How to use Boss OC-2 Octaver?

['59]

I picked up this thing at a pawn shop for decently cheap but I don't really know how to use it all that effectively.

Right now I've found the best settings for a clean tone are octave 2 set to about 10 'o clock and octave 1 to 7:30. Volume is at about unity. Setting it lower as a bass sim works alright, but it's definitely better to just play bass.

Once I turn on my distortion (Tubescreamer) it does this weird rumbley thing in the range of octave 1 and octave 2 becomes pretty much useless.

How am I supposed to set this thing / play to get it to sound good?

 

[GuitarStv]

A tubescreamer is a bad match for the oc-2. The Tubescreamer cuts bass frequencies very sharply . . . so all the low notes that your OC-2 is making will be chopped away.

They're kind of a weird pedal. Tracks pretty well for single note lines, and can do some cool synth type sounds if you put the oct1 up and use the fully wet signal - send the signal into a fuzz and an envelope filter (or other type of modulation - chorus and flanger work well too). Most of the people I know with them on their boards are bass players going for that synth sound.

 

[PFDarkside]

A tubescreamer is a bad match for the oc-2. The Tubescreamer cuts bass frequencies very sharply . . . so all the low notes that your OC-2 is making will be chopped away.

They're kind of a weird pedal. Tracks pretty well for single note lines, and can do some cool synth type sounds if you put the oct1 up and use the fully wet signal - send the signal into a fuzz and an envelope filter (or other type of modulation - chorus and flanger work well too). Most of the people I know with them on their boards are bass players going for that synth sound.

Yes, direct and -2 off, -1 up right? Then envelope filter and fuzz for the synth bass sound. Play cleanly an octave up so you aren’t getting subby notes and don’t trigger false stuff due to overlapping notes.

For guitar I’d do the same (ignore -2) but add in some clean. Then play single note stuff like how Slash used octaves in welcome to the jungle, Eddie did in the end of Drop Dead Legs and Jimmy Page did in Fool in the Rain. (I know those weren’t OC2, but same idea).

 

[jeremy]

have one and love it for what it is. it tracks single notes ok, multiple notes less well. i put mine almost first in the chain, though it sounds different with od before vs after. also, mine says it wants the boss asa power supply so 12v, but i think newer ones are good with a 9v power supply

 

['59]

This is definitely a 12v one, I hear you can modify them to work with a 9v quite easily though.

I'll look into trying this with my Fuzz Face when I get home. What's an envelope filter? I'm not really going for a synth sound, but that sounds pretty cool to try out at some point.

Also, this pedal only has two octaves, one low, and one even lower.

 

[GuitarStv]

This is definitely a 12v one, I hear you can modify them to work with a 9v quite easily though.

I'll look into trying this with my Fuzz Face when I get home. What's an envelope filter? I'm not really going for a synth sound, but that sounds pretty cool to try out at some point.

Also, this pedal only has two octaves, one low, and one even lower.

It's like a wah pedal that automatically triggers when you feed it guitar signal . . . so the harder you play, the more toe down you get. I think any modulation pedal will work though . . . OC2 -> Fuzz -> Flanger/Chorus/Phaser would probably also get in the ballpark.

 

[jeremy]

i dont think the buffer on the oc2 will play nice with the fuzzface input, at least if its close to a real ff circuit. itll work but you wont get the clean up as you roll the volume down the same way. the input and output impedance of the ff is squirrely. a muff or something might behave fine. i know you can mod the oc2 for 9v, but i have a 12v option from my pp2 so just use that. or a battery if i pull it off the board. probably worth doing though since its pretty simple from what ive heard

 

['59]

I also gave it a try with my Big Muff I have sitting around. The added octaves get really nasty and sputtery if you put the octave after the fuzz, but they blend together a little better with the original signal if you put it after. If only there was a way to blend the two..