OC-2 Distorting - Any Suggestions?

[dkamhout]

Hi,

Have been lurking here getting all of the valuable information that has helped my in my gear quest... and finally need to ask a question.

based on all of the great feedback I got an OC-2 MIJ. I was using an OC-3 and while I liked it, I didn't love it. I was about to get an EBS, but I couldn't find one locally that I could try. So based on my OC-3 experience and all of the raves about the OC-2 I picked one up on eBay..

Unfortunately it distorts, and not in a good way. Even with all nobs down, there is a light distortion coming through, once I turn up the Direct Level even to 12 o'clock it sounds like crap.

I took it out of my effects loop and ran it as the only thing in the signal path (right before my Avalon U5) and it still does this.

Any ideas? I am trying to return it, but maybe there is some magical easy fix that one of you might know of.

Thanks!
-Das

[Bootzilla]

I would return it, it sounds like it is broken or the signal going into it is driving it which is very unlikely (Maybe if you have a very hot active bass this might be the case but then it would do the same to other pedals).

[warwick.hoy]

Are you using a battery or a power supply? Check this article out. It may or may not have anything to do with your problem. I've been running my old MIJ OC-2 off of a battery lately.

I've also heard that daisy chaining the OC-2 will help powering issues.

[kevteop]

Are you feeding it an extremely hot signal? Like an active bass with the tone controls dimed or something silly like that?

[JohnDavisNYC]

they don't really like hot signals... my jazz pickups wired in series will distort my oc2 unless i roll my tone back... fortunately i hate treble and usually play with my tone fully off all the time.

john

[dkamhout]

Thanks for the feedback... I am plugged into a Voodoo Power II, I didn't even think of using a battery, that is a good check for sure (but I would hate to be stuck with using a battery). Also since I am using the Voodoo I don't think I can do the workaround with daisy chaining.

I am using a custom Warwick Streamer from the 80's, and it is pretty hot, but not extremely, I have quite a few other effects and they have no issues. I would have assumed the OC-3 would have similar reaction to my signal, but maybe the OC-2 is more sensitive?

Thanks for all of the feedback, I will try the battery tonight to see if that is different.

And yes, I am trying to return it but wanted to double check if there is something I might be missing. And now I have two things to try... battery, and rolling back my tone a bit.

[warwick.hoy]

Throwing a compressor in front of it may help as well. Rolling your highs off your bass is almost standard practice with the OC-2 for tracking. I like the sound better as well.

If you have a TU-2, LS-2 or NS-2 you can daisy chain off of those to good effect (I think)

FWIW I'm using a 98 Thumb Bolt-on 5er, with stock electronics and I have no issues with mine.

Hopefully it's not a sick OC-2. Oh and I solve battery issues by keeping my OC-2 1st in the chain that way it's always unplugged when not in use.

[kevteop]

Originally Posted by dkamhout

I am using a custom Warwick Streamer from the 80's,

My main bass is a '91 Thumb and that doesn't cause any problems with the EQ set flat, so we can probably rule that out.

Maybe there's a problem, it is an old pedal after all.

[warwick.hoy]

Originally Posted by kevteop

My main bass is a '91 Thumb and that doesn't cause any problems with the EQ set flat, so we can probably rule that out.

Maybe there's a problem, it is an old pedal after all.

Could be fixed,...someone posted a mod that they had come across. I'll see if I can dig it up, but it could be an excuse to try it out.

EDIT: Found it.

and the link http://www.sfxsound.co.uk/mainpage.asp?page=oc2

[Higgie]

Mine distorts a little bit when I dig in with my Nordie 4.2 pup'd Stingray. I just lowered my pickup a little bit and it sorted the problem out.

[cheapbasslovin]

If your pedal requires an ACA power supply you may just want to try bumping one of your 1-4 outputs on your PP2+ to the 12v position. The original power supplies on the old Boss pedals were 12v and will operate a little less than optimally on 9V (unless it is run off a 9V battery).

I don't own any old boss pedals so I've no personal experience with this, but you can look it up here and elsewhere.

[fightthepower]

dkahmout-- Is it distorting on every note, or does it sound fine when playing softly? If you turn your bass's volume down (and turn your amp up so you can hear) does it still distort?

My pbass will clip my OC-2 if I attack hard so I just have to be mindful of playing dynamics, but if I turn the volume down it doesn't happen.

If yours is distorting on every note regardless, then it sounds to me like its either busted, or not receiving enough power-- After trying it with my bass's volume down, my next step would be to try the Voodoo Labs ACA outlet with the dipswitch flipped up for 12v. My DM-2 acts in a similar fashion when its not on a 12v or unregulated 9v outlet- its repeats are dirty/fuzzy and it won't self oscillate.

[dannybuoy]

The older Boss pedals that use the Boss ACA adaptor require 12v if you're using an isolated output as on the PP2. However, you can run them perfectly fine on 9v if it's daisy chained from another 9v pedal. Sounds strange but it works; if you plug one of those pedals alone into a 9v supply the light is really dim; as soon as you plug in another pedal on the daisy chain the LED goes to full brightness!

So either use a 12v output, or a daisy chain on one of the 9v outputs, or use a power output from a tuner pedal if you have such a thing.

[dkamhout]

I ended up trying a battery (problem still there), turning my actives down all the way to mid point (problem gone).

So it looks like it was the signal, however it had to go really far down. I put a compressor in front of it and that fixed the problem.

Thanks all!