DEMO Ocelot

This post contains an audio or video demo

Guardians of the analog

Well-known member
Build Rating
5.00 star(s)
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Welcome back to the my trip down memory lane celebrating the boss thru hole analog catalog. This time I'm looking back at a pedal I used to own and fondly remember, the OC-2 octave, built on the pedalpcb ocelot. With a renewed interest in analog monophonic octaves, this seemed like the perfect time to share this one.

I used to own this in the late 90s/early 00s and sold it in favor of newer octaves like the POG or my trusty whammy. Unlike it's digital counterparts, the oc-2 is more rudimentary and limited in it's scope but that gives it a distinct flavor that digital can't do the same way. The oc-2 has pretty good tracking but not as good as something like the pearl octaver. Unlike some octave pedals, this only has the sub octaves, which I actually prefer because upper octaves are generally more fuzzy and can't do a clean sound unless you do digital. I really like using this with dirt for thick full chord sounds from single note runs. I also like using it in bass with some drive for synthy sounds. The glitchy nature of monophonic octaves can be really cool for certain genres and types of playing that need that but they can be controlled by learning how to play to the effect. For optimal tracking, use the neck pickup, avoid notes south of the 7th fret and stear clear of open strings. One thing I like to do Is use a compressor before the octave to give it a strong, clean note that's focused and precise to lock on to for the best tracking.

The build itself was simple. The board is packed pretty tight so mind those caps when soldering pots. I soldered the direct pot from the backside of the board to avoid burning anything. I didn't have any 2sk30a jfets so I used 2n5952 and did the leg twist. Other than that it was a pretty pedestrian build. Russian germanium diodes from @StompBoxParts. Black matte black enclosure with UV print. Went with a minimalist killmonger graphic for the ocelot. Black and yellow color scheme looks really sharp imo and I'm pretty happy with the end results. Back in December I filmed this dirty clip of the ocelot being used with the promethium in the second half of that clip.

All in all a great pedal that's often overlooked and rarely overshadowed. For a simplistic analog octave in a small form factor and low parts count the ocelot can't be beat.
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Knocked it out of the park! The demo was 🤘 Paying attention to the details it looks like you went with a matte gloss (I could be wrong) It looks amazing against the the matte enclosure!
 
Knocked it out of the park! The demo was 🤘 Paying attention to the details it looks like you went with a matte gloss (I could be wrong) It looks amazing against the the matte enclosure!
Thanks, it's gloss varnish, which is all I ever use. The gloss gives more depth to color imo and since I usually use matte finishes for the box, it gives a nice contrast and helps it pop more.
 
Welcome back to the my trip down memory lane celebrating the boss thru hole analog catalog. This time I'm looking back at a pedal I used to own and fondly remember, the OC-2 octave, built on the pedalpcb ocelot. With a renewed interest in analog monophonic octaves, this seemed like the perfect time to share this one.

I used to own this in the late 90s/early 00s and sold it in favor of newer octaves like the POG or my trusty whammy. Unlike it's digital counterparts, the oc-2 is more rudimentary and limited in it's scope but that gives it a distinct flavor that digital can't do the same way. The oc-2 has pretty good tracking but not as good as something like the pearl octaver. Unlike some octave pedals, this only has the sub octaves, which I actually prefer because upper octaves are generally more fuzzy and can't do a clean sound unless you do digital. I really like using this with dirt for thick full chord sounds from single note runs. I also like using it in bass with some drive for synthy sounds. The glitchy nature of monophonic octaves can be really cool for certain genres and types of playing that need that but they can be controlled by learning how to play to the effect. For optimal tracking, use the neck pickup, avoid notes south of the 7th fret and stear clear of open strings. One thing I like to do Is use a compressor before the octave to give it a strong, clean note that's focused and precise to lock on to for the best tracking.

The build itself was simple. The board is packed pretty tight so mind those caps when soldering pots. I soldered the direct pot from the backside of the board to avoid burning anything. I didn't have any 2sk30a jfets so I used 2n5952 and did the leg twist. Other than that it was a pretty pedestrian build. Russian germanium diodes from @StompBoxParts. Black matte black enclosure with UV print. Went with a minimalist killmonger graphic for the ocelot. Black and yellow color scheme looks really sharp imo and I'm pretty happy with the end results. Back in December I filmed this dirty clip of the ocelot being used with the promethium in the second half of that clip.

