Looking for smallest/easiest clean octave down

[Esppse]

Hey guys,

Do you know what the smallest Vero layout for a clean octave down circuit would be? Like an OC2, or octave multiplexer. But much simpler, Im putting 4 circuits in one box and underestimated the size requirements

Thanks

[Marcos - Munky]

The words "clean" and "smallest/easiest" doesn't go along with the word "octave". The smaller one I found - and great sounding, by the way - is the 8 Bitar by Parasit Studio. I got it to track even the open E string. But is way far from a clean sound

[Mark Hammer]

The reason why "clean octave-down" is an oxymoron is because it is normally produced using a flip-flop circuit of some type.  If the octave is derived directly from the flip-flop, it will be a square wave, and require lots of filtering to not sound like a fuzz.  Some designs, like the Boss OC-2 and others, use the flip flop to essentially gate the clean input signal at half the frequency of the input note.  That doesn't sound quite as harsh, but doesn't sound completely clean, either, and requires a more complex circuit.

Another aspect of why they tend not to sound clean is that tracking notes, and triggering the flip-flop, can often be unstable.  Tracking is generally optimal when there is minimal harmonic content in the note, and the pitch is stable.  That's why one generally hears the recommendation to play above the 7th fret, using the neck pickup, with the guitar tone knob rolled off.  Unless it is a flawless analog unit, or a digital unit, disregarding the optimal conditions will get you glitchy performance that simply doesn't sound or feel clean.  In a perfect world, we would only use octave-down units with heavy gauge flat-wound strings that don't let us bend any notes and have little harmonic content.

[Esppse]

Ah OK thanks guys, I think I found the perfect one though. The parasites U-235 suboctave generator seems to be similar to an OC2, it's half clean heh. I also built an 8 bitar before, that's pretty dirty, like a Blue box. I'm going for a bass guitar sounding tone from a standard 6 string.

[idiot savant]

I'd recommend this one, it's quite good.

http://www.valvewizard.co.uk/uboat.html

[Esppse]

Ah that one is very cool, very similar to the U 235 as well I think? But that one can get dirtier

[roseblood11]

Have a look at the suboctave circuit of the early version of the Ashdown EBM series bass amplifiers.