Demystifying Octave Pedal Terms + Recs

[Maxi Funkl]

I had an OC-5 but didn't really care for it. Maybe I'll give it another shot.

I just got one last week it tracks well. I've never played a OC-2 or OC-3 to compare it to but its a keeper for me.
But I did not know it was a digital pedal in mono mode until threads on TB this week.

 

[nholley]

The MXR Poly Blue isn’t an analog octaver, the “Mono” mode is designed to emulate the sound of an analog octaver though (similar to the octave effect in the Source Audio Spectrum and C4 pedals). An analog octave can’t be polyphonic. Upper octave in the analog domain is made using fuzz, a clean upper octave can only be digital

@sunbeast Thanks that makes a lot of sense. Anybody care to explain how to balance the blend of how much you’re hearing the original note and how much you’re hearing the new lower octave? Is this just the “DRY” knob? I’ve heard terms like wet and dry used around this. I ask because I think it’s cool to turn the pedal on and only hear the low synth-like notes without hearing the original. Is this achievable or is it always some sort of blend?

 

[sunbeast]

@sunbeast Thanks that makes a lot of sense. Anybody care to explain how to balance the blend of how much you’re hearing the original note and how much you’re hearing the new lower octave? Is this just the “DRY” knob? I’ve heard terms like wet and dry used around this. I ask because I think it’s cool to turn the pedal on and only hear the low synth-like notes without hearing the original. Is this achievable or is it always some sort of blend?

The MXR Poly Blue, the Boss units, and many others give you seperate level control knobs for each "voice" (-1 octave, dry, +1 octave, etc) while some other options might have a Blend control instead

 

[nholley]

The MXR Poly Blue, the Boss units, and many others give you seperate level control knobs for each "voice" (-1 octave, dry, +1 octave, etc) while some other options might have a Blend control instead

So dry universally means the original tone(s)/notes being played?

 

[Maxi Funkl]

It's blending in your clean bass tone with the octave.

 

[nholley]

It's blending in your clean bass tone with the octave.

And if you put dry all the way off you’ll just have the octave?

 

[Maxi Funkl]

And if you put dry all the way off you’ll just have the octave?

yes exactly!

 

[BassBrass]

I always (on talkbasseffects land) recommend the Malekko Downer. It has on board high pass and low pass controls as well as a fold-over distortion (that can be rolled in or not) and a 2 octave range one below to one above, and I would say a musical latency. You can make it sound like an oc2 almost.

 

[dannylectro]

D@mn it! Where was this discussion two months ago when I bought, bought again, and bought again an octave pedal??
And here, again, a perfect example of the value of this forum…

 

[nholley]

@sloppy_phil, @RichSnyder, @sunbeast, @HelpImaRock: What kind of effects do you think Pino is using here? I know he’s using an octave pedal, maybe an analog one? I know he’s used the OC-2 and MXR BOD before. But what else? Maybe a Compressor, Envelope Phaser, Drive, Fuzz? I understand a lot is from the P-Bass, TI Flats, and palm muting.

The video is below and he starts playing the groove at roughy 1:30…

 

[arepa_funk]

@sloppy_phil, @RichSnyder, @sunbeast, @HelpImaRock: What kind of effects do you think Pino is using here? I know he’s using an octave pedal, maybe an analog one? I know he’s used the OC-2 and MXR BOD before. But what else? Maybe a Compressor, Envelope Phaser, Drive, Fuzz? I understand a lot is from the P-Bass, TI Flats, and palm muting.

The video is below and he starts playing the groove at roughy 1:30…

All the info you need is here. Pedalboard breakdown and a lot more.

 

[nholley]

All the info you need is here. Pedalboard breakdown and a lot more.

