Trying the Sub n Up

[ch willie]

I'm going to try the Sub n Up pedal. Review to follow.

[ch willie]

It was a dog. I've read great things about it, so maybe I got a dud?

Latency issues. Sounded synthetic. Sucked tone completely. I disliked it like no other pedal I've ever bought. It's going back to Sweetwater.

[DanTheBluesMan]

I bought an octave pedal years ago and frankly thought it was an empty box. Granted it was long before anything digital was being put in them.

[ch willie]

I bought an octave pedal years ago and frankly thought it was an empty box. Granted it was long before anything digital was being put in them.

I like to layer and layer octaves up and down for certain effects when recording. Just another toy in the playroom. I'm sending back the SubnUp and getting an Electro-Harmonix Pitch Fork. If it's a dog, it'll go back too.

[Offshore Angler]

Willie,

I use sub-octave for some songs and after several years of doing it here's what works for me:

• it needs to be mixed in to where it's just noticeable/perceptible
• Works great out of my rack to FOH but if you put it in a chain into a combo amp - don't bother. The sub octave takes a lot more power to push than the regular octave. You need the power amps and the big cabs to make it "happen".
• When recording, it helps to use your equalizer to push the bands your sub is in.

That said, when used - juduciously - it's a fun tool to put a bone-shaking bottom on you leads when appropriate. I love it for ACDC or Aerosmith songs. Also use it on Duke Jupiter stuff. The bottom rattle on the "I'll Drink to You" guitar hook is almost sublime.

Chuck

[ch willie]

I'm totally serious: I had thought consciously, "I wonder if Chuck uses octave pedals." I figured you were more likely to use a software patch through a modeling amp. Thanks for the advice here. I'm not too worried about the bottom octaves. I can always take care of that post-recording.

[Offshore Angler]

I'm totally serious: I had thought consciously, "I wonder if Chuck uses octave pedals." I figured you were more likely to use a software patch through a modeling amp. Thanks for the advice here. I'm not too worried about the bottom octaves. I can always take care of that post-recording.

Couple things Willie:

Yes, I use a Fractal and PODxt Pro a lot, live and in-studio. Almost the entirety of my recording is direct-in, sometimes only the dry signal is recorded so I can re-amp it later if required. It's a lot easier/faster to re-amp and re-effect than to re-record. The consistency (for me) outweighs any "tube amp required" thought bias and the biggest thing is you don't spend hours of wasted time trying to get the mic placement correct - which is a big part of how it sounds recorded or out front - and you have ZERO bleed over from other instruments or room echo. The net sum is it sounds better out front, forget the fact that I can pull up just about any amp you'd ever want with a few taps of the buttons. Very versatile for a cover band guitarist.

I also have smart harmonies available as well as the octaves. With good gear there isn't any perceptible latency.

Now for a guy looking for a pedal to octave up, the gold standard is the Octavia. Everyone form Hendrix (listen to Purple Haze) to Joe Bonamassa has recorded with them, and everyone who rocks out leads needs one.

IMHO

Chuck