My love of the BOSS OC-2

[gastric]

I know the OC-2 gets tons of praise on the forums. I just wanted to cement my true, undying love for this pedal.

Many use is as a simple octaver, others as the initial foundation for bass synth sounds. It works great for both.

I've also found some other uses that I don't see get mentioned:

• Feed it a seriously hot signal and purposely clip it. It changes the voice of the octave from synthy to really dirty synthy. I typically use simply volume boosts in front, or compressors with the gain cranked, or really hot EQ focused on the low end.
• Stick it in front of analog tracking synth effects like the Korg G5, BOSS synths, etc. and drive those into even a deeper and fatter sound. It takes your seemingly awesome synth tone and makes it at least 10x more awesome.
• Stick a pitch shifter in front of it. It seemingly tracks them well, and gives your downstream effects a lot of extra synthiness via pitch bends, pitch slides, etc.

And that concludes my praise for the OC-2.

[iamdenialNJ]

I also love my oc-2. I have not fed it a hot signal to clip it BUT I have tried about every other combination out there. I sold my octron for an oc-2. Just sounds fatter. Talkbass is gonna drive up the oc-2 prices. Just watch.

[M Sterling]

I used to have an MXR BOD, but then I tried an OC-2. I now have 2 OC-2's...

[limfac]

Originally Posted by iamdenialNJ

I also love my oc-2. I have not fed it a hot signal to clip it BUT I have tried about every other combination out there. I sold my octron for an oc-2. Just sounds fatter. Talkbass is gonna drive up the oc-2 prices. Just watch.

Right on, I spent one night just A/Bing the Octron and OC-2. Don't get me wrong, the Octron is great (went to my guitar instead) but it just didn't have that synthy goodness.

[iamdenialNJ]

Originally Posted by limfac

Right on, I spent one night just A/Bing the Octron and OC-2. Don't get me wrong, the Octron is great (went to my guitar instead) but it just didn't have that synthy goodness.

+1

[Lazarus.Bird]

Is there much difference between the OC-2 and OC-3?

[jmattbassplaya]

Originally Posted by M Sterling

I used to have an MXR BOD, but then I tried an OC-2. I now have 2 OC-2's...

Originally Posted by Lazarus.Bird

Is there much difference between the OC-2 and OC-3?

Similar story here - started with the BOD but quickly moved to OC-3.

While I can't compare the 2 to the 3, I can attest that the 3 is a really great octave pedal. It tracks flawlessly, sounds fatter than the BOD, and can do some really nice synthy grit tones. I love mine

[AltraSound]

the subtelties and defects of the oc2 sound way better then the oc3s. oc2 has the synthiest snarl out.

[AltraSound]

Originally Posted by AltraSound

the subtelties and defects of the oc2 sound way better then the oc3s. oc2 has the synthiest snarl out.

when matched with a fuzz of course...sorry, had to add that lol

[M Sterling]

Originally Posted by Lazarus.Bird

Is there much difference between the OC-2 and OC-3?

IMO, yes. The main difference being the oc3 is digital as opposed to analog. I had an OC-3 briefly and hated almost everything about it. Supposedly there is an OC-2 "mode", but I couldn't make it sound right. I used the BOD for almost a year after that and sold it shortly after trying an OC-2 for the first time. FWIW I liked the Octaver on the Digitech BSW better than the OC-3.

EDIT: The OC-3 tracks perfectly, I just didn't like the sound

[gastric]

I just added a demo clip of the KORG G5 with and without the BOSS OC-2 in front. Scroll to the bottom of my "various guitar effects sound clips" page.

[rob_thebassman]

im gunna be borrowing an OC-2 soon and im looking forward to using it probably buy it too

[bassbrad]

I've used an OC2 for years, sold it and went multi efx, decided to get some pedals again and remember why I loved the OC2, tried the OC3 but it just don't have the magic. I use a Boss SD1 to overdrive it into that snarl and have a Q-tron before it and a BSW & Bass Balls after it in the chain.

[sillyfabe]

+100000 to the OC-2 love that damn thing, it's so damn FAT!

[Lazarus.Bird]

Hmm. Is the difference that big between the OC-2 and OC-3? Enough that if I own an OC-3 I should go try an OC-2? I play in a stoner doom rock band and for the really slow heavy riffs I run the guitar input on the OC-3 set to Poly into my fuzz. My assumption was it would track better before the fuzz. It really adds some balls but I lose a lot of clarity. I'm also only tuned half a step down.

[LowendinFL]

I feel the love also. Never tried the OC-3, however there seems to be more love for the almighty OC-2. So I am a proud owner. However, I have not experimented with it to that much extent, and I appreciate the ideas for new uses for it!

[mattfong]

I'll be buying an OC-2 when my Danelectro Chili dog dies. They sound very similar, and I love it. It drives the tubes in my '71 Bassman so amazingly.

[M Sterling]

I've been working on some stuff where I'm using two OC-2's at the same time. I have one isolated in a parallel loop (Boss LS-2), to provide that low end thump. The other I am using in the other loop to fatten up the sound of my fuzz and LPF for the dubsteppy sweeps. It might seem silly, but it sounds FAT.

[HolmeBass]

I think the OC-2 sounds better than the OC-3, although I only tried the OC-3 out in the store, not on the bandstand. I have both a BOD and an OC-2 and I'm coming to the same conclusion- the OC-2 is better than the BOD. I prefer both to the EBS OctaBass, which I traded to my guitar player for his OC-2. We're both happy with that trade.

I'm going to have to experiment with chain order now, putting some dirt ahead of the OC-2 to overdrive it and see what happens.

[crustychef]

I have both the oc2 and BOD. I feed the oc2 into my tone hammer and then the BOD for some super thick overdriven sub octave fun.