Prescription Electronics COB Clean Octave Blend SOUNDCLIPS

Mark Olson · #1 12-02-2008, 05:18 PM

Okay, first things first, this is NOT an octaver like a Boss OC-2 is an octaver. The OC-2 is an octave DOWN pedal. This is an octave UP fuzz. Even some people reviewing this pedal on Harmony Central did not have that distinction down so lets just get that straight right off the bat.

This is a simple three knob pedal, with a volume knob that can provide a good boost, useful for keeping in your full clean tone while adding some octave along with the blend knob, which can blend between clean and octave fuzz sounds. The octave knob controls the intensity of the fuzz along with the octave sound.

Like most octave fuzzes, this sounds "ok" on bass by itself. But this one sounds particularly awesome along with another fuzz, so for these clips I will be using my Frantone Lo Tone Classic Fuzz, which, in case you haven't noticed, is like my favorite bass fuzz pedal. The Lo Tone comes after the COB in the chain.

Ok, so the first clip is the COB into the Lo Tone, and the COB is blended all the way towards the octave fuzz. Notice there is a prominent octave sound, even though I am mostly playing well below the 12th fret. Very cool. Also very brassy sounding:

http://media.putfile.com/COB1

But what I like to do with the COB is blend the clean and octave sounds together and boost up the volume, for a full bass sound along with a guitarish sound that can kind of cover bass and a rhythm guitar sonically. Here is a clip first with the COB off, and then I kick it on after the fourth time through the riff. Check it out:

http://media.putfile.com/COB2

I think that sounds badass. But what do you think about these octave sounds? Cool or lame?

Kooldac · #2 12-02-2008, 05:23 PM

Hot damn, I love it completely blended wet on the first link. I am octaver noob but off of pure ear splendor I love it.

Mark Olson · #3 12-02-2008, 05:51 PM

Thanks! I think it's a cool sound. I added a poll to this thread so you can say for yourself if you think this pedal is badass, cool, or lame. The poll is private so I won't be looking how you voted, and you don't have to worry about hurting my feelings (as if right!)

Swift713 · #4 12-02-2008, 06:35 PM

I'd like to hear how it sounds by itself. I voted cool because we only heard it in conjunction with the Lo Tone, which was quite badass by itself. I liked the full on octave better than the blend but maybe it would be double badass biamped.

How does that Lo Tone behave with an active bass?

Mark Olson · #5 12-02-2008, 09:33 PM

I haven't used the Lo Tone much with active basses, and I did use it some with a passive bass with active EQ, but when I did, I much preferred the sounds I get with my passive basses without EQ (but then I prefer everything with my passive basses with simple volume/tone configurations). If you've got an active EQ using a bass cut is useful in front of the Lo Tone to help you get an aggressive sound; the Lo Tone adds TONS of subs, and putting a bass cut EQ before or after the Lo Tone will give you a much more aggressive sound, like I get simply by playing very aggressively, as well as even up your low end when the pedal is off/on. I did for awhile use the Lo Tone in a loop with a Boss Bass EQ just for this reason. But, the Lo Tone actually sounds BETTER with certain buffers in front of it, I'd expect most people to think the Lo Tone to be active friendly, but with more hi-fi active basses is just a little too mean for me, which may be just right for you, who knows.

Anyways, enough rambling, I will try to do a sample of just the COB tomorrow and I'll update this thread. I expect it to sound kind of blah though, I'm not a really big fan of using octave fuzzes without another fuzz (though I've done it on here in the past), they just seem to go better together for me. And also, if anyone is having trouble hearing these clips because putfile won't work (it has been a little unreliable lately) let me know and I'll upload these clips to soundclick. And of course if anyone would like to hear me try to do something else with this pedal or any of my pedals for that matter, let me know, I think I'm going to have a little time to do some clips tomorrow.

And as a by the way, I'm expecting a Prescription Electronics Experience pedal tomorrow or the next day, so if I like it you can expect samples of that, too. I just love Hendrix and PE pedals are really impressing me so far so it's about time I get around to trying that pedal.

Mark Olson · #6 12-03-2008, 02:27 PM

Thanks for the feedback for those of you who've voted, I appreciate it! I should have some more clips of just the COB soon, and I also received my PE Experience pedal today so I hope to do clips of that too, though I am a little busy and a little pressed for time.

BassJunkie730 · #7 12-03-2008, 03:25 PM

the second clip really sounds like my modded Tonebender

it's funny how octave ups really sound like fuzz pedals because of the nature of harmonics.

the upper octave harmonics sound more defined but it's essentially the same effect.

