good octave?

Ha! Yeah - I've found my RC-20 looper to be great for that. I can put it FIRST in my chain (I'd usually run it last for performing) - that way I can fine-tune my effects setup with the exact-same, repeating bass part going through everything!

I had no idea that the SubBlaster was polyphonic! Dang-it! - if I would've known that, I would have looked into them more carefully before I bought my OC-3. I did get to play one briefly once, and the tone was very solid and authoritive!

I only use my OC-3 in poly mode - and while it really does NOT truly "track chords", it does exhibit flawless tracking for even sloppily-played mono stuff. The tone can be strangely nasal-y, and as you go to lower and lower notes, it gets worse, to the point of fairly 'unmusical', I think.

It's the pedal I use least. I bought it 'between bands', and I'm still 'between'. But I'll bet that when I'm gigging again - especially if it's with another three-piece - I'll use it much more often. Playing in its sweet-zone - that'd be like maybe low-A, up to two-octaves up the G-string (That's using the "Guitar"-input; the "Bass"-mode only works up to one octave up the G!) - it really does well-simulate a guitar playing in octave-unison with a bass!

Another problem with it - which I JUST don't get, but I've heard it from others here too - is that it cuts-out a bit when you engage the effect! I dunno what's with dat.

Joe

 

The MXR Bass Octave tracks well and sounds good. One thing that will help any of these things is - compressor in front of the Octave. That extra bit of smoothing really helps with the tracking.

I found the Digitech BSW to be kind of uninspiring. It did a couple of things well but nothing as good as the combination of a Bass Balls combined with the bass' Octave. The BSW is one box though. Like most of the multi-effector's I have encountered, it does a bunch of things OK rather than one thing really well.

On the synth topic, the Ibanez is nowhere near as flexible or full featured as the Digitech. It is however a whole lot better in the Env / LPO department. With the freq & resonance turned way down it's very greasy / dubby!

The Ibanez does not do the Octave down thing so I'm using it in conjunction with the Bass Octave as well.

 

There's one thing I forgot to bring up, that I think is important: As far as I know - the classic monophonic, 'binary' down-octavers DON'T in any way 'track' playing dynamics, and the ones called 'poly' DO follow playing dynamics.

Whether any of that is good or not (the non-dynamic kind would be more 'synth'-sounding, I imagine), I'm sure it's an important consideration for some.

Joe