Boss OC-2 Octave

Easy as bending down and turning 3 knobs. The manual basically gives a few suggested settings, nothing you couldn't figure out on your own. If you really want it, http://bossus.com has all their manuals in downloadable pdf formats. And this is the Taiwan version, not the OC-2 "OCTAVER" as it was called when it was produced in Japan.

Here's my setup. US HWY 1 Fender Strat, OC-2, BOSS FBM-1 (fender bassman amp modeler), DOD FX55B Supra Distortion, BOSS RC-2 looper, Marshall MG100HDFX. This pedal sounds good when used properly. First off, it sounds better with a little distortion after it, preferably with a low boost, which the supra does exceptionally well. Also, if you play on the lower notes, the OC-2 doesn't track very well and you get a jarbled sound, like a broken synth. ALSO, you can't play chords - only one note at a time. This does not have the polyphonic function like the OC-3, or similar type pedals. This is an analog pedal, therefore it has it's limitations. So, if used properly, as in single note leads higher up near the 12th fret, this little beast can do the job quite well, adding up to two octaves down to the notes played. Despite the great sounds when used properly, I give it a lower rating because it's such a picky pedal. Half the neck sounds good through it, the other half sounds like trash.

This pedal is very reliable. I wouldn't worry about a backup. As most people know, Boss pedals are very durable.

Can't say I know, but that their website does have some helpful info, such as downloadable manuals and such.

Overall I'd say this is a great little pedal, but it's not for everyone. A skilled guitarist will find ways to use this pedal to thicken up his sound and create unique leads, but in the hands of a novice guitarist it would probably just end up getting as a bass guitar emulator or an "experimental" effect. Honestly, sometimes I actually do use it to add a bass loop on the BOSS RC-2 when I'm jamming, but it's good for much more.

Boss oc-2 Octaver

You have to mess round' wit this thing to get your sound and levels right. When u got it yo got it! its not the easiest pedal to use on my board but was well worth changing the chain around a bit to make this pedal fit, I use it after my compressor for guitar and no compressor for bass and yes it does work well with bass to no need for a seperate bass input....

Well I wont say my chain of effects hahaa but i will say use it after a decent 'vintage' compressor. May not comply with toppy effects units. I use dist and overdrive after this pedal took me a while to set all three but sounds excellent!

Depends on the gig...

Get your hands on the original Octaver i've heard they are better than the Octave's dont kno wether thats true try before you buy to see if u like the effect.

Easy and simple - 3 knobs; Direct Level, Oct 1 (1 octave down), Oct 2 (2 octaves down)

My rig is currently:

Parker P42 > Boss OC-2 > Blackstar HT-DistX > Boss PH-3 > Boss RE-20 Space Echo > Laney LX65R Amp.

The OC-2 is only ever noisy if you hit more than one note - this isn't polyphonic so if people ***** and moan about the warble, get a damn polyphonic octave instead.

It's very analogue sounding compared to its successor, the OC-3. An absolute dream. Thick, heavy and dirty.

I managed to nail the CKY/Deron Miller guitar tone within seconds with my set up.

It's a Boss, that says it all.

Not had to deal with Boss Customer Service yet, and this OC-2 is used.

This pedal is not ever leaving my rig. It thickens up by tone and sound so much, and is incredibly experimental and heavy sound. I play metal, grunge, hard rock, alternative and occasional blues, and this pedal seems to do a good job in all areas. Essential, and in my opinion much better and more reliable than the OC-3.

Very easy, provided you understand what this pedal is for - it is NOT for chords, or getting Hendrixian Octavia-like sounds.
And provided you realise that the best effect is obtained by using your neck pickup.
Plus, if you are a sloppy player you will get a sloppy effect.

Ignore any negative review.
The OC-2 is a fantastic pedal which does one thing very well indeed, and that one thing is creating a smooth, synth-like tone 1 +/- 2 octaves below the note you are playing.
You can make your guitar sound like an analog synth (especially with the use of compression and fuzz before the OC-2...even better...add some envelope filter or phasing as well - madness!), or really thicken up single-note lines (yes, even you shredders).
I've used one other octaver pedal (the 'legendary' Pearl one that also does 1 octave up) and I found the Boss to be far more responsive and reliable.
If you play with confidence, using the right settings, there is no glitching and neglible delay between the fundamental and the effected note.

Insert cliche Boss Vs Armageddon joke here.

It's not for everyone (just read the other reviews) but those of you who, like me, like a bit of octave craziness will find it is a wonderful pedal.

it was seeking a bit, but when i found out that the best way was putting the octave after distortion, it was pretty easy.

just a few knobs to handle everything.

GREAT!!! spices up some of my solo's when i need it to be dirty, to be spacy.
meatens up the chord-work, as well clean and distorted, just be sure not to turn the lowest octave all the way up.
i use it in this chain: Gibson flying v's - splitter - korg dt-10 - crybaby - phase 90 - ds-1 - oc-2 - pocketpod(with looper) - visual sound h2o - fender bassman.

doesn't really mather if you use it with or without any other fx.

never had to deal with boss, since my ds-1 is dated from far back in the eighties.(really great too)

don't know

pop, rock, funk, instrumental

it goes with anything i play. i've read a thread hear on the first page, you shouldn't use it all the time, and i agree to that

This pedal is a little bit confusing but after reading the book u can work it out.

Sounds terrible. Cant handle chords at all. Sucks all the tone out of your guitar. Havent found one thing which i can use it for.

Really well built. wont ever break.

Havent dealt with them

I play Metal/Rock stuff like Iron Maiden, Metallia, Bullet for my Valentine, etc etc.

Total Waste of money. Do not buy u will regret it especially if your into shredding solos progresive riffs etc.

This pedal is going on ebay.

The knobs are simple. Direct signal, 1 Octave Down, 2 Octave Down. Reason I am giving it a 7 is because you have to learn how to play differently in order for this pedal to sound right. For example you CANNOT play chords with it. You must get used to how it reacts to your playing before you can get a decent sound out of it. Also, this effect NEEDS to be in the front of your chain, or maybe only after a wah/volume.

Epi Les Paul > Crybaby > Boss OC-2 > Boss DS-1 > Green Russian Big Muff Pi > Hardwire DL8 > Fender Hot Rod Deville 410

It does a decent job. 2 octaves down is basically useless unless you are playing way up on the fretboard or exclusively on the high E string. I generally have it set with direct signal on full, octave 1 at about 2 o' clock, and Octave 2 completely off. Also, something to note is that there is NO delay between what you play and the signal coming out. The Whammy and Boss PS-5 both have that problem and it drove me crazy. Also this sounds less digital than the PS-5, and offers more control over octave levels than the whammy's octave feature.

It is also important to state that the octave signals are Square waves, so they do sound like a synth. I personally prefer it. If you want a bass sound, get a bass. This pedal will not replace a bass player for you. It is an effect used to fatten up single note runs.

Bought it used off of ebay, never had a problem with it.

It is a pretty decent octave. Remember that this pedal is not designed to sound like a bass, it is an effect, and should be used as such.

Easy to use, one knob for one octave down and one for two octaves down volym plus one for regular volym. Press to switch it on of off. The manaul wont be needed.

I have used it with tubeamp and, mainly, alot of distortion. The effect gives a very synthised feeling, it doesnt sound like a guitar one or two octaves lower, rather a synth one or two octaves lower. Its pretty cool of course but the effects it put on the sound makes it very limited, and if you dont like the flavor (or rather alteration) it gives to your sound then its total crap.

