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Octave Pedal for "Growl"?

J

JTyler

Aug 29, 2012
30
0
#1
Hey Forum! I was listening to some demos of bass octave pedals, and while I wouldn't want that effect on all the time, it was a cool vibe for some of the time.
Do any of you folks use octave pedals?
I was thinking that using one with the "effect" on just SLIGHTLY might be a good way to get some grit/growl at low to moderate volumes.... Any idea if this would work? I as always appreciate your input and thoughts!

JT
 
#3
bassgod0dmw said:
I use one all the time, but I wouldn't use it for grit or growl. I'd use an overdrive...
Click to expand...

+1 I have one for a few songs. I use it clean to fill out the sound when I am playing up the neck and everyone else is doing some artsy stuff.

Also be careful with the pedal. Putting a lot of energy in to the sub bass region can eat up a lot of your amps headroom, and push your cabinet into farting out early.
 
#5
I would be extremely cautious with any device that drives your cab/speakers down into a range they weren't designed to run in. In a studio setting, probably of little concern. In a live setting, probably of major concern. I'd suggest instead reading up on the MaxxBass concept and in what platforms it can be purchased.
 
#6
I have one of those Boss pedals but I can't find it. I think my son saw it laying around the house and thought I no longer used it so he pawned it :-) terrible thing to say, but I have not seen it in some time, and neither has he :-)
 
#7
I'm going to try the MXR Octave deluxe because unlike most other octavers, it's designed to affect midrange and has its' own blend knob. Check the youtube demos of it out-it seems far more useful than a conventional octave pedal as far as I can see.........and I'll have mine next week.
 
#8
JTyler said:
Do any of you folks use octave pedals?
I was thinking that using one with the "effect" on just SLIGHTLY might be a good way to get some grit/growl at low to moderate volumes.... Any idea if this would work? I as always appreciate your input and thoughts!
Click to expand...
Use with caution.

I own the DBX 120a sub-synth, which is a rack mount unit.
It operates over a more restricted ranged, and at the bottom of that range.
It generates a note one octave lower than the note being played.

For example, A1 (55 hz), generates a 28 Hz sub-note.
Very few bass cabs will handle 28 Hz, almost none at any appreciable power level.
When I used this synth, I was running a pair of RFR-2215 subs in a Flat to 24 Hz alignment.
The sub-synth mostly generates a lot of mud.

OP, if your intended pedal is an octave ABOVE the signal, this might provide an interesting effect.
It would certainly be safe on your bass drivers.
 
#9
The very low notes on a bass, including a standard tuned 4-string, are heard way more from the second harmonic than they are from the fundamental. Somewhere on here are some graphs that prove it, but I can never find the original thread. Therefore it's not necessary at all to have a cab that does 28hz for those notes to be heard as low notes. Some like having a cab that goes super low, but that's a matter of taste and not necessity.

Octave pedal for growl, though...not really what it's intended for, but I love octave pedals so it's worth a shot. Just know that it's not what they're intended for.
 
#10
JimmyM said:
The very low notes on a bass, including a standard tuned 4-string, are heard way more from the second harmonic than they are from the fundamental. Somewhere on here are some graphs that prove it, but I can never find the original thread. Therefore it's not necessary at all to have a cab that does 28hz for those notes to be heard as low notes. Some like having a cab that goes super low, but that's a matter of taste and not necessity.
Click to expand...

+1

I use a pair of Bag End cabs, which go down to 50hz IIRC. I use a octave pedal (octave down) all the time and it works fine.

It's just like anything, you need to use cation when cranking your amp.
 
#11
JimmyM said:
The very low notes on a bass, including a standard tuned 4-string, are heard way more from the second harmonic than they are from the fundamental. Somewhere on here are some graphs that prove it, but I can never find the original thread. Therefore it's not necessary at all to have a cab that does 28hz for those notes to be heard as low notes. Some like having a cab that goes super low, but that's a matter of taste and not necessity.
Click to expand...
It is back to school time once again.

Link Removed

The bass in the above example does indeed produce 41 Hz, and at a comparable level with the other harmonics.
The fundamental is usually is not heard, due to cab limitations.

A sub-synth, or other synthesized device is not a stringed instrument.
I can tell you with certainty that my sub-synth produces a full-bore signal at 28 Hz.
This will smoke most bass cabs at appreciable power.
 
#12
bgavin said:
It is back to school time once again.

Link Removed

The bass in the above example does indeed produce 41 Hz, and at a comparable level with the other harmonics.
The fundamental is usually is not heard, due to cab limitations.

A sub-synth, or other synthesized device is not a stringed instrument.
I can tell you with certainty that my sub-synth produces a full-bore signal at 28 Hz.
This will smoke most bass cabs at appreciable power.
Click to expand...

Why can I (and many other bassists) use an octave pedal all the time, but our cabs don't explode or catch on fire?
 
#14
JTyler said:
Hey Forum! I was listening to some demos of bass octave pedals, and while I wouldn't want that effect on all the time, it was a cool vibe for some of the time.
Do any of you folks use octave pedals?
I was thinking that using one with the "effect" on just SLIGHTLY might be a good way to get some grit/growl at low to moderate volumes.... Any idea if this would work? I as always appreciate your input and thoughts!

JT
Click to expand...

MaxxBass for the lows

And software equivalent to this
Link Removed
Use sparsely. Just like your guitarist sparsely uses power chords. :)
 
#15
bassgod0dmw said:
Why can I (and many other bassists) use an octave pedal all the time, but our cabs don't explode or catch on fire?
Click to expand...
Exactly. I used my octave pedal on some low A's tonight through two SVT 210av's (sealed 210 cabs) and heard that low A note plain as day through them. The fundamental is there, it's just not nearly as loud, but the combination of that and the second harmonic is plenty to be able to hear the actual note just fine.

This ain't my first rodeo, BGavin ;)
 
#16
JimmyM said:
This ain't my first rodeo, BGavin ;)
Click to expand...
Perhaps, but your horse is uneducated.

Bumble bees can indeed fly, the world is not flat, and electric basses can indeed produce a low E.
The Catholic Church slaughtered people who disagreed with their belief the Earth was the center of the universe.
They were dead wrong.

I find it amusing that folks are willing to trade dogma (I read it on the internet, so it must be true) over facts.
It was a simple matter to find the facts behind this question, so I measured them.

"Don't confuse me with the facts, my mind is made up."
This sort of mindless adherence to dogma is why Bill Fitzmaurice and others have left this board and won't come back.
 
#20
bgavin said:
Perhaps, but your horse is uneducated.

Bumble bees can indeed fly, the world is not flat, and electric basses can indeed produce a low E.
The Catholic Church slaughtered people who disagreed with their belief the Earth was the center of the universe.
They were dead wrong.

I find it amusing that folks are willing to trade dogma (I read it on the internet, so it must be true) over facts.
It was a simple matter to find the facts behind this question, so I measured them.

"Don't confuse me with the facts, my mind is made up."
This sort of mindless adherence to dogma is why Bill Fitzmaurice and others have left this board and won't come back.
Click to expand...

But your horse might be a bit high?
When many manufacturers produce sub-octave effect units especially intended for bass players, and many real-life bass players use these devices daily to full satisfaction to produce a deeper and/or fuller sound or a synthy tone without any amp or cabinet problems whatsoever, including myself, do you consider this fact or dogma?

No need to use an octaver with any more caution than one would an average bass-eq-knob. In my opinion of course, which might be subject to dogmatic thinking.
 

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