1976fenderhead Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Many of you will know about complaints that the MXR Bass Octave Deluxe is noisy. I asked Dunlop about it as I had to return one recently due to that problem. Here's their response: "The crackling you are hearing is caused by the pedal trying to track the noise floor of your guitar. The reason the M288 can track so well is because of this sensitivity. To solve this issue you can use a noise gate. Let us know if you have any more questions." Isn't that just brilliant. Other brands have perfectly good tracking without noise, we sucked at achieving it so just buy another of our pedals to solve the problem this one creates... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EskimoBassist Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 That sucks. My suggestion is you flip it on here/ebay and buy that tempting Octamizer here in the classifieds before I do... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Is the noise only there when you re playing, or is it there when you arent but the effect is on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1976fenderhead Posted May 8, 2012 Author Share Posted May 8, 2012 I returned the pedal straight away. The noise is there whenever the effect is on and no notes being played. It's a low frequency crackling which is doubled 1 octave down and is bassier if you had Girth and throatier if you add Growl It's only mildly annoying on its own, but if you hit a fuzz after it it's too much. Was equally present with all my 3 basses, different cables, power supplies, straight to amp or to computer, daisy-chained or on its own. It's just the pedal and external factors make no difference... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 If it is there when the effect is on and no cablet is plugged in then its the device causing the noise, end of story. What a crock of ****! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1976fenderhead Posted May 8, 2012 Author Share Posted May 8, 2012 Cables were plugged in, I tried both cables I made and cables I bought, made absolutely no difference. They admit it's the pedal, like it's the price you pay to get such good tracking, funny other brands don't make you pay that price for it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 That is bull. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarethFlatlands Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Awesome. "Your pedal has issues". Reply - "Buy more pedals". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle psychosis Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 What did you expect them to say? If their product is noisy and they can't fix it then there is little option open to them other than to say "thats the way it is...". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1976fenderhead Posted May 8, 2012 Author Share Posted May 8, 2012 I expected them to say it was a bad unit or that it reacts bad to some basses or whatever, so that some people might get it and others not, and the product would have no noise to at least a good proportion of users so that a decision to release it would be understandable. I didn't expect them to put out a poorly developed, unresolved pedal, not tell anyone there are issues and then act like it's the most normal thing in the world to have to buy another pedal to get rid of the noise, or that it's a consequence of their pedal being so awesome at tracking like I'm an idiot and don't know many other pedals track just as well without noise. Wouldn't be a big deal if it was Behringer or Ibanez or EHX, but I expect a little more from MXR, or expected... I won't be too surprised if I buy a super cheap tv and it doesn't tune perfectly well a channel or 2, but if I buy a great Samsung tv and it doesn't tune properly a load of channels, and they say that's a consequence of their tv being so awesome and I just have to buy this other box that helps it tune better... should I be ok with that or should that damage their brand? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lxxwj Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Strange, I used to hold Dunlop in some pretty high regards. Octave pedals should not need a noise gate.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrismuzz Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 The explanation is almost believable. The fact that it's not just detecting the noise from your bass and amplifying it though... It's clearly bollocks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 [quote name='GarethFlatlands' timestamp='1336499680' post='1646528'] Reply - "Buy more pedals". [/quote] This is always the correct answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 [quote name='Musky' timestamp='1336516765' post='1647020'] This is always the correct answer. [/quote] True dat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BB3000S Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Sounds like a bad specimen to me, I have the same pedal and never had a problem with it. On the contrary it's the best tracking octave pedal I've ever had and it sounds awesome! The Octamizer is also very cool though, but tracks sliiiightly less well. IME, YMMV and so on. Very strange response from Dunlop - even if I do agree more pedals is generally a fun idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1976fenderhead Posted May 8, 2012 Author Share Posted May 8, 2012 [quote name='BB3000S' timestamp='1336517168' post='1647032'] Sounds like a bad specimen to me, I have the same pedal and never had a problem with it. On the contrary it's the best tracking octave pedal I've ever had and it sounds awesome! The Octamizer is also very cool though, but tracks sliiiightly less well. IME, YMMV and so on. Very strange response from Dunlop - even if I do agree more pedals is generally a fun idea. [/quote] It is odd, a guy on Talkbass also wrote to them and they said that's just how their circuit works. But another guy went back to the shop and bought another one and that one was fine, no noise! so he was in touch with Dunlop to get the 1st one fixed. Don't know how that went... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarethFlatlands Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 [quote name='Musky' timestamp='1336516765' post='1647020'] This is always the correct answer. [/quote] I know, but I buy pedals to make noise, not stop it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulwillson Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 [quote name='GarethFlatlands' timestamp='1336587720' post='1648089'] I know, but I buy pedals to make noise, not stop it. [/quote] buy an MXR octave deluxe.... seems to do the trick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 [quote name='1976fenderhead' timestamp='1336515761' post='1646979'] I didn't expect them to put out a poorly developed, unresolved pedal, not tell anyone there are issues and then act like it's the most normal thing in the world to have to buy another pedal to get rid of the noise... [/quote] maybe they're run by ex-software developers ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1976fenderhead Posted May 15, 2012 Author Share Posted May 15, 2012 [quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1337090865' post='1655238'] maybe they're run by ex-software developers ? [/quote] LOL, that's funny because as I wrote that I thought I sounded like I was complaining about a console game Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 [quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1337090865' post='1655238'] maybe they're run by ex-software developers ? [/quote] Oi! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwan Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 I emailed Dunlop yesterday about getting a schematic for the broken MXR bass octave (not the deluxe version) I bought here last week... They don't hand out schematics, even for obsolete pedals.... Their tech support manager says he'll talk me through repairing it, but using email and the time difference that'll take FOREVER! With a schematic I could find the problem in no time (comparatively). Most other companies don't have an issue. Grrrr... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basstech Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 get a 5 string .....sounds much better. ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 [quote name='basstech' timestamp='1337197883' post='1657108'] get a 5 string .....sounds much better. ;-) [/quote] I see from your sig that you have both the MXR Octave and Noise Gate... another victim of the industry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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