3Leaf Audio Octabvre - November 2023 release

[admiralchew]

26 minutes ago, Kev said:

I think the Chomatron was just a development of the meatball clone series he did, Groove Regulator, Wonderlove etc?  Might not be though.

 

No idea about the compressor, but you may well be right with the Doom/2 being an original design?

I’m not sure to be honest. I seem to recall the Chromatron page stating it was an original design but the page is currently not on the site. The Doom 2 statement was based on not hearing anyone say it’s like anything else and I’ve not come across anything that similar. I would like to try a PWNZOR though, I know that much!

[Kev]

1 hour ago, admiralchew said:

I’m not sure to be honest. I seem to recall the Chromatron page stating it was an original design but the page is currently not on the site. The Doom 2 statement was based on not hearing anyone say it’s like anything else and I’ve not come across anything that similar. I would like to try a PWNZOR though, I know that much!

I had a PWNZOR, it was okay.  Noisy and pretty coloured but I didn't dislike it off memory, didn't keep it too long though.

 

2 hours ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

It is 3 Leaf Audio. It’s exactly as announced on the web site along with links to those auctions.

 Oh...

[Bassybert]

If he wants to sell them like that and people are stupid enough to pay over the odds prices then that’s up to them. Just vote with your feet and take your business elsewhere. 

 

The amount of money people are shelling out on pedals that are at best slight variations on the same theme is insane. Gotta catch ‘em all indeed…

[paulo m]

13 hours ago, admiralchew said:

I’m not sure to be honest. I seem to recall the Chromatron page stating it was an original design but the page is currently not on the site. The Doom 2 statement was based on not hearing anyone say it’s like anything else and I’ve not come across anything that similar. I would like to try a PWNZOR though, I know that much!

I tested the Chromatron & to my ears the pedal was just a further development of what had gone before' it didn't have a radically different sound... Just more functionality as just what he had done with the 'Wonderlove Deluxe' the downside was the graphic print on the pedal peeled away when in contact with one's fingers... ( poor quality..?) 

I personally don't think we shall see any more of that particular filter... & the price.????? 

Edited November 28, 2023 by paulo m

[admiralchew]

5 hours ago, paulo m said:

I tested the Chromatron & to my ears the pedal was just a further development of what had gone before' it didn't have a radically different sound... Just more functionality as just what he had done with the 'Wonderlove Deluxe' the downside was the graphic print on the pedal peeled away when in contact with one's fingers... ( poor quality..?) 

I personally don't think we shall see any more of that particular filter... & the price.????? 

I gather the sourcing of enclosures has proven the issue with making more (as per the old website entry). It’s a shame because it, along with the Barbanera, is my go-to filter. There aren’t that many filters out there with as much functionality and, compared to Meatballs and Meatball clones that do have the routing options, the footprint is small.

 

Given that it’s effectively the deluxe version of the Proton, paying more for the Chromatron seems fair. Each person can decide whether it’s worth it for them to pay the retail price. This is basically moot for the moment though as I don’t think there are immediate plans to make more.

 

I’ve had a Chromatron that suffered with letters shedding and had it refinished. It was a shame when the lettering started to come off but it was a good excuse to do something creative.

[Kev]

2 hours ago, admiralchew said:

Given that it’s effectively the deluxe version of the Proton, paying more for the Chromatron seems fair. Each person can decide whether it’s worth it for them to pay the retail price. This is basically moot for the moment though as I don’t think there are immediate plans to make more.

I thought the Proton was a Mutron based circuit, rather than meatball?

[admiralchew]

9 minutes ago, Kev said:

I thought the Proton was a Mutron based circuit, rather than meatball?

Sorry, the reference to the Meatball was to show another pedal with good routing options. I’m not aware that any 3 Leaf pedals have any Meatball DNA.

 

I’ve not played the original Meatball, only the FTelettronica version, but the latter at least has send and return.

Edited November 28, 2023 by admiralchew

[Kev]

5 minutes ago, admiralchew said:

Sorry, the reference to the Meatball was to show another pedal with good routing options. I’m not aware that any 3 Leaf pedals have any Meatball DNA.

 

I’ve not played the original Meatball, only the FTelettronica version, but the latter at least has send and return.

