MXR Blue Box

The MXR Blue Box is definitely one of the stranger pedals that I've owned. Part octave, part fuzz and part synth pedal, the Blue Box is anything but conventional. According to MXR, the Blue Box combines fuzz with an octave tone two notes below your original note. The thing that separates the Blue Box from other octave/fuzz pedals is it's tracking. The tracking is so random that there is no way you'll be able to predict the result.

At times the Blue Box seems to summon the spirits of old school 8 bit video game sound tracks. Keeping the octave mode (using the blend knob) in check a little more and the Blue Box can coax out some Nine Inch Nails style sonic fuzz.

The MXR Blue Box isn't one of those pedals that you'll have on all the time, but it is definitely useful for when you want to turn on the sonic weirdness. With that in mind, it's best suited for the sonic experimentalists.