octave pedals on bass - what have i missed?

pintspiller

So, i remember reading somewhere that octave pedals were great with bass. I called in at my local Dawsons and tried the Rowin Octopus and the Boss OC-3, and didn't get it. 

I had a Pearl Octaver years ago that I used with guitar and found it to be a great alternative to distortion when used with an overdriven amp. It's probably one of only a few pedals that I regret selling-on.

Maybe it was the others in the shop trying out guitars, or maybe it was the amp I used (Fender Rumble?), maybe it was the bass (Mex P-Bass), but I didn't hear anything that made me want to buy an octave pedal.

The Boss tracked better on the lower notes, but I quite liked the treble-boost on the Rowin.

What difference was it supposed to make?

Gassage

pintspiller said:in.

What difference was it supposed to make?

About an octave.

pintspiller

Lol. 

ICBM

The OC-3 is awful - it's digital and although it tracks much better than the old analogue ones like the OC-2, it just doesn't sound good. I've never tried one on bass but it probably won't sound any better. Never heard of the Rowin.

The old 80s analogue octavers like the OC-2 and the Pearl are essentially an analogue monosynth that tracks the input signal so you get a huge fat octave sound stacked on top of your original guitar.

It also might be that the amp wouldn't handle it - you sometimes have to be careful given the extreme low frequencies that can result from playing bass through one.

What I like best about them is the ability to annoy 5-string bass players who think they're superior because they can play lower than an E .

guitarfishbay

I really like the MXR Bass Octave Deluxe. It also sounds great on guitar.

pintspiller

ICBM said:

Never heard of the Rowin.

Dawsons have them reduced in their sale. The guy in Belfast gave me the impression they'd only got them the week before. They're small like Mooer pedals. Pocketmoney pricing. Probably quality to match.

guitarfishbay

Personally I don't tend to use notes below about an A when using an octave pedal with bass. To me the most fun comes from playing an octave up, having the pedal bring back the low octave (preferably in a fat synthy kind of way), and putting the signal through an overdrive, distortion, or fuzz, to make a wall of sound. The more speakers and power the better.

Kylef

Anyone tried a Pog with bass? I'd imagine it'll be compatible as much as it would be for guitar?

guitarfishbay

Yeah it will track fine, I can't remember how low though off the top of my head as I haven't had one in a while now.

The tracking on them is very fast and accurate, which has a specific sound.  Quite different to the MXR, and I'd imagine the OC2 - having only heard them but never played one, the analogue synthy sounding stuff tends to sound fatter but at the expense of range and tracking accuracy, so it depends on what you need.

fretmeister

I've got the MXR and the MicroPog. Both great. The MXR can be glitchy and doesn't track as well as the Pog, but it sounds better. The Pog has perfect tracking.

Winny_Pooh

guitarfishbay;915210" said:

Personally I don't tend to use notes below about an A when using an octave pedal with bass. To me the most fun comes from playing an octave up, having the pedal bring back the low octave (preferably in a fat synthy kind of way), and putting the signal through an overdrive, distortion, or fuzz, to make a wall of sound. The more speakers and power the better.

This exactly.

There is one Octaver for bass as far as I am concerned. The Foxrox Octron

dogload

On the subject of the Pearl Octaver, I used to have one many years ago, and used to put my flute through it which sounded fantastic. Very interesting synth tone.