Boss OC-5 Polyphonic Guitar/Bass Octave Pedal (2024)

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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, now 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. The OC-5 sports an all-new tracking engine based on some of BOSS's top-tier effects floordboards. 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. If you've been waiting for the next evolution of the BOSS Octave sound, the OC-5 is where it's at.

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)

A new +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 brand-new 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 you 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 55-milliamp current draw, the BOSS OC-5 is able to give 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 Octave Pedal Features:

• The ultimate does-it-all octave pedal effect
• Instrument switch — optimizes the OC-5 for guitar or bass
• Vintage setting — 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
• 55-milliamp draw —can be powered by a 9-volt or standard pedal power supply
• Quality buffered bypass adds reach to your cable runs