knicknack Posted January 5, 2021 Share Posted January 5, 2021 I've been hunting for the perfect OC-2 ish thing for my board, and eventually decided the only way to figure this out was to gather as many of the options as I could. After some discussions on the 3Leaf and OC-5 threads I ended up filming some of the comparisons in the hope that it can be useful to someone in the same situation as me. The options available were: Boss OC-2 (the old faithful) Boss OC-5 3Leaf Octabvre Mk1 COG T-47 (2x T-16) (the current incumbent) Markbass RAW Octaver MXR Vintage Bass Octave I've tried to use musical examples for context. If anyone has any questions please let me know! I'm still gathering my thoughts and will report back a little later, including what happened when we did a blind test with my OC-2 loving friend. The current settings are always shown onscreen. I would also love to hear from anyone who has compared the Octabvre Mk1 to the brand new model, which i couldn't get my hands on! 12 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliveT Posted January 5, 2021 Share Posted January 5, 2021 Great shootout, thanks. I thought they all sounded good to be honest. I love the simplicity of the Markbass 2 knob layout and thought it stood up to the rest well. I use the MXR Bass Octave Deluxe and would be been great to hear that too along side what you have, especially to get the OC2 sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannybuoy Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 As far as I know the Octabvre Mini is no different in sound to the full size MkII / MkIII in TIM mode. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quatschmacher Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 5 hours ago, dannybuoy said: As far as I know the Octabvre Mini is no different in sound to the full size MkII / MkIII in TIM mode. The mini is slightly tweaked from the MKII. Says as much in the advertising and I had the two side by side at one point and there is a difference. The mini got grittier at the clockwise end of the tone knob. Still waiting for my III to arrive. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quatschmacher Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 @knicknack, could you possibly check something for me. On your MXR VBO, if, while the pedal is engaged, you press the mid switch down quite slowly until it engages, does the main LED cut out briefly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ567 Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 Great comparison! IMO they're sufficiently similar that the choice is really about how much you value the other features/tones available on that particular pedal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knicknack Posted January 7, 2021 Author Share Posted January 7, 2021 @Quatschmacher Yup I did notice that happening! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quatschmacher Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 1 hour ago, knicknack said: @Quatschmacher Yup I did notice that happening! Thanks. I’m guessing it’s probably normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knicknack Posted January 7, 2021 Author Share Posted January 7, 2021 I can't say i notice a vast difference in tone with it pushed in though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quatschmacher Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 29 minutes ago, knicknack said: I can't say i notice a vast difference in tone with it pushed in though! It’s only on the dry bass signal. It is adjustable between two fixed frequencies and the amount of boost is also adjustable via a switch and trimpot inside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannybuoy Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 (edited) My top 3: Octabvre, OC-2, Markbass But there's not much in it and I'd be very happy with either of them! Markbass might be the best choice for size alone! Edited January 7, 2021 by dannybuoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deedee Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 (edited) Thanks for that 👍 I’m toying with the idea of going to separate pedals and an octave is certainly on the list. Edited January 7, 2021 by Deedee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulo m Posted January 14, 2021 Share Posted January 14, 2021 (edited) Not a lot to choose between any of em' really.... Its a personal nuance. Edited January 14, 2021 by paulo m Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cLepto-bass Posted January 14, 2021 Share Posted January 14, 2021 On balance (sound, size and $$$), I would have to go for the Markbass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliveT Posted January 15, 2021 Share Posted January 15, 2021 I'd love to try the Markbass and for around £100 give or take it's not overpriced. I haven't seen one come up on the used market yet. It wasn't featured here but the MXR Vintage Bass Octave's big brother, the Bass Octave Deluxe, can regularly be found well under £100 used, from £70 ish usually so that's a good option too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted January 15, 2021 Share Posted January 15, 2021 Very well put together and the editing