Bitmap 2 & Ottobit Jr

[MisticoRitualista]

Been considering picking up one of these.

I feel like the Bitmap 2 is the better choice but I'm fascinated by the stutter feature on the Ottobit Jr.

Please share your experiences, praise & criticism.

 

[W Collins]

Bumping this. I'm equally interested in anyone who's played with both. Some items I'm wondering:

The filter on the Otto sounds sooooooo good. What's the sweep of the B2 like?
Does the lack of a dry blend on the Otto matter when you're in the heat of battle?

 

[MisticoRitualista]

One thing I've read about the Ottobit Jr is a pronounced volume boost when activated which somewhat limits its usefulness in a live setting.

 

[W Collins]

One thing I've read about the Ottobit Jr is a pronounced volume boost when activated which somewhat limits its usefulness in a live setting.

I saw a Reverb review that mentioned this but haven't heard anything first hand. Anyone able to confirm?

 

[cosmicevan]

Yeah the volume bump is an issue w the meris. You kinda need a loop pedal or some other solution to really integrate it imo. I also had the bitquest. I mostly found it unexciting and not really inspiring. For a pedal with so many options there weren’t a ton of different sounds that I dug so it was one trick pony to me…and I’d rather have a big caster or something like that as a bit crusher than the red panda and I am a big red panda fanboi. Ottobit is the better pedal and as mentioned the filter sounds so good but the volume is a thing.

 

[MisticoRitualista]

Yeah the volume bump is an issue w the meris. You kinda need a loop pedal or some other solution to really integrate it imo. I also had the bitquest. I mostly found it unexciting and not really inspiring. For a pedal with so many options there weren’t a ton of different sounds that I dug so it was one trick pony to me…and I’d rather have a big caster or something like that as a bit crusher than the red panda and I am a big red panda fanboi. Ottobit is the better pedal and as mentioned the filter sounds so good but the volume is a thing.

I hadn't considered putting it in a loop to tame the volume boost, that sounds like it would definitely work

 

[MisticoRitualista]

I just realized you said BitQuest not Bitmap, was that a mistake or did you have the Dr. Scientist?

 

[cosmicevan]

Apologies. I was talking about the red panda bitmap2. I have also had a bitquest. Bitquest is a dope pedal, but different discussion.

 

[tombold]

Hi everbody, the same question came to me last month : Ottobit Jr. or Bitmap 2 ?

I recently start a new project (D&B/jazz/Electro) as bass player and i wanted to experiment the John Davis/Nerve sound. At the beginning, the Ottobit Jr. seems to be the one : very good sounds, stutter, filter and more controlled with exp pedal... but i discover the bitmap 2 and feel that some things could be way more useful for my specific needs : Presets (without midi), size, enveloppe (you can modulate the mix, the freq, the filter...), drive knob, no volume jumping when engage... For a live setup, having presets is just essential : I often switch presets during a song. (and i don't want to spend hundred of euros for the midi thing...)

So... i end up with a brand new Bitmap 2
This thing screams 8 bits dreams ! Someone asked about the filter ? It is awesome. I don't tried the Meris Ottobit Jr, but the filter of the Bitmap 2 is very good. And you can modify the resonance via web editor.

 

[W Collins]

Got a bitmap2 today and enjoying it so far. It does Nintendo lay-zorz, but I actually like it as a finishing tool, adding some finishing artifacts my dry sound (that blend knob is really helpful).

The manual isn't helpful, so can someone explain what the Envelope knob is doing? If the switch assigns the LFO to a specific portion of the pedal, does the knob set the threshold? It sounds more like a mix control to my ear.

 

[W Collins]

Update. The Envelope Depth knob is threshold/sensitivity control that applies a sweeping modulation up sweep = +, down sweep = -) to the Sampling Freq. Some really cool effects to be had once Freq knob is 2 or 3 oclock and a dark delay is or reverb is run afterward.

I can't really hear whats going on when the Envelope triggers in Mix mode. It doesn't sweep. Seems to apply some kind of distortion?

 

[W Collins]

Another update:

Just received clarification on the the Mix toggle and it's function. The envelope adds to the MIX knob setting to modulate the wet/dry mix. You might not hear any change with the env depth at max unless the MIX knob is set low.

To dial it in, start with MIX at minimum and ENV (depth) at minimum, then gradually bring up the ENV knob.The Bitcrusher and Sample Rate reducer are blended in when you play hard enough.

It's a VERY cool trick. You can have little pops of digital distortion bubbling under your playing, then slam the front with an OD or Comp and for a thicker sound. I've assigned MOD on/off to the AUX switch, and with the Wave Folder mod, I get 3 thicknesses of bitcrushing.

OC2 - > VMT -> Bitmap2 is really really strong. Very cool feature on this pedal.

 

[W Collins]

Another update:
I sold the Bitmap2 and moved to Ottobit Jr. Was a good move.

BM2 is a great pedal but the buffer created some odd interactions with other pedals down stream and I couldn't overcome it.

The OBJr is solid. The stutter and arp features are great fun. The volume jump when pushing the bitcrusher is easily tamed by the filter. Biggest gripe is lack of presets w/out extra box. A clean blend would be really helpful...but not a deal breaker.

I'll be sticking with the OBJr for now.

 

[sloppy_phil]

Messed with an Ottobit Jr once when a friend brought it over; that thing is wild! Stutter feature was too cool for school, and was such a blast to mess around with.

I will say, the BitQuest is also worth a discussion, seeing as it does have a bit crush/SRR setting. But also in terms of just the total weird coolness it has on offer. The glitch delay, for one, is just bananas! Reminded me a bit of the OBJr stutter, but only on your delay tails. And the modulation you can add to the bit crush is also pretty wild and wonky.

If you want cool noises, it's definitely worth a shout, simply for how many cool ones it has inside!

 

[superspacefunk]

I've had loads of glitch/synth/bit crusher pedals, and as far as crushers or sound manglers, or any of the pedals in the same category with the BitMap2 and the Meris Ottobit, I have found the for what I PERSONALLY am looking for ( sure John Davis/Nerve - but the ability to make new sounds on the fly as well ) that the Bitmap2 has won the contest. I have had the Meris Ottobit for quite a while and not only is it a little more limited, is also much more touchy. Sound spikes and lows out of nowhere, inconsistent volume, and I found using it to be a bit of a pain. I might use one again next to my laptop, where I can control it better, and don't get me wrong, Meris makes some of the coolest poopie out there. I just find the Bitmap2 to be much more what I'm looking for. For that matter, If I'm using a small rig and just need that John Davis Nerve sound, I'll usually just use the Fredric audio Bugcrusher. You can do a TON of cool stuff with either an OC-2 or Really nice synth pedal, the Bitmap2 and a great envelope filter. Anyway, my 2 cents.