Boss OC-5 Octave!!!!

[Kev]

1 hour ago, pete.young said:

No surprise there. It's aimed at guitarists, and in particular acoustic guitarists, not bass players.

Really difficult to agree with that when it has a bass input!!

I've still not had chance to sit down with the OC-5 yet, reckon bank holiday monday is as good a day as any to lock myself away and give it a go.

[Kev]

And now I have.  Not too much to report really! To my ears, identical to the Oc-2 octave in vintage mode.  It tracks much better, but when it does lose it it glitches just like the OC-2 does. The octave up (poly) works in vintage mode too and actually sounds much better than your average octave up.  All sounds huge with fuzz.  The Poly mode sounds a bit pants to me so I won't be using that at any point, but like any bassist buying this would anyway!

It's on the board  

[Al Krow]

24 minutes ago, Kev said:

And now I have.  Not too much to report really! To my ears, identical to the Oc-2 octave in vintage mode.  It tracks much better, but when it does lose it it glitches just like the OC-2 does. The octave up (poly) works in vintage mode too and actually sounds much better than your average octave up.  All sounds huge with fuzz.  The Poly mode sounds a bit pants to me so I won't be using that at any point, but like any bassist buying this would anyway!

It's on the board  

+1^^ except I actually prefer it in Poly mode over Vintage mode when I'm using both octave up and down simultaneously, as it gives me a cleaner overall sound. 

In terms of tracking it's very good at normal bass riff speeds, but will glitch if you sustain a note (and the latter is not unusual for octavers). 

[Hellzero]

I've made my homework this afternoon and the only bass where the OC-5 tracks down to the low B (0) is my Le Fay Remington Steele. With the others (except the EUB 6, as expected), it can track down the low B, but has a tendency to glitch below the D on longer sustained notes as noted by @Al Krow, but strangely not on the E string.

That said, as it's glitch-bubbling like an OC-2, that's great.

And I love the Poly mode too as I can almost emulate an old Hammond B3. It's just missing the background noise and Leslie, but it's great sounding for some Indian music à la Trilok Gurtu with Jonas Hellborg.

I'm glad that you like it too @Kev, and as you noticed it's a terrific OC-2 on its own, with way better tracking.

It's also on my (small) pedalboard.

[Kev]

I guess in poly mode to me it becomes a little more “ordinary” and loses that synthy glitchy octave sound I love, still works well for me with the +1.  I also quite like what the -2 octave is doing high up the fretboard as well, which is odd as I’ve always instantly turned that off on OC-2s before.  
 

One complaint that I have in common with the Oc-2; it still doesn’t like super hot signals going in.  My Alpher with twin humbuckers in series mode is seriously meaty and causes it to clip, but dialing back the volume on the bass and turning up on the pedal resolves.

[Al Krow]

54 minutes ago, Kev said:

I guess in poly mode to me it becomes a little more “ordinary” and loses that synthy glitchy octave sound I love, still works well for me with the +1.  I also quite like what the -2 octave is doing high up the fretboard as well, which is odd as I’ve always instantly turned that off on OC-2s before.  
 

One complaint that I have in common with the Oc-2; it still doesn’t like super hot signals going in.  My Alpher with twin humbuckers in series mode is seriously meaty and causes it to clip, but dialing back the volume on the bass and turning up on the pedal resolves.

That last point is interesting. You thought about splitting your signal and using the OC-5 in parallel eg with an LS2 to make the most of your pups'output? 

[Al Krow]

Just put it in front of a Red Ripper fuzz and Proton filter and it plays very nicely!

I didn't think I was going to particularly like or use the octave up, but I'm already won over. It's not a clean octave up in the way the Digitech Mosaic is, to give you an 8 string bass sound, but it definitely adds a bit "extra" when used with the -1 oct and a bit of -2 oct; both when the pedal is used by itself but also when combined with fuzz and / or filter. 

So overall first reactions are a thumbs up from me. And, as everyone else has already reported back, it nails that classic "OC-2" sound with the -1 oct solo'd. 

