HOG2 Harmonic Octave Generator Pedal Review

EHX HOG 2

I yet have to explore the HOG'S possibilities. It has fulfilled my dream of being an organist playing Bach's music. In my pedal board the signal chain is MXR compressor + HOG2 + Hush micro + EHX Key 9. The HOG2 fits perfectly well in my synth pedal setup.

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Excellent Effects

I have dozens of effects processors, pedals, etc. and I can only say: If I'd known earlier what this thing does, I would have bought it much sooner. First, it comes with a "next step" style CV / exp pedal. Very different from traditional pedals but it has a fantastic unique action. Remember on HOG2 that expression pedal can do any of the following: *Bend / whammy (whole… read more step or octave) *Volume *Sustain / gliss *Wah / filter And all these effects are top notch-- the wah & filter hold their own against the MF-101, Sonuus Wahoo and Cry Babies. Considering it also has sync and editability via midi (so cool to send LFOs to the different harmonics), it's a full-on studio tool. Sounds great on synths and percussion as well as the obvious guitar and bass uses. Getting up the guts to try it on vox. . . ;-) Seriously great piece of gear-- get it.

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Unique and versatile pedal

The range of harmonics that this pedal can generate is impressive. The ability to add the UN effected guitar into the mix adds a lot of possibility. The expression pedal included is something in its own right. Very sensative and adjustable. Although it is hard to keep in one spot as its not a hinged rocker like normal expression pedals. Instead its essentially a rockable brick that… read more effects parameters via orientation sensors buoy into it. Pretty cool minus the sliding around. The plethora of different modulations the exp. Pedal can manipulate really create a lot of possibilities. Construction is nothing amazing. In my experience nobody builds heavy duty stuff anymore outside of Moog music.

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Awesome

Amazing pedal. Compared to the Micro Pog and Pog 2, the attack is much smoother, and it blends super nicely.

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Buy it before you buy anything else

The first day I spent messing around with the HOG2 was greeted with disappointment. I was completely unable to find any settings that seemed interesting. I got more familiar with it the second day, and things took a far more positive turn. As I probed for some settings to store on the foot controller, I found all sorts of interesting sounds, from flute to xylophone to synth.… read more Although it probably isn’t a true synthesizer from an engineering standpoint - I doubt there are any oscillators in it, for instance. Nevertheless, from a player’s point of view, the HOG2 adds selected harmonics, controls the envelope, and filters the output, and therefore should be considered a synthesizer in every functional standpoint that matters. The price of the HOG2 may make some reluctant, but, given the degree to which it functions as a synthesizer, one is getting off cheap in comparison to a Roland guitar synth. The only cheaper route for guitar synthesis is a Line 6 FM4, but those are monophonic with occasionally questionable pitch-recognition. The HOG2 is fully polyphonic with exceptional clarity for each note strummed. I really enjoy playing chords with my flute sounds, for instance. Whatever process of digital modulation the HOG2 uses, there is no detectable lag time between playing notes and hearing notes and glitchy warbles simply do not occur. The HOG2 can add parallel notes in harmonizer-like fashion, as one so desires. Alternatively, I have no idea what a “spectral gate” is, but when it’s on, it combines together all the notes into a single more complex timbre with added harmonics and overtones (something I’ve fiddled with on my own with combinations of harmonizers and ring modulators). The HOG2 is a culmination of everything Electro-Harmonix has learned from its own Superego, Micro Synth, and POG2. But the composite has its own unique character, and should not be thought of as simply a multi-effect. The Micro Synth remains interesting for its more dramatic filter sweep, and the POG2, for whatever reason, still produces a better organ sound. Nevertheless, if a guitar player is looking to maximize their access to a wide range of timbres, the HOG2 is priority number one. The foot controller is absolutely essential for storing all the many favorite settings one will accumulate. My foot controller is actually filled up already with my hundred most favorite settings. The expression pedal is perhaps not as essential as the foot controller, but very desirable and very recommended all the same.

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