Aguilar Octamizer or MXR Bass Octave Deluxe?

[GrooveWarrior]

I'm thinking about a new Octave pedal, and am interested in the Aguilar Octamizer and the MXR Bass Octave Deluxe. Anyone try both and have an opinion?

Thanks

[Hollow Man]

Do a search. There are numerous threads about exactly this, including a very nice review by Kwesi.

[TXLawDawg]

There's a wealth of information on each including a poll and several detailed a/b's of the two out there. I know because I searched yesterday, read, and found the information I was out to get.

[GrooveWarrior]

I'll look again, but I spent about an hour earlier looking through threads, and didn't see an A/B on them. I saw several about the two separately. I'll try some different search words.

Thanks.

[Stingray_EB]

I dunno from experience but just looking at the Pedalboard thread alone there seems to be alot more MXR's popping up than Aguilars.

[GrooveWarrior]

Originally Posted by Stingray_EB

I dunno from experience but just looking at the Pedalboard thread alone there seems to be alot more MXR's popping up than Aguilars.

I'm using an OC-3 now, and it's not bad, but may be the weak link in my pedalboard.

[jmarnett]

foxrox octron.. look it up. amazing

[jmattbassplaya]

Originally Posted by GrooveWarrior

I'm using an OC-3 now, and it's not bad, but may be the weak link in my pedalboard.

Funny. I thought my BOD was the weak link and I`ve been happy with my OC3 ever since

[GrooveWarrior]

Originally Posted by jmattbassplaya

Funny. I thought my BOD was the weak link and I`ve been happy with my OC3 ever since

It works fine, but it seems a little sterile at times.

[silky smoove]

I've been using the MXR M-288 BOD for a couple weeks and really enjoy it. Between the growl (midrangey, synthy, growly octave) and girth (smooth, wide, deep octave) you can get quite a variety of octave-down tones. Add the selectable mid boost and dry blend control and you've got a lot on tap.

Tracking is great between B (second fret of the A string) and A (12th fret of the A string). Above or below that and it seems to lose its ability to grab onto the correct note as you move further from those reference points and tends to favor some part of the harmonic content other than the fundamental. This might be a problem for some, but that B-A range is where I do all of my octave work anyway, so it's not a big deal to me.

As is the case with any octave pedal that's not polyphonic, some extra care has to be taken with your playing technique. The BOD is no exception. If you get string rattle, accidentally trigger a harmonic, etc. on strings you're not intentionally playing, the BOD will glitch pretty noticeably. Again, this isn't a problem exclusive to the BOD, but it's definitely present and worth mentioning.

All-in-all, a cool sounding analog octave-down pedal that tracks well, is in a small case, has plenty of controls, is true bypass and is pretty affordable.

[pbasswil]

I tried both in a store; I found the tracking on the Aguilar a bit funny. I read somewhere that due to player feedback, they tweaked the tracking after the first production run; I'm pretty sure the one I tried was from after they did that.

I found the MXR worked fine, and tracked at least as well as the Boss and the EBS that I've previously owned.

If I decide to get another one, it'll probably be the MXR. I wouldn't say it necessarily sounds better than those other two, but it has useful extra features -- esp. the mid-range boost.

[jmattbassplaya]

Originally Posted by GrooveWarrior

It works fine, but it seems a little sterile at times.

I can agree with that. The reason I didn`t like the BOD was because it either just had poor tracking or was really sensitive to dead spots I never even knew I had on my main bass. In any case, it had a good tone but I`ll take the reliability and stability of the OC3 over the BOD tone any day (which honestly sounds just like an OC2/3 but with a little more variety).

[mgauge]

Im digging the aguilar one... IMHO

[GrooveWarrior]

Originally Posted by jmattbassplaya

I can agree with that. The reason I didn`t like the BOD was because it either just had poor tracking or was really sensitive to dead spots I never even knew I had on my main bass. In any case, it had a good tone but I`ll take the reliability and stability of the OC3 over the BOD tone any day (which honestly sounds just like an OC2/3 but with a little more variety).

The comment about the tracking from B to A being optimal worries me a little. Tracking has never really been a problem with my OC3. On one of our staple songs, I go from A (5 on the E) to A (14 on the G) with the octave engaged (around 4:15 into the song), and it holds pretty true.

Who knows.

[silky smoove]

Originally Posted by GrooveWarrior

The comment about the tracking from B to A being optimal worries me a little.

Let me clarify what I meant. Keep in mind that your bass and signal path are going to impact these very glitch-free tracking length (rough) estimates:

Open E-F#: Half a second (bad)

G-A#: 4-5 seconds (good)

B-A: Not indefinite, but close enough (great)

A#-E: 4-5 seconds (good, but these glitch in a different way that doesn't really sound like it's moving off the right pitch. Very strange)

Above E: Varies (these notes glitch a lot like the previous range, but will glitch progressively faster than higher up you get on the fretboard).

There's something going on when you start moving above the 12th fret on the neck. I don't know if it's the ratio of fundamental to overtone that's doing it, but something happens up there that seems to bug the BOD, and every other pedal I've tried for that matter.

[DuoSonicII]

+1 for the Foxrox Octron. It kills.

[Smurf-o-Deth]

I hope so, I just ordered one!