was really slick. At the moment I've only listened via phone speakers (in bed and headphones are just out of reach) and I can't hear any difference (when not watching I can't tell when the pedals change!). I'm sure when I listen with 'cans' the nuances will be clearer. Down the pub on a Saturday night with some guitarist howling and tub thumper thumping? No one will ever notice the difference. Which is a massive positive because it means you could choose based on size and price if you're only thinking of a pub band scenario. Of course recording is a totally different ball game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knicknack Posted January 29, 2021 Author Share Posted January 29, 2021 (edited) A little late with this but now most people who are going to hear this have heard it I thought i'd put in my thoughts! For me there were two clear standout candidates for the place on my board. The COG and the OC-2! If I was just going on the recorded sound I'd add the OC-5 and Octabvre to the mix here, but when it came down to just playing pleasure the COG was the only alternative that had that really lovely sub that just demands bass face. I ran a little test last week with a friend of mine who is a massive OC-2 fan and has a great ear for these things. He spotted the OC-2 in every lineup except for when the COG fooled him several times in a row! Honestly I think all 6 are great, and you'd be happy with whichever had the features/size you were looking for. Boss have done a great job with the OC-5 and it really does have the sound. But it is just missing that last special ingredient that would put in on my pedalboard. The same goes for the Octabvre (but more on that in a minute!) MXR and Markbass have done a great job to get so close in tiny enclosures. I believe both a based on a really early OC-2, which may account for the differences to mine. I could definitely spot them in the lineup as the brighter of the pedals here. I would say that my favourite changed on a daily basis out of these 2... I think the Markbass is by a fair margin the cheapest option here and it doesn't show. It's probably got the least volume on tap (check the settings in the video!) but is at least on a par, if not slightly louder than my original (which has been modified to run at proper volume at 9v, often the issue with these). For recording I'd actually favour the 3Leaf! I love the options on the tone control, and find it to be very clean and possibly the best at tracking. I did take it out on a gig (remember those?) and found it difficult to dial in to the sweet spot, partly due to the Volume/Blend setup. However... I've taken the plunge, and there's a new Octabvre MKIII on the way. I've heard some great things from OC-2 fans, so will be delighted to report back when it's here. If they have managed to keep the things i liked about it in this review, nailed the sub-ness and the control layout works more intuitively I can very much imagine it being the winner. Is it worth 3 Markbass Raws, or 2 OC-5s? Time will tell! I should say that if it wasn't for two points I wouldn't have bothered ordering the Octabvre. 1. The T-47 is a big pedal, and at the moment to keep it on my board something has to give! Obviously the T-16 is the same circuit, and comparable in size to the MXR and Markbass, but try finding one at the moment! Hopefully they are going back in to production soon. 2. It's a little tetchy with active basses and higher input levels. It might just be mine but i think I've heard others say the same. Just something to be aware of! If you play passive basses and can get hold of a COG T-16, and it's features are everything you need, I can't imagine you'd be disappointed. The tones available are very wide-ranging! I'd happily do a little demo if that's something anyone is interested in. Anyway, thankyou for reading and watching, and i'm happy to answer any more specific questions if anyone has them! Edited January 13, 2022 by knicknack 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannybuoy Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 (edited) If you liked the sub of the Cog, you may like the Octamizer! That thing goes deep. Edited January 30, 2021 by dannybuoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ulesti Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 Hi, it´s around a year ago when you make this outstanding comparison of the octave pedal range. And it´s around a year ago when you mentioned that a 3leaf mk III is on the way. Can you expand this comparison with your opinion to the new MK III version? I´m also a huge fan of the OC-2. Had lot of octavers. But my 2 OC-2´s are still my favorites. Never had struggled with my active basses with them. The only thing i didn´t liked on them (and on a lot of Boss pedals i know) is, that they are not true bypass and the boss buffer affects the natural tone of my basses in (for my ears) in a not very pleasing way (imho!). I found one who modded it with true bypass. Love them still more and can use it now without any x-blender type pedals. And also i love my COG 16. Such a great Pedal, especially live. The Filter is a great tool. Does anybody know something about Tom from COG-Effects? He did such outstanding