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MXR M288 Bass Octave Dx Review

Chronicle

Chronicle

Sep 13, 2006
5,351
24
NY
#1
Octave down galore. I got my MXR m288 Bass Octave Dx. pedal today and I must say, MXR is picking up the pace with nice sounding gear.

The tracking is quite good. It can't track my Low-E for the first hit but then it smooths out. It starts tracking flawlessly on F#(2nd fret). I hear it can track a low B but I'm going to be surprised if it does since it has trouble with the low-E.

The Mid's button and adjustable tweaks inside the pedal are a nice touch as well. A very necessary touch actually for it to be used live.

THE VERDICT IS IN
The MXR and OC-2 sound very much alike in the smooth octave(right knobs) but the left knobs sound a bit different. Let's just say I like the MXR much more because of the MIDs switch. Makes it much more usable.


This first soundclip is just me going from 850hz to 400hz on the mids button. All 3 knobs are 12oc.
http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7538601

Dry: 12oc|Growl:1oc|Girth:OFF|Mids:OFF
http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7538700

Dry:12oc|Growl:OFF|Grith:1oc|Mids:OFF
http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7538707

Dry:1oc|Growl:10oc|Girth:2oc|Mids:ON
http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7538717

Tracking E to A
http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7538724

Citizen Erase(Mic'd)
http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7539860

Citizen Erase with more Growl
http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7539916

Growl ONLY
http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7539874

Girth ONLY
http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7539880

With...the BIT?! BONEKRUSHING!!
http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7539917

DSCN1837.jpg

DSCN1835.jpg
 
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Reactions: Kerem Koseoglu
#7
Definitely sounds better to me with mids on. 850 seems to be a good frequency for it. To my ears, anyway. I like it. Sounds like a bass but different enough to where it could also do synthy.
 
#13
Jovi, you're awesome. Thank you.

When you get a moment, could you throw up a clip of the Citizen Erased riff? (It's a MUSE song, if you don't know the riff it's stupidly simple ) Feel free to use any fuzz/dirt you may posess, my only request is that you run the M288 first in the chain. Thanks a lot in advance,

-Sean
 
#14
Chronicle,

+1 Thanks for the review and the clips! I'm looking forward to the comparison with the OC-2.

I've got an Octabass which I do dig, but I think I'll probably pick up the MXR for the other controls. I liked the Girth more than Growl, but I could see a mix of the two being pretty sick.

Can you tell us more about the internal MID adjustment? Is it a switch or a rotary knob... can you only select 850Hz/400Hz or could you dial in a midpoint?

5sg.
 
#15
fivestringgecko said:
Chronicle,

+1 Thanks for the review and the clips! I'm looking forward to the comparison with the OC-2.

I've got an Octabass which I do dig, but I think I'll probably pick up the MXR for the other controls. I liked the Girth more than Growl, but I could see a mix of the two being pretty sick.

Can you tell us more about the internal MID adjustment? Is it a switch or a rotary knob... can you only select 850Hz/400Hz or could you dial in a midpoint?

5sg.
Click to expand...

Switch for the 850/400hz. There's another pot in there to adjust volume of the mid boost.
 
#16
RCCollins said:
color me underwhelmed. looks like i'm going back to the octabass.
Click to expand...

Hmm, I'm on the fence.

The OC-2 will stay on my main board for sure, but I am looking for an octaver for a smaller, fretless board. I was hoping for a modded MuTron or the Plaster Caster but I don't feel like paying or waiting respectively.

I want a smooth octave (yes, I know Pino used an OC-2, but I like the EBS better for fretless playing. I'm not sure whether to grab another Octabass or try the MXR. I know I like the EBS, but I kind of want to try something new.

I won't be using it 100% wet, so it may not make much difference. But I am a little wary of MXR's QA after my experience with the Carbon Copy.
 
#18
Chronicle said:
The Girth control is pretty smooth sounding. I'm going to take more clips today.
Click to expand...

My understanding is that it is aping an EBS, so it makes sense. My question is whether it does it as well as the real Octabass.

Hard to tell from the clips since my playing style with an analog octaver is different from yours. It does seem to ape an OC-2 fairly well in "Growl" but from the beginning I've wondered why you'd want to blend those two tones. I may just have to check it out for myself.
 
#19
TheBigO said:
My understanding is that it is aping an EBS, so it makes sense. My question is whether it does it as well as the real Octabass.

Hard to tell from the clips since my playing style with an analog octaver is different from yours. It does seem to ape an OC-2 fairly well in "Growl" but from the beginning I've wondered why you'd want to blend those two tones. I may just have to check it out for myself.
Click to expand...

It sounded really good in that one clip. Best of both worlds I guess :D
 
#20
In the next set of clips, please can you set growl to maximum, the others off, then turn the pedal on and off. Then repeat with girth solo'd. I want to see what the solo octave sounds like, and also what it's volume is like compared to the unaffected signal (because the Boss OC-2 drops volume big time when using it for solo -1 octave).

Thanks!
 

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