Typical boss, have had no problem so far.

No idea.

In my opinion as a octaver this pedal is not that good, because of the sound alteration. I think it has a cool sound but i get the feeling that this pedal is very limited. I havent found that much practical use of it and wouldnt buy it again.

Simple three controls. Spend a little while playing with the settings and you're there.

I play various guitars and styles - Pink Floyd, Nirvana, Robert Johnson, GN'R, Metallica, Muse, Rage Against The Machine, Hendrix, Therapy? The Who... At home I use a Vox AD30VT. The OC2 achieves exactly what I need it to. If I wanted perfection I would use an EHX HOG or record the part, apply an effect in an editing suite and then sample it.
My chain varies but at the moment is a Boss TU2 > Boss DS2 > Dunlop Wah > ProCo Rat > Boss OC 2 > EHX Big Muff Pi > Boss DD3 > MXR Phase 90 > Danelectro FAB Chorus > amp. Never had any problems.

Does sound better going through the FX loop of my Marshall JVH for live stuff.

It is not a device for making a guitar into a bass. There are enough cheap basses of a reasonable quality these day - go and get one if that's the sound you want - you are clearly playing the wrong instrument.

It's Boss. I have used a variety of Boss products for the 16 years I have been playing and never had any trouble. I currently own 14 Boss pedals (compact ones) and they all work fine.

Never had to use them. Info on their products is easy to find online.

I play rock, punk and blues mainly although weird $**t is known to creep in there and the OC2 is a great addition to my set-up. Don't over use it, it's a pedal for flavouring the vibe not for defining the tone.
If it were stolen I'd get another. It is typical Boss simplicity and there is very little to hate. I wish it were slightly better at tracking, but very few octave pedals are and that is one of the idiosyncracies that endear it more to me.
It has inspired me to simplify some riffs that sounded a little weak before and also helps to get the bassist to understand what I am trying to convey!

Current pedalboard setup:

Boss TU-2 => Budda Wah => Visual Sounds RT66 => Vintage RAT => Visual Sounds H2O on a Furman board with conditioned power.

I use nothing but George L's on my pedalboard.

Tried every setting possible, tweeked the knobs for almost 2 hours.
The OC-2 is Tone-sucking POS. Huge volume jump when kicked on. HATES the other pedals, doesn't matter if they are in front or after it in the chain.

It's criminal to mess up the tone of a Dr. Z Maz 38 (and this amp LOVES my other pedals) with this hunk 'O junk.

Not heavy enough to use for a paperweight or doorstop, so in the "unused FX" bin it goes.

darn right! EASY

It's an effect. Not a precision octave creation. You either like it or don't buy it.

It's BOSS.

It's BOSS!

Bottom Line: I bought this 'made in japan' thing 25 years ago, brand new, expecting it to do something that it doesn't do. I goofed around with it and had a few grins...then packed it away in it's original carton. Flash forward to 2006!! I join a cawntry band that does straight pure 50's/60's honk-tonk...and I pulled this baby out and now it's my favorite pedal. Everyone whips around and jaws drop when I kick it in.

I use it with my 1960 Telecaster Custom and my 1983 SilverFaced Fender PRO-REVERB amp. Single note runs work best. Clean, clean, clean. Al Gore is an idiot. Who needs a baritone guitar? Who needs the hassle changing instruments between songs? I just stomp and go! Instant baritone that rules! Get one now, Holmes!

The OC-2 is my favorite octave pedal. I play fretless most of the time, and this is the only octaver that I could get almost a synthlike sound out of the tone by mixing the 1st octave just under the straight tone, and by cutting out the 2nd octave down out completely. The only negative I can think of is that there is some effect break-up in the low range of the bass, but other than that I would give it an 8.9, as it is an excellent pedal. One of boss's better effect's for sure.
1. Very easy to get a good sound. There are no patches, because it is a single effect pedal.Haven't seen the manual.Don't know firmware revision #, and my unit has not been upgraded.

Specter Bass? with Ashdown cab and Ashdown 300 amp. Not noisy effects sound clean and strong.(strange question)
I probably could as my rig is very flexible in terms of eq, etc; but I have my own sound. That I can get with no difficulty.
Favorite artists: (On Bass) Jaco Pastorious (the God of electric bass, of course) Victor Wooten, who I will be studying with this summer!!!, Bootsy,

Never had a problem. As long as you are smart enough to keep a fresh batterie inside it won't let you down. I literally have played hundreds of gigs over the last five years or so with my OC-2, and have never had a prob. with it.

Never have. No repairs ever needed, or customer service.

I think my overall was mistakenly written at the top.
In short, it is an excellent pedal which I would buy again if needed without a second thought. I have been playing professionally for 15 years now, and have been a teacher of private lessons for at least that long. I play Jazz, Funk, Blues and pretty much whatever comes my way.----So long from Austin Tx.!!

It's got three knobs... how hard can it be?

Now this is where we get down to what?s important. The OC-2 is a phenomenal pedal, if you take it for what it is: an effect. I use it to beef up single not rhythms and runs. There is a lo-fi quality to the tone that makes me smile. It?s fat, nasty and ugly! (In a good way.) If you?re looking for an intelligent harmonizer, then look elsewhere. What the OC-2 provides is a vintage effect. If you want to hear what the pedal excels at, check out the track ?Megaton? by the band DramaGods.

The pedal adds a layer that can be either in-your-face, or something three dimensional that you can?t really put your finger on. People will notice it, but won?t be able to tell you what?s going on. It?s like having a second bass player in your band with an OD running. It is also really nice for adding that extra something to solos.

You can get overkill with this unit. Too much is just too much. You amp will hate you, if you?re not careful. Used in moderation, it can be a very useful tool, to add something to your sound that not everyone else has.

My pedal is 20 years old. I think it will hold up another 20.

I've never had to deal with Boss, so...

This is a great pedal, if used correctly. Like others have said, it's not an intelligent harmonizer. If you hit two notes, the OC-2 will oscillate between the two notes. This actually sounds really cool. It?s an old school effect- very analog sounding. Which I really like. Would I recommend it to others? Absolutely! Would I buy another if stolen? Absolutely!

It is easy, just turn OCT 2 to zero, it is useless.

I wonder why this gets so bad reviews, because OC-2 is the best octave pedal I have tried. Far beyond Electro Harmonix Octave Multiplexer which totally sucked. And, again, of course you can not play chords with an octaver! Are you really that stupid? It is not meant for chords. Try a baritone guitar for low chords.

Bbboss quality.

Never needed.

It is cool in single string riffs both clean and with distortion. It is also fantastic with an autowah after it (clean). Way better than EHX, which was a real tone sucker. I think even Danelectro is better than EHX, which was also HUGE in size, but not in sound.

How much easier could you want? Just the three knobs to set the levels of the 'unalaltered' guitar signal, 1 octave below and 2 octaves below.

There are several simple rules to follow when using an octaver like this that help you get the best sound possible. First try to use the neck pickup as much as possible, preferably a humbucker, this produces less harmonic overtones and lets the unit track much better even down to a low D (just). Only play single notes. Keep a check on long held notes, especially low ones.

This is my most used pedal by far and is the best octaver I have tried - I was very disappointed by the OC3. Used mainly for beefing up single note riffs, It works especially well with nasty fuzz. If you experiment with the levels you can get some nice synthey sounds.