[Al Krow]

 

 

I know several of you like to hear clips - so here's a couple from me:

- the second in 'classic OC-2' mode with just -1 oct max, vintage setting, finger 

- first (same riff) in more 'Royal Blood' mode with a bit of clean (3.5/10), +1 oct (5/10), -1 oct (max), poly setting - full range, pick into VTDI set for dirt.

In conclusion the OC-5 seems to give us both the OC-2 and the OC-3 with improved tracking for both and throws in an octave up. What's not to like? Definitely looking like a keeper!

OC-5 'RB'.wav

Edited March 22, 2022 by Al Krow
Re uploaded the OC-2 riff which had gone missing...

[PatrickJ]

1 hour ago, Al Krow said:

I know several of you like to hear clips - so here's a couple from me:

- the first in 'classic OC-2' mode with just -1 oct max, vintage setting, finger 

- second (same riff) in more 'Royal Blood' mode with a bit of clean (3.5/10), +1 oct (5/10), -1 oct (max), poly setting - full range, pick into VTDI set for dirt.

In conclusion the OC-5 seems to give us both the OC-2 and the OC-3 with improved tracking for both and throws in an octave up. What's not to like? Definitely looking like a keeper!

OC-2 'classic'.wav 4.24 MB · 12 downloads OC-5 'RB'.wav 4.38 MB · 11 downloads

Man I really want one of these - the OC-2 Classic sound is exactly what I'm looking for.

[Quatschmacher]

If it weren’t for the fact I want a dry kill switch, I’d probably cancel my Octabvre MKIII order and just get this. (I might get one anyway.)

@Al Krow what did you pay for yours?

[PatrickJ]

Just now, Quatschmacher said:

If it weren’t for the fact I want a dry kill switch, I’d probably cancel my Octabvre MKIII order and just get this. (I might get one anyway.)

@Al Krow what did you pay for yours?

You know I was heavily considering ordering Octabvre MKIII for exactly that reason, the dry kill switch.   Does the MKII have it,  BD seem to have them in stock?  Though I could probably solve the problem with an LS-2

[Quatschmacher]

11 minutes ago, PatrickJ said:

You know I was heavily considering ordering Octabvre MKIII for exactly that reason, the dry kill switch.   Does the MKII have it,  BD seem to have them in stock?  Though I could probably solve the problem with an LS-2

I’ve had mine in order from BD since December.

Yes, the MKII has one and I used to own one; sold it a while back (and regret it) when trying to be sensible about the number of octave pedals I needed. I’m happy to have it in a smaller box in the MKIII and it purportedly has slightly improved tracking (we'll see, if it ever materialises).

Unless I’m being unusually dense today, I can’t think how the LS-2 would allow you to go from dry+wet to wet-only using the stomp switch - you’d have to go from A to A+B mix, which would require bending down to turn the knob to the new position.

You could potentially do it with the OC-5 and LS-2 as follows (provided the OC-5 dry out jack is independent of the direct volume knob - is it?):

Plug OC-5 output into LS-2 input. Set OC-5 to -1 octave only. 

Plug OC-5 dry output into LS-2 A return and set it to A+B mix.

What should happen is that when the LS-2 is bypassed, you get the OC-5 wet only (provided it is engaged). When engaging the LS-2, you should get OC-5 wet from the input (this happens if nothing is plugged into B) and dry signal from the A. (You might need to plug a dummy jack into the A send as I can’t remember if it is the send or the return which has the switch in it.)
 

Edited May 4, 2021 by Quatschmacher

[Al Krow]

54 minutes ago, Quatschmacher said:

If it weren’t for the fact I want a dry kill switch, I’d probably cancel my Octabvre MKIII order and just get this. (I might get one anyway.)

@Al Krow what did you pay for yours?

£114 from Amazon (postage included if you have Prime) - and very much obliged to the "tip-off" from @Kev for spotting that they were in stock (they've already run out again!).