@arepa_funk Ayy sick thanks, different show but looks like everything is the same. I guess it was an OC-2 after all. Do you think it makes a difference that it’s an older model OC-2 that says “Octaver” instead of “Octave”? Prob doesn’t matter lmao but

 

[arepa_funk]

@arepa_funk Ayy sick thanks, different show but looks like everything is the same. I guess it was an OC-2 after all. Do you think it makes a difference that it’s an older model OC-2 that says “Octaver” instead of “Octave”? Prob doesn’t matter lmao but

The Octaver vs Octave debate is long-running, I've never played and an Octaver so can't speak to it. And yes he's a master of the OC-2 and uses it for passages and specific notes more than whole tunes.

 

[sunbeast]

@sloppy_phil, @RichSnyder, @sunbeast, @HelpImaRock: What kind of effects do you think Pino is using here? I know he’s using an octave pedal, maybe an analog one? I know he’s used the OC-2 and MXR BOD before. But what else? Maybe a Compressor, Envelope Phaser, Drive, Fuzz? I understand a lot is from the P-Bass, TI Flats, and palm muting.

The video is below and he starts playing the groove at roughy 1:30…

I’m not able to listen on a stereo at the moment, but sounds to me like the only thing going on in this clip is an octave that he toggles on and off occasionally into a delay pedal (or possibly a looper) that is timed to give a double-tracking sound to the repeated phrase at times (though this may actually be somebody adding delay at the sound booth, dub-style).

FWIW, as far as Octave vs Octaver OC-2, I don’t hear a particularly definitive difference and have played with both. All the OC-2s I’ve played sound and behave slightly differently, even ones from the same era (which is normal for an analog circuit due to parts tolerance variations). There have been slight circuit changes over time too, but for the most part the vibe is the same IME. I currently have two OC-2s, one early-era “Octave” that has an identical circuit as the Octaver (even has the Japanese circuitboard) and one much later era “Octave” and they can sound/feel virtually identical to me. I prefer the older one slightly probably just because I’ve owned it for so long and gotten used to it. The main discernible difference in design is that the early ones were designed to run with a 12V external power supply, but the internal still runs at 9V and an easy mod bypasses the part of the circuit devoted to dropping that 12V down to 9V so you can use a modern standard 9V supply without deteriorated performance (I’d guess there are more than a few people running early unmodified 12V OC-2s at 9V which would definitely dirty up the vibe)

 

[nholley]

I’m not able to listen on a stereo at the moment, but sounds to me like the only thing going on in this clip is an octave that he toggles on and off occasionally into a delay pedal (or possibly a looper) that is timed to give a double-tracking sound to the repeated phrase at times (though this may actually be somebody adding delay at the sound booth, dub-style).

FWIW, as far as Octave vs Octaver OC-2, I don’t hear a particularly definitive difference and have played with both. All the OC-2s I’ve played sound and behave slightly differently, even ones from the same era (which is normal for an analog circuit due to parts tolerance variations). There have been slight circuit changes over time too, but for the most part the vibe is the same IME. I currently have two OC-2s, one early-era “Octave” that has an identical circuit as the Octaver (even has the Japanese circuitboard) and one much later era “Octave” and they can sound/feel virtually identical to me. I prefer the older one slightly probably just because I’ve owned it for so long and gotten used to it. The main discernible difference in design is that the early ones were designed to run with a 12V external power supply, but the internal still runs at 9V and an easy mod bypasses the part of the circuit devoted to dropping that 12V down to 9V so you can use a modern standard 9V supply without deteriorated performance (I’d guess there are more than a few people running early unmodified 12V OC-2s at 9V which would definitely dirty up the vibe)

Many thanks

 

[HelpImaRock]

@arepa_funk Ayy sick thanks, different show but looks like everything is the same. I guess it was an OC-2 after all. Do you think it makes a difference that it’s an older model OC-2 that says “Octaver” instead of “Octave”? Prob doesn’t matter lmao but

My approach to effects is that I find the one that works for me. In that regard, I don't use an OC-2, and don't think it matters which version you get. Play a whole buncha stuff and find out what works for you.