Octave Pedal Tracking...

[chrismuzz]

Is there an octave pedal out there that can track the low A of a downtuned 5 / 6 string bass and produce a note an octave lower than that? Or are my dreams of successfully producing the brown note doomed to stay as dreams forever?

If anyone knows of one and is kind enough to inform me of its whereabouts, I can solemnly promise that I might consider avoiding use of it around them, therefore sparing them from brown trousers

Edited March 8, 2011 by chrismuzz

[DanOwens]

Something like the EHX POG would probably do it, but you wouldn't be hearing the fundamental as it's too low for your speakers to reproduce.

You'd need something more like this to get it at a reasonable volume (at which point you'd probably be rupturing internal organs rather than producing brown trousers [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic_weapon#Designed_to_emit_sound_as_an_irritant"][link][/url]):

Edited March 9, 2011 by DanOwens

[chrismuzz]

Rupturing internal organs? SOLD!

[Mr. Foxen]

The POG might, but amp and speakers are your limiting factor. I explored that some when I was detuning to A in Caricatures, the guitarist ran an OC3 into a valve amp and severely invaded my frequency space. Basically it is only useful for distorting a valve amp that can produce you standard low A cleanly, which generally doesn't happen, that distortion gives you the harmonics that makes your low note an audible note. Basically, worry about reproducing you low A first, then worry about your sub octave that you won't be able to hear anyway.

[chrismuzz]

I've got a solid state amp which produces the low A better than I could have imagined. I have to use a fair amount of compression to tame it! I may not necessarily play the A with the octaver effect engaged but I'd feel satisfied knowing I could if i wanted to. I've heard that some pedals can barely go lower than the A string on a standard tuning bass which may begin to limit my options. Then again if it comes to needing to fork out for a POG for an effect I'm not going to use a lot, its probably not worth bothering with!

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='chrismuzz' post='1154808' date='Mar 9 2011, 01:22 AM']I've got a solid state amp which produces the low A better than I could have imagined. I have to use a fair amount of compression to tame it! I may not necessarily play the A with the octaver effect engaged but I'd feel satisfied knowing I could if i wanted to. I've heard that some pedals can barely go lower than the A string on a standard tuning bass which may begin to limit my options. Then again if it comes to needing to fork out for a POG for an effect I'm not going to use a lot, its probably not worth bothering with! [/quote]

When it actually comes to producing the fundamental of the low A, the bit the octave pedal has to go below to be an octave below, I bet it doesn't. You'll be producing the appropriate harmonics to mean you can hear a low A, but the fundamental note won't be there. If that sound plus another sound is what you are after, a synth pedal in paralell will sort you, because an actual octave lower won't be audible.

[chrismuzz]

Nah, I'm with you there, I'm sure producing the actual fundamental wouldn't be possible. If it'd be possible to at least make it audible though that would be a miracle and I'd definately want to give it a try!

[Doddy]

I think you'll be lucky,most octavers tend to break up at around A on the E string.

[chrismuzz]

Yeah, I've been slowly starting to accept that any lower than that is asking a bit much! It's not like it'd be very useful anyway but it was worth asking! Thanks for all the responses! Maybe one day I'll know enough to be helpful to somebody else on here

[OzMike]

[quote name='Doddy' post='1158899' date='Mar 12 2011, 05:36 AM']I think you'll be lucky,most octavers tend to break up at around A on the E string.[/quote]

DSP-based pedals like the POG won't have this issue unless the input to the A-D converters is artificially bandwidth limited. In fact, DSP-based octaving is the only way to go if tracking is a concern - you'l never get a 'wrong' note.

[Doddy]

[quote name='OzMike' post='1162645' date='Mar 15 2011, 05:02 AM']DSP-based pedals like the POG won't have this issue unless the input to the A-D converters is artificially bandwidth limited.[/quote]

I have no idea what any of this means

[Mr. Foxen]

Polyphonic octavers like the POG digitise the signal, basically, you reduce it to 0 or 1, and then measure the gap between 0 and 1 and calculate the frequency from that, and use that to tell a synth what note to make. It is more complicated than that inside, but that is the general principle.

[Doddy]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='1163555' date='Mar 15 2011, 07:35 PM']Polyphonic octavers like the POG digitise the signal, basically, you reduce it to 0 or 1, and then measure the gap between 0 and 1 and calculate the frequency from that, and use that to tell a synth what note to make. It is more complicated than that inside, but that is the general principle.[/quote]

I'm still confused. I know the the POG is digital,but I don't know what DSP is or A-D converters are?

[xgsjx]

DSP = Digital Signal Processor
A-D Converter = Analogue to Digital Converter

[Doddy]

[quote name='xgsjx' post='1163845' date='Mar 15 2011, 10:55 PM']DSP = Digital Signal Processor
A-D Converter = Analogue to Digital Converter[/quote]

Ah right. Cheers

[xgsjx]

Rather than type stuff up, [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_signal_processor"]here's a Wiki link.[/url]

It'll explain it better than I could & I haven't read it yet (I'll probably update it in a few minutes after finding out it's full of nonsense ), but the conversion pic says a lot.