Fair enough the tracking isn't perfect but it never is with octavers and the idea of using it with a bass as suggested in the blurb is frankly laughable.

Given a 9 because the bypass is a bit rubbish but otherwise just what it says on the tin.

Same as any Boss pedal, well made and seemingly indestructible, only have a backup as I use it so much and I'm paranoid!

No need yet.

Used with a Les Paul and SG it works perfectly for what I want, use the neck pickup and be precise = no problems - Oh, and it doesn't like old strings, so a good excuse to keep them shiny.

Give it a true bypass! Why aren't all pedals TB?!!

Pretty simple really. Just tweek the repective volumes to preference and you're good to go.

I think the reason why this pedal gets such low ratings is that people expect the octaved sounds to come out an exact replica of their guitar tone, but an octave or 2 lower. Well it wont.
The octaved signal is basically a square wave, like a synth, which is exactly what someone like myself would buy the oc2 for.

1) Yes, it wont track chords (tho 2 note harmonies are ok, cos the tracker will jump between the root and the harmony, so you'll get some wierd wobbly sound, which is nice.)
2) No, it doesnt sound like a bass, (i suggest that you take the first step in achieving this by playing some other place other than your bedroom) but it can get pretty close.
3) Yes, the tracking isnt that spot on, but its good enough if your playing is polished enough.
4) Please, put it first in your chain or your signal will not feed the tracker enough to get the right note out.
5) NO, it doesnt sound organic at all, if you want organic, you might as well plug your guitar into an apple, cos really, what on earth is organic ? natural ? natural like the amazon rainforest? yeah...
6) And yes, it goes well with other effects, very nicely in fact, unless you've got the imagination of a very organic plant. Then again, the only stomp box you've got would be some ts-9 that SRV supposedly used, as long as its organic to you, i guess.
7) And Yes. i like it.





Btw, this thing aint true bypass at all the highs get cut and the octaved signal bleeds in even when bypassed, but i put it in a bypass loop so its no issue to me. So i guess this bumps the score to 9.

i guess so.

no oppinion

I play a lot of styles (or pretend to at least), and i had this pedal when i was just getting into guitar, and sold it , and bought it again, put it on my board, took it off, etc etc....

but recently i took it out for a spin in the studio, and i never took it off my board ever since.

So, to wrap up, if you want a octave pedal that makes your guitar sound synth like or just to add some mud to the mix, or want to make wierd noises along with other effects, get this.

If you want a bassist to appear from this box, or a cellist, or a symphony, go hire a bassist, a cellist , or a symphony.
If you want something to play a replica of your notes 1 or 2 octaves down, buy an entire replica of your setup, then tune your guitar 1 or 2 octaves down, then clone yourself to play it.

Very Easy to use. Just 3 volume knobs for each pitch; original, one octave down, and two octaves down.

If you are expecting clean octave sounds that aren'y muddy and don't wobble, then you will be disappointed. However, I don't know of many octave below pedals there are, but I have tried a few, and this is by far the best one. There is no noticeable delay between the original pitch and the octaves below. The octaves below are loud, and are not overshadowed by the original signal. You can get some really neat sounds by removing the original pitch. I find that it sounds best when used with distortion, and preferabely before the distortion.

It's a tank.

I got this from a guy who obviously didn't know it's value, as he sold it to me for $25. They normally go for between $40 and $60 on ebay, and I would say that it is well worth that price. It will last you ages, and the value will not depcreciate at all if you want to resell it later (value will probably rise a lot, as this pedal has been discontinued). A good buy!

Its really a small learning curve for me to figure out any pedal, so Im really not sure how long it will take certian people to get a good sound out of this(my collection is into the twentys).Mixing the different octaves is rather easy in my opinion.Almost any sound out of it is good.
I didnt buy this so I really dont have a manual to go by, but I dont think i really ned one.

I have used this through a epiphone SG, a B.C.Rich warlock, a Jackson King V,and a jackson bass.The amp I most commonly use is a Kustom(a large old amp my sister found, so free is good for around the house), but I have played it through fender chorus amps and a marshall halfstack. I would have to say that distorted is the way to go, a clean channel doesnt give you the full effect.Your clean sound is weak and really adds more of a muddy sound then an octave change.A little bit of distortion and some tweaking can give you a thick and dark"boost".Ive never had any feedback from it, but it does create a very odd noise when an octave is put to high with another.The pitch seems to randomly "bubble" up and down with a held note.Lastly, chords are not this things friend at higher settings.The sounds start to muffle together and make a mish mosh puddle of your tone.Single stringin is where its at, and maybe some simpler power chords can get away with the best use of the sound.
I cant really comment on sounding like any specific musician, because the only one I know that uses an octave is CKY, and Im not going for that sound at all.

Built very well, its all metal-like all boss pedals really.

No clue.

Id like to comment about the price paid section before going on.This pedal was owned by a friend of mines bandmate, but he never used any of his effects, just distortion.So he talked him out of it and gave it to me cause he knows I love a new pedal.

Anyway, I love this thing.The sound is so odd, I use it to make a sort of horror movie sound.If you like pitch shifters, this would be its dark brother.Its in my current line up, and has been since Ive recieved it.I wouldnt try to add this to a flange/chorus/phase, to much goes on at once to really get a nice sound.Delays, reverb, and when at lower settings, a wah can add to it.the effect is just so strong it cant work with most pedal combos, which is sort of its downfall, but because its so strong its one of the best Ive used in its own catagory.
On a sidente, let me say that this is one of the few pedals boss makes that i actually like.I find their distortions and flanges to be utter garbage.This , along with a pitch shifter/delay combo are the only things I think they made well.I guess what their good at their great at.

Minimum of 30 minutes tweaking and your there! 3 knobs pretty simple.

This is the Made in Japan OC-2 (OCTAVER lettering) I compared this to a new Super Octave OC-3. I could not believe the sound difference between the 2. The OC-2 setting on the OC-3 still did not compare!
The OC-3 would get that digital scrambling (distort) sound if you do a chord. Nothing like that happend on the OC-2. Although the OC-3 seems a little more versatile I have to go with the OC-2 for sound and overall use of the effect. I was also surprised after setting my levels that I could not detect any signal loss once OC-2 was activated.

I was looking for that Satriani type of octaver sound. (He uses the OC-2) I wish I could compare it to the Taiwan model but from experience - better made (Better Components) = better sound
Totally satisfied with the sound.

Its a boss! Like everyone says "BUILT LIKE A TANK"

I have dealt with support (USA) and I believe the customer service was excellent! I would give it a 10 if I didnt have to wait! :P

I play rock, country and Teach guitar - all styles. If your looking for that Satriani octave then this is it. If you can get the Japanese version off eBay for less than $100 then get it. I did!

well, it's very easy unit, only three knobs and it's enough

I play fender guitars (strat & tele) through the valve head and cabinet with celesion speakers. I really like the sound with a little bit of 1 octave down. The second octave is usefull when you want to play a guitar and bass notes at the same time. Set direct knob full, 1 octave knob to 3 and finally 2 octave knob to 11 (without distortion), then play some Hendrix, f.e. "Who Knows" from "Band of Gypsys", isn't good?. Remember - it's not perfect pedal for everything, you have to play single notes and not very fast, then final sound will become more clear and good. With playing riffs this unit is useless.

