Old Blood Noise Endeavors IOTA Vintage Yellow

Old Blood Noise Endeavors' first true instrument

Old Blood Noise Endeavors is often associated with pedals that can almost be played like instruments. With IOTA, the brand takes this concept a step further: this sequenced sound generator produces its own musical material, which you can then send through your pedalboard. Designed by Andy Othling and handmade in Oklahoma, USA, it places melodic creation at the heart of the playing experience.

A different approach to composing, from pedalboard to studio

IOTA is aimed at musicians who want to explore synthetic arpeggios, repeating patterns and sustained pads. Ambient, electronic music, post-rock or experimental creations: it can become an additional voice in an arrangement, a foundation for improvisation or a source to transform with your delays, reverbs and distortion.

Its format remains familiar to pedal users, but its approach encourages you to think in terms of notes and rhythms. The twelve illuminated buttons let you directly modify a root note, chord or sequence. In the studio or on stage, the presets and foot controls make it easy to move from one idea to another.

A bank of notes that becomes a playground

The mode selector assigns different functions to the twelve buttons. In Root mode, a single button defines the root note. In Scale mode, several buttons select the chromatic intervals from that note: the first represents the root, while the twelfth represents the major seventh. Selecting 1, 4, 8 and 11 therefore creates the notes of a major seventh chord.

The Scramble function shuffles their order and keeps this new arrangement until it is deactivated. Each time it is reactivated, it creates a different order. The sequencer adds options for playback direction, speed and range across five octaves. Skip introduces rests according to sixteen patterns or a random probability; Hold repeats the previous note without advancing through the sequence.

Swing delays every other note, while Glide stretches pitch transitions all the way to continuous portamento. Bend adds synchronized vibrato, at a rate of one cycle per note. The envelope features mix, duration and shape controls to make the level of each note rise, fall or rise and then fall.

The auxiliary footswitch can trigger notes manually, act as a tap tempo or scroll through the presets. An expression pedal can control several potentiometers simultaneously, with heel and toe positions stored for each preset. MIDI provides synchronization, root-note selection via note messages and parameter control via CC.

The sound

At the center of the OSC control's range, IOTA delivers a smooth sine wave. Toward the left, the sound becomes more harmonic and mid-focused; toward the right, it takes on a bitcrushed color inspired by chiptune. The Noise control adds white noise, up to completely replacing the oscillator, while remaining filtered according to the note being played.

The playing feel here depends on programming and control gestures rather than picking attack. A short envelope creates detached patterns; gliding transitions establish smoother movement. In stereo, the notes can alternate distinctly between left and right, while mono operation keeps them centered.

Technical specifications

Effects	Sound Generator, Synthesizer	Type	sector
Format	Pedal	Use	pedalboard

Model	IOTA Sequenced Tone Generator.	Swing	delay applied to every other note.
Brand	Old Blood Noise Endeavors.	Glide	adjustable pitch transition up to continuous portamento.
Design	Andy Othling.	Bend	vibrato with up to a semitone of depth, with one cycle per note.
Manufacturing	handmade in Oklahoma, USA.	Built-in presets	12 slots, accessible via the buttons in Preset mode.
Musical sources	note sequences, arpeggios and drones.	Presets accessible via MIDI	up to 127.
OSC control	sine wave at the center, harmonic waveform centered on the midrange toward the left, bitcrush texture toward the right.	Global Overrides	locks selected settings to the physical positions of the controls.
Noise control	blend of white noise, reaching white noise only at maximum.	Switching	soft-touch footswitches.
Noise filtering	follows the played note.	Footswitch behavior	short press for latching, long press for momentary operation.
Mix control	adjusts the envelope's effect on the volume.	Auxiliary functions	manual note triggering, tap tempo or preset scrolling.
Length control	envelope duration equal to one quarter, one half or the entire sequencer period.	Expression	simultaneous control of multiple potentiometers, with heel and toe positions saved per preset.
Shape control	rising, falling or rising-then-falling envelope.	Factory reset	hold both footswitches for ten seconds.
Note interface	12 illuminated buttons and mode selector.	Audio output	mono or stereo.
Root mode	selects one root note at a time.	Stereo placement	alternates notes between left and right or keeps them centered in mono.
Scale mode	selects multiple chromatic intervals from the root note.	Expression connection	jack for an expression pedal.
Interval markers	button 1 for the root note, button 12 for the major seventh.	MIDI connectors	input and output via a 3.5 mm TRS Type A mini-jack.
Scramble	randomizes the order of the intervals, retained until deactivated and reshuffled each time it is reactivated.	MIDI functions	clock, note messages for the root note, CC messages for all controls and preset access.
Sequencer range	five octaves, from 5 to 60 notes.	MIDI transmission	relays messages to other MIDI devices.
Direction	ascending, descending or up-and-down.	USB-C port	firmware updates.
Rate	adjustable speed from almost stationary scrolling to very fast scrolling.	AC adapter	available as an option, not included.
Subdivisions	seven values, from quarter-speed to four times speed, accessible by holding the auxiliary footswitch.	Required voltage	9 V DC.
Skip	16 fixed patterns for omitting triggers, plus adjustable random probability.	Current draw	250 mA.
Hold	retriggers the previous note without advancing through the sequence.	Power connector	2.1 mm.