Boss - OC-2 Octaver  [schematic]

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Stompmodder
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Post by Stompmodder »

I've found this schematic on the net. I never be a big fan of boss octavers but i ask if is possible to mod this circuit to improve tracking on bass guitar.
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OC_2_chopped.gif

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Silent Fly
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Post by Silent Fly »

Stompmodder wrote:I've found this schematic on the net. I never be a big fan of boss octavers but i ask if is possible to mod this circuit to improve tracking on bass guitar.
I am working on this very issue but I have a problem and I was wondering if anybody can give me a hand.

I have this schematics + PCB:
http://www.godiksennet.com/images/sch/B ... Oktave.jpg
but my unit doesn't match this PCB and schematics (e.g. ICs are different). Does anybody have another version of the schematics/PCB?

Regarding the tracking of the OC-2 with bass guitar, I noticed that if I change C5 the tracking changes (not unexpectedly). Removing C5 makes no difference. Increasing C5 makes the tracking worse.

I don’t see any high-pass filter in the octave generation path… :scratch:
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Silent Fly
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Post by Silent Fly »

Nobody interested to have a look at the schematics and suggest some improvement for bass guitar tracking?
http://www.godiksennet.com/images/sch/B ... Oktave.jpg
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Post by IggY »

Stompmodder wrote:I've found this schematic on the net. I never be a big fan of boss octavers but i ask if is possible to mod this circuit to improve tracking on bass guitar.
the man that drew the diagram could help you here?
https://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/ ... ic=58609.0

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Post by Silent Fly »

IggY wrote:
Stompmodder wrote:I've found this schematic on the net. I never be a big fan of boss octavers but i ask if is possible to mod this circuit to improve tracking on bass guitar.
the man that drew the diagram could help you here?
https://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/ ... ic=58609.0
Thanks for the link IggY.

In the meantime I run the octave generator circuit (from R8 to the exit of the 4013) in a software simulator and it can track town to 5Hz.

It must be something else that stops the octaver tracking below a much higher frequency... :scratch:
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Post by Bernardduur »

Hey all!

I know the OC-2 was meant to only do 1 and 2 octaves down...... but I wondered; could it be modded to also add an octave up? Would love to add that to my main sound!

Thanks!
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Post by Silent Fly »

Bernardduur wrote:Hey all!

I know the OC-2 was meant to only do 1 and 2 octaves down...... but I wondered; could it be modded to also add an octave up? Would love to add that to my main sound!

Thanks!
From my understanding of how the circuit works, it isn't possible without any major change. Having said that, I am sure that someone will come up with some clever idea :)
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Post by puppiesonacid »

looks like someone already has come up with a clever idea.... would love to rip this one apart...


https://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-MI-Audio-Polly ... dZViewItem

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Post by chromedoutgrillz »

Check the Pearl Octaver Schematic,it has an octave up section in it,should be easy to splice onto the Boss (although if you're keeping it in the original box,I can imagine it being a tight squeeze)


Image

http://gaussmarkov.net/wordpress/circuits/octaver-clone

Also worthy of mention would be the circuits at Time Escobedo's site,maybe the Rambler or Digital Octave Fuzz...


http://www.geocities.com/tpe123/folkurb ... ppets.html
I tried the rambler at one time and it didn't sound too bad,could probably do with some filtering at the end though,as it was quite piercing in tone,IIRC

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Post by Brainbender »

Hello to everyone! :)
I found some guts photos of the MIJ Boss OC-2 Ocrave (not Octaver), so here they are:
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hewie
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Post by hewie »

Here's a verified layout for the vero folks. Verified by me.
bossoc2chopped.gif

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Post by hbo »

I'd like to contribute with another vero layout. This one is also without the input buffer, but retains both octaves. I just finished building this and it works great.

Image

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Post by Didi&Stulle »

Dear gentlemen,

a couple of weeks ago I built a Boss OC-2 which since then I'm trying to bring to life, but this very project seems to be suicidal or something :scratch: :? ... it won't just work and sound proper. I'm really desperate and ask for your help.

I built it after Harald Sabros great vero layout:

http://www.sabrotone.com/wp-content/upl ... verOC2.gif

That's the link to the schematic:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2612&p=141023&hilit ... +2#p141023

These are thy symptoms:

When activated I'm getting a signal. All pots seem to work and alter the sound but it isn't distorted/fuzzy at all and it is quite muddy. I quadrupel-checked everything, the cuts, the correct values, the wiring. It seems to be okay. I also audio probed it several times but can't make out the spot where the distortion gets lost but I guess this his happening somewhere around IC3 to IC5, can't locate it more precisely.

