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Synth before or after Octave?


AinsleyWalker
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So I'm getting a Bass Microsynth in a few days and was wondering if anyone had any opinions on whether a synth pedal like this would work better before or after a Boss OC2. I know it's all about personal preference so I'll be trying both ways round but thought I'd get some opinions as well. Cheers

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I would put Octave first, as the OC-2 will not track well after any effected tone. You want an octaver to go into filters to achieve the best effect.

Although, everything is personal preference, only person who is right is you!

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I used to have an old (big box) microsynth, and I ran it after my OC-2, into a muff. dumbest decision I ever made (RE pedals) was selling that thing, with an OC-2 and a fuzz it could make some monumental sounds! I wouldn't personally run them parallel - didn't have any problems running them into each other, but I didn't use the sub slider on the microsynth and the OC-2 together (didn't see the point, I was already feeding the EHX with subs...).

Have fun and try it in every different line-up you can think of, you never know what'll sound good until you try it

Edited by GazWills
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[quote name='AinsleyWalker' timestamp='1451943928' post='2944952']
Cheers for the tips. I see everyone say they should go as early as possible in a chain but see a lot of people use them after dirt, so I'm going to try a lot of combinations before I decide where to put it.
[/quote]

If you use the Microsynth after (and with) dirt, the filter sweeps will be more intense, kinda like how a wah pedal works before/after dirt...Like people say though, this will probably affect the tracking of the sub voice. Personally I always use octaver/harmoniser > dirt > microsynth.

Edited by bakerster135
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I'm really enjoying learning how to use all this stuff at the moment.

To my novice ears at least, things seem to work best with pitchshift/octave functions first as they seem to work best with a cleaner signal.

Dirt needs to come before filter otherwise you miss all of the resonance in the filter sweep, the dirt is also less effective if the filter has taken the highs out.

That puts dirt in the middle by definition.

I'm putting reverb after filter as a kinda 'catch all'. Tbh though I tend to use this separately anyway so it's a zero sum game.

I have found that using the effects in combination this way has highlighted how different and influential the octave sound can be. Previously using this as a stand alone voice they all seemed quite similar, impact is very different in conjunction with the other effects.

Wholehearted endorse experimentation though. Whilst this works for me and seems generally accepted wisdom I believe 100% that the whole point of this stuff as a creative plaftorm is to augment your own musical voice, whatever that might be.

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[quote name='andybassdoyle' timestamp='1452103317' post='2946460']
I'm really enjoying learning how to use all this stuff at the moment.

To my novice ears at least, things seem to work best with pitchshift/octave functions first as they seem to work best with a cleaner signal.

Dirt needs to come before filter otherwise you miss all of the resonance in the filter sweep, the dirt is also less effective if the filter has taken the highs out.

That puts dirt in the middle by definition.

I'm putting reverb after filter as a kinda 'catch all'. Tbh though I tend to use this separately anyway so it's a zero sum game.

I have found that using the effects in combination this way has highlighted how different and influential the octave sound can be. Previously using this as a stand alone voice they all seemed quite similar, impact is very different in conjunction with the other effects.

Wholehearted endorse experimentation though. Whilst this works for me and seems generally accepted wisdom I believe 100% that the whole point of this stuff as a creative plaftorm is to augment your own musical voice, whatever that might be.
[/quote]

Yep I'd have to agree with all this. Looking at a lot of boards it seems like putting the Microsynth after drives is pretty popular, but I'll be trying different combinations to see what works best. I have a few drives on my board so I may even put some before, some after the synth. We'll see what works best!

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Ok after some basic messing about with chain ordering (couldn't do too much because it was getting late) but it seems when the microsynth is put after dirt pedals (in this case a Rat, a Bass Big Muff, and a Pork Loin), it completely overrides them and almost replaces the sounds they create. But I'm not sure if that was just because I was using quite a 'dirty' synth sound, a rounder more 'wub'-y sound might not do that and might allow more of the sound created by the pedals in front of it to pass through. So at the moment it feels like the synth should go before dirt pedals, but more testing will be done tomorrow.

Edited by AinsleyWalker
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[quote name='AinsleyWalker' timestamp='1451943928' post='2944952']
Cheers for the tips. I see everyone say they should go as early as possible in a chain but see a lot of people use them after dirt, so I'm going to try a lot of combinations before I decide where to put it.
[/quote]

Just look at the MS's fx path and you'll see the way they get a synth-like sound: Octave-Distortion-Filter



If you plan using the OC-2 as replacement for the MS's octave then place it before the MS so that you'll have the Distortion and Filter of the MS acting on the OC-2's sound. It's also known that octaves have tracking issues and need to be placed as early in the signal path as possible.

I think i've posted this here before but i can't find my post.

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[quote name='Ghost_Bass' timestamp='1452250360' post='2947989']
Just look at the MS's fx path and you'll see the way they get a synth-like sound: Octave-Distortion-Filter



If you plan using the OC-2 as replacement for the MS's octave then place it before the MS so that you'll have the Distortion and Filter of the MS acting on the OC-2's sound. It's also known that octaves have tracking issues and need to be placed as early in the signal path as possible.

I think i've posted this here before but i can't find my post.
[/quote]

Thanks for the advice. After doing way more testing I've decided it sounds best AFTER dirts, as you say the pedal works oct>dist>filter. I'm currently using it with the Square wave off, to give a rounder sound, which lets through some of the distortion pedals placed before it if need be. Now to add it into my full chain and add some modulation etc!

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