[cmc64]

I am new to the Octave Divider pedal and although I have done quite a bit of reading I sill have a few questions so if anyone can help me out a bit I would be most appreciative. I have an early Boss OC-2 Octaver on order (found it in great shape for $40 and will have it on Tuesday) but last night when I was perusing a small local shop and the gear junkie that I am took over and I picked up an Electro-Harmonix Octave Multiplexer. I have been fooling around with it (placed it right before my MXR M-120 Auto Q (which is about to be replaced by a Qtron+)and I can't seem to get quite the tone I am seeking. It is a great pedal - quite versatile with a Sub-Octave switch I(set to on or you get a fuzz tone), a high filter knob, low filter knob and a blend knob. Switching the pedal on gives me a bit of a volume drop and as I am without a volume pedal I have to keep reaching for the amp (no OBEL, but I do have an active EMG DG-20 pickup system installed. As much as I fiddle with the knobs I can't really nail those Feel Like a stranger type tones - I know that the lack of a Mutron or such pedals is a part of that, although in my rig the MXR does a surprisingly decent job.

So, any pointers on how to use this thing? When I get the Boss after the A/B shootout I will sell the loser but I do need a few pointers on how to get the most out of either pedal.

Current Rig: Fender Lite-Ash Strat w/EMG DG-20 actives -> TC Electronic PolyTune -> Octave -> MXR Auto Q -> Mu-Tron Phasor II -> MXR Classic Overdrive (or Boss SD-1, depends on mood) -> TC Electronic Flashback Delay -> Fender SuperChamp X2(set to 1965 Twin Reverb, Spring Reverb master level on 2)

Thanks for reading this long ass post....

[JonnyBoy]

It is all about your ears. I use an EH POG and I had to go through recordings and make it work out. Then when playing loud with a band make adjustments there. Most pedals depend on the guitar signal, player and rig. You'll know when it sounds right.

[cmc64]

Well, I dumped the MXR Quto Q and have an original silver-case Qtron+ shipped and on the way. WooHoo!!!! Any way, since I will primarily using the Octaver with the Qtron+, should I put the Octave in the Qtron+ 's effects loop? Thanks!

[JonnyBoy]

You can do that, but then you will have to use the octave only with the qtron on I believe. I put it after the qtron, the pog tracks really well so I have no issues. It is the bigger pog that I use, dunno about the micro pog.

[cmc64]

Got my OC-2 this morning, and now that the power has come back on after being down for about 18 hours I can give it a run. Can't wait until the Qtron+ shows up. Just a few more days....

[cmc64]

Ok well I finally got my Qtron+ and have it in place on my pedal board. But I have run into another issue. The lineup is now Fender Lite-Ash Strat w/ EMG DG-20 Actives -> TC Electronics Polytune -> Qtron+ -> Boss OC-2 (or EHX Octave Mutliplexor, still can't decide) -> Boss SD-1 or MXR Classic OD (still working that one out as well) -> Mu-Tron Phasor II -> TC Electronics Flashback Delay -> Fender Superchamp. It all seems to be working fine (still dialing in the settings on the Qtron) but the OC-2 seems to be clipping the amp. Can't quite figure that one out. I am going to put it in front of the Qtron when I get up (if I get to bed at all) and try that out. I did put the Boss SD-1 in front of the Qtron for a while and I think I liked the overall tone of the Qtron a bit more that way with the exception of a tiny bit of grit (using it as much of a clean boost as possible) but that of course pushed the OC-2 even more. Any ideas?

[cmc64]

Well I seemed to have fixed my issue. The MXR Classic OD is gone, replaced by a Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive. This is the OD pedal I have been waiting for. Pure clean boost if you want it, and the ability to start cranking up the gain and tone knobs for overdrive or blending them with the clean boost. Very flexible with a multitude of tonal options. Great pedal. I think I am going to put the Octaver in the FX Loop of the Qtron+ as right now I don't really see myself using it without the EF. So, the Sparkledrive is after the EF and then the Phasor II and finally delay. Stuck on where I should put the Boss SD-1, either between the Phasor and Delay or after the delay and into the amp. Try 'em both and make up my mind I suppose. Finally just about nailing the tone I have been after. I will get a pre and power amp at some point but as I do not play out the Superchamp is doing fine for the time being. Love being a gear slut.

