Match the primary SS to the Octo?

[ChicagoDQ]

New to diving and was curious ... when looking at a primary reg, should I purchase the corresponding octo from the same manufacturer? For instance, If I go with the Atomic B2 should I get the B2 octo, or can I get a less expensive yet quality octo?

advice is much appreciated

 

[herman]

Welcome to the board.
You can use most (with a rare few exceptions) any octo with any first stage, reguardless of manuf. It may need to be tuned to work with the first but that is a minor adjustment. Biggest problem using 2 different brands is when you need the reg serviced, you may have to take the reg to 2 different shops to get the work done.