MXR M288 Bass Octave Deluxe Effects Pedal 

Comments about MXR M288 Bass Octave Deluxe Effects Pedal:

It was misrepresented by order-taker. I specifically wanted the effect to simply drop the played note an octave, not also add that lower note to the played note. I'm sure she just didn't know the effect's limitations.

Comments about MXR M288 Bass Octave Deluxe Effects Pedal:

In my opinion the best "Bang For Your Buck" Bass Octave Pedal on the market today - it's quite amazing the variety of tones you can get out of it from only 3 controls and 1 switch. Whether you're looking to enter the world of Bass Octave pedals or upgrade to a quality unit for a very reasonable price, I'd highly recommend the MXR M288 Bas Octave Pedal.
MXR has certainly been on a roll with their recent Bass Effects Pedals: the M87 Bass Compressor, M82 Bass Envelope Filter, and now their M288 Bass Octave Deluxe Pedal. For a very reasonably-priced pedal it's packed with Features and "tweakability" - between combination of tones one can get by mixing the Dual Voices of the "Growl" (the throaty, midrangey Octave Below that's often heard in the tone of well-made & played Fretless Basses... aka "The Mwah") and the "Girth" (more of the traditional full-bodied deep & smooth tone of Octave Pedals) and from a very natural subharmonic tone to one with a synth edge that can allow the user to come strikingly close to SynthBass tones (especially with an Envelope Filter added in addition). One of the best features that's seen more and more on Bass-specific effects is the "Dry" wet-to-dry mix control, which allows the player to add as much or as little Effect to their "base" tone as they please and not simply be overwhelmed by the Effect Tone as was the case with older pedals. Add to that the "Mid+" Switch with allows the Player to add up to 14db of boost at either 400Hz for low-mid punch or 850Hz for high-midrange "Jump Out Of The Mix" tone via an adjustable internal trimpot: I have mine set for a moderate 8db boost @ 400Hz which works especially well for pushing the low-midrange growl of my 5-string Spector Euro Bolt-On fretless to the forefront, and because I have a separate Boost Pedal set for the high-midrange area, but MXR chose both frequencies with careful deliberation as both are extremely useful. Indeed, if there's any "fault" it's that both "Mid+" frequencies can't be altered on-the-fly but given the very reasonable pricepoint this pedal sells for the addition of that feature might well push it above that point.
Housed in a sturdy-yet-lightweight Aluminum case yet a "Small Footprint" pedal of only 5.8" x 2.5" x 2.8" (the size of a Phase 90), this pedal is made from Quality components. The feel of the footswitch is a satisfying "click" yet doesn't take took much or too little force to activate, the Knobs turn with a steady change in parameters that doesn't rush up at either the beginning or end, and even the small "Mix+" plastic button is placed in an upper corner where it can't be accidently activated or damaged by live use. Even the "Metallic Blue Sparkle" Finish works well, especially when also using MXR's Envelope Filter in "Metallic Purple Sparkle" and The only reason this isn't a "10" rating is that the entire bottom must be removed with 4 screws to change the 9V battery, but as most of the "Effects Players" I know used multi-tap Power Feeds for their Pedalboards (myself included... a Pedal Power 2+ and DC-Brick combination for my largish 'board) I can't imagine this would be a problem for many users.
I tried a great many Octave Pedals before choosing the MXR , and even "High-End" models were only a slight improvement and not worth the money for my needs. Most of those were pedals that had both "Octave Down" & "Octave Up" functions, and since I already own an Electro-Harmonix MicroPOG that can do so but typically leave it set for Octave Up effects for my electronic version of 8/10/12-string Octave Basses and was looking for an "Octave Down" pedal with some unique tonal aspects to it (the E-H is very "Digital" in that aspects and doesn't work for the funk sounds Octave Pedals are famous for) no other pedal sounded as good to my ears through my Basses & Rig than the MXR. Sure you can get cheaper, but they're just as likely to SOUND CHEAP, whereas the M288 sounds more expensive than it actually is. I'm also honestly interested in the reviews than have reported glitching and a lack of range from the pedal - I've found it tracks very well on the E-string, and can handle double-stops quite easily without confusing the two notes and glitching. This might be a factor of Passive vs Active Basses: all my Basses have Active Preamps and output strong signals to the pedal, whereas Passive Basses may not have enough gain to "drive" the pedal without an external preamp, Booster pedal or other methods of increasing gain.

