Roland Corporation OC-3 Owner's Manual

Owner’s Manual

Main Features

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World’s first octave pedal equipped with a “polyphonic octave”
function capable of polyphonic input, freeing guitarists from the
limitations of performing with monophonic input.

Features OC-2 mode for compatibility with that widely popular oc-

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tave pedal. In addition to single octave capabilities, this unit also al­lows you to blend in sounds two octaves below the original sound.

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Includes a “Drive mode” for creating wild octave effects in addi­tion to adding distortion to sounds.

Equipped with a BASS IN jack for octave effects especially suited

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DCAC

AC & BATTERY

POWERED

FET

for basses. Plug into the BASS IN jack, and the OC-3’s internal pro­cessing switches to the optimal conditions for use with basses.

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“DIRECT OUT” enables separate output of the direct and octave sounds.

Thank you, and congratulations on your choice of BOSS OC-3 SUPER Octave.

Before using this unit, carefully read the sections entitled: “USING THE UNIT SAFELY” and
“IMPORTANT NOTES” (separate sheet). These sections provide important information con­cerning the proper operation of the unit.

Additionally, in order to feel assured that you have gained a good grasp of every feature pro­vided by your new unit, this manual should be read in its entirety. The manual should be
saved and kept on hand as a convenient reference.

A battery is supplied with the unit. The life of this battery may be limited, however, since
its primary purpose was to enable testing.

Copyright © 2003 BOSS CORPORATION
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the
written permission of BOSS CORPORATION.

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Notes Concerning Use of the OC-3

Please observe the following points to enjoy stable operation of the OC-3.

❍

Except when set to POLY mode (p. 7), the OC-3
is a monophonic-input effects processor. Take
care not to play chords with monophonic input.
In addition, if playing a note while another note
is currently being played, be sure to completely
mute the previous note before playing the sub­sequent note.

❍

Connect the OC-3 directly to the guitar or bass
output.
Furthermore, simultaneously using a compres­sor or limiter with the OC-3 provides even more
stable performance. In such setups, connect the
OC-3 to the output of the compressor or limiter.

❍

Turn down the guitar or bass tone when playing
in the lower registers or if the OC-3 is output­ting sounds incorrectly.

Switching to the guitar or bass’s front pickup

❍

(the pickup closest to the instrument’s neck) is
recommended for performances using the OC-3.
Additionally, humbucking pickups provide
more stable operation than single-coil pickups.

❍

When the OC-3 is used in POLY mode (p. 7), the
volume of the octave sound starts to drop above
the 5th fret of the 1st string when used with gui­tars (when connected to GUITAR IN), and
above the 14th fret of the 1st string when used
with basses (when connected to BASS IN). We
recommend using OCT2 mode (p. 7) if such
high registers are to be used extensively.

❍

Using the OC-3 in POLY mode (p. 7) provides a
more stable octave sound than in other modes.

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Panel Descriptions

fig.01

1

2

3

4

1. AC Adaptor Jack

Accepts connection of an AC Adaptor (op­tionally available BOSS PSA-Series). By us­ing an AC Adaptor, you can play without
being concerned about how much battery
power you have left.

* As soon as you connect the AC adaptor, the unit is

turned on.

* If there are batteries in the unit while an AC

adaptor is being used, normal operation will

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continue should the line voltage be interrupted
(power blackout or power cord disconnection).

* Use only the specified AC adaptor (PSA-Series).

2. CHECK Indicator

This indicator shows whether an effect is

5

ON/OFF, and also doubles as the Battery
Check indicator. The indicator lights when
an effect is ON.

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Panel Descriptions

* If this indicator goes dim or no longer lights while

an effect is ON, the battery is near exhaustion and
should be replaced immediately. For instructions on
changing the battery, refer to “Changing the
Battery” (p. 12).

* The CHECK indicator shows whether the effect is

being applied or not. It does not indicate whether
the power to the device is on or not.

3. DIRECT OUT Jack, OUTPUT (MONO) Jack

The output jacks are used to connect the unit
to an amplifier or another effects unit.

* Output may vary according to the connections.

Refer to “Outputting the Direct Sound and Octave
Sound Separately” (p. 11).

4. GUITAR IN Jack, BASS IN Jack

These jacks accept input signals (coming
from a guitar, a bass, some other musical in­strument, or another effects unit).

* The unit’s functions differ according to how it is

connected. Refer to “Connections” (p. 8).

* When running the unit on battery power, the

GUITAR IN and BASS IN jacks double as power
switches. Power to the unit is turned on when you
plug into the GUITAR IN or BASS IN jack; the
power is turned off when the cable is unplugged. Be
sure to disconnect any cord plugged into the GUITAR
IN or BASS IN jack when not using this effects
device. When the AC adaptor is used, the power
remains on at all times, and this function is disabled.

5. Pedal Switch

Used for switching effects on/off.

6. Thumbscrew

When this screw is loosened, the pedal will
open, allowing you to change the battery.

* For instructions on changing the battery, refer to

“Changing the Battery” (p. 12).

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Panel Descriptions

fig.02

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7. DIRECT LEVEL Knob

8 9 107

This adjusts the volume of the direct sound.
Turn the knob to the right (clockwise) to in­crease the direct sound.
This adjusts the total volume level when the
MODE knob (10.) is set to DRIVE.

8. OCT1 LEVEL (-1 octave level) Knob

This adjusts the level of the sound one octave
below the original. The volume of the sound
one octave down increases as the knob is
turned to the right.