It BOSS after all, never had problems with boss pedals

Never dael with Them

I like this pedal very much, it's very usefull for me, and I always have it on my pedal board.
When you want to add some interesting effect to your sound, this pedal is for you, when you play slow melodic solos, this pedal is fir you. If you want only play fast trash metal riffs wit a lot of distortion, you'll never happy with it

Very easy to use. Just 3 knobs, 1 Octave down, 2 Octaves down, direct level.

I use this pedal with a Yamaha EG-303 through a Park 25 watt amp. This pedal is great if you play just single notes, sometimes when you sustain a note it makes some "crazy" sounds, so I use it to play just "funky" leads or heavy riffs. The 1 octave down works great but I don't like the 2 octaves down sound.

Well, I don't know if I should post it here, but the only thing I didn't like about it is that I just couldn't find (I've been searching for 6 years) the ACA-120 power supply. Other that that it's totally reliable.

Never had to deal with them

I use this pedal just to "fatten" a little bit the sound of my guitar in some solos. If it got lost or stolen I would buy another kind of pitch-shifter.

a clear ten -- three knobs that do exactly what the're supposed to...

ten again, but for different reasons than most of my co-users point out. i think you'll find much better units if you're looking for a really clean octave single-note doubling. what i personally like is the pedal going crazy. in this rspect, i achieve excellent results doing exactly what you shouldn't do (according to most of the other postings): try a (tube) booster in front, then the oc-2 and finally an overdriven fender amp -- a 4x10 bassman is my favourite choice, but any non-master tube amp will do, if cranked up. i do not claim that this is going to be healthy for your amp (or your neighbours), but if you enjoy neil-youngish feedback frenzy and/or a comletely sick tone, this is it - especially if you use the lower registers and deliberatly add open strings. controlled use of bendings and / or the guitar trem enforces this effect; you can virtually hear the oc-2 scream for rescue because it doesn't know what to do...

i got two oc-2 units. one of them has been working without any problems for about 10 years, the other one produces a slight hiss and also hums a bit. apart from this, a very reliable unit.

n/a. Never had to use it.

as i already said: i wouldn't want to live without it. from my experience, it is a very "individual" unit, sounding astonishingly different with different players, depending one whether you "use" or "misuse" it. for me, the second alternative is the interesting one, and provided that you're also into feedback/strange sound, check it out. if you like neil young/crazy horse stuff, this is a must anyway. of course there are alternatives like a colorsound, but probably not at the price the oc-2 will cost you.

The easiest pedal I ever played on, and I played on a lot. Settings are really easy and you don't need a week to find good sounds.
I just would like to warn new users of the pedal : don't abuse of low notes doubled at the lower octave, your guitar won't like that AT ALL. Experience's talking...

I'm only rating 7, not because the sounds are "just good", that's not the case, I'm really enthousiastic about them, but just to say that this pedal has a limitated use : don't try to do more then double notes with it, it's not made fot that and chords are just, well, awful ! But that's not the use of the pedal, and it's really great for doubling your solos at the octave.

Nothing to say

Never had to improve it.

Just read previous paragraphs !

Pretty easy to use for the most part. Everything works to its normal capabilities

I use this with A PRS Custom 24 through an assortment of other foot-pedals to a Marshall JTM60 amp. The only problem I have is that sometimes the octave will cut in and out if I hold a particular note. I am not sure if this is a common occurance for these pedals or if it a problem with just mine. But on a good note, this pedal will definatly fatten up your sound. Its excellent for playing nice distorted rock riffs and gives you a nice 311 sound. Also great clean with some reverb for some unique solo's. I tend to prefer the 1 octave down setting than the 2 octave setting. I really dont have much use for the 2 octave setting, but thats just my personal preference.

Very dependable, I just have a problem with the octave cutting in and out when Im holding a note like I said before. Other than that, its great.

havent needed them

I play in a rock band that blends many different styles into one. Funk, Hip-Hop, Blues, Jam, Reggae. This works the best using distortion. Gives a nice fat sound. Ive been playing for about 8 years, I use a Dunlop Crybaby Wah, A Boss EQ, Boss DD-3 Delay, Boss Super Overdrive, Zoom GFX-4, and a Line 6 DL4-Delay, and it seems to work well with all of it. Like I said before it FATTENS up your sound like Butter on Bread. I havent used any other Octave Pedal other than this one. It definatly help me make music and is very to use. I would recamend this to anyone.

Plug and play action. All you have to do....put instrument cable in input jack, and amp cable in output slot. Easy as pie. Of course it comes with a small manual, but you don't need it unless you're a child needing "parental guidance".

I currently don't own this anymore. But when I did I used it in front of a Boss DS-1 distortion and a Boss BF 2 Flanger....and all those before a Dunlop Crybaby Wah. I played it through a 20 Watt amp I use when recording and my Axl "Johnson" stratocaster. The main reason I got this pedal was because I heard the guitarist "Prince" used this in the opening solo of his song "when does cry". It nails the sound when used in conjunction with any distortion. I never used this pedal on a regular basis. I only used this when I tried to play someone else's song that I knew was using this type of pedal. The only thing that I don't like about this is that you can't do chorus with it. It will ring in your ears and it sounds very odd. You can set the controls to make your guitar sound like a jazz guitar ,but still the chords don't sound that good.

It is only reliable when playing certain songs. If you try to play this through an entire song it gets agravating.

Never dealt with em. Thats a good thing. Never had a Boss pedal that didn't work.

Like I said its only good for playing certain solos. My style of music is R&B, and a little rock. and lots of soul. My style is a mix of Ernie Isley from Isley Brothers and Jimi Hendrix. If it were stolen I would not buy another. I hardly use it. I just use it on certain songs when I record songs on my computer.

The controls on this are very easy, but using this pedal without unwanted pitch changes on lower notes is very hard to accomplish.

I use a standard Les Paul into a solid state PA head. This pedal is after my Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal and before my Boss TW-1 T Wah and Boss MZ-2 Digital Metalizer. The OC-2 sounds ideal some of the time; a properly tracked octave is signature to my rhythm sound, however, more often than not there are noticable and undesirable pitch changes when a note is sustained. I would like this to have had a one octave down and one octave up design, as it would be more useful for guitar, vocals, keyboards and even bass. Tracking doesn't seem to be quite an issue with the first octave below, but the second octave below just creates noise, wanted or not...in my case, unwanted.

Despite its drawbacks, this pedal is likely to live longer than I will, unless I smash it.

I have never dealt with Boss. To their credit, I have owned 8 pedals and simply have never needed to.

I paid a fair amount as my pedal is an "OC-2 Octaver", not a later issue OC-2 Octave, note the extra r. This pedal was worth the money, if I were a collecter of Japanese Boss pedals, which to some degree I am (I only use Japanese Boss pedals in my setup), but I acutally use my pedals for gigs, and the OC-2 will probably just sit in a corner or be sold.

very simple, octave below knob, & a 2-octave below knob. Can mix these 2 signals via a mix knob. Nice sickly metallic brown colour!

well, you have to accept that if you want this pedal its a one-trick pony, and the octave below effect is only useful for single-note riffs higher up the neck to avoid the warbly open string problem. the 2nd octave below option is useless (for me), i just don't see why they could'nt have made that an octave above knob, that would've been much more useful. Mainly i think this pedal's good for jamming with my drummer when the bass player's not around, and recording (can sound awesome to accentuate the heavyness of a single-note riff to have 2 octaved guitars riding down each side). not bad for #50, but if like me you're a poor guitarist trying to make ends meet this pedal's far from essential, there's much more worthwhile stuff to spend your money on. 5 seems harsh but i doubt i'd give any octave pedal more than a 7, i just don't think its a particularly exciting effect.

