Which Octaver?

[Hubcap2000]

Hey Y'all,

I've had a Boss OC2 on my board for a year or so which I've had on loan from a friend; I really love it but he wants it back so, before I splash out on another OC2 I figured I'd see if there's anything else out there that I might be missing out on that's similar. I'm limited for space on my board so something roughly Boss sized would be best!

I'd like something that's just a straight octave generator without the fuzz or drive elements that a lot seem to have. Any recommendations that people have seen or tried?

[Not_the_DJ]

You need a EHX Micro Pog.

I'll expand on that. I used to have the OC-2 and found it very easy to confuse the way it tracks. The Micro Pog works so much better, and can cope with 3 note chords.

It's octave up and down rather than the OC-2's down two octave though. I use it for bass lines whilst looping and organ/12 string effects.

[flanging_fred]

I have a POG2 now but used to have an oc2. The pog is technically a much better pedal but they sounded very different. The OC2 had a very synth like quality whereas the POG has a more organ type tone. Yes the POG is awesome but for some the monophonic OC2 tone might suit the track/player better.

It might also be worth checking out the Mooer Pure Octave as a cheaper alternative to the micro POG.

[ICBM]

If you like the OC-2, buy an OC-2. The "better" pedals don't sound the same. Yes, I know very well it doesn't track accurately - although it's not as bad as you think, when you learn what not to play into it - but it just sounds so much better than any of the ones that track accurately... huge, fat, analogue synth bass tones - because that's what it is, really. (It can also make some really cool non-octave noises when you learn what to deliberately play into it.)

Make sure you don't get an OC-3 either!

[Lixarto]

Make sure you don't get an OC-3 either!

Can I ask why?

I've been idly thinking for a while now that I might want one of those.

[ICBM]

Because they're digital and sound shit.

So do the other '3' pedals that replaced '2's - PH-3, BF-3, AC-3... same problem: more features, less tone.

[pintspiller]

i had a pearl octaver. i thought it was great - dials for four octaves i think. just mix 'em as you see fit. could get a bit "synthy" if you dialed in badly, but i loved the setting i used. i even used it for chords and it was an alternative to my od and distortion pedals

[Hubcap2000]

Lovely stuff. Well I've been able to persuade my mate to let me hang on to the OC2 and, having spent a little while shopping around there isn't really anything that does what the OC2 does so well. The whole badly tracking wobbly mess thing is whats great about it so I'm gonna stick with it; I use it mainly for the single note riff thing, nice and dirty and scuzzy. I think I'll get me a POG 2 in the new year though because that thing looks great, some really usable, creative sounds on there. It seems that, although there are a lot of boutique equivalents, they don't really warrant the extra expenditure.

[guitarfishbay]

Lovely stuff. Well I've been able to persuade my mate to let me hang on to the OC2 and, having spent a little while shopping around there isn't really anything that does what the OC2 does so well. The whole badly tracking wobbly mess thing is whats great about it so I'm gonna stick with it; I use it mainly for the single note riff thing, nice and dirty and scuzzy. I think I'll get me a POG 2 in the new year though because that thing looks great, some really usable, creative sounds on there. It seems that, although there are a lot of boutique equivalents, they don't really warrant the extra expenditure.

Sounds like you're making the right choices. I have a Micro Pog and like it for what it does, but it tracks almost perfectly so you'll never get glitchy sounds out of it like you would from a pedal with less accurate tracking. I only recommend a Micro Pog to someone who wants clean polyphonic tracking, otherwise there are cheaper and better suited alternatives for the wobbly/messy thing. I sometimes run a modulation pedal after my Micro Pog to give it a bit of warmth with chords. The POG2 has modulation built in and looks great fun to use creatively.

I've not tried a Whammy V, but it might also be worth looking at. You can switch between clean tracking, and classic messy tracking options. Plenty of harmonising options there too, as well as the octave effects.

[flanging_fred]

Just remember if you get an OC2 run it with a 12volt power supply as it was intended ( the boss ACA power supply). It tracks better and holds notes longer before it loses track with 12volts.

Of course as you said you like the wobble which can be cool