Your Effects Pedal Usage : Octaver ?

LowDown Hal · #1 05-05-2009, 03:17 PM

same as before... then I'll stop for awhile :-)
THANKS

I thought maybe we could discuss one effect at a time?

What is your equipment chain?

What Octave Pedal do you use?

When do you use it?
for example during which part of which tune?

At what settings?

etc.

WJGreer · #2 05-05-2009, 03:21 PM

I've got a Boss OC-3 on my pedalboard. I put it at the very beginning of the chain, so that anything following it will process both the clean and low octave signals.

When I don't carry my pedals (which is more often recently), the Octaver is the pedal I miss the most. We do a few covers where the octave sound is key, and I like to toss it in a solo here and there as well.

It interacts with my different basses differently. With my Valenti J5, I have to tone down the octave signal a lot compared to my Skjold, with my Stingray in between. Not sure why it would be different, but it is.

kevteop · #3 05-05-2009, 03:23 PM

Perhaps now would be a good time to ask: How many of these threads will you be making?

I suppose I've got three octavers: Boss OC-2; EHX BMS; Octavius Squeezer.

I use the OC-2 blended with either the Squeezer or a Woolly Mammoth to add un-fuzzed beef below the fuzz, or with the octave voice soloed for purry synth sounds. I use the BMS octave down just to fatten up the BMS octave up. I use the octave down settings on the Squeezer's VCO because it tracks better when I play an octave higher.

When I use them: Pretty much whenever my pedal board is in my signal chain, one of those three effects is switched on. So a better question would be "When don't you use them" and the answer would be "In my ska band". Although I have used the soloed OC-2 oct-1 through my Meatwad filter before for doing a sleng teng tune.

Jimbob Jones · #4 05-05-2009, 03:40 PM

My experience of the Boss OC-3 is that it's a great sounding pedal, but tracks poorly. (just my experience)

I use the octave-down on my Digitech Bass Synth Wah when I need to, IMO it's a lot better than the OC-3.

I use it to get a really subby,synthy tone, it's amazing with a distortion after it

I run it first in the chain to help with tracking.

WJGreer · #5 05-05-2009, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimbob Jones

My experience of the Boss OC-3 is that it's a great sounding pedal, but tracks poorly. (just my experience)

The breakthrough that I had with the OC-3 was to ignore the output that specifies "bass". For whatever reason, they monkeyed with the tracking in that part of the pedal such that, IME, it only provides the octave effect between about G on the E string and the 10th fret E on the G string. I can sort of understand why they might make it taper off on the low end, but doing so on the high end was baffling.

Using the "guitar" output, the pedal behaves just as one would expect.

CliffD · #6 05-05-2009, 04:15 PM

-Bass Whammy
-MXR BOD
-OC-2
-EHX BMS

Is 4 too much? Nah.

rcubed · #7 05-05-2009, 04:50 PM

I'm running a Micro POG second in line after boost/overdrive. I prefer running it into fuzz, phaser, wah and filter.

bigchiefbc · #8 05-05-2009, 04:57 PM

Digitech XP-100 Whammy - used for solo wankery and Tool covers.

EHX Bass Micro Synth - Always used in conjunction with the filter section for synth leads.

Never use octaver by itself like a lot of you do.

AndyLES · #9 05-05-2009, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WJGreer

The breakthrough that I had with the OC-3 was to ignore the output that specifies "bass". For whatever reason, they monkeyed with the tracking in that part of the pedal such that, IME, it only provides the octave effect between about G on the E string and the 10th fret E on the G string. I can sort of understand why they might make it taper off on the low end, but doing so on the high end was baffling.

Using the "guitar" output, the pedal behaves just as one would expect.

REALLY? Wow...I'm gonna try that...

RickenBoogie · #10 05-05-2009, 05:03 PM

I'm using the new MXR BOD, but may go back to my Ehx Octave Multiplexer. Octave comes early in my chain, but after my tuner, comp, and eq. I normally run it with fuzz and filter, and this normally happens only when playing for fun. That board never gigs.

Geddyfleaharris · #11 05-05-2009, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndyLES

REALLY? Wow...I'm gonna try that...

+1 ^^^ I am going to try that too.

I like the OC-3. It's on my board right now. An OC-2 came up on the local Kijiiji last night. I am picking it up tomorrow night just because of all the love the OC-2 gets in here.

skulletwhip · #12 05-05-2009, 08:20 PM

I use the oct/oct harmony on my WHammy 4. I always use it with fuzz, I stole the idea after seeing Brian Cook do it.