I'm pretty sure the whole Groove Regulator/Wonderlove/Chromatron series is based on the Meatball, but as said above, could be wrong!  

[admiralchew]

29 minutes ago, Kev said:

I'm pretty sure the whole Groove Regulator/Wonderlove/Chromatron series is based on the Meatball, but as said above, could be wrong!  

I’m not sure either. I need to revisit the notes I made when putting together some Instagram narratives (yep, I’m that boring). I think you may be right though as I think Spencer was a fan of the Meatball. I have a feeling there was a Mutron element too. If I can find my notes I’ll put more details up.

 

In the meantime, I’ll leave this here:

 

 

[Quatschmacher]

On 27/11/2023 at 11:54, knicknack said:

I was considering going for one (having ordered then cancelled when this first came out and I waited 9 months for nothing!) but honestly when it came to it I couldn't bring myself to press the button. I think Spencer comes across as quite prickly, especially when the first batches had print problems and he was slow to rectify. The preamp debacle last time around was spectacular... it's his product so he can do what he likes but he does seem to hate his own customers sometimes.  

 

Wish someone else would get a small OC-2 with a SUB solo out on to the market! Cog mini t-47 looked promising but again, good luck getting one!

After some feedback from me and probably others, Tom at Cog changed his model and the option to buy from the last batch was up for several days before hitting the point where he closed orders. Hoping he’ll do that when his mini model launches. 

[Quatschmacher]

1 hour ago, Kev said:

I'm pretty sure the whole Groove Regulator/Wonderlove/Chromatron series is based on the Meatball, but as said above, could be wrong!  

Wonderlove was a Meatball design. Chromatron has Spencer’s own envelope follower circuit which eliminates the warble of the previous iterations. 

[bassist_lewis]

On the one hand I respect the rule of 'charge the maximum people are willing to pay'; who would turn down £30k a month (before expenses, tax etc) to sit and make pedals all day (specially in a country with practically no social care system)? But on the other hand it creates a scarcity that in turn leads to scalpers, vastly inflated prices and lots of disappointed collectors. And I don't think it's entirely of his creation. There are plenty of other pedal builders who aren't so sought after, and like the Klon guy he's just capitalising on a demand for his wares. With stuff like this, you never know how long it's going to last.

Ultimately, there are other pedals and builders out there doing about the same things he is, unless you really care about having that octave only switch (but how annoying is it really to turn it off yourself?). The OC-2 is great, though prices can be equally absurd. The MXR vintage and deluxe octave seem to be evolving into the new standard octavers, probably because they're good and, most importantly, AFFORDABLE.

I have an Octabvre mki and mkiii, and they're my favourite octavers (they're rarely off my boards). I also own a Proton and a Chromatron. The completionist in me wants a Doom 2... and the Octabvre mini.... and another Octabvre mkiii... but do I really need any of them? At this point, what with already owning a bunch of them and how frustrating it is to get one, I've lost interest (but I doubt he'll notice me withdrawing my business). And I feel like this downward trend is happening across the second hand market: there are so many great builders out there making great pedals at affordable prices, and with more people struggling financially, there is a smaller and smaller market for 'Luxury Pedal Brands'.

 

TL;DR buy 'em if you can; there are alternatives; I can't be bothered anymore.

[Sibob]

Does make me wonder how long I should hold on to my 3Leaf Enabler lol….gonna be worth loads in a few years 😂.

 

Si

 

(It’s not for sale, sounds great!)

[bassist_lewis]

Spencer just posted 7+ paragraphs addressing the auctions, scalpers and the pricing. He makes some fair points about the pedal market and the manufacturing industry.

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

16 minutes ago, bassist_lewis said:

Spencer just posted 7+ paragraphs addressing the auctions, scalpers and the pricing. He makes some fair points about the pedal market and the manufacturing industry.

I have to be honest, I can’t be ar$ed to read it.

If he was that bothered, he would put an order process in place.

I guess that would just be a little too much work for $600+ a pedal.

[mouthmw]

On 27/11/2023 at 10:51, Sibob said:

sounds the same as an OC-2/OC-5 or a MXR Vintage Octave (granted with a couple extra little features).......but GAS & Economics & FOMO & stuff.