Only had it for 3 months but it seems very solid and im actually very impressed that the battery they gave me with it hasnt run out. dont normally gig with it but i certainly wouldnt need a backup.

not dealt with them.

for heavy single-note groovin' rock riffs this thing can be cool. also it would be a nice little recording toy for anyone to have if it was just a bit cheaper. my musical style is kind of heavy ambient post-punk neo-psychedlia new-wave no-wave cerebral voodoo sex god rockNroll, i own a few other stompboxes, hughes & kettner stack and i wouldn't replace this pedal. time to do the funky dead butterfly and smile my lost-ass frown...

Very intuitive knobs, basically three volumes:
octave2 is 2 octaves under the signal,
octave1 is 1 octave under the signal,
level is the dry signal (a lightly active volume)
you can blend the three sounds, or keep the two octave at 0 and use it as a volume pedal.

First of all, if you don?t want this unit to get crazy, put it at the beginning of your chain.
It?s not true bypassed, but it doesn?t sucks your tone at all when connected. No hiss too.
Don?t use battery, if not very charge, the sound is very bad.

There are a lot of better octaves, but this one is very cheap, and I like it because of it?s synthetic sounding: the two octaves are absolutely unnatural. The more you turn off the dry level, the more your guitar looks like a stupid little toy-keyboard, and I love this, but if you use only the oct1 and oct2 the signal is to low, than sometimes it find it difficult to pich the right tone, and it produce na silly step detuning, especially with hard bending.
Obviously it become crazy with the chord, use it just for single notes.
If you blend the octaves the right way, you can reach a lot of led zeppeling sound (listen to Trampled under foot, physical graffiti n.5 disk 1).
If you want a not too stupid sound forget the oct2, and blend a few oct1 with dry level, it doesn?t really fat your sound, it colors it in some strange electronic way.

My bass player own a EBS Octabadss octave, much better for serious intents: it?s very intonate, the sound is very natural, and the level of the only octave it reproduce is very high, you can really get a good fat sound, but my guitar was fat enough, I just wanted some silly sound.
I also tried the MXR one, good tone, but too low level, absolutely.

It?s very in
teresting to use it before a big muff, you can find real distructive and abnormal sounds, but be carefull, your cabinet could blow up.
It?s difficult to obtain a clear double sound (guitar + bass), but with the right blend you can reach strange keyboard-like sounds. A good fat guitar can actually looks like a bass if you keep high only oct1 or oct2, and no dry level.

Here it?is some good sounds I found:

OCT2 9 o?clock;
OCT1 2 o?clok;
LEVEL 2 o?clock;
+ a good wha wha
great sweet tones

OCT2 min;
OCT1 max;
LEVEL min
+ big muff as follow:
TONE min
SUSTAIN max
You get a flat fat deaf sounding with the lower notes, and farting high notes, something like the bass in last muse single (if you keep OCT2 max and OCT1 min, an underground growling sound will grind your belly)




OCT2 10 o?clock;
OCT1 3 o?clock;
LEVEL 11 0?clock;
+ a Boss PH-3 with
RATE 4 o?c.;
DEPHT 2o?c.;
RES 2 o?c.;
STAGE 8,
or a vibrato,
I get something like an Hammond sound (may be not a very good Hammond, anyway something interesting)


My setup is:

?97 Gibson Les Paul Special DC TV Yellow (P90 pick ups, 0.13-0.56 strings, CGCFAD tuned)
Boss OC-2 Octave
Dunlop Cry Baby GCB95 wha wha
Ibanez TK999 Tube King overdrive
Electro Harmonix Big Muff PI fuzz (the N.Y.C. one, NOT THE RUSSIAN!)
Boss PH-3 Phase Shifter
Electro Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man analogic delay
Sovtek MIG 50 head
Home made bass cabinet with two 12? cones

I don?t use battery, anything is connected to a strong enough ac 9v adapter.

It has a good hard metal box, the only critical point is the rubber ring around the hole where the little screw keep the battery case closed. My used Boss PH-3 was broken, and the switch had a too wide excursion. This one seems ok.

I never dealt with them, but the site bossus.com is very good, and gives you any information and semples.

It?s a 10 for what I buy it for, that?s strange and silly sounds.
It?s a 4 if you?re looking for a good octave.
It?s a 6 because it?s not so good, but even new it?s so cheap.
I found on musik-produktiv.de an electro-harmonix octave very cheap too, I?d like to try that one too; there in a newer Boss one too, with some extra function too, but I don?t know anything about it.

its pretty easy to get something useful out of this.

I use a gibson LP,fender 1x12 deluxe and a few other boss pedals. This thing DOES give you a fatter sound and if you dont have a bass player (like i dont most of the time) this baby will fill in nicely during some parts of a tune. any type O or black sabbath or slow evil sounding shit sounds great with this and solos...well...if used sparingly it can help you break the old box pattern/played out licks...kick this on and harmonize some notes...pretty cool too if you wanna get that neil young sound on "my my hey hey" or any 70's jeff beck sounds.

I trust boss

great for mimicing old synth sounds, great for no solo ideas and great for heavy sludge riffs or filling in for missing bass players.I should have got one sooner.

Amazing. A

Amazing. A mainstay in my rig. I can't believe the lukewarm reviews. This does exactly what it should do. It Fattens up single note lines and gives the heaviest tone I've ever heard from a octave stompbox. I tend to think it tracks pretty well, just don't sit on a note in the lower register or it will glitch. I use this thing all the time to get unbelievable fat single note riffs with my distortion Post using a MESA Tremoverb. If you are running an overdrive or distortion unit on your board, remember to put it after the OC-2 in the signal or it will track horribly. I think this might be the problem for other reviewers and their bad results. If some of them experiment with it's placement instead of jumping online to bash the thing they'd probably find a pedal that is very useful when applied right. Unlike some I didn't just get this thing and Have had time to get to know it before Posting this review. I find it to be pretty consistant. OF course I'd rather it never glitched down low so I could hold a killer low octave but nothing is perfect especially in this price range. I'll tell you right now, Boss makes great pedals but they have never made one yet that I know of that is perfect. You have to work with them and pay attention to there placement in your chain.I give this pedal a nine because it would be a ten if it didn't warble with a low note held. This never really bothers me however because I play riffs through it that don't hold low notes for an extended period of time and it works great for that. Also try ripping some leads with this thing because it is a very inspiring sound.

Never had a Boss break and I have been using them since I started playing around 11 yrs ago. I still have one or two from that long ago. For the money you pay and the sound quality plus reliability, Boss has no rival.

Why would you call them?

The best Octave I've ever played. Try setting OCT 2 completely off, Octave 1 at about 2 o'clock and set the direct level at around 3 o'clock. The best way to set the direct level is to first set the octave setting then crank the direct up completely. Slowly turn the direct back untill you hear the bass become best defined. Don't go to far however because you will lose some of the bite from your original signal so learn to balance it. I set it and forget it. I don't even care about other settings that might be useful because the one I just described is so perfect. I woud definetly recommend this to any one who would love to have the fattest single note sounds possible.

