Octave pedals with active bass?

[RangerMoose]

Hi friends,

So I'm looking at getting an octave pedal to imitate the sounds that Tim Lefebvre gets playing with Mark Guiliana. He talks very highly of the BOSS OC-2. If you're not familiar with his Mark Guiliana sound, it's very synthy – he uses a lot of the OC-2 as well as the EHX Frequency Analyzer. I'm wondering, though, how the BOSS octavers (OC-2 and OC-3) perform with active basses. I uses a MusicMan Bongo, and I find that its output can tax some pedals. I was also looking at the MXR Bass Octave Deluxe, any other recommendations are welcome too.

Here's a video of Tim Lefebvre with Mark Guiliana, it's pretty low quality, but you can get a good idea of what I'm talking about:

 

[ZanaZulu807]

I don't have too many issues, though of course if you crank the controls on your bass you're going to have some sort of clipping/overdrive going on. I just roll back on the bass and treble knobs on my Stingray and let my amp rely on the tonal work, smooth octaves from there.

 

[mmbongo]

I have no problems with the Aguilar Octamizer with my high output Lakland and Spector basses. After trying the MicroPog, OC-2, EBS BassIQ, and MXR, the Octamizer was the clear winner for sound quality, noise free operation, and tracking. The Pog tracks better than any of them, but sounds digital. The MXR sounds fantastic, but couldn't deal with the loud swirling noise that is present when the effect is engaged.

Octamizer. Do it.

 

[Skrogh]

I have to roll back the volume of my active RBX370 on my OC-2, but only if boosted the bass on the onboard EQ and play on the E string. I had no problems with an old 76' Stingray.

 

[HolmeBass]

No probs with OC-2 or BOD with my active basses- but they don't have really high output for actives.

 

[Aureus]

I tried the Octamizer with my active Thumb Bass, and send it back. Just not my type of sound. I settled with the MXR Bass Octave D and am as happy as I could be. For me (!) the right choice. LOVE the sound ... love it.

Others prefer EBS or Aguilar or whatever ... to each his own. But the MXR works and sounds superb with my active Bass. Some like the Line6 M series a lot to, for pitch shifting/octaving stuff ...

 

[jbednarski]

I tried the Octamizer with my active Thumb Bass, and send it back. Just not my type of sound. I settled with the MXR Bass Octave D and am as happy as I could be. For me (!) the right choice. LOVE the sound ... love it.

Others prefer EBS or Aguilar or whatever ... to each his own. But the MXR works and sounds superb with my active Bass. Some like the Line6 M series a lot to, for pitch shifting/octaving stuff ...

I believe that Tim Lefebvre also said that his active Sadowsky 5 only works with the MXR octave pedal ond not his OC2.

 

[mmbongo]

I tried the Octamizer with my active Thumb Bass, and send it back. Just not my type of sound. I settled with the MXR Bass Octave D and am as happy as I could be. For me (!) the right choice. LOVE the sound ... love it.

Others prefer EBS or Aguilar or whatever ... to each his own. But the MXR works and sounds superb with my active Bass. Some like the Line6 M series a lot to, for pitch shifting/octaving stuff ...

Dang, other than the hideous noise in the MXR, I found the MXR and Aguilar sounded pretty much the same.

 

[DeltaPhoenix]

My MXR had no noise
You must have had a bum unit. MXR has great customer service. You should have checked with them.

 

[lowfreq33]

My bass has a trim pot for each pickup inside the cavity. I got an SPL meter out and matched the level to a USA Fender Jazz. Figured that's a pretty safe amount of output. I don't know why more active basses don't have that feature, it's probably a $1.50 part.

 

[mmbongo]

My MXR had no noise
You must have had a bum unit. MXR has great customer service. You should have checked with them.

Nah, I just got a better pedal instead.

 

[Dave W]

Most of my basses are fine with my OC-2, but my G&L clips it easily. I just turn down the volume on the bass a little and it works fine.

 

[Ubersheist]

I've tried a bunch, and haven't found any real problems. However, I usually use octave pedals for synthy type sounds, and haven't ever encountered clipping issues for octaves below the original signal, as far as I recall. As such, if the original signal is clipping, I don't know about it. A few do clip on the original signal, which produces some not so great sounds. The -1 octaves never seem to clip on any pedal that I can remember off hand. Octaves or other notes above the root notes seem to clip a lot easier. That said, it's still rare when they clip.

