Hmmm.. Compressor, or Sub-Octave?

trb6pJM2 · #1 09-05-2007, 08:25 PM

I've been looking for some effects, and I think I found two that would be great for me, and it's proving difficult for me to decide which one.

http://www.activebass.com/item--MF.155162
Compressor

http://www.activebass.com/item--MF.155164
Sub-octave

I really like the suboctave because then i can well... get a suboctave, and some distortion I like it lol, but... the compressor can be a bassist's best friend.

So, does anyone have any suggestions, one, the other, or just save up and buy both?

JanusZarate · #2 09-05-2007, 08:33 PM

Those two pedals are the bottom of the food chain, you know.

Or at least, pretty damn close to the bottom. You might want to look at other pedals for both instead... and you also might want to read up on those two Ashdown pedals here. We've got a lot of threads about that whole series of pedals.

If the regular search function doesn't yield great results, try using the Google search function instead. It's well worth your time!

In general... a good compressor is far more useful, IMO, but you can generally live without it in non-recording situations. A sub-octave pedal is far less practical, but a good one can make you grin like you've never grinned before.

trb6pJM2 · #3 09-05-2007, 08:38 PM

Yeah, i know they're pretty far down there. yeah, my thought was to save up for a good Suboctave/distortion(er?) lol. My bass teacher and I are really into Octaves (open E and 7th fret A string stuff) and tapping, and i think a good Sub-Octaver could give me a little more definition to my playing.

JanusZarate · #4 09-05-2007, 08:56 PM

Sub-octave pedals generally aren't that great on low notes, though - it's the nature of the beast.

If you're serious about sub-octave, though, and you want a flexible but great-sounding analog pedal, check out the reissue Electro-Harmonix Octave Multiplexer (the new tiny version). It's around $70.00, and sounds awesome! It can be adjusted for smooth, deep tones or dirty, gnarly ones... or even glitchy ones!

The Boss OC-2 is a classic for dirty analog sub-octave tones, and can be found under $60 used. It's another popular option to consider. Everything else I can think of might be above your budget, if you're trying to stay under $100.

For something with much better tracking and cleanliness, you'd have to look into digital pedals like the EHX POG and the Digitech Bass Synth Wah (BSW). The BSW can be found under $70.00.

bongomania · #5 09-05-2007, 09:40 PM

Also, check out my compressor reviews page.

JanusZarate · #6 09-05-2007, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

Also, check out my compressor reviews page.

Of course... how could I forget?!?

KarateKid25 · #7 09-06-2007, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MysticBoo

Of course... how could I forget?!?

Geez Boo... Dropped the ball that time!

speak_onion · #8 09-06-2007, 07:00 AM

I have both of those pedals. The sub-octave is on my board, but I think it will be replaced soon, and the compressor would be on my board if I had a compressor on board.

Sub-Octave- The tone of it is so great. Synthy and filthy and sweaty and gloriously disgusting. I think it outdoes the OC2 in terms of ear-catching and floor-thumping, dirty octave tone. That's about the end of the good things about it. It tracks well on about the first 5 frets of your A string, and otherwise you'll have warbling and glitching (maybe you like that?). No chords. And my big pet peeve is that you can't adjust the level of the clean signal. Only the clean and dirty sub-octaves. I have an EBS Octabass on the way, and I'll be back to report on whether my upgrade was worth it.

Compressor- I think it's good. And while it may be "bottom of the barrel" compared to the Demeter or EBS or whatever, Bongo didn't completely pan it. Since I got my new amp-head though, I find the built in compression is sufficient for me, and I'm happy to have the boardspace back. That's a big complaint about the Ashdown pedals is that they're too big.

Anyway, if I were you I would go play some sub-octave pedals to see if they are what you think they are. Even the best analog octave dividers can't keep up with anything you might play. The dgitial ones (which are more pitch shifters than octave dividers, no?) will probably keep up, but you might not like the tone.