I do think Boss are making life very difficult for the OC-2 clone competition with the OC-5, given its feature set, the way it's nailed the "OC-2 sound" (with the added pedigree / brand recognition of being the "real thing" i.e. Boss!) and at a price point, new, that you wouldn't hope to get at least some of the well known alternatives, second hand.

Edited May 4, 2021 by Al Krow

[CliveT]

I still think the MXR Bass Octave Deluxe using the Growl knob, or the newer MXR Vintage Bass Octave get pretty close to the OC2, close enough in a mix certainly, but the OC5 does look good I agree.

[PatrickJ]

22 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

£114 from Amazon (postage included if you have Prime) - and very much obliged to the "tip-off" from @Kev for spotting that they were in stock (they've already run out again!).

I do think Boss are making life very difficult for the OC-2 clone competition with the OC-5, given its feature set, the way it's nailed the "OC-2 sound" (with the added pedigree / brand recognition of being the "real thing" i.e. Boss!) and at a price point, new, that you wouldn't hope to get at least some of the well known alternatives, second hand.

I do wish / hope Boss would stop messing us bassists around though and just launch a OC-2 Waza edition. 

Edited May 4, 2021 by PatrickJ
typo correction

[Kev]

2 minutes ago, PatrickJ said:

I do wish / hope Boss would stop messing us bassists around though and just launch a OC-2 Waza edition. 

What additions would you hope for in the Waza version though?  Because seriously, unless you just want it to track a bit worse, the OC-5 is spot on, right down to the glitchiness when it doesn't track.

I find that whole range more style over substance to be honest.  I mean, look at the tuner...

[Quatschmacher]

33 minutes ago, CliveT said:

I still think the MXR Bass Octave Deluxe using the Growl knob, or the newer MXR Vintage Bass Octave get pretty close to the OC2, close enough in a mix certainly, but the OC5 does look good I agree.

The MXR vintage bass octave is closer as it’s a direct clone of Janek Gwizdala’s OC-2. 

[Woodinblack]

21 hours ago, Al Krow said:

In terms of tracking it's very good at normal bass riff speeds, but will glitch if you sustain a note (and the latter is not unusual for octavers).

Not unusual as the primary octave dies faster than the harmonics.

[Al Krow]

6 minutes ago, Quatschmacher said:

The MXR vintage bass octave is closer as it’s a direct clone of Janek Gwizdala’s OC-2. 

Interested as to what you mean by a direct clone? Did MXR steal the chip design and algorithms? If not, they've clearly done a very decent job (obviously at a significantly higher price point), but... 

You'd think that Boss might know a thing or two about their own product range, and almost certainly more so than any rivals? 😊

Worth referring to @Sibob's review earlier on in this thread - he's had / got more OC2s than anyone I know, and knows them really well in terms of nuances of sound. He's said the OC-5 has pretty much nailed it. 

Based on that alone, I'm not sure anyone else should confidently say that MXR have done a "better" job without doing a detailed side by side review first?

 

[Woodinblack]

5 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Interested as to what you mean by a direct clone? Did MXR steal the chip design and algorithms?

There were no chip designs or algorithms back in the OC2 day - its standard of the shelf components in a design that is widely shared.

https://www.hobby-hour.com/electronics/s/oc2-octave.php

you could make one yourself. As a result if someone makes a direct copy of that circuit, it *will* be closer to the original than whatever is in the OC5

 

Edited May 4, 2021 by Woodinblack

[PatrickJ]

1 hour ago, Kev said:

What additions would you hope for in the Waza version though?  Because seriously, unless you just want it to track a bit worse, the OC-5 is spot on, right down to the glitchiness when it doesn't track.

I find that whole range more style over substance to be honest.  I mean, look at the tuner...

It's not so much about additions, rather having the OC-2 reissued in it's original form (with the improved tracking of the OC-5 and ability to split Octave and Dry across the two outputs) made in Japan and without the Polyphonic mode which doesn't interest me.    Though I suspect if they ever did it it would cost significantly more than the OC-5 does and availability would be no better.