Comments about MXR M288 Bass Octave Deluxe Effects Pedal:

This is A great sounding well built pedal.I only use it as an enhancement in certain songs.I had to play with it A while and I only use A very small amount of effect,but its perfect for what I use it for.I would recomend it to anyone who wants A subtle but effective octave effect.

Comments about MXR M288 Bass Octave Deluxe Effects Pedal:

I'm not sure if I got a lemon, but after reading another review here on MusiciansFriend, it's becoming apparent that this effect is useless. It doesn't track my playing on every note. Not even halfway up the neck, it starts glitching and produces nasty fart artifacts. I wasted my money. I'll probably return it.

Comments about MXR M288 Bass Octave Deluxe Effects Pedal:

Let me start off by saying that this is a great pedal but not for all types of music. I play a lot of melodic riffs that register pretty high in the scales sometimes and when that happens, the actual bass in the song is generally lost. For me this pedal is perfect. Keeps the lows in check while I play around the 12th fret. I play usually in a half-step down and when I hit the open E (actually Eb or D#,whatever) this thing tracks it, not for very long, but it does, probably around 2 seconds. I would look up demo's of this pedal before you jump right into it all. Only thing that I can say negative about this pedal is the screws that hold the bottom plate on. I'm pretty sure a Nascar pit crew screwed these things on with an impact gun. But other than that, this is a great pedal, you can get a lot of tones out of this pedal. Just do some research.

Comments about MXR M288 Bass Octave Deluxe Effects Pedal:

I pedal out there, i love itlove the way this sounds, i only wish i played more songs that i could incorporate this great pedal into. The growl and Girth get you outstanding tones, and the mid boost really makes a huge difference on stage. other than sounding great, the tracking is fantastic! this is the best octave .

Comments about MXR M288 Bass Octave Deluxe Effects Pedal:

This pedal works great. It tracks better than any octave pedal I have heard. I made my decision to buy it after watching a youtube demonstration which I recommend watching. It tracks better than EBS and is less money. I couldn't find a better octave pedal and believe me I looked. Watch the video and go buy it.

Comments about MXR M288 Bass Octave Deluxe Effects Pedal:

I was given this pedal for christmas after hearing wonderful things about it. After playing for no more then a half an hour the tracking on this pedal just quit. I have heard of quality issues with dunlop products, my guitar player friend had problems with a crybaby after only a few days. I will never buy another dunlop effect again.

Comments about MXR M288 Bass Octave Deluxe Effects Pedal:

I'm sorry... I am so disapointed in this pedal... After reading so many positive reviews, from reliable sources, Bass Player Magazine for one, my girlfriend got me one for Christmas, and I find it absolutely usless. I have to hide my disapointment from her... Ok, heres the deal... the "effect" line, or the "track" that is produced by the effect is awful... it sounds distorted and decays within a second or so, and leaves the dry signal alone, so you get what sounds like someone blowing a rasberry along with your bass melody... awful, but that's not the worst part. What nobody is telling you is that this is AT BEST a four string bass effect. I hit the "E" note on the low "B" on my five string and nearly LAUNCHED the speaker in my Markbass amp. That was at low volume, and I hadn't even attempted anything lower than that. In order for an effect to function this poorly, I thought it HAD to be a bad battery... it wasn't. Sorry... I thought this effect would add color to my playing, as I play fretless. At no time does it add anything desirable at all. On a positive note, it IS a pretty pedal, I'd like to paint my Harley the same color.

Comments about MXR M288 Bass Octave Deluxe Effects Pedal:

This pedal is amazing for an analog octaver. It tracks incredibly well(all the way to F on bass) and boasts a wide away of amazingly usable tones that can add a synthy layer to a song or simply fill out a bands sound. The mid switch is also great and can really cut through any loud band. That said, what would make this pedal absolutely perfect would be the inclusion of an octave up setting like the POG. However, for what it does have it does it better than any other octaver I`ve ever experienced. Don`t skip over this pedal!