MXR M-288

On test this month is the MXR Bass Octave Deluxe pedal, specifically designed for bassists. Although sub-octave generator pedals may have been conceived with the idea of beefing up six-string guitars, fretless bass players in particular soon caught on to the creative possibilities offered by playing high up the neck and having the lower octave filled in by the pitch-shifted effect. The first compact octave pedals on the market worked quite well, but offered limited scope for fine-tuning their tonality. This latest MXR version offers two independent channels of processing, each with a different tonality, allowing more precision in dialling in anything from ultra-deep to the classic mid-boosted growl.

The sparkled, midnight-blue metal case of the Bass Octave Deluxe houses the all-analogue electronics, and is of the usual compact MXR pedal dimensions. Although mounted directly to the circuit board, the true-bypass metal footswitch is held securely to the casing by nuts and washers. The three main controls are Dry, Growl and Girth, plus a small push-button Mid switch. The Dry knob, obviously, controls the amount of unprocessed signal in the output while the Growl control controls the throaty, mid-boosted octave-below-tone. In addition to this, you then have the Girth knob that brings in a smoother and deeper octave-down tone. The Mid button has an internal adjustable frequency setting of either 850Hz or 400Hz, with a boost from +4dB to +14dB. There is a small blue LED that indicates when this function is activated.

In use the MXR Bass Octave Deluxe works extremely well. The metal box and rubber feet, combined with the metal switch, give a sturdy feel under foot. As usual for MXR, the controls are well thought out and responsive, with Girth supplying a rounded and warm note one octave down from the original note played, with none of the tracking problems sometimes inherent with these effects.

Turning up the Growl control gives the sound a real ‘grunt’ that will cut right through a mix. This can be accentuated via the Mid button, although I did find the factory preset of +10dB at 400Hz a little harsh. This can, of course, be trimmed by removing the base plate and turning the internal pot anticlockwise. Conversely, choosing the 850Hz frequency produces that upper mid sometimes necessary on an effect such as this.

This is an excellent pedal from MXR, with all the controls at hand to produce great bass octave effects. There are only two small niggles from me: first off, I feel the Dry control should work from completely dry to just effect, and this is not the case on this pedal. Secondly, I think it ought to be possible to have the internal trim controls accessible through the bass plate, offering easier adjustment without disassembly.

Overall, though, MXR Bass Octave Deluxe combines classic MXR sound with solid build quality and great usability.  0