AboutRoss Expertise Over 15 years of guitar playing, teaching, building, and modifying; have worked as a touring musician, studio session guitarist, engineer, guitar tech, and guitar teacher. Registered member of ASCAP. Registered member of Freelancers Union. I have a working knowledge of music theory and styles, and a taste for all types of music and instruments. If you have a favorite guitar player or style, chances are I share it! If you have a question I can't answer, I'll rely on experienced and knowledgeable people I know to get the correct information for you, and I hope I can help inspire your playing style and tone. Promo photography by Sebastian Castillo at Castillo Photography, San Diego, CA.
Experience I hope that by answering questions thoroughly and giving insightful answers, I can have a positive impact on someone's playing style and tone - help them get their perfect sound.
Question Greetings, Ross - my cyber guitar mentor!
It has been a while since I last drop you a line, but here I am with a question. I am now considering purchasing a so-called "pitch shifter" effect - whether it is a floor pedal or a 1/3 rack-sized one. By the way, what does the Eventide Harmonizer do? What are the things those affordable 'pitch shifters' can't but the Harmonizer can? Why is it that the Harmonizer so expensive?
All right, here is my main question (I have a propensity to digress often) - which pitch-shifting would you recommend? (MY budget is up to $400) and why?
Thank you in advance,
Yuzo
Answer Hi Yuzo! Always nice to hear from you! This is a really good question, by the way. Pitch shifters/harmonizers are really misunderstood. First of all, the difference between a pitch shifter and a true harmonizer is that a pitch shifter can add/change the note you play, like an octaver that adds a note below or above one octave. They are very useful for interesting tones, but usually have a "tracking" sound and are limited in their use. Building upon the premise of merely adding a pitch or correcting by a microtone, pedals like the DigiTech Whammy add the ability to do dive bombs and "transition" FX like slides and bends. It's a really useful, interesting sounding pedal, although effects like this just have a "digital" sound that many don't care for (you can really tell you're using an effect; it doesn't sound natural). A true harmonizer, like Eventide's coveted (and extremely expensive models) can track even really fast leads almost flawlessly, and don't excessively color your tone or make it sound "fake." These work well for making a live rig sound like you have an accompanying guitarist. The Eventides also have about a bazillion FX combination possibilities with reverbs, delays, and cool-sounding wave effects. These models also have interface built-in for PC or Mac recording directly, and all sorts of in/out routing options, and can be controlled via MIDI. That's why artists like Joe Satriani and Steve Vai have made these part of their rigs; now if only they didn't cost the price of a used car! For a $400 budget, I'd say look into the Whammy effect. It'll leave you a couple hundred left over for other gear, and it does a really good job of making outlandish noises. Or, you could always try to bid on a used harmonizer via Ebay or similar site. It's very rare, but on some occasions you can find folks selling older models for really discounted prices. Hope this helps, and hope your jamming's going great!
Happy Shredding
Ross