I have the Octabvre mkiii, and I've tested it against OC2, OC5 and MXR BOD. They don't sound the same. Octabvre mkiii won't get you that classic OC2 hollow tone, even with the tone all the way off and Tim switch engaged (for more lows). Octabvre has more mids and is more pronounced in the mix, sounds fuller, which I love. But it won't do that OC2 thing (which admittedly has a very infectious sound). I'd say MXR got closer to that tone (but not quite there either), and OC5 is almost identical to OC2 in vintage mode. I haven't even noticed latency with OC5 and you get more gain on tap compared to OC2. Once you start upping the tone on Octabvre, it really gets closer to Mutron and even further away from OC2. The gain on tap is fantastic on Octabvre, and you can easily solo the sub with its separate control. I didn't like tracking on MXR, and found Octabvre and OC5 to be pretty close tracking wise, but Octabvre to me remains the best tracking analog octaver. I've tested those pedals with my passive P bass and my 3 band Stingray.

[Bassybert]

14 hours ago, bassist_lewis said:

Spencer just posted 7+ paragraphs addressing the auctions, scalpers and the pricing. He makes some fair points about the pedal market and the manufacturing industry.

Reading that (and I’m not sure why I did to be honest 🤣), it seems to me the modus operandi for all this is to test the ceiling people are prepared to pay for his pedals.
 

Substantial price increases inbound.

 

I really don’t get all the furore around pedal culture. Most of it’s snake oil selling and marketing bull. 

[lee650]

On 27/11/2023 at 17:55, admiralchew said:

I’m not sure to be honest. I seem to recall the Chromatron page stating it was an original design but the page is currently not on the site. The Doom 2 statement was based on not hearing anyone say it’s like anything else and I’ve not come across anything that similar. I would like to try a PWNZOR though, I know that much!

I've had a couple of Pwnzors! Lovely subtle compressor. Very similar in tone to the Diamond.

[lee650]

On 28/11/2023 at 17:06, Kev said:

I'm pretty sure the whole Groove Regulator/Wonderlove/Chromatron series is based on the Meatball, but as said above, could be wrong!  

Correct! They were Meatball based,the proton is mutron based, but wasn't the Meatball based on the mutron too?? 🤪

[ped]

11 minutes ago, lee650 said:

Correct! They were Meatball based,the proton is mutron based, but wasn't the Meatball based on the mutron too?? 🤪

 

Everything's based on the Mutron 😁

[bassist_lewis]

3 hours ago, Bassybert said:

Reading that (and I’m not sure why I did to be honest 🤣), it seems to me the modus operandi for all this is to test the ceiling people are prepared to pay for his pedals.
 

Substantial price increases inbound.

 

I really don’t get all the furore around pedal culture. Most of it’s snake oil selling and marketing bull. 

It the same kind of BS around model trains or whiskey or Star Wars memorabilia or cans of Monster or stamps or Warhammer 40k. People like collecting stuff and the market will decide what it's worth.

I alluded to it in a previous post, but I kinda get him getting as much out of his customers as he can. The US sounds like a pretty hellish place to be anything other than very well off.

He's hardly the only person making great pedals. Celebrity Pedals makes a Taylor Swift themed octave called the Taylor Shift. That's a winner in my book.

[bassist_lewis]

5 hours ago, mouthmw said:

I have the Octabvre mkiii, and I've tested it against OC2, OC5 and MXR BOD. They don't sound the same. Octabvre mkiii won't get you that classic OC2 hollow tone, even with the tone all the way off and Tim switch engaged (for more lows). Octabvre has more mids and is more pronounced in the mix, sounds fuller, which I love. But it won't do that OC2 thing (which admittedly has a very infectious sound). I'd say MXR got closer to that tone (but not quite there either), and OC5 is almost identical to OC2 in vintage mode. I haven't even noticed latency with OC5 and you get more gain on tap compared to OC2. Once you start upping the tone on Octabvre, it really gets closer to Mutron and even further away from OC2. The gain on tap is fantastic on Octabvre, and you can easily solo the sub with its separate control. I didn't like tracking on MXR, and found Octabvre and OC5 to be pretty close tracking wise, but Octabvre to me remains the best tracking analog octaver. I've tested those pedals with my passive P bass and my 3 band Stingray.

To be a pedant, I'd argue the tracking is best on the OG big footprint Octabvre mki 😱