Boss OC-2 glitchy on D

[burno70]

Since I bought this pedal a couple of years ago - I think from Ebay, I've noticed that it 'wavers' the note if you play a D and leave it held for longer then say a beat. I always thought it was rather quaint and didn't bother me. I've written a song in D which I want to use this effect for. It's ok live but would be noticed if recorded.

Just wondering whether this is a feature of all of these pedals or is mine a bit weird?

Not the low D by the way - any D!

[Toasted]

This is what the OC-2 does! You might improve it by playing soloing your neck pickup and playing very cleanly.

[burno70]

I'm not sure I follow you. It's only a D note that wavers nothing else?

It's not a clean playing issue. If I fret just a d, play it and let it ring out - the note will glitch - but not in the same glitchy way that notes below the low A glitch. It's more of a synth effect than a break-up noise.

Edited May 20, 2010 by burno70

[thisnameistaken]

Hmm. That doesn't sound normal. Is your bass resonating in a weird way when you play a D or multiples of that frequency? It might be a bit wolfy at that frequency; if you have a digital recorder, try tracking just your bass, look at the waveform and see if the D comes out especially louder or quieter than other notes around it.

The OC-2 (any analogue "tracking" pedal really) does a good job of showing up duff bits of bass guitars. Eg. It chokes on dead spots that you might not have really noticed before.

Edited May 20, 2010 by thisnameistaken

[burno70]

[quote]Hmm. That doesn't sound normal. Is your bass resonating in a weird way when you play a D or multiples of that frequency? It might be a bit wolfy at that frequency; if you have a digital recorder, try tracking just your bass, look at the waveform and see if the D comes out especially louder or quieter than other notes around it.

The OC-2 (any analogue "tracking" pedal really) does a good job of showing up duff bits of bass guitars. Eg. It chokes on dead spots that you might not have really noticed before.[/quote]

I had thought it must be a frequency issue but didn't realise it might be my bass. I'll have to look into that, there's nothing apparent with the bass when I play clean - but as you say - the pedal may be enhancing something that's underlying.

[Higgie]

Sounds like a dead spot to me. Most have them around the 7th fret on the G string, ie, the D note I had this problem too with my OC-2, and ruled out the frequency problem as I could play the 12th fret on the D string without it wavering. Try playing the same riff in a different position. Might help

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='Higgie' post='843929' date='May 21 2010, 11:01 AM']Sounds like a dead spot to me. Most have them around the 7th fret on the G string, ie, the D note I had this problem too with my OC-2, and ruled out the frequency problem as I could play the 12th fret on the D string without it wavering. Try playing the same riff in a different position. Might help [/quote]

Yeah my biggest bugbears with the OC-2 have usually been dead spots between frets 6 and 8 on the G, or the odd buzzy note where a fret needs levelling or action raising, but if he's having issues with [i]every[/i] D and it's not just crapping out quickly (as it would with a dead spot) it sounds like something else is causing it.

[Sibob]

Yeah, dead spots will do it, you get a dead note and obviously the pedal can't track it, so glitches out.
Its odd that its ANY D though, if I have a dead note on my OC2, I can just play it somewhere else on the fretboard and its fine!

Si

[dudewheresmybass]

a fatfinger might help. it helps to eliminate issues with dead spots

[Higgie]

[quote name='dudewheresmybass' post='843971' date='May 21 2010, 11:37 AM']a fatfinger might help. it helps to eliminate issues with dead spots[/quote]

I tried this once and all it seemed to do was move the dead spot down the neck. IE it was originally on a high D at the 7th fret, after putting it on it moved down to C.

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='Higgie' post='845140' date='May 22 2010, 03:33 PM']I tried this once and all it seemed to do was move the dead spot down the neck. IE it was originally on a high D at the 7th fret, after putting it on it moved down to C.[/quote]

Think you aim to move it between notes, got unlucky there. Maybe move it around the headstock, or different weight one.

[burno70]

Fatfinger? Googled it but couldn't find anything.

Yeah it's dead spots, the 7th fret D and A - hadn't noticed the A before and the 10th fret D on the E string. The D on the 12th doesn't glitch so it's not a frequency thing.

The good thing is that I can't hear it whilst paying normally. Will a set-up get rid of it?

Cheers

[dudewheresmybass]

her ya goes! -

[url="http://www.mansons.co.uk/shopping/categories/guitar-care/groove-tubes/fat-finger-guitar-sustain-tool/"]http://www.mansons.co.uk/shopping/categori...r-sustain-tool/[/url]

[burno70]

[quote name='dudewheresmybass' post='845300' date='May 22 2010, 07:29 PM']her ya goes! -

[url="http://www.mansons.co.uk/shopping/categories/guitar-care/groove-tubes/fat-finger-guitar-sustain-tool/"]http://www.mansons.co.uk/shopping/categori...r-sustain-tool/[/url][/quote]


Thanks for that man, I'll email Jon and see what he says, maybe it's time for a set up?

Hey, a quick edit to all the contributes so far - Love Bass Chat, appreciated man! Cheers!


Ste

Edited May 22, 2010 by burno70

[risingson]

Hi,

Unfortunately, although I love my OC-2 to pieces (it's the one pedal I can't do without), the tracking of notes in certain areas (and I've found with different basses) is quite bad. It's just one of the quirks of the pedal. There are I'm sure better tracking octave pedals on the market that have polyphonic abilities and everything but I've never found one as cool sounding as the OC-2.

[thisnameistaken]

Incidentally, on the subject of tracking performance: This might not be a suitable solution for some of you, but try a set of flatwounds.

Probably won't improve a dead spot issue, but it will get you a more reliable response from low notes and considerably longer sustain without glitching.