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.
Its Bloomery Active VP (though their passive can go as an expression pedal too) from tapestry audio. I think they went out of business but their stuff is still available online!
Reviving an old post from the thread....5sg, you have any tweaks to this baby?Further HX Bass Octaver / OC2 comparison and My Crazy OC2 theory (aka Another Mid-day Brain Dump)
Okay, so I spent quite a bit more time last night focusing on my patch to make the HX Bass Octaver sound like an OC2. It has five blocks so far and is getting reasonably close (Bass Octaver > Dimension > Minotaur > Parametric EQ > Deluxe Comp). I still want to tweak on the EQ, but I just don't think any more trickery will get the HX to truly sound like an OC2. No real surprise of course, but I've already gotten it closer than I thought I would.
I formulated a theory as I was really getting into the weeds with it last night, which could possibly be of interest to @Digital Igloo if the Line 6 team ever does model the hallowed octaver. *crossing fingers lol
After revisiting the OC2 so much over the last week(ish), I'm now of the opinion that the key to the synthy-ness of the OC2 is that it's not actually an "octaver." *gasp!
My theory is that the OC2 is actually an analog synth module (programmed for one sound only, with a dry blend) in an octaver shell. Much like how a keyboard MIDI controller controls a synth module, I think the Boss takes the dry bass signal as the input, and actually generates the -1/-2 sound from within itself, as opposed to taking the original bass sound and pitch shifting it down. When really dissecting/comparing, it struck me a little after midnight that the OC2's -1 sound compares more to sounds I hear from actual synths. It compares more directly to my Future Impact than my other octavers. (But I haven't had a chance to directly A/B the OC2 and FI side by side yet.)
Maybe others have already figured this out, I was a little late to the OC2 party in my bass playing career. ha ha!
I'm going to keep working on my HX OC2 patch just for kicks, but I don't think any amount of EQing will get me there. The current synths in the HX don't really do what the OC2 does either. So, the best answer for now is to keep an OC2 or my Octabvre in the FX Loop.
On that note: @Chace90 had an interesting suggestion today too... Use just the -1 of the OC2 in the loop, and assign an expression pedal to control the FX Loop mix. Then you can control the mix of the dry vs. sub with your foot! Handy! (disclaimer: neither of us have actually tried this yet. We're just assuming you can do it since you can assign an exp to everything else in the HX... ha ha)
5sg.
Reviving an old post from the thread....5sg, you have any tweaks to this baby?
Just did a rewire of my HXFX board the other day, of both the power and other stuff underneath -
View attachment 3931982
View attachment 3931984
and a slight change to the signal path, so I always have a dry out from the bass straight through the left XLR out of the JDI Stereo d.i. To record or send to F.O.H.
View attachment 3931986
View attachment 3931988
Some of you guys might find this interesting (or not). But I did a test of recording both the DRY XLR out from the bass and the WET XLR out from the HXFX at the same time, direct to my audio interface/D.A.W..
To check the HXFX audio to digital to audio conversion latency differences as compared to the Dry signal.
What I found was the Wet going though the HXFX with the IR/cab block on, and both fx loops bypassed, was about 1 to 2 milliseconds max, later than the Dry.
And each fx loop of the HXFX added about 1ms each to the latency.
(Checking with each fx loop on separately, then both on at the same time).
So the HXFX, with both loops off, about 1 to 2 ms max.
And with both loops on, about 3 to 4 ms max.
Those are some pretty good numbers if correct.
Flipping the polarity switch on and off on one of the two recorded tracks, it sounds to me like they are definitely more in phase than not.
If anyone is interested and has the means, could you double check these findings with your HXFX and D.A.W.?
Just did a rewire of my HXFX board the other day, of both the power and other stuff underneath -
View attachment 3931982
View attachment 3931984
and a slight change to the signal path, so I always have a dry out from the bass straight through the left XLR out of the JDI Stereo d.i. To record or send to F.O.H.
View attachment 3931986
View attachment 3931988
Some of you guys might find this interesting (or not). But I did a test of recording both the DRY XLR out from the bass and the WET XLR out from the HXFX at the same time, direct to my audio interface/D.A.W..
To check the HXFX audio to digital to audio conversion latency differences as compared to the Dry signal.
What I found was the Wet going though the HXFX with the IR/cab block on, and both fx loops bypassed, was about 1 to 2 milliseconds max, later than the Dry.
And each fx loop of the HXFX added about 1ms each to the latency.
(Checking with each fx loop on separately, then both on at the same time).
So the HXFX, with both loops off, about 1 to 2 ms max.
And with both loops on, about 3 to 4 ms max.
Those are some pretty good numbers if correct.
Flipping the polarity switch on and off on one of the two recorded tracks, it sounds to me like they are definitely more in phase than not.
If anyone is interested and has the means, could you double check these findings with your HXFX and D.A.W.?
Its surprisingly responsive to playing dynamics too. Stacks super well with a heavier darkglass AOU overdrive too.
