Raccoon Audio’s OctoWah Stew is a free dual octave enhancer with wah and an introduction to the mischievous raccoon.
As a new developer, Raccoon Audio aims to stir up trouble, revolutionize your sound, and do it all under the guise of a loveable rogue raccoon.
Raccoon Audio calls OctoWah Stew the “perfect blend of minimalist design and sonic excellence,” the minimalist design element of that description might get a little lost when you see the retro-gaming-style graphic display of Kyle being dangled over a cauldron by the cheeky raccoon.
You could argue that the video game element is gratuitous, but how else would you know that the effect is maxed out unless you see Kyle perilously close to the boiling stew?
I’m joking, of course, and while the imagery is fun, it doesn’t distract from the task at hand in any way. If anything, it adds personality, and if you’re a fan of retro video games like I am, you’ll love it.
The real minimalist design the developer refers to is the few but powerful, intuitive controls.
It starts with the Octave knob; the control transitions through a single octave with subtle overdrive to a second, deeper octave to fatten your tone. This control also determines Kyle’s fate.
The Tilt knob allows you to shape the sound (or season the stew with bass or treble). Tilting to the left introduces low-end warmth, and to the right brings high-end punch.
The octave effect is a favorite of many guitarists and synthesists who want to add rich harmonic layers to their tone without compromising the defining sound, and OctoWah Stew does that well.
OctoWah Stew goes a little further than some while providing intuitive control over harmonic content; it adds the wah effect to create something very different. The wah effect has three levels and becomes more prominent as you push the Octave knob.
OctoWah Stew is a fun, interesting, and, most importantly, sonically pleasing debut release from Raccoon Audio. I’m keen to see and hear what comes next, and as for Kyle, I fear he may be running out of time.
Which reminds me, iZotope’s Neutron Elements 5 is free until December 31, 2024; don’t run out of time!
If anyone is wondering how Kyle found himself in such a predicament, the raccoon kicked his ass in the woods, apparently, I don’t know why.
OctoWah Stew is available in AU and VST3 formats for macOS (10.13 and higher) and Windows (7 or higher).
Download: OctoWah Stew (FREE)
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