All in all a great pedal that's often overlooked and rarely overshadowed. For a simplistic analog octave in a small form factor and low parts count the ocelot can't be beat.
MhujUGH.jpg
7rbkwX8.jpg
lwg7Pv7.jpeg
I think we both like having the status LED in the same place but I love how you hid the wiring. Ima gonna have to totally steal that:)
 
Freakin' awesome!! Cool demo and great graphics!
What knobs are those? Fluted or solid shaft?
Great stuff as usual!
 
Freakin' awesome!! Cool demo and great graphics!
What knobs are those? Fluted or solid shaft?
Great stuff as usual!
Thanks. I was telling @MichaelW that I think the norm is to build a pedal and post it right away and not really play it much and just say it's awesome and it worked. I finished this in December and wanted to get to know every one of these builds really well before making and assessment on it. Even though I owned this pedal prior, I haven't played it in 20 years and Im a different player now than I was then. Anyways, the knobs are solid shaft 16mm non skirted Boss style from tayda. This style knobs has become my favorite.
 
Thanks. I was telling @MichaelW that I think the norm is to build a pedal and post it right away and not really play it much and just say it's awesome and it worked. I finished this in December and wanted to get to know every one of these builds really well before making and assessment on it. Even though I owned this pedal prior, I haven't played it in 20 years and Im a different player now than I was then. Anyways, the knobs are solid shaft 16mm non skirted Boss style from tayda. This style knobs has become my favorite.
Love this approach lately ive been wanting to personalize the pedals a bit more and make proper build reports of them rather than just throwing it out there as soon as im done. The excitement catches the better of me cause i cant wait to share what i just built but i think its much more resourceful being to able to provide a more in depth assessment of the pedal.
 
Yeah I haven't done a demo in awhile. I started thinkin everyone already knows what these builds I'm doing sound like since I am new to this. But really, it's about the sharing.
Thank you for the info on the knobs. I really like those. Do you use spacers/washers when mounting the pots so that the least amount of the shaft is protruding out of the enclosure?
 
Yeah I haven't done a demo in awhile. I started thinkin everyone already knows what these builds I'm doing sound like since I am new to this. But really, it's about the sharing.
Thank you for the info on the knobs. I really like those. Do you use spacers/washers when mounting the pots so that the least amount of the shaft is protruding out of the enclosure?
I say who cares, give an honest opinion on your perspective and experience with it, someone will find it more useful than just showing a picture. As for the knobs, I don't do anything special. I simply tighten the washer and nut all the way down and put the knobs on.
 
Love this approach lately ive been wanting to personalize the pedals a bit more and make proper build reports of them rather than just throwing it out there as soon as im done. The excitement catches the better of me cause i cant wait to share what i just built but i think its much more resourceful being to able to provide a more in depth assessment of the pedal.
I'm gonna keep it 💯 with you...I think most people (here included) are posting for the dopamine rush of getting the like. We have been trained the past 10-15 years thru the online social media experience to post whatever we think will get likes. Somewhere in there the majority of substance was lost in translation and everything got condensed to just imagery, most of which is subjective and only gives the best possible reflection. We lost the ability to stop and enjoy the journey and focus only on the destination.

I decided when I started this current run of pedals last October that I was going to focus on details, be more articulate and critical in my assessments. I think the online element of most people's lives has become directly connected to their identity and self worth, and the only way to feel relevant or get that dopamine is to have show and tell for other people's approval. Enjoy the build my guy and do the best you can, in the end your approval and assessment is the only one that matters.
 
I'm gonna keep it 💯 with you...I think most people (here included) are posting for the dopamine rush of getting the like. We have been trained the past 10-15 years thru the online social media experience to post whatever we think will get likes. Somewhere in there the majority of substance was lost in translation and everything got condensed to just imagery, most of which is subjective and only gives the best possible reflection. We lost the ability to stop and enjoy the journey and focus only on the destination.

I decided when I started this current run of pedals last October that I was going to focus on details, be more articulate and critical in my assessments. I think the online element of most people's lives has become directly connected to their identity and self worth, and the only way to feel relevant or get that dopamine is to have show and tell for other people's approval. Enjoy the build my guy and do the best you can, in the end your approval and assessment is the only one that matters.
Thanks for the words, I appreciate the openness!
 
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