The Axe's Octave Effects

hp/mp

Inspired
I've read that the Boss OC-3 actually doesn't really crap out when you play chords, unlike other octave pedals. Just wanted to see how the Axe's Tycobrahae Octavia and Pitch shifter fairs versus this :?:

Also, sorry for the ignorant question, but will the pitch shifter simply sound like a 'traditional' octave pedal when just subtracting an octave? - Can the pitch shifter basically copy the Axe's Octvia Distortion capabilities by combining it with a distortion patch?
 
hp/mp said:
I've read that the Boss OC-3 actually doesn't really crap out when you play chords, unlike other octave pedals. Just wanted to see how the Axe's Tycobrahae Octavia and Pitch shifter fairs versus this :?:

Also, sorry for the ignorant question, but will the pitch shifter simply sound like a 'traditional' octave pedal when just subtracting an octave? - Can the pitch shifter basically copy the Axe's Octvia Distortion capabilities by combining it with a distortion patch?

The pitch shift will crap out on chords in intelligent harmony mode. In fixed pitch mode you can do chords. The octave pedal in the drive block craps out on chords. The pitch shifter will sound very different than the octave distortion.
 
The OC3 is an octave down pedal, vs, the Tycobrahae's octave up/distortion effect. So it's not really apples to apples. The octavia (both genuine and AF model versions) is really a specialized effect, which has a distinctive sound, and limited use (it really is most successful when playing above the 12th fret with the neck PU). The octave down effect is accomplished on the AF with a pitch shift effect. I use both in limited effects doses for single note playing, and early in the chain (Before distortion). I think they really start to lose their desired effect if you use them for chords. YMMV
 
funkle said:
The OC3 is an octave down pedal, vs, the Tycobrahae's octave up/distortion effect. So it's not really apples to apples. The octavia (both genuine and AF model versions) is really a specialized effect, which has a distinctive sound, and limited use (it really is most successful when playing above the 12th fret with the neck PU). The octave down effect is accomplished on the AF with a pitch shift effect. I use both in limited effects doses for single note playing, and early in the chain (Before distortion). I think they really start to lose their desired effect if you use them for chords. YMMV
Ah, thanks funkle and java j. Wasn't aware that the Tycobrahae was an octave up effect.. Perhaps emulating the OC-3 (or an octaver that sounds great with chords, is it possible??) should go on the Wish List :p . I've actually never tried an OC-3 in person but my Ultra will arrive later this week ( :D ), I'll have to try out the pitch shifter as an octave downer to emulate metallish sludge OC-3 tones. =)
 
The boss OC3 only adds a oct down and another one two octs down right? The pitchshifter in the AFX can do that. You don't need to have a OC3-model for that, the pitch block is very capable of this.

BTW, in my experience, the OC3 has nothing on the AFX pitch tracking.
 
My band plays a tune that really requires a 7-string. But I don't have a 7-string anymore. So I use a pitch block set to fixed harmony tuned down to B. Power chord stuff works good - more complex chords will "warble". Fortunately the clean passages are single note lines. Heavy distortion masks the "warble" :lol:
 
The funny thing is at our gig on Saturday our drummer was looking at my gear and asking me where my 7-string was. So I pointed at my JEM and said the 7th string is in the case :lol:
 
hippietim said:
The funny thing is at our gig on Saturday our drummer was looking at my gear and asking me where my 7-string was. So I pointed at my JEM and said the 7th string is in the case :lol:

Funny story :D
 
danielodland said:
The boss OC3 only adds a oct down and another one two octs down right? The pitchshifter in the AFX can do that. You don't need to have a OC3-model for that, the pitch block is very capable of this.

BTW, in my experience, the OC3 has nothing on the AFX pitch tracking.
Okay, just got an Ultra =)
But can't seem to config the Pitch to sound like an octave pedal - I was trying using the Octave DIY Type. I'm looking for just the basic octave pedal effect like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8SA06CAQaY

Can anyone help? :)
 
hp/mp said:
danielodland said:
The boss OC3 only adds a oct down and another one two octs down right? The pitchshifter in the AFX can do that. You don't need to have a OC3-model for that, the pitch block is very capable of this.

BTW, in my experience, the OC3 has nothing on the AFX pitch tracking.
Okay, just got an Ultra =)
But can't seem to config the Pitch to sound like an octave pedal - I was trying using the Octave DIY Type. I'm looking for just the basic octave pedal effect like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8SA06CAQaY

Can anyone help? :)

Well it was going into a distorted amp or dist pedal.
Use fixed harmony, voice1 -12, voice2 -24, blend voice 1 and voice 2 with voice 1 and voice 2 levels, use the mix parameter to blend normal guitar signal with the effect.

If you don't need it to be polyphonic use the pitch - octave divider.
 
To get that OC-3 sound you'll want to use the OCTAVE DIV mode in the pitch block. The OC-3 is an octave divider. It uses flip-flops to create synthesized waveforms that are sub-multiples of the input frequency. The regular pitch modes will not sound the same. The OC-3 also adds distortion though. You may want to put a drive block in there somewhere. The OC-2 was a classic octave divider. I'm not that intimate with the OC-3 and I'm not exactly sure how it differs.
 
FractalAudio said:
To get that OC-3 sound you'll want to use the OCTAVE DIV mode in the pitch block. The OC-3 is an octave divider. It uses flip-flops to create synthesized waveforms that are sub-multiples of the input frequency. The regular pitch modes will not sound the same. The OC-3 also adds distortion though. You may want to put a drive block in there somewhere. The OC-2 was a classic octave divider. I'm not that intimate with the OC-3 and I'm not exactly sure how it differs.

OC-3 adds a polyphonic mode. 3 modes orginal oc2 mode, polyphonic mode, octave+distortion mode.
 
Thanks. The OC-2's basic effect is just as good for the octave sound I'm after (maybe minus the chords). I'm guessing this is not what's referred to as polyphonic though...

I tried the Octave DIV again and can't get a great octave yet. A lot of poop mix (sounds TOO low?) going on..Not sure how to dial/mix it perfect..If anyones familiar with the band CKY, they are basically the definitive octave tone. In this link, the first riff is a great octave tone I'd try to shoot for :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ltkr2JnOG0g (kinda bad audio quality though, ignore the video)
 
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