How do use your octaver? Anybody go WAY low?

**bassybill** · #1 05-03-2010, 01:54 PM

I've had one for a few years now, in both multi FX and my Digitech BSW (which does a great job in this role, incidentally).

In the past, I've always used it whilst playing in the mid-to-upper range of the instrument (say, C on the A string and above) with a good proportion of the wet signal mixed in. But just recently, I've taken a liking to playing down pretty low - say, bottom G - with just a tiny, barely noticeable amount of the really, really low frequency wet signal added.

You can't really hear the sub-octave distinctly, but somehow you can feel it and the sound gets pretty beefed up in an almost subliminal way. It's a fantastically cool effect, I think, and hopefully the very low amplitude of the very low frequencies - down to 24 Hz for the G - won't wreck my drivers too quickly (I hope). It's only a tone below the bottom note on a piano, after all.

EDIT - I do understand that there won't be a lot of the lowest fundamental in the signal, but I'm still cautious because doing this obviously increases the LF content of what gets to my cabs.

Darkstrike · #2 05-03-2010, 02:01 PM

I never really go lower than the open A string, E 5th fret, this very slight, very low sound though, seems interesting, I must give it a try!

**bassybill** · #3 05-03-2010, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkstrike

I never really go lower than the open A string, E 5th fret, this very slight, very low sound though, seems interesting, I must give it a try!

Do it! It's very cool, gives me a stupid grin on my face every time.

But take care not to blow your drivers - any audible farting out is a bad sign, listen carefully to what your cab tells you.

trainwrecker · #4 05-03-2010, 02:08 PM

upper-range only like you Bill, c note on the a string and higher.. I need to try what you're doing and see if it works.

trainwrecker · #5 05-03-2010, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassybill

But take care not to blow your drivers - any audible farting out is a bad sign, listen carefully to what your cab tells you.

what kind of amp/cab set up are you using, Bill?

Darkstrike · #6 05-03-2010, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassybill

Do it! It's very cool, gives me a stupid grin on my face every time.

But take care not to blow your drivers - any audible farting out is a bad sign, listen carefully to what your cab tells you.

Of course, but I should be fine, I use a SS half stack thats way overpowered for my needs, I'm keeping the volumes much, much lower than it can handle.

**bassybill** · #7 05-03-2010, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trainwrecker

what kind of amp/cab set up are you using, Bill?

I use a Markbass 210 combo with a 115 extension cab on gigs and my older, very very heavy rig - Hartke 5000 with two 210s and a 115 - at home for practice. Both rigs seem to handle this okay with the careful approach that I said.

Bish42 · #8 05-03-2010, 03:11 PM

I frequently go down to low G with my OC-2 set at about 60% wet signal. I go through a GK Neo-115 and never have any probs.

Any lower than G seems a bit glitchy though.

warwick.hoy · #9 05-03-2010, 03:41 PM

From time to time I purposely go into glitch territory with a completely wet signal,....OCT.1 all the way up,...DIRECT LEVEL and OCT.2 all the way off. Couple that with the glitchy decay setting on an OLC Chunky Cheese (#4) and into an envelope filter and I can produce this watery blurby sort of effect. It's great for creating sound scapes and walls of sound and generally get dirty looks from the soundman or bartender.

I play a 500 watt SS amp (that I set the gain very carefully to not clip) through 1000 watt 4ohm cab and have never had any blown drivers.

Happynoj · #10 05-03-2010, 04:09 PM

I use my OC-2 purely for getting synth sounds, so it's Oct 1 at 100%, and Dry and Oct 2 0%.

Darkstrike · #11 05-03-2010, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happynoj

I use my OC-2 purely for getting synth sounds, so it's Oct 1 at 100%, and Dry and Oct 2 0%.

Hmm, this idea is also relevant to my interests, I might have a few questions for you later...

Happynoj · #12 05-03-2010, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkstrike

Hmm, this idea is also relevant to my interests, I might have a few questions for you later...

I'm heading over to the UTBC at the moment.

Darkstrike · #13 05-03-2010, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happynoj

I'm heading over to the UTBC at the moment.

I'll pop in for a bit too!

Lemoore-on · #14 05-05-2010, 12:58 PM

UTBC?

Happynoj · #15 05-05-2010, 02:42 PM

Unofficial TalkBass Chat

beggar98 · #16 05-05-2010, 03:14 PM

When I had my POG, I pretty much ran a standard 50/50 mix between dry and -1. Sometimes I would play around with adding upper octaves, bu the 50/50 was my standard octave tone. I would play this all the way down to open E.

Now that I'm using the POG2, I've dialed in some of -2 (very little, slider at 10% or less). It really fattens the tone, especially high up on the neck. When I'm in one of the presets that has the -2, I stay pretty careful not to go below 7th fret E on the A string.