Fulltone OCD volume taper stupidity.....

[mom]

I didn't see anywhere else to post this. I bought a new (version 4) OCD and found the volume taper to be completely retarded. Below 12 o'clock there's a decrease in volume.....on a BOOST pedal. It has a very narrow sweet spot i.e. volume set very high / drive set very low. I tried the setting suggested on their website as a reference and it CUT the volume dramatically. Anyway, I sent this emaill to Fulltone.....


I recently purchased an OCD version 4 and tried the suggested low gain setting from your website....

Low Gain sounds using a 1955 Ash body strat-->18 watt Marshall. Pedal settings: Vol=9 o'clock, Drive=9 o'clock, Tone=12 o'clock, switch set to "Low Peak" for un-hyped upper-mids.

with this setting instead of a boost I get a HUGE DECREASE in volume compared to the clean amp. Is this correct? Unity is actually somewhere around 12 o'clock for volume with drive set low. I tried 2 other V4 OCDs at Guitar Center and then called Mass Street Music and talked to Isaac about this unusable volume taper and they're all the same. So, is the above low gain setting (9 o'clock volume and drive) for an older version of the OCD with a usable volume taper or for the V4 and is intended as a volume cut?

Thanks,

Mike.


Comments? Similar experiences?

 

[RLee]

Re: Fulltone OCD volume taper stupidity.....

I have an OCD (which I love), not sure which version though. When did V4 start shipping? Anyway, the volume works as expected on mine. It stays around the 12 position usually, maybe slightly higher. The way I expect level controls to work on most pedals is the way this one works: if you turn it all the way down, you get zero/low output; around noon it's close to unity; anything higher is boost. This is all independent of the distortion amount. So if the distortion effect adds too much perceived loudness, I can back down the level control so the effect "on" volume matches with the effect "off" volume.

I think technically the OCD isn't a boost pedal, it's a distortion pedal. But even on pedals that are considered clean boost, I'd want the full range of level control -- from very low/zero, to greatly boosted.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Fulltone OCD volume taper stupidity.....

1. It's not a clean boost pedal. I don't know why you were expecting that.

2. You said unity is at about 12:00. Can I assume that means you get a volume boost past 12:00? If so, what's the problem?

 

[mom]

Re: Fulltone OCD volume taper stupidity.....

1. It's not a clean boost pedal. I don't know why you were expecting that.

2. You said unity is at about 12:00. Can I assume that means you get a volume boost past 12:00? If so, what's the problem?

I misspoke. Also , I didn't say clean boost. "Below 12 o'clock there's a decrease in volume.....on a BOOST pedal." I meant drive pedal. I don't generally use drive pedals for a decrease in volume. I don't know why you were expecting that.

Actually unity is around 1 or 2. An email response from Fulltone.....

With an OCD version 1.4 (a.k.a. version 4), you need to turn up the volume to 1 - 2 o'clock to get the unity gain.

Thanks,
Tech Dept./ Fulltone
Tsuguto

On other drive pedals having the volume lower and turning the drive up brings the overall output back up but with more gain. Not on this one. That setting sounds like far away mush. You HAVE to have the volume way up, regardless of where you have the drive, to get a useful sound.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Fulltone OCD volume taper stupidity.....

I dont see the issue...I know you have to set it differently than the FUlltone site said but the Fulltone site listed the control settings based on a version 1...

As long as the pedal as enough volume to get to unity and then some I see no issue with that.

 

[mom]

Re: Fulltone OCD volume taper stupidity.....

I dont see the issue...I know you have to set it differently than the FUlltone site said but the Fulltone site listed the control settings based on a version 1...

As long as the pedal as enough volume to get to unity and then some I see no issue with that.

Because of the interaction between the volume and drive. On other drive pedals having the volume lower and turning the drive up brings the overall output back up but with more gain. Not on this one. That setting sounds like far away mush. You HAVE to have the volume way up, regardless of where you have the drive, to get a useful sound. One trick pony with a tiny sweet spot.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Fulltone OCD volume taper stupidity.....

Because of the interaction between the volume and drive. On other drive pedals having the volume lower and turning the drive up brings the overall output back up but with more gain. Not on this one. That setting sounds like far away mush. You HAVE to have the volume way up, regardless of where you have the drive, to get a useful sound. One trick pony with a tiny sweet spot.

Well...maybe you just need another dirt box...

I hate to hear you're unhappy but truth is you're not the first guy to have an issue with the OCD...there are 4 versions for a reason!

 

[mom]

Re: Fulltone OCD volume taper stupidity.....

Well...maybe you just need another dirt box...

I hate to hear you're unhappy but truth is you're not the first guy to have an issue with the OCD...there are 4 versions for a reason!

Actually I really like it but the volume thing bugs me. Oh well, it does what I need it to do.