• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Octave up vs Octave down.

#21
The Zoom B1on will do an octave up effect. I use it to get the 8 string sound. Not sure how it compared to the other dedicated pedals but it works decently and is very cheap. It's just over $100 here in Australia so probably closer to $60 in the US. As a bonus it works as a great headphone amp for practicing with Aux input to jam along to mp3's and a drum/rhythm machine.
 
#24
Another vote for the POG. I have the MicroPOG and really like the way it tracks. I actually got it to make my electric viola sound like a cello, but I love the way it sounds on my bass, plus you can blend both octave up and down with the dry signal. I've even used it to play bass with my strat one night when the input jack on my real bass crapped out at a gig. They cost a little more than some of the other octavers, but they are really versatile.
 
#26
Th TC Sub n Up tracks superbly. Sounds very natural. You can get a SIM of the monophonic effect like the older effects.
It does poly like the pog.
And then with tone prints you can get flange distortion and chourus effects.
It has a clean blend
Octave up.
One and 2 octaves down.
Add to that the ability to cook up your own preset with your PC/Mac with the toneprint editor.
Had in the past:
Micro pog
Mini pog
Pog
Mooer tender octave
TC for the win.

Also owned an actual 12 string bass and 8 string bass so I know what they sound like.

The TC sounds closest to The real deal.
And uber flexible with the tone prints and editor.

The mooer was a damn nice effect a little noisier and touchy (adjustments) than the Pogs.... Sonically nearly identical to the Pogs.

The pogs are great too but the octave up sounded a little harsh and synthy but great nonetheless.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: zontar, Brian Dupre and tfer
#27
tkonbass said:
I use a Mooer Tender Octaver which is apparently a clone of the POG. Does up and down octave quite well and was well under $100.
Click to expand...
It's sort of a clone of the Micro Pog minus wet/dry outs, but I have one and I believe it has more latency than the Micro Pog, which I used to have. Sometimes it's quite noticeable. I use the Pitch Fork now which also has less latency to my ears.

Felken said:
Down octaves are useless for bass. It sounds muddy.
Click to expand...
Try telling that to the countless bassists who use octave down. I see some were pointed out to you. It's not for everyone, but it's far from useless.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Fight4Bottom
#30
All things being said, to the OP. Octave ups are going to be predominantly digital. I think the EQD Tentacle is analog octave up however. I have used an OC-2, OC-3, MicroPOG, Octamizer and H9. I can't recommend the Octamizer highly enough for analog octave down. It's fantastic. I currently use the H9's octave and while digital, it's pretty close to analog sounding and definitely sounds the best for digital octaves. The MicroPOG always sounded brittle, which was cool for "that sound" but it didn't really do much more. I definitely needed to dirty it up to use it in context. Take this all IMO and there are many other pedals that others have suggested that will work great as well.
 
#31
mmbongo said:
My advice?

Save yourself the headache and cost and just wait until you have enough money for a Micro or Nano POG.

That way you get both octave up and down and there are no limitations as to how low it will go. Analog octaves do not track low notes so that's probably where you are getting that they will not go below A. But the POGs are digital so they track everything. The drawback is that they sound digital. But to me that's better than not sounding at all. I run a mild overdrive after mine to give it some grunt and stank so it doesn't sound digital.
Click to expand...

THIS. End the thread - nothing more needs to be said.
 
#34
Felken said:
Down octaves are useless for bass. It sounds muddy.
Click to expand...

Octave down on bass is much much much more interesting than octave up. It's the basis for the best synth sounds.

This is a great demo on the OC-2. It's an analog octaver so it won't track your low B string super well. But for me, learning on how to use an octaver to the best of its ability included playing on the neck where it sounded best.

Analog octavers sound much better to me but it's true that digital octavers will track better. Technique is the key to getting the best of both worlds.

 
  • Like
Reactions: SlapinDaBass, eaglemachine and Bo0tsy
#35
you do realize the POG has both a sub octave and an octave up? And it's a polyphonic octaver, meaning you get a lot of overtones. It's not for everyone, nor do I think that it's what most people think of a strictly octave pedal as being.

That said, I have one, like it, and use it pretty frequently. I also have a MXR BOD that is strickly a down octave. It get's low enough for me without getting muddy.

I use both of these stacked with other pedals as well to create the sounds I want. They are very different tools, both useful in moderation.
 
#36
i recently tried the subnup and one of the pogs.
both did glitch on some notes just like an analogue pedal might do.was also no fan of the tone i got from either and am still looking at t16 or foxrox(if i ever want an upward octaveas well as the one down).
 
#39
TheLowDown33 said:
Not to be rude, but this is completely incorrect. They are extremely useful in the sense that you can create some real synthy sounds with an analog octave. With a digital octave, its always kind of tinny. Analog octave down sound are great when solo'd (but you have to play the octave , where only the wet signal is going through. Push that through a fuzz and an envelope and maybe a slight detune chorus and now you're in synth heaven.
Click to expand...

Wasn't aware of that.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back