Measured the voltage and compared it to the ones Harald posted. The only variations I got are at:

IC1: #3 (2,24V), #5 (2,48V), #12 (4,49V)
IC2: #4 (0,01V), #5 (2,84V)
IC3: #8 (7,57V)
IC4: #2 (8,37V), #5 (8,37V), #10 (8,17V), #12 (8,69V)
IC5: #3 (8,37V)

Any help is highly appreciated. I'm really desperate with this build.

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Post by Didi&Stulle »

bumpidy

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Post by Didi&Stulle »

bump bump!

No one?
PLEAZE!

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Post by jorgezorro »

Do you have the schematic that matches your Vero layout? (You have a link to the Chopped schematic, which doesn't have an IC5).

Otherwise, it might be worth probing again. Try probing the input at each op amp and again at the output.

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Post by Dirk_Hendrik »

Sorry for my possible ignorance but where do you expect to get distortion in an OC2? That's the octaver isn't it? By my best knowledge and experience it's not supposed to produce a distorted signal. :scratch:
Sorry. Plain out of planes.

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Post by Bernardduur »

Just got a new unit in; turns out that the BA634 was replaced by a second 14013
OC-2 new.JPG
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Post by Effectsiation »

Bernardduur wrote:Just got a new unit in; turns out that the BA634 was replaced by a second 14013
OC-2 new.JPG

Is the tracking better on this new unit?


I'd still like to build a Foxrox Octron one day, but no one ever finished tracing it to the best of my knowledge, writing it off as an OC-2 clone. I wish that we could just document all the changes anyway for a proper vero build of that.

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Post by skrogh »

The first schematic posted isn't of the Boss OC-2, but a modded "chopped version"

Forewords:
Before diving into OC-2 modding it is important to know, that three different versions exist: The old Japanese, the old Taiwanese and the "new" Taiwanese.
The old Jap. and Tai are identical, while the newer Tai has some different ICs, a different PCB and a different power-section.
-The different IC's should not make a difference. (There is some hype about Jap's sounding better, tracking better and being full of magic. I don't buy it.)
-The different PCB made production cheaper and accords for the changed ICs.
-The different power-section allows the newer Tai to operate on a 9v regulated supply, whereas the old ones required a, I think it was, 9.6v non regulated.

The easiest way to spot the difference is to locate the psu jack. If its PCB mounted, it's the new, if not, its the old.

Schematics only exist (to my knowledge) of the old one. http://www.hobby-hour.com/electronics/s/oc2-octave.php Both schematic and PCB of the old is listed here.

On Improving tracking on bass:

Technique
First of all it is very important to notice, that technique and string age plays a big role in OC-2 tracking.
With my old strings and good technique, I get good tracking down to G. And can get it to hold the low E for just a moment.
Play with your right hand (left for lefties) fingers close to the neck.
Play up the neck, avoid open strings and frets close to the nut.
Mute ALL other strings, than the one you are playing. Especially when playing close to the 12'th fret, make sure to mute the strings properly. If more than one string rings out, the OC-2 will have a very hard time, guessing what you are playing. Remember it's monophonic.

Dead spots
Around ~5-9 fret on the G string the OC-2 will always (on most basses) sound like crap. This is due to the deadspot. Deal with it, and play those notes on another string.

"Not tracking" or "sounding like shit"
Many people confuse "not traking" and "sounding like shit". When I said I get good tracking down to G, that was true. BUT it sounds like shit, when playing down there. "not tracking" sounds like either noise or an appegiator on acid (or simply an unoctaved note), "sounding like skit" sounds like a broken car, or something flapping.
Octaving a note at 55Hz(low A) will produce a note of 22.5 Hz - that's very close to what is inaudible.

Don't overdirve it
The OC-2 doesn't have a lot of headroom, I can easily overdrive it with my active bass. If it distorts (especially on the E sting), turn down the volume of your bass.

Improving tracking electronically
If after perfecting your technique, you still find the tracking of the OC-2 lacing, well it is meant for guitar. Tuning some of the filters might produce a better result.
Double C21, C5 and C4. This limits treble to the tracker.
Double or tripple C22 and C23. These are the most important c
aps to fiddle with. I personally haven't changed the ones in mine, but have simulated it and it seemed to work.


All information is obtained through own experimentation, and is by no means a complete answer, but a poke in the right direction.
Happy modding!

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