Pedals. Also his Distortion/Fuzz Pedals are very cool. And unexpectedly and suddenly he stopped building and answering. But his page is still there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knicknack Posted January 12, 2022 Author Share Posted January 12, 2022 Hey @ulestithanks for the kind words! Sadly the 3leaf never came, it seems they are very hard to get hold of and they had some cosmetic manufacturing issues too (fixed now but production is limited). My OC-2 has had a place on the board all year (in an FX loop) and I've been really happy, although I do miss the COG and would absolutley love to own one again if Tom goes back into production! Reports on the 3Leaf Mk3 range from 'They've nailed it this time!' to 'I prefer my Mk1/Mk2'... impossible to say without getting my hands on one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quatschmacher Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 (edited) 33 minutes ago, knicknack said: Hey @ulestithanks for the kind words! Sadly the 3leaf never came, it seems they are very hard to get hold of and they had some cosmetic manufacturing issues too (fixed now but production is limited). My OC-2 has had a place on the board all year (in an FX loop) and I've been really happy, although I do miss the COG and would absolutley love to own one again if Tom goes back into production! Reports on the 3Leaf Mk3 range from 'They've nailed it this time!' to 'I prefer my Mk1/Mk2'... impossible to say without getting my hands on one! I managed to score one and got it on Friday. It’s a couple of years since I sold my MKII so can’t compare directly. From memory it seem to do all the things I loved about it in a smaller enclosure. Tracking might be slightly better, though I don’t have the same bass I had back then, so it’s difficult to know for sure. What I have noticed is that it tracks my J bridge pickup really well. The differences compared to my MXR VBO really come out when running into a Mastotron, the the response varies hugely depending on which of my two basses I use. With the lower-output Fender P, it sounds so fat, whereas using the higher-output Lakland P it sounds weedy. The MXR sounds better on the Lakland. Edited January 12, 2022 by Quatschmacher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knicknack Posted January 12, 2022 Author Share Posted January 12, 2022 @Quatschmachercongratulations, I hope the finish holds together on these ones! I am going to keep my eye out for one just in case. I hesitate to buy direct from him due to not being certain how much it would actually cost when it arrives, and the customer service element if you have a problem, but I doubt any UK retailer will be stocking these. Have you compared to an original OC-2? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quatschmacher Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 (edited) 31 minutes ago, knicknack said: @Quatschmachercongratulations, I hope the finish holds together on these ones! I am going to keep my eye out for one just in case. I hesitate to buy direct from him due to not being certain how much it would actually cost when it arrives, and the customer service element if you have a problem, but I doubt any UK retailer will be stocking these. Have you compared to an original OC-2? As regards import costs, you can easily work out in advance what it will cost using the HMRC website, which has a list of goods categories. It’s 20% of the declared value in Import VAT plus the Customs Duty (which varies depending on category of the item, around 2.5% at most) plus about £12 fee to Royal Mail for paying the fees on your behalf. For reference, a $279 pedal + $35 shipping cost me about £308 all in, though it depends on the exact exchange rate, which you can also look up. I haven’t ever had chance to play an OC-2 yet. Edited January 12, 2022 by Quatschmacher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knicknack Posted January 12, 2022 Author Share Posted January 12, 2022 7 hours ago, Quatschmacher said: As regards import costs, you can easily work out in advance what it will cost using the HMRC website, which has a list of goods categories. It’s 20% of the declared value in Import VAT plus the Customs Duty (which varies depending on category of the item, around 2.5% at most) plus about £12 fee to Royal Mail for paying the fees on your behalf. For reference, a $279 pedal + $35 shipping cost me about £308 all in, though it depends on the exact exchange rate, which you can also look up. I haven’t ever had chance to play an OC-2 yet. Thanks for this, really handy info! Import always seems so random! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quatschmacher Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 (edited) 5 hours ago, knicknack said: Thanks for this, really handy info! Import always seems so random! You’re welcome. I had to go through it the first time I imported a bass from the USA (back when £1=$2). Effects pedals don’t have their own HMRC category so I was looking under “electrical musical instruments which require amplification”. Edited January 13, 2022 by Quatschmacher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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