Boss OC-2 Question

ImUncleSam · #1 12-05-2007, 07:48 PM

so I got one of these recently and am just having minor problems with it. So I'm playing an active bass through an ampeg combo and when I play any notes around or lower than the E on the A string I get this sort of distortion that will come in and then cut out. is this normal with the pedal?
where do you guys play on the neck when you are using the oc-2?

rottenramone · #2 12-05-2007, 08:03 PM

u can play around the 9 - 12 frets... they don't work well when u do open strings.

Niff · #3 12-05-2007, 08:28 PM

i always used it when playing up high. you really don't need frequencies an octave below low E..

ImUncleSam · #4 12-05-2007, 08:34 PM

so are you guys saying that it's normal for what ive described to happen?

JanusZarate · #5 12-05-2007, 08:44 PM

If it sounds like I think it does, then yeah. It's normal of pretty much ANY analog octave pedal. Once you get on the lower notes of the A string, and the majority of notes on the E string, clean tone and smooth uninterrupted sustain go out the window. Digital octave pedals like the POG are much cleaner, practically flawless, but they don't have that old-school tone (they do offer a new world of tones, though).

Heck, the OC-2 shouldn't have been all that clean to begin with. It's the OC-2 - famous for its "dirtier", "synthier" sound.

OhThePeacock · #6 12-05-2007, 09:37 PM

Pretty much no octavers can track below an A even...the Micro Pog could be an exception but yeah that's normal. Notes and octave below E would be prettymuch inaudible if it did track that low anyways.

niftydog · #7 12-05-2007, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImUncleSam

...sort of distortion that will come in and then cut out...

Sounds like the synthesised tone jumping octaves - and yes it's normal. There are things you can do to improve it and they are outlined in the manual and also probably on this forum if you have a quick search.

ImUncleSam · #8 12-06-2007, 07:34 AM

thanks for all the info guys!

ImUncleSam · #9 12-06-2007, 05:12 PM

is it supposed to be distorting as high as the fifteenth fret on the A string? playing my fretless through the oc-2 It's distorting at as high as the the twelth fret on my D string. i really love the sound of the oc-2 but the distorting gets annoying

niftydog · #10 12-06-2007, 07:26 PM

Certain things like tone, pickup selection and signal strength make the "distortion" worse. (We call the phenomenon "tracking glitches" or similar.) Playing style has a bit to do with it as well.

On a good day my OC-2 tracks fairly well down to G or A on the E string. Don't expect it to do that for long, sustained notes though.

ImUncleSam · #11 12-06-2007, 08:12 PM

yeah niftydog. im guessing you are playing a passive bass? i've also found that the less attack i use with my right hand on the notes, the less tracking glitches i get. i'll just have to get over this problem since I really love the sound a lot. It's especially fat and electronic when you put the direct bass level all the way down and just get the octaves.

niftydog · #12 12-06-2007, 09:46 PM

Well, it's much the same for both my basses (1 passive 1 active). See, I find that stronger notes make for better tracking, so I pluck quite hard! They are mysterious beasts...

kaputsport · #13 12-07-2007, 05:52 AM

My OC-2 tracks all the way down to low B. Granted, you cannot hear the tone, but it still tracks there.

If your amp is distorting, than it cannot play the octave note clean. Try this. Turn the OCT2 knob down all the way, and the Direct knob up all the way. Now, start at the bottom with the OCT1 knob and play Low E until it is on the verge of distorting.

You will get a clean octave sound, without the distortion...

Or just buy a really big powerful amp and huge cabs!!!

ImUncleSam · #14 12-07-2007, 11:05 PM

yeah wow that's probably exactly what it is- right now im just using a 220 watt ampeg combo amp. I'm not sure how pleased I am with it although it definitely gets the job done. I have GK mb-150 but it somehow got messed up and constantly distorting when i'm using it so I need to get it repaired. I mean right now a lot of my gigs are playing jazz so the mb-150 but maybe it would be worth my while to upgrade to a more powerful amp setup for when I do play louder stuff. anyways i'll try what you were saying and report back.

kaputsport · #15 12-08-2007, 10:07 AM

More power doesn't mean louder. If you have a quality amplifier and cab set up, you can play louder, but you will also sound cleaner at lower volumes.

Get a head with at least 200 watts, and get a 4x10, or a 2x10 and a 15, and you will be shocked at the way you sound.

nuno.ka · #16 12-08-2007, 10:40 AM

My OC-2 tracks pretty well down to G on the E string on my fretless

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTqfVAvFkhc

ImUncleSam · #17 12-09-2007, 08:44 PM

yeah im thinking it's just the fact that my amp setup can't cover some of those real low frequencies. I really am liking the OC-2 though the more im using it.

ImUncleSam · #18 12-14-2007, 11:17 PM

just giving this thread a bump because I'll post some mp3s of what's going on with my pedal because im still not sure if this is normal.