The Ultimate All-in-one Octave Pedal
Octave pedals of the past 10 years have presented guitar and bass players with a tough decision: Are you searching for that classic OC-2-style octave effect — the sound most of us guitar and bass players associate with the octave pedal — to add weight to your leads and walking lines? Or do you want modern tracking and polyphonic capabilities to help flesh out chords in a solo setting? Well, with the BOSS OC-5 Octave pedal, you don't have to choose. Whether it's thunderous mono sub-bass or strum-enriching root enhancement you're after, the OC-5 has you covered. It sports a tracking engine based on BOSS's top-tier effects floorboards. The result is one of the smoothest, lowest-latency octave effects you'll ever experience. In addition to the classic -1 and -2 octave controls, the OC-5 gives you a +1 octave dial for achieving faux 12-string textures and screaming classic lead lines. A dedicated instrument switch tailors the OC-5's tracking for either electric/acoustic guitar or bass, while a parallel Direct Out dry path preserves your input signal for running into a dedicated amp or PA. The OC-5 is the next evolution of the BOSS Octave sound.
Related Videos: OC-5 Polyphonic Guitar/Bass Octave Pedal
Vintage mode: the classic BOSS octave effect
Ever since its 1982 debut, BOSS's OC-2 Octave effect has left an indelible mark on the guitar and bass market. The great news is that the BOSS OC-5 delivers the classic OC-2 mono sound in a big way and better than ever, thanks to its improved tracking engine. Dedicated controls for your dry tone and each of the two octaves down help achieve synth-like sub-bass and tight octave lead crawls without any fuss.
Poly mode: give your bassist the night off
The BOSS OC-5 picks up where the OC-3 left off, with a smart polyphonic sub tracker that's able to flesh out power chords, open chords, and barre chords with bass-like root notes. It's the last piece of the puzzle for the solo acoustic performer. The OC-5 gives you a Range knob to help restrict octaves to exactly where you want them.
Octave-up effect (either mode)
The +1 Oct control on your BOSS OC-5 Octave pedal unlocks 12-string textures and classic fuzz solo tones. Best of all, this control can be used with either Vintage or Polyphonic mode's -1 Oct and -2 Oct controls for a thick, impenetrable tone.
Flawless tracking
The BOSS OC-5 Octave pedal's tracking engine promises low latency, high expression, and zero dropped notes. And whether you're running it in mono or poly modes, this means better performance across the board, even for vintage octave enthusiasts.
Guitar/Bass switch
A dedicated switch on the side of your OC-5 lets you tailor this octaver's tracking response for guitar or bass. So for the price of one pedal, you're effectively getting two powerful octave effects that you can transplant onto any live pedal rig.
Isolated direct output
Whether you're running a wet/dry amp rig or want to send a clean bass signal to front of house, the BOSS OC-5 has you covered. Its Direct Out retains all the character of your dry instrument tone, which means endless possibilities onstage or in the studio.
Battery or wall powered
With a modest 55mA current draw, the BOSS OC-5 gives you around seven hours of run time off a single 9-volt battery. This makes it a great option for players who love the sound of alkaline or carbon-zinc. For modern pedalboards, a standard center-negative wall supply works just fine. Searching for the ultimate does-it-all guitar/bass octave pedal? Sweetwater recommends giving the BOSS OC-5 Octave a spin.
BOSS OC-5 Features:
- The ultimate does-it-all octave pedal
- Instrument switch optimizes the OC-5 for guitar or bass
- Vintage setting is a spot-on re-creation of the classic BOSS OC-2 mono octaver
- Poly setting adds bass notes to power chords and open chords, which can be reined in using the Range control
- Octave-up control unlocks 12-string textures and classic rock screaming leads
- Direct Out runs a parallel dry signal to a stage amp or front of house
- Enhanced tracking engine produces ultra-low-latency note tracking
- 55mA draw; can be powered by a 9V or standard pedal power supply
- Quality buffered bypass adds reach to your cable runs