Not easy because it doesn't track well. You have to play one note at a time, be careful and pray that it tracks the next note you play. Chances are high it might, but sometimes it does not and spoils your music. With a pitch shifter pedal there's lots of more options and it will track perfectly and allow playing chords, so why buy an octaver instead of a pitch shifter?

Sound quality was good but it didn't track well, so it wasn't useful anyway.

I tried and compared results with the pitch shifter effect in Boss GX-700. Effect quality was the same (I expected better quality with the octave pedal), but the octave pedal didn't track even single lines well enough, even though the pitch shifter did perfectly. That's why I didn't buy the octave pedal, and don't recommend it to anyone.

Very easy, you'd have to be pretty stupid to find it confusing. The manual for my MT-2 was better(there aren't as many suggested settings in this manual). But it's easy to get cool sounds.

I was going for the tone on "Speed Metal Symphony" & "Dragon's Kiss" by Marty Friedman (better known from Megadeth). I'm using a USA Jackson KV-1 Dave Mustaine model with Seymour Duncan JB pickups. I'm NOT a big effect pedal guy at all! I use this OC-2 into a MT-2 into my Marshall. I'm not into Chorus, Wah and Flanger and all those wierd effects. Octave is a more musical effect if you ask me. My only complaint is that the low notes get a wierd echo sound for some reason. But it's really cool for solos. DOESN'T get muddy going fast either.

So far no problems

Haven't delt with boss, but i have a 5 year warranty :-)

Very cool! I tried a PS-5 for it's "Harmonist" settings, but i returned it because it got muddy during fast solos. The OC-2 only oes octaves but it is crystal clear.

Requires a little bit of playing around to get accustomed to Octave 1 and 2 controls, but very fun to mess with.

I use Strats and Teles with mostly Fender amps (I borrow an old Bassman most of the time).

This thing has a lot of trouble with multiple notes and chords, but most pedal octavers do. With the guitar signal turned all the way down, it does a decent job of imitating a bass, but is subject to some glitching here and there on lower notes. Adds great flavor to middle-eastern in fluenced and shredder-type runs, and does a bit of a cool, weird faux 12 string effect for '60s freakout tunes. I love it for little bursts of low frequency mud to sprinkle throughout tunes.

Have never needed

I'm an indie rock geek, and this is great little contraption for that. It's fun to goof around with, but doesn't have the cool anarchic streak that an MXR Blue Box has. But I like this one for live applications more, it's just easier to wrangle in and doesn't color my tone when bypasses. I use both of them pretty much the same way, just in different circumstances. Boss makes great stuff.

If you know what an octave is and how to adjust levels this should be pretty easy. Generally I don't like the sound of OCT 2 and use OCT 1 at 75% of volume and main signal at 100%--sounds more vintage that way.

Hardest thing (or easiest) is signal chain placement--this should go before ANYTHING else other than perhaps EQ in order to allow for note tracking. Don't stick it after your distortion pedal or you will experience less than satisfactory results.

For those of you that don't know what an octave pedal is good for, you should first consider what it is NOT good for:

1.) Octave pedals will not 'fatten' out your playing in a general sense. More than 1 note will freak it out and cause it to wiggle.

2.) Octave pedals don't 'double' your sound--they add a square wave (hollow synthy sounding wave) underneath your sound. This means the more of your sound you hear the more 'tone' you get from the pedal.

3.) Octave pedals can sound cheesy if used too much.

Past that, octave pedals are good for fattening up single note lines, adding interest to flourishes and other slightly special effects. Think the opening solo to Prince's "When Doves Cry" or "Fire" by Hendrix--both awesome uses of an octave device.

Sounds okay, but does introduce noise--which is then amplified by your distortion if you put the pedal placement right. It's an octave pedal so don't expect too much "tone" wise; if your unaffected tone is good then your octave tone will be--if it's bad this will not help you.

The octave sounds like a square wave. To avoid sounding too 'synthy' I suggest mixing down the octave levels to 50-75% volume and your main signal at 100%. Maxing everything out at 100% sounds like crap if you ask me.

It's not a Fulltone Ultimate Ocatave, but it costs so much less than one--sometimes these go for 20 bucks used on eBay. Someone gave me mine.

Overall the tracking is about 95% accurate. Obviously if you play more than one note you will hear the octave get confused as hell and it produces a bassy 'wiggle' sound; however, sometimes it does this if you add a little too much vibrato on a note in the lower registers. For the most part it tracks pretty good, but before you know it is is wiggling on you for a second.

Boss is pretty good.

I play indie noise-rock; think Big Black, Rapeman, Soundgarden, Nirvana. For the occasional foray into single-note fun this is a great pedal. For best effect don't overuse it--only once in awhile do you want to use this pedal.

Generally this pedal is for some people, and not for others. Myself I like octave pedals for their subtlety and the Boss is the best *affordable* one on the market now.

1,2,3 knobs, very PLAIN - if you can't figure it out, I don't know what to tell you. Perhaps you will need to RECONSIDER EVERYTHING or VISIT a psychiatrist.

schecter c-1-->boss tu-2-->dunlop 535q-->boss oc-2-->hughes & kettner club reverb.
This pedal produces a small but noticable hissing sound when activated, but this doesn't matter unless you are just standing still and listening to nothing. It doesn't really COLOR your sound. If you are playing, obviously this small amount of hiss does not matter.
There are many stupid people who have submitted reviews of this pedal complaining that it doesn't octave chords. You play a chord, and the sound is ALL MIXED UP and it begins to FREAK OUT and be very RANDOM and LOCO. You'd have to be LUCKY and it would be a FAT CHANCE that it will ever work this way. WHAT DO YOU DO? First, cease with the MISDIRECTED HOSTILITY, and ask yourself WHAT WAS I THINKING?. The instructions manual says to not play chords through it. The whole PURPOSE of this pedal is to play single-note riffs through it. For this purpose, the pedal rules. FROM CHAOS will come clarity. I would call it PARADISE. It will certainly DO YOU RIGHT.
The direct knob should be all the way up. After that, just experiment with the other two until you find the spot that complements the direct signal in the way you like. I put the 2nd octave DOWN at about 1/8, and the first octave at about 2/3.
311 uses this pedal on many of their songs, such as HOMEBREW and JACKOLANTERN'S WEATHER. It's SICK TIGHT, and SWEET.

Have owned for a while now, and seems very dependable indeed. This pedal goes for the HIVE like YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE.

Contacting them would be a confusing USE OF TIME and a MINDSPIN.

If I were to LOSE it I would buy another. If it were stolen, I would SEVER the head of the thief from their body, and declare unto them, "YOU GET WORKED!" Super cool pedal if you use it for what it is intended, which is to COME ORIGINAL and to WAKE YOUR MIND UP. I will be using this for EONS.

Three knobs.

Getting a good sound out of it is totally subjective to your ears. I think most other people playing this would think it would sound terrible for chording, but I love the brutal fart that this brown beast possesses (no pun intended.) For single notes though, I think it sounds terrific, especially for Sabbath/Che/High on Fire type riffs that require a big fat sound. Sounds especially good through a 4x12 cabinet at high volumes with distortion.

I wouldn't reccomend this to most people for chordwork though. If you're into Isis or Neurosis, or just about any doom/sludge type stuff, you'd dig this. Stoner rock guitarists take notice!

