Like the title says, all I see in octave pedals is an octave down, which is great if you're a guitar player, but what about one that will take the bass and add an octave up, like the sympathetic strings on a 12 string guitar?
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Do any octave pedals offer an octave up rather than down?
- Thread starter unbrokenchain
- Start date
Among the options: the octave section of the Markbass SuperSynth, EHX POG, and the EHX Bass MicroSynth. (Not an exhaustive list, just what's available to me now. Of these, the BMS has to my ear the most usable octave up.)
There are a few about, the Funklator, any of the POGs. They can sound a bit like a church organ. If you want to go full on bass pretending to be a power chorded guitar...then there's a Fishman pedal that covers that specifically.
Good luck finding one (I searched for years before finding this), but:
The boss pitch shifters? Bass whammy? I know my old PS3 has settings that are just octave up (and you can choose between both original and octave or just octave via the "effect" knob) - my issue with anything that shifts more than a 5th though is it then sounds very digital/chimey.
Bass whammy does it and a lot more. Great pedal but it's a biggie.
Moore tender octave (not pure octave it sux)
A few I know of
ehx (nano pog, micro pog, pog2, hog2, pitchfork)
Boss (all the ps series if I remember right. They've had a few different names the ps-6 which is he current model is called the harmonist i believe, I think one of the older versions was called a super shifter.
Earthquacker devices (tentacle, pitch bay, I think the organizer also)
Digitech(whammy 1-5, whammy DT, both versions of the bass whammy and the whammy ricochet, mosaic is literally a pedal designed to make a 6 string guitar sound like a 12 string but I've never gotten a chance to try one with bass) )
Tc electronic (SubNup)
T-Rex (quint machine)
Fishman (fission bass powechord)
Line 6 m series (m-5,m-9,m-13)
I've had a few. Whammy IV, the new bass whammy, m-5, nano pog. They all have their ups and downs. (Did I just say that lol) anywho the nano pog is closer to an 8 string type of sound out of all the ones I've owned. Because it has a more realistic attack on that articlficial octave up. The pog 2 probably could get even closer because the detune feature would add a bit of modulation which you do naturally get with an 8 string because the two string side by side don't vibrate perfectly together. The whammys for example the octave up sounded good and it tracks very well but it doesn't sound like an 8 string at all. It works pretty good if you run it into a fuzz pedal though. If you're wanting to do the Royal Blood type of thing the guy from royal blood uses pog2 and the boss ps5 on his board. But I'm pretty sure the pog 2 is his main octave up and he uses the ps-6 more for pitch bending. The pog 2 seems to be king of octave ups. I'm planning on getting the new TC SubNup soon. Seems like a decent compromise for me because while the octave up on the pog is nice the octave down is not very usable IMO. The TC seems to be the best thing for getting decent octave up AND octave down sounds.
ehx (nano pog, micro pog, pog2, hog2, pitchfork)
Boss (all the ps series if I remember right. They've had a few different names the ps-6 which is he current model is called the harmonist i believe, I think one of the older versions was called a super shifter.
Earthquacker devices (tentacle, pitch bay, I think the organizer also)
Digitech(whammy 1-5, whammy DT, both versions of the bass whammy and the whammy ricochet, mosaic is literally a pedal designed to make a 6 string guitar sound like a 12 string but I've never gotten a chance to try one with bass) )
Tc electronic (SubNup)
T-Rex (quint machine)
Fishman (fission bass powechord)
Line 6 m series (m-5,m-9,m-13)
I've had a few. Whammy IV, the new bass whammy, m-5, nano pog. They all have their ups and downs. (Did I just say that lol) anywho the nano pog is closer to an 8 string type of sound out of all the ones I've owned. Because it has a more realistic attack on that articlficial octave up. The pog 2 probably could get even closer because the detune feature would add a bit of modulation which you do naturally get with an 8 string because the two string side by side don't vibrate perfectly together. The whammys for example the octave up sounded good and it tracks very well but it doesn't sound like an 8 string at all. It works pretty good if you run it into a fuzz pedal though. If you're wanting to do the Royal Blood type of thing the guy from royal blood uses pog2 and the boss ps5 on his board. But I'm pretty sure the pog 2 is his main octave up and he uses the ps-6 more for pitch bending. The pog 2 seems to be king of octave ups. I'm planning on getting the new TC SubNup soon. Seems like a decent compromise for me because while the octave up on the pog is nice the octave down is not very usable IMO. The TC seems to be the best thing for getting decent octave up AND octave down sounds.
I have a TC Electronics Sub N Up--and as the name indicates--it does do an octave up--It works well with bass.
Others have been mentioned as well.
And the EHX Pitchfork might suit what you want as well.
Others have been mentioned as well.
And the EHX Pitchfork might suit what you want as well.
That's Freq'n C
L!First one I've ever seen "in the wilds", albeit not in person so not that wild.
Can you tell us more about it, how it tracks, sound quality ... any extra info is appreciated.
I love, love, love the SubNUp. I thought the POG sounded really synthetic in comparison. But the SubNUp has a killer octave below and a killer octave up. It will be on my board until something better comes along, which I'm not holding my breath.
As you can see all the pedals that do an 8-string style octave up also have octave-down available. They're also digital, so the down isn't going to have the synthy sound like an OC2 or what have you.
The alternative for getting, technically, an octave up, is analog. That's a different sound, like a lo-fi fuzz - it doubles the frequency (hence technically an octave up) and rectifies the wave and sounds really cool, but it isn't the 8-string type sound. (see Earthquaker Tentacle, Lovepedal Believe, or the upper octave sections of the Disnortion, COG T65, Hoof Reaper, or Octron pedals for this)
The alternative for getting, technically, an octave up, is analog. That's a different sound, like a lo-fi fuzz - it doubles the frequency (hence technically an octave up) and rectifies the wave and sounds really cool, but it isn't the 8-string type sound. (see Earthquaker Tentacle, Lovepedal Believe, or the upper octave sections of the Disnortion, COG T65, Hoof Reaper, or Octron pedals for this)
That's Freq'n C
First one I've ever seen "in the wilds", albeit not in person so not that wild.
Can you tell us more about it, how it tracks, sound quality ... any extra info is appreciated.
I'll have to run it through its paces again, it's been quite awhile, and I think I was running a guitar through it rather than a bass. I remember getting nice distortion, but I tend to do that with a guitar anyway. I'll try to get it out soon and give it a go.
COG T65 and T70 do octave up.
I've owned a T16, T65, and now have the T70 and they're all amazing.
I've owned a T16, T65, and now have the T70 and they're all amazing.