I like the whammy as an octaver, but I like the shifts more.

boogie8008 · #13 05-05-2009, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WJGreer

The breakthrough that I had with the OC-3 was to ignore the output that specifies "bass". For whatever reason, they monkeyed with the tracking in that part of the pedal such that, IME, it only provides the octave effect between about G on the E string and the 10th fret E on the G string. I can sort of understand why they might make it taper off on the low end, but doing so on the high end was baffling.

Using the "guitar" output, the pedal behaves just as one would expect.

I agree. This drive mode tracks horribly on the bass input. But when you plug it into the guitar input it comes alive.

Silver Hammer · #14 05-05-2009, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skulletwhip

I use the oct/oct harmony on my WHammy 4. I always use it with fuzz, I stole the idea after seeing Brian Cook do it.

I like the whammy as an octaver, but I like the shifts more.

+1

Sean S · #15 05-05-2009, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CliffD

-Bass Whammy
-MXR BOD
-OC-2
-EHX BMS

Is 4 too much? Nah.

Please tell me you've run them all into each other...that would be amazing/hilarious

(I don't think you'd have an issue with blowing drivers in your cabs...most octaves just warble when they can't track a note)

shaolinwhat · #16 05-05-2009, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimbob Jones

My experience of the Boss OC-3 is that it's a great sounding pedal, but tracks poorly. (just my experience)

I use the octave-down on my Digitech Bass Synth Wah when I need to, IMO it's a lot better than the OC-3.

I use it to get a really subby,synthy tone, it's amazing with a distortion after it

I run it first in the chain to help with tracking.

I had the exact same experience. i used to have an oc-3 so that i could leave my BSW on the synth setting, but the octaver on the BSW is so much better that i would rather tweak the knobs depending on which setting i want. honestly i wouldnt mind having two BSW's for that reason.

jmeid · #17 05-05-2009, 11:39 PM

I have a micro POG

I have the dry maxed and the sub and octave up at around 2 o'clock

I use it typically with a chorus to thicken up my bass during my bands quiet parts. I creates a organ style sound.. its like a wall of awesome.

JimmyM · #18 05-06-2009, 01:27 AM

Micro Pog and occasionally a Whammy IV for me. I use it strictly to annoy the other guys in the band by stepping on their parts.

**TheMutt** · #19 05-06-2009, 02:16 AM

I use a Micro Pog. Have had a number of other octavers including the POG, HOG, OC-3, and an Octabass. I use the Micro POG because of the convenient small size, and excellent tracking. It's second in my chain after the tuner and I like to run it into the envelope filter (Grinder) with a fuzz in the loop (Big Muff) for synthy fun, by itself to add some depth to my tone, or into dist/fuzz/od (dry + octave down) or chorus/flanger (dry + octave up) to enhance the effect.

fightthepower · #20 05-06-2009, 04:52 AM

OC-2: -1oct solo'd + fuzz, filters, and/or modulation

OC-2: Dry 2-3oclock/ -1 around noon for funky mid-register stuff

Pollyanna: -2and+1 above the 15th fret, or majority -1 and varying degrees of -2 and +1 into filters and modulation, but no fuzz since its already a square

HOG: Dry full (unity) and around 2/3rd's -1oct for low register funky/groovy stuff. I use the HOG instead of the OC-2 in the first position because it is more subtle and has no tracking issues down there. I could get away with using the OC-2, but I have the HOG anyway and it gives me a little more variation.

HOG: Generally either -1oct, or multiple +octaves using the glissando function to hold and glide into notes. +octaves are great into a filter, dirt/freqbox/bit crusher, modulation and/or delay for killer pads and organ stuff. -1oct + gated fuzz + filter or phaser slow ramp lfo and a touch of 'verb or chorus- glide into higher notes, and no glide/full attack back down into lower notes-

Those are some of the octave settings Im using full time or experimenting with at the moment. The octaves in the BMS don't really get used. At the moment the BMS is being used after the OC-2 and before the Devi Ever Bass Fuzz as a lowpass/eq- This and a careful touch makes the Bass Fuzz nice and tight with no warble that Im using in a new song. This trick also works wonders on the Freqbox, smoothing the attack (somewhat similar to the wah trick before a whammy). I haven't tried it with the GEB7 though I think it would work. If it comes down to needing the space then the BMS will go, but its a fun pedal so it stays for the time being, despite not using its octaves.