Edited May 4, 2021 by PatrickJ

[Al Krow]

30 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

There were no chip designs or algorithms back in the OC2 day - its standard of the shelf components in a design that is widely shared.

https://www.hobby-hour.com/electronics/s/oc2-octave.php

you could make one yourself. As a result if someone makes a direct copy of that circuit, it *will* be closer to the original than whatever is in the OC5

 

That's interesting but, that being the case, why have there been so few "accurate" clones out there, and why were such a large proportion of MXR octave pedals so noisy - so much so that they have recently been running an exchange programme?!

You massively flatter me to suggest I could make one myself! 😁

And, apologies, that contrary to your OP on the SY-1 thread, I've still not got around to moving that one on yet... 

Edited May 4, 2021 by Al Krow

[Kev]

20 minutes ago, PatrickJ said:

It's not so much about additions, rather having the OC-2 reissued in it's original form (with the improved tracking of the OC-5) made in Japan and without the Polyphonic mode which doesn't interest me.    Though I suspect if they ever did it it would cost significantly more than the OC-5 does and availability would be no better.

I can’t see a market for it.  Certainly not if it’s more expensive than the OC-5.  Sure there may be a couple of super purists on here that care where it’s built and don’t want the extra knob and switch, but surely not enough for that to sell in any volume?

If there was no OC-5, or if it had no vintage mode, absolutely.  But otherwise, I can’t see why Boss would invest in one, except for maybe a super limited edition run on an anniversary date at a silly price.

Edited May 4, 2021 by Kev

[PatrickJ]

21 minutes ago, Kev said:

I can’t see a market for it.  Certainly not if it’s more expensive than the OC-5.  Sure there may be a couple of super purists on here that care where it’s built and don’t want the extra knob and switch, but surely not enough for that to sell in any volume?

If there was no OC-5, or if it had no vintage mode, absolutely.  But otherwise, I can’t see why Boss would invest in one, except for maybe a super limited edition run on an anniversary date at a silly price.

You are no doubt correct, and no doubt why they didn't release one and just went with the OC-5 😃.  But if they ever did do an OC-2w I would be one of the minority interested and would likely buy - and looking at what they did with the tuner, the TU-3W which as you pointed out is equally pointless, perhaps there is hope for us few 😁.   

Edited May 4, 2021 by PatrickJ

[PatrickJ]

2 hours ago, Quatschmacher said:

I’ve had mine in order from BD since December.

Yes, the MKII has one and I used to own one; sold it a while back (and regret it) when trying to be sensible about the number of octave pedals I needed. I’m happy to have it in a smaller box in the MKIII and it purportedly has slightly improved tracking (we'll see, if it ever materialises).

Unless I’m being unusually dense today, I can’t think how the LS-2 would allow you to go from dry+wet to wet-only using the stomp switch - you’d have to go from A to A+B mix, which would require bending down to turn the knob to the new position.

You could potentially do it with the OC-5 and LS-2 as follows (provided the OC-5 dry out jack is independent of the direct volume knob - is it?):

Plug OC-5 output into LS-2 input. Set OC-5 to -1 octave only. 

Plug OC-5 dry output into LS-2 A return and set it to A+B mix.

What should happen is that when the LS-2 is bypassed, you get the OC-5 wet only (provided it is engaged). When engaging the LS-2, you should get OC-5 wet from the input (this happens if nothing is plugged into B) and dry signal from the A. (You might need to plug a dummy jack into the A send as I can’t remember if it is the send or the return which has the switch in it.)
 

I've not looked into it too much yet but I believe if you plug into the Direct Out of the OC-5 you split the Octave and Dry signals across the two outputs like with the OC-3.

And like you say above I'm thinking you could take the Octave out and feed that into Input of the LS-2 and and the Dry feed into input A.   Then you should be able to switch between bypass which would be Octave only and A+B Mix which would be Octave and Dry.  I do believe it will require a jack between Send and Return on the A line looking at the instructions for the LS-2.

Edited May 4, 2021 by PatrickJ