Octobans are one of TAMA's first original instruments and have been used by a diverse group of progressive players including Billy Cobham, Simon Phillips, Stewart Copeland, Bill Bruford, Mike Portnoy, and Tim Alexander.

Instead of relying on changing drum diameters, the pitch of each Octoban differs according the length of the drum's shell. The 6" diameter shells can be tuned melodically and are available in low-and high-pitch sets.