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New Boss OC-5 Octave

#241
On strummed chords, it really does work. I found this morning that you can get root notes to track with some changes to playing style. You have to hold your root a little more firmly to get it work but it’s possible.

I also didn’t realize how much time I spend implying chords and roots when I play. Can’t track a root note if you’re not playing one. That’s not the pedal’s fault.
 
#242
As a gigantic Boss fanboy I bought an OC-5 yesterday and promptly relisted it today. Maybe I don't understand octavers but anything below the D string sounded like a complete mess with absolutely no definition on either of the -1 or -2 octave settings. It tracked ok, but on the A and E strings it would jump around constantly even with the pedal right after a compressor at max ratio. Not worth $140 or even half that, but that's just me
 
#243
fourstr00 said:
On strummed chords, it really does work. I found this morning that you can get root notes to track with some changes to playing style. You have to hold your root a little more firmly to get it work but it’s possible.

I also didn’t realize how much time I spend implying chords and roots when I play. Can’t track a root note if you’re not playing one. That’s not the pedal’s fault.
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I figured technique would be important, I know on all the demos on pedals they play as clean as possible, etc. to make the pedals sound good, but in the real world and with less finesse it won't sound as good.
 
#244
poochiecheeks said:
As a gigantic Boss fanboy I bought an OC-5 yesterday and promptly relisted it today. Maybe I don't understand octavers but anything below the D string sounded like a complete mess with absolutely no definition on either of the -1 or -2 octave settings. It tracked ok, but on the A and E strings it would jump around constantly even with the pedal right after a compressor at max ratio. Not worth $140 or even half that, but that's just me
Click to expand...
Have you played octavers that did work for you?
 
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#246
poochiecheeks said:
As a gigantic Boss fanboy I bought an OC-5 yesterday and promptly relisted it today. Maybe I don't understand octavers but anything below the D string sounded like a complete mess with absolutely no definition on either of the -1 or -2 octave settings. It tracked ok, but on the A and E strings it would jump around constantly even with the pedal right after a compressor at max ratio. Not worth $140 or even half that, but that's just me
Click to expand...
That sounds like it could be pretty consistent with the function of most mono octave’s tracking. The Boss OC-2 requires some playing and/or EQ adjustments and usually only tracks consistently down to B or so on the E string even with careful playing and ideal pickup/tone settings (as little extra harmonic content or noise as possible). The -2 octave on the OC-2 is rarely useful on bass unless you are playing in the high register of the D/G strings IME. Most of these types of sub-octavers track best as you play in the higher register, which is why you will usually see the big players using them from the 7th fret and above. I wouldn’t expect much different from the OC-5, though a few demos have shown careful players getting the -1 octave to track pretty well even in some of the E string low register.
 
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#249
poochiecheeks said:
As a gigantic Boss fanboy I bought an OC-5 yesterday and promptly relisted it today. Maybe I don't understand octavers but anything below the D string sounded like a complete mess with absolutely no definition on either of the -1 or -2 octave settings. It tracked ok, but on the A and E strings it would jump around constantly even with the pedal right after a compressor at max ratio. Not worth $140 or even half that, but that's just me
Click to expand...

sunbeast said:
That sounds like it could be pretty consistent with the function of most mono octave’s tracking. The Boss OC-2 requires some playing and/or EQ adjustments and usually only tracks consistently down to B or so on the E string even with careful playing and ideal pickup/tone settings (as little extra harmonic content or noise as possible). The -2 octave on the OC-2 is rarely useful on bass unless you are playing in the high register of the D/G strings IME. Most of these types of sub-octavers track best as you play in the higher register, which is why you will usually see the big players using them from the 7th fret and above. I wouldn’t expect much different from the OC-5, though a few demos have shown careful players getting the -1 octave to track pretty well even in some of the E string low register.
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Yup, this ^
I’d use the -2 octave sparingly for now. I was able to track a clear -1 octave on the low G (3rd fret E string).

Also, it depends on the type of bass and how you pluck/pick the strings.
 
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#252
I made a comparison video. Let me know what you think! My synopsis is...

