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Looking for an Octaver with OC-2 sound

el murdoque

el murdoque

Mar 10, 2013
12,049
25,382
Germany
thedirtjounal.com
#1
The sound of the OC-2 with the -1 dimed and everything else off is what I'm after.
One possibility would be to simply buy an OC-2, dime the -1 and set everything else to zero.

But are there alternatives? I don't need a 100% exact clone, but I want THAT sound. It's okay if you can make out a difference listening to the isolated bass track with studio monitors, as long as it makes people think "OC-2" when it comes on.

I want analog and I would not mind a better form factor and better tracking.

MXR M-280 seems to be very close to what I'm asking, but there has to be more?
 
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#5
Smurf-o-Deth said:
There are numerous OC-2-alikes, from the readily available (MXR Vintage Bass Octave) to the unobtanium (3 Leaf Octabvre). And, if you are willing to overlook the digital implementation, the Source Audio Spectrum/C4 will do a great OC-2 with unbeatable tracking.
Click to expand...

I have a C4,

but this is for my all-analog-synth-sound-pedal-chain project.
 
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#8
MYLOWFREQ said:
IMHO below are the analog octaves that sound like the Boss OC-2:

COG T16 / T47
MarkBass Raw Octaver
MXR Vintage Bass Ocave
3-Leaf Audio Octabvre

I use a modified Boss OC-2 which IMHO is the best. I'd like to buy myself a COG T47.
Click to expand...

I’ve used all of these, except the Markbass, and I agree they all get close enough to the OC-2 sound.

I’ve sold most off and just use an OC-2 for my OC-2 sound, because why not just use the thing I’m trying to sound like? I ended up keeping the Octavbre for a moog sound, even though I bought it for the OC-2 thing.
 
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#12
Thank you for the input.

Can anyone here sort the history of the OC-2?

As I gather it, the really expensive ones are the first Japanese models.

From the first models on, a few things changed:
-Silver/black label.
-A chip ran out of production and was replaced by another.
-The OC-2 Octaver became the OC-2 Octave.
-Production was moved to Taiwan.

I do not know the timeline and the importance of these events.

Does it do OC-2 as long as it reads OC-2 ?
 
#14
It's probably overkill for your needs, and decidedly not cheap, but in amongst the other good suggestions, I'll add the (discontinued) Subterranea from Iron Ether will give you that sound, plus the two analog synths already crammed in there, too. With those turned all the way down (but somehow never completely off), you get an OC-2 style sound, plus a little hint of 8-bit/midi/video game around the edges of the tone, which I find incredibly pleasing.

Takes it away ever so slightly from the classic Boss flavour, but for an all-analog synth board, I don't think you can find much more appropriate!
 
#16
el murdoque said:
Thank you for the input.

Can anyone here sort the history of the OC-2?

As I gather it, the really expensive ones are the first Japanese models.

From the first models on, a few things changed:
-Silver/black label.
-A chip ran out of production and was replaced by another.
-The OC-2 Octaver became the OC-2 Octave.
-Production was moved to Taiwan.

I do not know the timeline and the importance of these events.

Does it do OC-2 as long as it reads OC-2 ?
Click to expand...
Yes. I have heard people argue they don’t, but they do to me. Saw a video where a guy was demonstrating a glitch on the Taiwan version that he said wasn’t in the Japanese version, and then he plays the Japanese version and gets the same glitch. I give him credit for not editing that part out.
 
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#17
el murdoque said:
Thank you for the input.

Can anyone here sort the history of the OC-2?

As I gather it, the really expensive ones are the first Japanese models.

From the first models on, a few things changed:
-Silver/black label.
-A chip ran out of production and was replaced by another.
-The OC-2 Octaver became the OC-2 Octave.
-Production was moved to Taiwan.

I do not know the timeline and the importance of these events.

Does it do OC-2 as long as it reads OC-2 ?
Click to expand...
I have the Japanese “octaver” oc2 and the Taiwan octave oc2. I have never a/b’d them and have been using the Japanese for a while now. From what I can remember, is the sound is pretty much the same. I’ll have to do a side by side at some point
 
#19
So many good OC2 clones out there, it really depends on what, if any, extra bells and whistles you’re looking for. For example, the 3Leaf Octavbre mk3 has a solo-sub foot switch, a strong tone/filter knob and the “Tim” switch - all of which I feel are great improvements over the OC2. Then you’ve got the COG offerings, of which I have the T65 that has an up octave, its own very dynamic filter, and a loop option. Those two are the ones I grab when I’m looking for an OC2 sound, granted they are expensive these days and difficult to track down. There are many others, it’s a rabbit hole. However, if my gear was stolen and I had to rely on what I could buy new at a big box store, I’d probably go with the MXR Vintage or OC5.

Edit: Additionally, I’ve lately been looking at various OC2 mods - if anyone has experience with that, please let me know your thoughts..
 
#20
Oops, forgot to mention that the original Taiwan pedals used the same PC board as the Japanese till they ran out. I bought mine for a Taiwan price because of it. Had no idea till I ran the serial.
 

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