I'm giving this a two because it would sound terrible to most, but for the heavily processed, lo-fi yet thick and doomy sound I'm going for, I give it a ten. I keep it on a lot, along with a slapback delay to give the guitar a little more depth. It's a little muddy but I like it that way.

I've never had problems with any other Boss single pedals. I hate the new dual pedal things that they're releasing now, although the reliablity is not the problem where those are concerned. I just had a bad experience with the loop section taking away the gain on my Marshall, but that amp doesn't have an effects loop anyway.

I play heavy music, and I try to be original. I'm not sure exactly how to describe it, but I'm heavily influenced by bands like Neurosis, Isis, You and I, Orchid, At the Gates, and His Hero is Gone. I've been looking to expand my tonal pallate with one of these things for a while now, and I happened to get a good deal on one the other day. I've been playing close to five years now and I own the following: a Marshall JCM 800 2203 100 watt head, a Gibson Les Paul Standard, a Line 6 Delay Modeler, a Line 6 Modulation Modeler, and a '62 Fender Jazzmaster reissue. If this pedal were stolen, I would be upset, but instead of replacing it, I would probably start saving up to buy a second amp to complement my Marshall.

Listening to this pedal through my amp made me come to the realization that blending my Marshall with something like...the bottom end of a 5150 would probably turn out very thick and chunky if tweaked correctly. Even if I don't keep this pedal, it has helped me to determine an ideal setup for live and recording use that I want to reach at some point.

Pick this up cheap, but make sure it's your thing beforehand.

Super easy to use. Three knobs. I don't use the second octave setting very much since it makes the bass sound muddy. The second octave only really works when you play above the 12th fret. Tracking is really good, but I find that it works better with active basses than passive ones. This might have to do with the output of the instrument. You also have to make sure that you only hit one string at a time and that you play cleanly.

Used it with a 70's Fender Precision (with flatwounds, the classic sound!), Godin L.R. Baggs Acoustibass fretless, 90's Spector NS2-C (the cheap bolt-on model).

It gets a bit noisy with the passive basses when the note is decaying. The active bass is much cleaner, even when the note is fading out.

Octave sounds are great. This is easily one of the best effects for bass.

Like most Boss pedals, it's reliable. I don't have the AC adapter so I only use the battery power source. You can easily tell when the battery is dying with the brightness of the LED when the pedal is on.

This is a great little pedal to have if you play a variety of music. It's a lot of fun to play with and I always look forward to turning it on. As I mentioned before, easily the best and the cheapest effects pedal for bass you can buy. Don't get it new, there are so many used ones floating around that you can always pick up one that's second hand.

three knobs - just fiddle with 'em and you'll find what you are after

i play gordon smith sg> ds1 (or a bigmuff)> dano flanger>carlsbro 50 top. i picked this pedal up cheap recently and really like it. it sounds truly rockin with some distortion/fuzz. now that i've used it i've noticed octaves cropping up on all sorts of stuff - mountain, clutch, kyuss, zep...it's everywhere! obviously it's a pretty unusual sound - you're not gonna use it on everything, but for some tasteful solos or single note runs, it's just great.

duh. it's a boss.

for a bit of colour in your sound this is great. it's not going to be to everyones taste, but if you know what you want then this is a versatile, usable pedal. i've tried the dod octave box and this one definatley tracks more closely. chords are out, but then you know that already. one to stamp on and go for it!

Dead easy to work, less easy to get a decent sound out of it, especially when listened to in isolation.

I use this at the moment with a Squier Strat with Les Paul humbuckers, into a 70s Vampower 100watt head, in conjunction with an Ibanez compressor, Crybaby, Marshall Drivemaster, and a CH1 and TR2.
It's not noisy or anything like that. However it sucks at anything except single notes, so if you're thinking of buying it to thicken the sound of chordal work, don't bother. It's not perfect, sound-wise, by any means, so I wouldn't suggest using it as a prominent effect in its own right.
On the other hand, it's brilliant at thickening riffs if you keep the octave controls down below about 3/4 and the direct volume on full. Use it with several other pedals. Basically if you're into wacky sounds and you see one secondhand, then buy it.

Well, it's BOSS. It hasn't broken down on me yet and I don't expect it to.

Dunno, never had occasion to find out :)

Well, I'd give it 5 overall. It's not vital to my sound, but on the other hand it's fun to have it around for the odd occasion when you want an even madder sound. I wouldn't buy it to put lower octaves on chords and the like, in fact I think my Zoom 505 was better at that and that's saying something. On the other hand, if you like wacky sounds, well, even then I wouldn't buy one new, but I'm happy having paid 40ish (I think) UK# for mine.

How hard is three knobs?

I've read all the reviews listed below this one. Some say it's great, some say don't even bother. I play bass and this unit sounds great in my setup. I play an Alvarez AEB-250 through a Shure Diversity wireless,Boss PSM-5, the OC-2, Boss ODB-3, Boss DS-1, Big Muff ( the newer Russian one ), Boss FZ-3, Dunlop Bass Crybaby, Boss PH-3, Digitech BP-8, Ibanez volume pedal, and a Peavey TNT 115. The OC-2 brings out the lows a bit. I really like using it with one of the distortions or distortion and phaser, flange, or chorus. It won't track down below the A on octave 1 and I don't use octave 2. I don't have any problems with warbles or any weird noises. I tried putting it toward the middle of the chain and ran into some problems, especially when using other effects so I put it first, which Boss recomends doing with the bass.

I depend on it a great deal. I use it every Sunday.

?

I really like this pedal. I play industrial to worship choruses in church. The OC-2 can make the bass sound a little like an organ if you want. Use with some wah to get a cool synth type sound. I would get another one if it were stolen.

I gave this a seven because, although it only has three knobs, dialing in a useable tone is not easy.

I must admit that I read all the reviews for this pedal before purchasing, but decided to buy anyway. Most of the reviews warn about this pedal not being able to octave chords. I thought I would be fine because I wanted this pedal for one song using single notes. It turns out that this pedal is even awful at deciphering these. I also followed other suggestions of boosting signal and increasing pick attack for this problem to no avail. This pedal was simply released before it was finished. It searches for singal note octaves with a confused robotic warble sound (maybe some will love that).
It should be mentioned that I am only talking about octave 1. The elusive octave 2 just comes up as sonic muck when its dial is turned.
For poops ands giggles, I A/B'd this beside my old Zoom 505. For a cheap plastic multi-effects unit, the Zoom's octave effect kicked the OC-2's ass! It was warmer, smoother, and get this, it found octaves! Not only that, but it could even do it for chords.

You can't relie on this to always play octaves like it is supposed to, but since it is a boss, it's original crappy sound probably won't quit. Therefore, OC-2 gets a 5.

whew! Good thing I only paid $50 for this. This pedal is so incredibly bad at doing what it says, but it looks pretty sweet with 70's Camarro brown sparkle paint.
This pedal reminds me of one of those pug dogs; it's so stupid that you feel this weird affection for it.

The power of the octave gets a bit confusing, but should only pose a problem for a minute or wo.

Nice sound...if you're into all of those Smashing Pumpkins octaved solos, this is the pedal for you. But for God's sake don't try to play power chords on them. Some muddled "oorghhh" sound will come out, and it sounds terrible.

Extremely...it's a boss, and boss are as tough as they come. Could definitely kill something if dropped from a helicopter.