Sound:
OC-2 rounder
OC-5 very close to OC-2, but slightly more attack
OC-3 unique sound (not an OC-2 replacement), more low end
Valeton OC-10 very very close to OC-2
MXR VBO sounds very different than OC-2, sharper sound (not pleasing)

Tracking:
OC-2 good all around, suffers in the low register
OC-5 the best for sustained notes in the low register, but weird artifacts when playing faster (may be my technique)
OC-3 good, slightly better than OC-2 in low register
Valeton OC-10 good in higher registers, horrible in lower registers
MXR VBO OK, not as good compared to the others, horrible artifacts when playing faster (not likely my technique, it was always bad)

 
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#254
sunbeast said:
Can you be more specific? What are you comparing it too?
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It's all subjective, so what person will like the next won't. Look at overdrives. What am I comparing it to? OC-2 Octaver, OC-3, EBS, Aguilar, Modtone Deep Dive, Digitech Drop, MXR BOD, Sub n' Up, Micro POG, Foxrox Octron3, 3 Leaf, Markbass, etc, etc, etc and ignoring any of the modelers.
 
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#255
MultiScaleMale said:
It's all subjective, so what person will like the next won't. Look at overdrives. What am I comparing it to? OC-2 Octaver, OC-3, EBS, Aguilar, Modtone Deep Dive, Digitech Drop, MXR BOD, Sub n' Up, Micro POG, Foxrox Octron3, 3 Leaf, Markbass, etc, etc, etc and ignoring any of the modelers.
Click to expand...
But you could attempt to make some sort of semi-objective qualifiers like @Benjamin Earl above (for example) about what doesn’t work in the OC-5 Vintage octave compared to your references. Or not!
 
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#257
MultiScaleMale said:
I could, but it always ends up the same on TB.
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I guess we come here for different purposes then! I come primarily to learn and try to offer help and/or potentially helpful observation when I can, maybe secondarily for some weird form of “community” of bass weirdos, thirdly for spectacle...
 
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#258
sunbeast said:
I guess we come here for different purposes then! I come primarily to learn and try to offer help and/or potentially helpful observation when I can, maybe secondarily for some weird form of “community” of bass weirdos, thirdly for spectacle...
Click to expand...

I've done that for a long time and I'm taking a break. If somebody wants to know what it weighs, I can do that. It's not the octave, it's the player!! As long as the octave has a tort faceplate. Heh.
 
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#259
Just got mine today. Couple of things.

There is at least a small amount of tone suck in bypass. Lost a touch of highs and seemed to get a little lower midrange bump, which might be a loss of a little bit of the lows. This was with a PBass with a GZR pickup. It was pretty minimal, but there. Not a deal breaker, I doubt youd notice it in a mix.

I like the -1 in vintage mode a lot. It's definitely digital, although it's hard to tell until you get below D on the A string. Sounds enough like an OC-2 to me, plenty fat.

The +1 definitely sounds muted compared to my old MicroPOG, which I unfortunately don't have anymore, and definitely has some kind of envelope going on in front of it. It sounds good integrated with the direct and -1, but it's not something I'd use solo, and I used the +1 on my MicroPOG pretty regularly soloed. I'd probably just dial in a little bit to kind of give some upper harmonic content to the overall sound. IMO this is NOT a POG killer. The octave down on the OC-5 in vintage sounds MUCH better than the POG, the upper IMO kind of lacks in comparison. It might have been nice to have the current +1 sound in vintage mode, as it does integrate well with the -1 sound, and then have something more in the realm of the MicroPog for Poly mode.

I really didn't much of a chance to check into Poly mode, which really isn't of much interest to me anyway, but will probably do so another time.

Overall, I'm keeping it as it's pretty useful just as an octave down and the price was right, and I stupidly sold off all of my octave pedals earlier this year.
 
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#260
Benjamin Earl said:
I made a comparison video. Let me know what you think! My synopsis is...

Sound:
OC-2 rounder
OC-5 very close to OC-2, but slightly more attack
OC-3 unique sound (not an OC-2 replacement), more low end
Valeton OC-10 very very close to OC-2
MXR VBO sounds very different than OC-2, sharper sound (not pleasing)

Tracking:
OC-2 good all around, suffers in the low register
OC-5 the best for sustained notes in the low register, but weird artifacts when playing faster (may be my technique)
OC-3 good, slightly better than OC-2 in low register
Valeton OC-10 good in higher registers, horrible in lower registers
MXR VBO OK, not as good compared to the others, horrible artifacts when playing faster (not likely my technique, it was always bad)

Click to expand...


That's a great comparison video, Ben! Especially since you have the whole line-up! :laugh:

The Valeton does sound very close to the OC-2 but the OC-2 still has that cool hollow, wet sound. I mentioned in my comparison video that I think the OC-5 is worth getting because it sounds close enough to it.

The MXR VBO sounds more thuddy than I expected.
 

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