Thanks for posting

Mark Olson · #8 12-03-2008, 03:45 PM

Well I am using the octave fuzz in combination with the Frantone Lo Tone Classic Fuzz, so it's definitely going to sound meaty and fuzzish.

But here are a couple of samples with JUST the COB. First clip is full on octave fuzz, a very prominent octave effect even well below the 12th fret. If you haven't tried a lot of octave fuzzes you might not know that finding an octave fuzz with a clear octave up even below the 12th fret is hard to do. This is a great pedal:

http://media.putfile.com/COB3

Then I turn the octave down a bit and blend in some clean signal for a kind of funky heavy riffing sound:

http://media.putfile.com/COB4

I was pleasantly surprised at how well the COB sounded alone through my amp, I haven't had a chance to listen to these samples yet so I'll do that when I can and see if I approve of the way they've turned out.

Swift713 · #9 12-03-2008, 04:28 PM

Oh, that is sick! I don't know where I would use such a thing but I do like it. You're right the blended sound is much better, although the glitchyness of the first clip is cool too. Hmm, how much is this pedal? I really like the synthyness of an octave pedal but the standard octave down on a 5 string doesn't tend to work so well. Octave up seems like a no brainer but I have yet to hear one that I like - until now - but I would normally be inclined toward a clean octave up.

Mark Olson · #10 12-03-2008, 04:31 PM

Thanks! These are like $180 new I think. I'm probably going to pick another one up when I get the cash because the one I've got I got in a trade and it's fairly old and whatnot. Also check out my Experience Fuzz and Octave soundclips, that pedal is totally rad also. These are the only two PE pedals I've tried but I'm totally blown away by both of them, I can't wait to get my hands on a PE Vibe Unit.

Mark Olson · #11 12-03-2008, 05:34 PM

So I have a question for anyone with any opinions on this pedal. I'm thinking of including this on my board to fill things up for upcoming three piece gigs (normally we have two guitar players, now we'll have only one, and he won't even be playing all of the time). I think this might be just the thing for those heavy dropped C# riffs and stuff that are hard for my guitar player to play and sing at the same time, and I can almost cover all of our bases with just my bass. Do you think this pedal sounds good for that application? Do you think this and the Lo Tone sounds better or not as cool as the Experience pedal (see my Experience soundclips thread)?

I'm pretty sure I want to use this and the Lo Tone or maybe just the Experience but I can't decide...

Akeris · #12 12-03-2008, 06:07 PM

Wow that sounds sweet.

I've been looking for an upper octave ripped from an octavia type thing that works on low notes for a while.

I accually like it without the fuzz better, it's very distinctive sounding. I'd be curious to see what it does in a mix.

The BurgerMeister · #13 12-03-2008, 08:27 PM

i like the fourth clip very much! i always liked the sound of the hendrixy octavio fuzz... but it always lost all the low end, so it was best applied on guitar. the COB seems to work quite well with a bass!

i've been curious about this pedal for a long time now... thanks for the clips!

SnakeAnthony · #14 12-03-2008, 08:56 PM

I'm not feeling 1, 3, or 4 very much at all. The pedal sounds chocked without blend, and too squishy, I suppose, when cranked on its own, but I find clip number 2 to be quite epic.

Swift713 · #15 12-03-2008, 09:11 PM

I think the COB and the Experience sound pretty similar. I would probably go for the Experience just because that fuzz is so wicked and you may want it without the octave some times. I would think that would work pretty well for a trio, or maybe you'd want to run the experience through one amp and the lo tone through another :

Akeris · #16 12-03-2008, 10:22 PM

I just thought of somthing.

If you run the COB into the Experience and turn on both octaves is the resulting sound like cool, or like a feedbacky trebely mess?

RCCollins · #17 12-04-2008, 07:54 AM

wow, awesome sound

ugly pedal though. needs a pink reissue for sure

Mark Olson · #18 12-04-2008, 05:57 PM

I actually have both octave fuzzes on right now I'll record a clip. It's a very mosquito-y sound for sure, but very octav-ish.

Mark Olson · #19 12-04-2008, 06:30 PM

Ok, here's a clip with the EXP run into the COB, with both of their octaves cranked. It sounds to me like only one up octave, and I'm not sure which pedal won out when I put them in series so I'm not exactly sure what you're hearing. It is very mosquito-y though.

http://media.putfile.com/EXPCOB

lowbass68 · #20 12-04-2008, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Olson

...If you've got an active EQ using a bass cut is useful in front of the Lo Tone to help you get an aggressive sound; the Lo Tone adds TONS of subs,

Cool sounds, has possibilities. I agree with you on the Frantone. I picked up a used one a few weeks ago. Man does it add the lows to the sound.