Octavia effect

N

neale dunham

Experienced
Just a quick question.....

Is there a designated pedal within the Axe fx 3 effects to create the Octavia effect or is it purely in the Drive block?

Thanks
 
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Octave Distortion in the Drive block is a model of the Tycobrahe Octavia. Like the real deal, I've never really been sure if I can get quite what I want out of it.

Liam
 
That's one thing I would like to have in Axe FX 3. When I had Boss OC3 (before these guitar processors) I just loved it.
Many months ago I wrote here (I think it was Wish List) wishing that it would be nice if Axe FX 3 have octave effect.
 
Octavia is not the same as octave effect.
Octavia is a type in the Drive block, and does the job. If you want more fuzz, add a fuzz.

Octaver effect is available in the Pitch block. Use fixed shifted pitch, 1 octave down. Or just use the Octave Divider type.
Alternatively use the Ring Modulator block in Tracking mode.
 
Agreed, I would also like to see a standalone Octave-type effect in the effect block such as something from the Boss OC range.

Yek,
I have tried using the pitch block to create this effect without much success.
Does it depend where the pitch block is placed as when i used it after the amp block it made my guitar sound very thin and wirey as opposed to what it should be?

For reference, the sound i am after is John Squires tone on The Stone Roses track I Wanna Be Adored. (Main Lead Part). If you have any suggestions as to how i may achieve this?
 
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neale dunham said:
Agreed, I would also like to see a standalone Octave-type effect in the effect block such as something from the Boss OC range.

Yek,
I have tried using the pitch block to create this effect without much success.
Does it depend where the pitch block is placed as when i used it after the amp block it made my guitar sound very thin and wirey as opposed to what it should be?

For reference, the sound i am after is John Squires tone on The Stone Roses track I Wanna Be Adored. (Main Lead Part). If you have any suggestions as to how i may achieve this?
Click to expand...
using an octave effect shgouldn't make your tone sound "thin and wirey". some kind of user error going on there, imo.

tip - if the original guitarist was using a pedal, then try putting the effect it in front of the amp, like you would in real life

btw, i just went through the whole stone roses tune and i don't hear an octavia or an octaver
 
The Octave Distortion is a picky lil’ bastard but on the neck pickup and picking closer to it is one of my favorite things to do. I tried other ways to get a similar sound and none of them worked for me.
 
Thanks for the support here guys, much appreciated.

Forgive me if i am wrong but i think i can hear some sort of effect on the guitar circa 1:35 into the song if anyone knows what makes this kind of (to my ear Octaver effect)? Or how i can achieve a close approximation with my Axe 3
 
oh yeah, i hear it now. an added octave down, judging from where he's playing it on the neck. just add the pitch block, select the octave divider type and blend it in gradually until you hear the amount you want. you might want to turn down the "2 octaves down" level.
 
yeah, i thought that too. or effected guitar. one nice thing you could do, is put the pitch block in a sidechain with a chorus and delay (set the pitch block to 100% wet if you're doing this) and effect the lower octave differently than the main guitar. branch off from the main line after the amp, run along parallel to the main line and then join back up just before the output block. this is called a "side chain" for obvious reasons. place the pitch, chorus and delay on there.
 
You have to be a bit careful with figuring out what John Squire was doing, as he was a pretty handy guitar player even back then, to say the least. Absolutely jaw-dropping later. If you can hear a ghost note an octave down, there's every chance he actually played that note quietly an octave down. When he sounds messy, I'm pretty sure it's all completely intended and intentional. Although a few have said he might have used an Octavia, it definitely can't play an octave below the fundamental. Most of the time it's a struggle to get a clear octave above. I don't hear an Octavia or octave pedal. (The one we did have around the time was the Boss PS-2, which did play an octave down pretty well, but I definitely don't hear it on I Wanna Be Adored.)

Guessing you will have already found this out, but at the time, he was evidently using an Ibanez Tube Screamer and Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face (I'm guessing silicon), sometimes one pushing the other, into Boss PH-2 and BF-2 phaser and flanger. I have been bitten this kind of setup for many years now, although for me fuzz was from a Colorsound Supa Tonebender (best imitated by Ram's Head Big Muff Pi in the Axe FX), and phasing and flanging from MXR Phase 90 and EH Deluxe Electric Mistress. Never covered I Wanna be Adored, but regularly play She Bangs the Drums, and Made of Stone, and they definitely work with that pedal setup. I've played the last of those a few times recently, and the Axe FX imitating my old pedal board and amp setup definitely nails the vibe. I'll have to go back and check if it's anything like the recorded sound!

As well as the drive/fuzz, most of this can be directly modelled in the Axe FX. Not sure if we have a PH-2 or BF-2. If we have the latter, I really ought to explore. Amazing pedal, but maybe a bit too flexible for me. John Squire definitely knew his way around it! If there are weird noises you can't make sense of, they may well have come from turning the feedback ("Res") up on the BF-2. It can do crazy stuff.

The recorded guitar is swamped in delay of course, and there may well be some "post" treatment in the recording. (I'm thinking Aphex Aural Exciter, which does amazing things to fuzz and flanger sounds, some used it for tracking back in 2" tape recording days).

Good luck with chasing it down. Amazing player in an amazing band, I wish I'd taken a little more notice at the time!

Liam
 
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