The Ashdown Engineering Octa Dose is an octave pedal for bass: it generates a note one octave below what you play and blends it with your clean signal. Ashdown describes the range as making it easy to dial in anything from subtle thickening undertones to full on sub synth bass1. It belongs to the wider family of octave and pitch pedals and is aimed squarely at bass players.
Where it comes from
The circuit is not new from the ground up. Ashdown describes the Octa Dose as expanding on the company's tried and tested sub harmonizer, originally included in the ABM range of bass amplifiers, which delivers an octave lower than the note played1. The pedal carries that idea into a stompbox format.
The Octa Dose is part of the Dr. Green range. Ashdown describes it as coming "Straight from Dr Greens surgery in conjunction with Ashdown Engineering", placing the pedal alongside the other Dr. Green bass effects made by Ashdown Engineering1.
Controls
The layout is deliberately simple, with two knobs covering the blend between your clean tone and the sub-octave1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Direct | Controls the amount of clean bass signal1 |
| Octave | Adjusts the amount of low-octave signal1 |
With both knobs you set the balance yourself: more Direct keeps your fundamental tone forward with the octave underneath, while more Octave pushes the low-octave sound toward the front of the mix1.
Build and warranty
Ashdown says the pedal is housed in a custom designed steel casing that will stand up to being stomped on night after night1. All Ashdown products purchased include a 5 year warranty1.
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Questions
Is the Ashdown Octa Dose true bypass?
Yes. Ashdown says the pedal features true bypass switching, so when it is off your bass signal passes through without the octave circuit in the way. That matters on a bass rig, where keeping the clean low end intact when the effect is disengaged is often the priority.
Is the Octa Dose made for bass only?
Ashdown markets it as an octave pedal for bass, and its lineage backs that up: it expands on the sub harmonizer circuit the company originally built into its ABM range of bass amplifiers. Guitarists can use octave pedals too, but this one is designed and described around bass frequencies.
What do the Direct and Octave knobs do?
The Direct knob controls the amount of clean bass signal, and the Octave knob adjusts the amount of low-octave signal. Between the two you can blend anything from a touch of added thickness under your normal tone to a dominant sub-octave sound.
How long is the Ashdown warranty?
Ashdown says all Ashdown products purchased include a 5 year warranty, and that covers the Octa Dose along with the rest of the company's range.
Where is the Octa Dose made?
The Octa Dose is part of Ashdown's Dr. Green range of bass effects pedals, which Ashdown announced in 2012 as a line of five hand-made pedals made in the UK.
Sources (1)
- Octa Dose, Ashdown Engineering