I'm guessing that all the pedal makers anticipate active electronics, even on guitars. Pretty much any pedal worth anything (and pretty much all the low end ones, too) should be able to handle active electronics.

 

[MSUsousaphone]

The Foxrox Octron is pretty bad ***. I play a Status S2 Classic and it is VERY active. The octave up isn't exactly what I want (I'm basically looking to get a guitar sound) but everything else on it is natural, organic, and beautiful.

 

[mattfong]

Here's a much higher quality video, Tim goes into his octave thing around 2:33. There's some hack saxophonist on this video, ignore him (internet sarcasm).

haha, that's more like Beat Music featuring Donny than Donny's band. Donny's great, but I did find myself ignoring him in that video.

Have you heard the new Beat Music EP yet?

 

[Aureus]

Dang, other than the hideous noise in the MXR, I found the MXR and Aguilar sounded pretty much the same.

wow, really ?

First: I don't hear any noise from my MXR ? very quiet unit so far when kicked in or in bypass. I played home/gig/rehearsal loudness with it and can't say anything negative. I would have send the pedal back immediately if it was making noise ... I hate that, and that just can't be for a over 100$ pedal imo.

And second: I found that they can sound very similar, I agree, but from the tone, feel, characteristics and style, the tone(s) I get out of the MXR just suit me way better, or my bass and amp/cabinet. I found the Octamizer tending to a boomier sound while the MXR is more present in the low-mid region, even more if you play with the inside adjustments for the modulation knob. But again, this also can just be my playing or Amp/Cabinet. Not saying the Octamizer is a whack pedal, it's just not for me. ( btw ... the edge of the housing above the cables going into input/output is ... )

But, hey ... . Some people would take the Octamizer over the MXR in a heartbeat. Or other pedals. I really dig the MXR though ...

 

[mmbongo]

wow, really ?

First: I don't hear any noise from my MXR ? very quiet unit so far when kicked in or in bypass. I played home/gig/rehearsal loudness with it and can't say anything negative. I would have send the pedal back immediately if it was making noise ... I hate that, and that just can't be for a over 100$ pedal imo.

And second: I found that they can sound very similar, I agree, but from the tone, feel, characteristics and style, the tone(s) I get out of the MXR just suit me way better, or my bass and amp/cabinet. I found the Octamizer tending to a boomier sound while the MXR is more present in the low-mid region, even more if you play with the inside adjustments for the modulation knob. But again, this also can just be my playing or Amp/Cabinet. Not saying the Octamizer is a whack pedal, it's just not for me. ( btw ... the edge of the housing above the cables going into input/output is ... )

But, hey ... . Some people would take the Octamizer over the MXR in a heartbeat. Or other pedals. I really dig the MXR though ...

Not a big fan of the Aguilar case design either, but it actually takes up much less room on my board than the MXR did, despite the MXR being half the size. Top jacks are wonderful

 

[BenHack]

I've used the OC-2 with my active Sadowsky and it works. I prefer the tone with the bass in passive mode and will just set the volume of the effects chain accordingly. As far as tone goes I have the OC-2, the Aguilar and the EBS. If I had to choose one it would be the OC-2 mainly because it cops most of the octave tones I hear in recordings.

However, I really wouldn't want to give up my Aguliar. Some of the preset ideas are great and I'll often have the OC-2 set up so it's just the wet signal whereas the Aguilar has some dry in there. The OC-2 helps give some great synth sounds when combined with envelopes etc whereas the Aguilar sounds great by itself or with distortion it can give an awesome heavy tone! I can totally live without the EBS.

I hope that helps.

Cheers

PS I agree about the top lip on the Aguilar casing

 

[ZanaZulu807]

The Foxrox Octron is pretty bad ***. I play a Status S2 Classic and it is VERY active. The octave up isn't exactly what I want (I'm basically looking to get a guitar sound) but everything else on it is natural, organic, and beautiful.

This and agreed with MSUsousa (who I might say seems like a pretty bright fellow based on other posts...). The FoxRox Octron is what I rock and it is the OC-2 and then some tittays! Extremely tweakable from super clean thump to Mack truck like rumble, it's the best lower octave there is, IMO... As for the octave up, it's not really meant for clean playing at all, but add some distortion in the mix and the guitarist can call it quits!

 

[EBR]

Wow the second cut you posted is great. Sounds like oc-2 at about 53 seconds into the vid but then there is another something little after 2 minutes. I wonder what it is, or what combination of pedals. Very cool