Welcome back to the my trip down memory lane celebrating the boss thru hole analog catalog. This time I'm looking back at a pedal I used to own and fondly remember, the OC-2 octave, built on the pedalpcb ocelot. With a renewed interest in analog monophonic octaves, this seemed like the perfect time to share this one.
I used to own this in the late 90s/early 00s and sold it in favor of newer octaves like the POG or my trusty whammy. Unlike it's digital counterparts, the oc-2 is more rudimentary and limited in it's scope but that gives it a distinct flavor that digital can't do the same way. The oc-2 has pretty good tracking but not as good as something like the pearl octaver. Unlike some octave pedals, this only has the sub octaves, which I actually prefer because upper octaves are generally more fuzzy and can't do a clean sound unless you do digital. I really like using this with dirt for thick full chord sounds from single note runs. I also like using it in bass with some drive for synthy sounds. The glitchy nature of monophonic octaves can be really cool for certain genres and types of playing that need that but they can be controlled by learning how to play to the effect. For optimal tracking, use the neck pickup, avoid notes south of the 7th fret and stear clear of open strings. One thing I like to do Is use a compressor before the octave to give it a strong, clean note that's focused and precise to lock on to for the best tracking.
The build itself was simple. The board is packed pretty tight so mind those caps when soldering pots. I soldered the direct pot from the backside of the board to avoid burning anything. I didn't have any 2sk30a jfets so I used 2n5952 and did the leg twist. Other than that it was a pretty pedestrian build. Russian germanium diodes from @StompBoxParts. Black matte black enclosure with UV print. Went with a minimalist killmonger graphic for the ocelot. Black and yellow color scheme looks really sharp imo and I'm pretty happy with the end results. Back in December I filmed this dirty clip of the ocelot being used with the promethium in the second half of that clip.
All in all a great pedal that's often overlooked and rarely overshadowed. For a simplistic analog octave in a small form factor and low parts count the ocelot can't be beat.
(https://i.imgur.com/MhujUGH.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/7rbkwX8.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/lwg7Pv7.jpeg)
Super clean and tight build as always my friend, and I'm loving these memory lane trips! It takes me back to my early years when I owned these very same pedals. Fond memories that I pretty much forgot about until you unlocked them with these write ups ;D
build is super clean! Love that yellow highlights on black. Classy.
(https://media2.giphy.com/media/KYlTGWshxs9fG/giphy.gif)
Who doesn't love a good octave? [emoji91] [emoji91][emoji91][emoji36][emoji140][emoji140][emoji140]
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That's killer man, I really dig this pedal. I built a couple. On Vero, it's huge.
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Awesome build, like jessenator says the yellow on black just pops. Love the clip with the HM2! Sounds nasty in all the best ways
Thanks for the kind words everyone, it's just a really cool pedal that's fun to play and glad to have one back on my board
Damn, that's clean! The yellow on black is super slick 8)