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Octave pedal recommendations?

Venom of God

Venom of God

Oct 8, 2007
704
257
38
Australia
#1
I never used to really get octave pedals, then realised last night a head I've been gigging with for the last 18 months (not mine, obviously) has one built in and it was part of the reason I loved that head over mine! It really filled out the sound, added a good bottom end over high notes and such.

Any recommendations on an octave pedal that tracks well over low notes and isn't too imposing? I play hard rock so I don't really want something that is going to stick out too much, just add a nice amount of omph!

Cheers!
 
#5
I do like the idea of being able to add a little dirt to my octave down, would help it sit in the mix a little nicer, yeah? When an octaver doesn't track, what actually happens? Does it just not play the octave below the root or does it play a wrong octave?

Do you guys use them as an effect or an always-on type deal?
 
#6
I just recently purchased an Aguilar Octamizer (my first octave pedal). I love the sound it has and the fact that you can adjust the clean (clean level and clean tone knobs) and octave sounds (octave level and octave filter knobs) separately.

I tune a half step down then I drop the low E to a C# and it has trouble tracking anything below 5th fret on the low string. It still sounds good though.

When the pedal (the Aguilar at least) fails to track the notes correctly the lower frequencies seem to drop out leaving you with an almost harmonic sound. It's not a bad sound but it may not work for everything you need. It's alright for me. The tone is awesome though. I love it.

I use it as an effect. Definitely not on all the time.
 
#7
i'm with snyder as i usually am when the octave pedal discussion comes up. if you haven't used an analog octaver before and don't want to spend the time learning how to make them track properly i would go digital. analog octavers like the aguilar, mxr, oc-2 are analog and don't track low notes very well. the best choices for digital octavers that will track anything are, as snyder said, the oc-3 in poly mode and also the electro harmonix micro pog. both will do a good job of what you want but the micro pog sounds a tad more synthetic or digital to my ears.
 
#10
Venom of God said:
When an octaver doesn't track, what actually happens? Does it just not play the octave below the root or does it play a wrong octave?
Click to expand...

Analog octave pedals try to track positive peak of waveform. When they detect (or think they've detected) positive peak, waveform gets flipped (reversed in polarity). Since you get polarity reversal every other cycle, in effect you get tone one octave down.

Here is trickie part - if pedal (often) misses or double tracks that positive peak you get sort of warble. It can sound anything from octave jumps to nasty rumble without any reckognisable note pitch. That is biggest issue by far with analog octave down pedals.

This tracking stuff IMHO depends mostly on bass and player. I have tried one MXR BOD in shop, and it tracked EVERYTHING except low open E (F on E was just fine, if a bit too subsonic for most of cabs) and two and a half dead spots on G string. Some rules: favour neck p'up, play closer to neck and play clean. If you play two notes or chord, octave pedal will produce garbage. So clean single note lines with string stopping.

Since you've actually used octave on head (was that Peavey head?) I guess you are don't have issues with bass or playing style. One more side note - people have reported that with different pedals from same batch (like several BODs for example), some tracked better and some worse. So best thing would be to try some, and buy one you had best tracking with.
 
#11
Thanks, that makes sense there! The head I've used on octave down on was an Ashdown, not sure of specifics but it's one of the older ones I believe.

How do they cope with a fuzz pedal going? Or would you put the octaver as one of the first pedals in the chain? I'm really liking the look of the MXR but don't want to regret buying one and wish I got a Boss..
 
#17
RenorCordic said:
I just recently purchased an Aguilar Octamizer (my first octave pedal). I love the sound it has and the fact that you can adjust the clean (clean level and clean tone knobs) and octave sounds (octave level and octave filter knobs) separately.
Click to expand...

+1

I used to be the bitter old man that didn't use effects and yelled at kids to get off my lawn. I love my Aguilar pedals ... but I'm still the bitter old man that tells kids to get off my lawn. :D
 
#18
Im alittle pissed with my MXR BOD tonaly its great, great features and tracks great but glitches out ALOT after it grabs the note. Only reason I cant replace it is I live in Brisbane and bought it from the USA online new.... WARRANTY DONT COUNT! BUT then again if u play higher up the neck instead of the higher strings as in say C (5th) on the G play C (10th) on the D seems to run alot better on the fatter sound than the thinner. Ive some what worked around this issue but just to have it covered for faults here you have to be willing to pay $299 aus retail (F that shiz) I think I only paid around $120 to $130 US so as annoyed that I am with it not bein fully functional to save atleast $150 Aus its worth figuring out...
They are worth a look they sound killer but try b4 you buy with that one, Just be prep'd to see a price tag livin over here bro.
 

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