[tigerstrat]

I hardly ever use Octave and Envelope together (my $0.02)

If you have an extra OD and you already have one placed after the Envelope, try placing the second one before. That sound has been growing on me lately... I definitely wouldn't place an OD after delay, and/or phase (up to about $0.06 now)

[Cmnaround]

I hardly ever use Octave and Envelope together (my $0.02)

Interesting - I have a Q-tron but am about to add the octave divder, thinking they would be used in tandem sometimes like on Stranger.

other songs for octave divder, alone, or in combination with Q-tron or other effects?

end of Looks Like Rain
Feel like a stranger
others ??

[cmc64]

I hardly ever use Octave and Envelope together (my $0.02)

If you have an extra OD and you already have one placed after the Envelope, try placing the second one before. That sound has been growing on me lately... I definitely wouldn't place an OD after delay, and/or phase (up to about $0.06 now)

I have been moving my pedals around quite a bit to get things "just like a swiss watch" and did try the OD before the EF. Really liked it. However, with that combo, I seemed to be getting such a hot signal coming from the EF that it was causing the Octaver to clip the amp. The EF and Octaver are the only pedals that seem to have this issue, I can blast eveything from delay to phaser to dual overdrives with no problem but put the Ef and/or Octaver in place and whoa, watch out, gotta watch that signal . Any suggestions on hown to work around/on this? I really liked the VooDoo Labs Sparkle Drive before the EF as it has the straight clean boost with can be blended with overdrive in just ablut any ratio you can think of - so many tones - but I can hear that amp start to clip. I want to SparkleDrive as an "always on pedal" as it is a significant component of my basic tone.

[JonnyBoy]

I dunno about your specific pedals, but I have been running a my octave. You can clip anything when you really send a huge signal through the envelope filter, I would think having a big boost in front of the envelope you are going to clip for sure. You may want to add the boost after the filter or before the phaser and delay. Since I have an OBEL our signal chains behave differently. I run my boost before the delay and don't use the boost with the phaser. I guess you got to experiment.

[cmc64]

I dunno about your specific pedals, but I have been running a my octave. You can clip anything when you really send a huge signal through the envelope filter, I would think having a big boost in front of the envelope you are going to clip for sure. You may want to add the boost after the filter or before the phaser and delay. Since I have an OBEL our signal chains behave differently. I run my boost before the delay and don't use the boost with the phaser. I guess you got to experiment.

Thanks for your reply. I generally run the OD as you do, before the time-based effects (delay, phaser) which I have at the end of the chain, It seems like the Qtron is clipping the input to the amp itself and not just the Octaver - if I run it all by itself with out any other pedals hooked up it distorts the amp. I found (and bumped) another thread started by another member having a similar issue with his Fender Twin Reverb.

I'll get this nailed down eventually - and again thanks for chiming in. Any assistance is greatly appreciated. :thumbs up:

[Smolder]

Lots of pedals add just a touch of gain. Have you tried lowering the guitars volume?

[JonnyBoy]

You may want to try a volume pedal to simulate the OBEL OR put an obel into your guitar. My OBEL basically lets me send the full signal to the envelope filter to my guitars volume knob, then I can turn down the "volume" of the eniter signal right before going to the amp. After leaving my guitar it hits my boost and delay with this adjusted volume on the guitar to amp line. It works very nicely to tame spikes and keep your tone/volume leveled out without blasting out your band mates by accident.

This problem you have is one reason the OBEL is in existence. It helps tame the envelope's issues. Our rhythm guitarist doesn't have an OBEL and asks why he cant get that buttery qtron sound without the speakers jumping out of the amp and a giant fart to accompany it. If I kept the guitar pot all the way open with the Qtron it would surly clip the amp especially with the octave engaged. putting a volume pedal at the end of the entire chain will achieve the same effect as an OBEL.... If it is clipping other pedals try putting the volume pedal right after the qtron.

[claytushaywood]

I recently built the most bad ass octave pedal. I got the "low rider" pcb from the online forum and store called madbeanpedals. this pedal is based on the pearl octaver, but has been modified to sound (from the demo's I've heard) MUCH better than the original. It has a super natural, clean down octave, and a fat sub beam like 2 octaves down- the upper octave is pretty fuzzy, but that's to be expected of it because the best part is... It's COMPLETELY ANALOG. no sterile granular digital pog here. Just fat, super fast tracked, down octave sound. I think this might be the ticket for bass players that wanna get super low.

just thought i'd let yall know. I've got a demo video i'm about to upload onto youtube.