EHX Micro POG Settings Guide
The EHX Micro POG (Polyphonic Octave Generator) adds sub-octave and/or one-octave-up voices to the guitar signal. Polyphonic tracking means it works on chords, not just single notes — making it more versatile than older monophonic octave pedals like the Boss OC-2. Three controls independently adjust Dry, Sub Octave (one octave down), and Octave Up (one octave up) levels, allowing any combination of voices.
Used by: Jack White, Justin Vernon (Bon Iver)
The best EHX Micro POG settings start with: Dry at 8/10, Sub Octave at 0/10, Octave Up at 0/10. Adjust from there based on your amp, guitar, and room volume. For Organ Simulation: Dry 7/10, Sub Octave 6/10, Octave Up 0/10.
⚡ Start Here — Recommended Settings
| Control | Starting Position | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Dry | 8/10 | Off → Full |
| Sub Octave | 0/10 | Off → Full |
| Octave Up | 0/10 | Off → Full |
These are universal starting points. Adjust based on your amp, guitar, and room. Scroll down for genre-specific settings and artist-documented positions.
What Each Control Does
Recommended Starting Settings
Safe starting positions for any style. Adjust from here based on your amp and room.
All values on a 0–10 scale. These are starting points — fine-tune by ear.
Settings by Genre
Dry blended with Sub Octave — the two-voice combination (dry + one octave down) resembles the left hand/right hand voicing of a Hammond organ. Running this into a slightly overdriven amp adds the harmonic richness that completes the organ simulation. Works best on single notes and fifth intervals rather than full chords.
Dry blended with Octave Up — one octave up voice combined with the fundamental produces a 12-string-like shimmer. The Octave Up voice is clean and precise, and at moderate levels blends convincingly with the fundamental to produce additional harmonic sparkle without obvious pitch-shifting artifacts.
Dominant Sub Octave with reduced Dry — the guitar plays in normal register but the sub-octave voice dominates, producing a bass-guitar-like tone. Works well for solo guitar performance where bass lines need to be present without a bassist. Works best on single notes above the 5th fret.
All three voices active — dry fundamental, sub octave below, and octave above simultaneously. A rich, harmonically full sound that sustains naturally and works for ambient, psychedelic, and experimental playing. Into heavy reverb and delay this produces a piano/organ hybrid texture.
Artist Settings
Documented settings used by professional guitarists on this unit.
White uses octave pedals (Micro POG and others) to generate bass-like sub-octave tones that fill the low register of his stripped-down two-person band format. The sub-octave voice allows guitar riffs to simultaneously address both guitar and bass frequency ranges, which is essential in a guitar-drums duo.
Vernon uses the Micro POG in his ambient, atmospheric production for the shimmer and harmonic extension the Octave Up voice adds to guitar textures. At moderate Octave Up levels with heavy reverb, the effect contributes to the ethereal, layered quality in Bon Iver's studio recordings.
Tips & Common Mistakes
- The Micro POG is polyphonic — it tracks chords accurately. This distinguishes it from the Boss OC-2, which is monophonic and only works reliably on single notes. For chord-based octave applications, the Micro POG is the correct choice.
- Signal chain position significantly affects the Micro POG's behavior: placed before overdrive, the octave voices are distorted along with the fundamental. Placed after overdrive, the distorted fundamental goes into the POG and the octave voices are added clean. Both work but sound different.
- The tracking speed of the Micro POG is very fast compared to older analog octave pedals — it produces notes nearly instantaneously without the pitch-lag artifact of the OC-2. This makes it more usable at higher tempos and with busy, melodic playing styles.
FAQ
EHX Micro POG — Common Questions
Best starting settings for EHX Micro POG: Dry at 8/10, Sub Octave at 0/10, Octave Up at 0/10. Adjust from there based on your guitar, room, and playing style.
For Organ Simulation: Dry 7/10, Sub Octave 6/10, Octave Up 0/10. Dry blended with Sub Octave — the two-voice combination (dry + one octave down) resembles the left hand/right hand voicing of a Hammond organ. Running this into a slightly overdriven amp adds the harmonic richness that completes the organ simulation. Works best on single notes and fifth intervals rather than full chords.
For 12-String Simulation: Dry 8/10, Sub Octave 0/10, Octave Up 7/10. Dry blended with Octave Up — one octave up voice combined with the fundamental produces a 12-string-like shimmer. The Octave Up voice is clean and precise, and at moderate levels blends convincingly with the fundamental to produce additional harmonic sparkle without obvious pitch-shifting artifacts.
Dry: Dry (unaffected) signal level (Off to Full). Sub Octave: Sub-octave (1 oct down) level (Off to Full). Octave Up: Octave up (1 oct up) level (Off to Full)
The Micro POG is polyphonic — it tracks chords accurately. This distinguishes it from the Boss OC-2, which is monophonic and only works reliably on single notes. For chord-based octave applications, the Micro POG is the correct choice. Signal chain position significantly affects the Micro POG's behavior: placed before overdrive, the octave voices are distorted along with the fundamental. Placed after overdrive, the distorted fundamental goes into the POG and the octave voices are added clean. Both work but sound different. The tracking speed of the Micro POG is very fast compared to older analog octave pedals — it produces notes nearly instantaneously without the pitch-lag artifact of the OC-2. This makes it more usable at higher tempos and with busy, melodic playing styles.
Jack White settings: Dry 6/10, Sub Octave 8/10, Octave Up 0/10. White uses octave pedals (Micro POG and others) to generate bass-like sub-octave tones that fill the low register of his stripped-down two-person band format. The sub-octave voice allows guitar riffs to simultaneously address both guitar and bass frequency ranges, which is essential in a guitar-drums duo.
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