Octave pedal tracking - which is best?

[ruestmande]

Narrowing it down to the following pedals, and want to make the purchase tonight. I would like to know which of these pedals track best and would love your opinion.

Aguilar Octamizer
Micro POG
EBS Octabass
Mark Bass Super Synth
MXR M-288

[Bryan R. Tyler]

The Micro POG is a digital octaver and will track better than the analog octavers on your list (not sure if the Super Synth has an analog or digital octave). But it will also sound different than the analog octavers- it doesn't have the fat, synthy octave down sound the others do.

[Hollow Man]

Well, you've got a pretty strong case of apples to oranges going here.

The MB SS is a synth, which incorporates the octave sound, but also has elements of fuzz and filter. Maybe even more stuff too. I don't know how it tracks, but if you're looking for 'just' an octave pedal, this isn't what you want.

The Micro POG is a digital octave pedal. Easily tracks better than the remaining three. However, it comes with a very 'digital' sounding tone (to my ear anyway) that I found very distasteful. However, if you like the sound, the tracking is unparalleled.

All the other pedals are analog octavers (the Aguilar, the EBS, and the MXR). People tend to go back and forth about which of these tracks best; I've played all three and don't have a strong opinion on the matter. One may be better than the others an extra half-step or so, but by and large, they'll start to fail somewhere around the low G to low A. There are tons of reviews about the tone; I prefer the Aguilar, but there are plenty of arguments for the other two.

[TrevorOfDoom]

i've only experience with the Micro POG and the MXR.

both track well enough for my tastes, but the MXR felt more natural and organic, less digital, so they got my money.
YMMV

[Robertron]

If you're just interested in tracking, I vote MicroPOG. I haven't tried the Super Synth, but the MicroPOG tracked everything I played through it just fine. I didn't get to test it with a Low B though.

You're much better off trying to narrow it down by what sounds you can get out of each octave pedal on your list.

After trying each out at a shop, the M-288, Octabass, and Octamizer each have a similar analog octave sound along with their own features that will put one above the rest after you play with them, that's how I ended up with the M-288.

[ruestmande]

Thanks for the great replies (and quick too). Longtime voyeur, first-time poster.

I suppose I am looking for an octave pedal first and foremost...but figured I would check out other pedals that may have bells and whistles that I may enjoy down the line (thus the MB SS and POG). But I suppose I should stay focused and to the task.

Thanks again!

[Robertron]

Losing focus and checking out bells and whistles may lead you to some of the best effect pedal decisions ever.

[gus1894]

I've owned the top three of the list you have in the OP.
Aguilar Octamizer - Personally was not a fan, and was not thrilled with the tracking
Micro POG - easily the best tracking, but it sounds entirely different than the other two - closer to generating less than organic tones - digital/organ type of tones
EBS Octabass - solid tracking but for me it had no personality.
Also have owned the POG2 (similar tones to the Micro) and the Boss OC3 - which did not compare to the above. There are some solid video demos on Youtube for the MXR - it sounds excellent.

For me, the bass octave on my Line 6 M9 has the best tracking I've come across.

[Hollow Man]

Originally Posted by ruestmande

I suppose I am looking for an octave pedal first and foremost...but figured I would check out other pedals that may have bells and whistles that I may enjoy down the line (thus the MB SS and POG). But I suppose I should stay focused and to the task.

Well, the POG is an octaver, so don't immediately discount it. The MB SS is more, and if you don't want that other stuff, you won't be happy with it.

Really, you need to hear examples of analog and digital octave pedals and figure out what you want. If you like the tone of a digital octaver, the tracking is unparalleled. It seems that most of the people who have posted in this thread feel like I do, in that the tone of the Micro POG isn't as nice as analog octavers. In the event you end up feeling like we do, you just need to check a few out and figure out which has the tone that fits you. Two two popular ones seem to be the Aguilar (my choice) and the MXR, which probably has the most fans of anyone. Also, if money isn't an object, consider the Octron Foxrox. More expensive and harder to find, but very very nice.

[JimmyM]

i have a micro pog and just got a used oc-2 because the digital sound on octave down kind of blows. i love it on octave up, though, and i traded away my 8 string bass because the micro pog was close enough for rock and roll.

but for octave down, the way i see it is you can have good tracking or thick tone but not both. maybe one day we'll get both, but it ain't going to be from the micro pog.

[billphreets]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

i have a micro pog and just got a used oc-2 because the digital sound on octave down kind of blows. i love it on octave up, though, and i traded away my 8 string bass because the micro pog was close enough for rock and roll.

but for octave down, the way i see it is you can have good tracking or thick tone but not both. maybe one day we'll get both, but it ain't going to be from the micro pog.

kinda echoes my scenario a bit.. my microPOG only gets used for octave up now.. octron on its way

[thumbs3000]

I love my MXR, it's the most warm, funky and organic octave pedal I've played (I've tried all the Boss varieties including lots of multieffect octaves). It's my most relied on pedal on my board. The tracking is really good IMO but the sound is sweeeeeeeeeeeeeet.............. I cant imagine anyone would regret buying it if an octave is what youre after.

