls
- Volume / Level
- The single knob sets how much of the octave-down effect comes through — from a subtle gritty layer under your signal up to full, gated 8-bit sub-octave.
- Footswitch
- True-bypass on/off — out of the signal path entirely when it's off.
Under the hood
| Circuit | Parasit Studio 8-Bitar — a minimalist octave-down design |
|---|---|
| Core IC | CD4069UBE CMOS hex inverter |
| Transistors | 2N3904 + 78L05 voltage regulator |
| Enclosure | Compact hand-painted box — blue/pink/purple splatter with tarot-card cat artwork |
| Power | 9V DC, center-negative (standard pedal supply); no battery |
| Bypass | True bypass, 3PDT footswitch |
| Build | Hand-soldered and finished by Onion Madder — a one-off prototype |
Circuit design: Parasit Studio 8-Bitar. Enclosure art, build, and finish by Onion Madder. “8-Bitar” and “Parasit Studio” are used for identification only.