N/A

Overall, nice sounds come from this hippy octave box. Lend your style to the Pumpkins by buying one of these for your solos. But no Blink 182 style power chord will make you feel better about buying this pedal.

Easy to use (Three knobs, dry signal, 1-octave below and 2-octave below), but hard to use WELL. You do have to have a fiddle.

I originally went looking for this pedal thinking it did octaves UP (ie. harmonic generator) not octaves down...but when I tried it out and found out what it did, I thought it was MUCH cooler. It does sound synthetic, but there's nothing wrong with that if it's the sound you're looking for, and the basic dry signal is still there. You need a very pure-toned guitar to get the most out of it. It sounds very dodgy on my Strat-copy with heaps of fret buzz, but on my hollow-body Gretch it's smooth as silk, and tracks very well. Yeah, don't bother trying to play chords, although simple two-note 4ths and 5th can sometimes work. Sounds great through distortion (AFTER the Octaver).

It's a brick, 'nuff said. haven't had a problem.

Never needed it.

A lot of people are dissing this pedal, but I think that's maybe because their playing style doesn't suit it. If you're playing funky chords, or deep power-chords (thinking it's gonna make you sound like some dodgy nu-metal band with 7 string guitars), it doesn't work. If you want something to add depth and psychadelia to solos, want a weird-ass noise generator, want to phatten single-note riffing, or just like to fiddle around with "weird" sounds, it rocks. It also works great with other instruments...try plugging a tinny little Casio keyboard into it and a Crybaby Wah for some phat acid-techno sounds...true!

It's a guitar stomp box. Few things in life are so simple.

My favorite use for this is with cheap toy keyboards (e.g. the Kawasaki "Key Boom", circuit-bent and modified with a 1/4" output jack) run through this before the Akai Headrush or other delay/sample boxes. There are some beautiful sounds to be had in this way. Sometimes the octaving tracks really well, sometimes it's a little confused. This is part of the beautiful sound.

It's a boss pedal. It's reliable.

They have support.

Of all the stomp boxes I have (which are numerous) this one gets used more than any others. This is in the context of studio recording and experimental electric/acoustic mathcore fusion jazz. All y'all rock and roll types might need a fuzzbox first.

Only three knobs - direct signal, one octave down, and two octaves down. Very easy to use.

At first I was disappointed with the sound and thought it sounded very digital, like video game sounds. Then I found a way to use it that sounds really great - I turn the 2nd octave most of the way down, turn the direct all the way up, and the 1st octave at about 2/3 or 3/4. I can play Homebrew and Livin' & Rockin' and Jackolantern's Weather and other songs by 311. Tim Mahoney is my favorite guitarist, which is why I bought this pedal - because he uses it. I can tell a difference in my tone with this pedal in line, versus just plugging straight into the amp (I use a Gibson Les Paul Studio and a Rivera Knucklhead 55 watt amp into a Peavey 5150 speaker cab). I would like it better if it was true bypass, but it's a very cool pedal so I'm not complaining.

I don't think this thing should have any problems.

I don't know anything about their customer support.

Cool pedal.
My only complaint is the slight change in tone when the effect is in line and bypassed versus if the effect is not present in the chain.
I will be keeping this one.

This box is a paradox. It's easy to adjust, but hard to learn how to tweak and set up until you unlock it's secrets.

Use it with a Peavey Triple XXX. A 5150 II. Guitars are a Wolfgang and a 1983 Kramer Floyd Rose Signature. I give this a hands down 10. I am going to open up the secret for you. Use it in the loop. Set both knobs to 9:00 o'clock. Set the volume knob to 3:00 o'clock. It give a real good low end boost without aftertones. With the knobs set under 9...it sounds like a chorus..with the knobs greater then 9 you get a bass overtone. Past 12 and the box is basically usless. Now here is the scoop. Put it first in the loop. It will replace all the lost signal and then some. I put it before a MXR flanger and it makes the sound real thick. This is why all the big guys use or used this pedal. Check it out..Steve Vai. Eddie Van Halen, George Lynch and many more.

The one I have I bought used. It is all beat and scratched up but works great..These Boss pedals are built like a tank.

Heavy Metal...But is sounds great with Rock and Jazz too.

Super Easy

This pedal is a Tone Killer. It turns a vicous analog signal to a very synthetic organ type sound. Only tracks single notes. Does not track the lower notes on a guitar very well. Signal needs to be juiced via distortion pedal before getting to the OC-2.

Its a boss. You can put it in your will to your grandchildren...

Not tested

I play rock. This pedal will get little use.

very easty to use u can get thick guitar sounds its amazing u can sound like 311 or get a bagpipes sound

awesome one word to describe this pedal iam glad i got this pedal i even use it for vocals sometimes the effect is not weak at all im using it with a line 6 spyder amp i also use it wit a fender m-80 sounds great this thing is instant 311 in a box

it a boss nuff said

never dealt wit them about anything broke

i play 311 meets soundgarden meets ratm and i need this pEDAL to meet the diverse sounds i want to get its great clean sounding octave pedal it goes two octaves up or down the dod octoplus only goes one

like riding a trike

yamaha sbg 500-Buddha wah-Rat-OC2-Orange graphic 120/Orange 4/12 with75 watt Celestions (used in this order).I play massive riff blues rock loud enough to actually blow the fabric of my clothing around like a flag or an impropperly tied down tarp going down the highway.I am connected to this OC2 pedal and have no reason to try a different brand. I figured out how to run the thing smooth enough to have it active almost allways. in conjunction with the Rat, the thing is like a nitrous powered freight train made out of crushed velvet with alittle cocaine sprinkled on top . what to do is put it after the Rat and match the output levels with each other, put the effect nobs at 25% and run the shit into a loud and clean amp.I play any chords with absolutely no loss of articulation or mud problems or signal noise. it also makes my feedback sound like a cavern full of moaning japanese monsters. got turned onto the OC2 from a dave Navarro video. why,thank you dave!

a total non pain in the ass chunk of metal and wire.

support shall be left to brassiers and jockstraps OK ?

Ya dig big,slow, knuckle dragging riff rock? go on out and snag one of these and stick it at the end of your gizmo chain. you can probably get one for nothing because , from what I have read, everyone hates them.

Very funny story about this pedal:

I bought this a few months ago. It tracks very badly and will only work if you play hard and give it a strong signal. I use a lot of subtle harmonics and volume swells and play very softly a lot of the time. This is my playing style. In chorus's when I play harder I play chords. This pedal is incapable of tracking chords.
So I have no way of using this pedal without changing my playing style, and why should I change it for a crap pedal that doesn't sound that good anyway?

I sold it to my friend after a week. The thing is that it had a scratch on the top of the pedal in the shape of an "R" so it was quite distinctive.
A week later I saw this exact same pedal in the second hand section of the local music shop. I asked my mate and he said he hated it and sold it.
I went into town a few days later and the pedal had gone, but I stopped into a backstreet pawn shop on the way home and lo and behold there was this octave pedal with a "R" scratched on it.
Not much happened for a few weeks but I was looking in another completely different guitar shop sometime later and saw this exact same ocatve pedal with an "R" scratched on it in the second hand section! It was definately the same one.
This means that in the space of a month at least four people in the same town have bought this pedal realised it SUCKS and sold it.

I look foward to seeing it again soon.

Make sure you save yourself the hasstle of having to sell it yourself by not buying it in the first place. It sucks.