[cybersnyder]

I tried two different MXRs and thought the tracking was the worst of any octaver I've used. Tried the octave on the MarkBass this weekend and didn't like the tone. Best tracking for me has been with the Boss OC-3 in Poly mode, guitar input. It sounds great, IMHO. I always thought the POG sounded too synthetic for my tastes. Slightly off topic, but the Bass Octave in the M9/M13 is really nice.

[gus1894]

^^+1 -- M9/13!!

[Smurf-o-Deth]

Personally, I really like the octave down on the octave side of the Super Synth. Tracks great, too--down to F# with no trouble. The synth side tracks better than that, but sounds a lot different.

[gus1894]

I would have to check it out, I am somewhat curious about the Markbass pedals, but not enough to get into debt for them! Besides, I only need an OD w/ a blend (if I ever can find one that suits my needs!)

But back on topic... ruestmande - have you made any decisions? Have you decided if the octave tone is more important for what you want or is it the tracking?

[NathanTbass]

I would hate to see you waste your time sending back all the pedals, so just go with the Aguilar. Most versitile of them all...
POG is a great pedal though! Just has that digital sound

[scotch]

Allright, I'm not the Octave Pedal "authority" by any means, but I have extensively played most of the popular offerings & regularly (probably too often) use octave-down in my live shows and many recordings.

I currently own and use the MXR, Aguilar and POG2 (as well as the Line 6 models on my POD X3 and Lowdown amp). I've either owned in the past, or thoroughly auditioned, the Boss OC-2, Boss OC-3, Line6 M-13, EBS Octabass and Micro POG.

I think the only honest answer as to which "tracks best" as well as works for you tonally is to try them out yourself. The fact is that different players respond differently to different octavers. I've found, for me, that I can't even rely on just one octaver for the variety of uses/applications that I demand!

That said, you first really need to know if you like digital vs analog octave tone. The POG series and OC-3 are the most readily available digital octavers (other than a Line 6 multi-effect). The most popular (and easy to find) analog pedals are the EBS and MXR.

a) Try at least one of each technology type (digital or analog) and see which sound "resonates" with you better! Don't worry too much about tracking accuracy at first (covered below later).

b) Decide whether or not you need to track chords/doublestops. If polyphony (more than one pitch at a time) is required- you're gonna have to go digital!

c) Find the pedal that tracks the best for you. The pages of TB are the perfect example of how not everyone agrees about which pedal tracks best. As the owner of several, it's honestly hard to pick "the best". They are just different with their own 'quirks' that require a different touch. "Touch" is the key,btw! Each pedal, especially the analog pedals, responds and tracks differently depending on your touch & right hand technique. Digital pedals are the most "forgiving", thus yielding the easiest to play results. In general, all the analog pedals will track more accurately when you pluck a little closer to the bridge & use the cleanest technique possible- however, they all have idiosyncrasies that will ultimately make one work better at some things than others- and you need to 'learn' to 'play' them to get the most out of them.


My recent experience with my POG2 has me concluding that while digital is certainly more "forgiving", as well as enables polyphony, it doesn't necessarily track "quicker". Both the POG2 I own, the Micro POG and the OC-3 all have a tiny 'delay' before sounding. Sort of like digital recording latency. The better analog pedals don't exhibit this as much (with the Aguilar being the easy winner in the "immediacy" department!). Then, you have the MXR that is the best analog pedal with lower notes, while sometimes slowing down ever so slightly (like the POG) on the high notes. The digitals have the best long-decay, with the Aguilar being the worst and the MXR performing admirably.

It's all about finding the pedal that works with your goals, technique and approach! I think my advice is pretty objective and I've spent a LOT of time with octavers, but others here on TB may come up with different conclusions. That really just reinforces the fact that you have to try the pedals yourself!

[SGD Lutherie]

I play with a guitarist with a Micro POG. He uses it for keyboard tones, since we have two guitars and no keys. I haven't tried it out on bass yet.

But based on what I hear, the issue is the lack of any low pass filtering. It shouldn't be that hard to make a splitter box and then run half to the POG and then though some kind of tone control device to roll the high end off and get a fat tone. Then blend the two signals back together.

It might also be possible to mod the pedal to add some filtering to the low octave effect.

I have an old MXR Microsynth, that I use for octave effects. The tracking on the octave down can be a little iffy though.

You can hear it on this track (on the chorus) I did from 1995.

Blue: We Three

[chuck3]

POG 2 fan here. I sold my EBS Octabass as I wanted octave up as well as down. The POG 2 lets you emulate an organ as well, which the band likes in some songs (we don't have a keyboard player).