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Found a cool little pedal.


picker

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I've been attracted to mini pedals lately. Mostly, they ain't real sexy, but they're cheap, effective, and don't take up much real estate on a pedalboard.

 

Last night, I was skimming through Craig's List, and saw this little blue box called a Pitch Box. I hadn't heard of that before, so I searched it up on You Tube. I found

I'm not really out to cop Eddie's tone, but I did like the sound this thing made.

 

I went back to Craig's List, and got the seller's contact info, sent him an email. His asking price was $60.; I offered $40, and he accepted. I picked it up today, and now it's mine.

 

I've gotten to a point where chorus sounds like too much sugar in coffee tastes, overly sweet. But, I miss it if I'm not using it. This has a sort of chorus-y sound to it, but seems more subtle, not as cloying. It gives a sort of "shimmer" to it.

 

What do you think, guys?

Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else.

 

 

 

 

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I LOVE the de-tuning sound! Decades ago I had a Boss half rack effect thingie (remember those?) that had a detuner function and I used it quite a bit.

More recently I picked up a Digitech Luxe pedal and it was orders of magnitude better sound. I wanted to get another one and shift pitch slightly up and slightly down.

 

The reality is that I've been transitioning to smaller, lighter guitar amps with built in effects and usable footswitches/expression pedals.

My goal is to get 2 smaller amps running in stereo with multi-effects capability.

 

Meanwhile, I am also improving my home studio. A Focusrite ISA One mic/DI preamp came up on craigslist and the seller mentioned possible trades for guitar pedals. So I shot him a line with 3 pedals available for trade and one of the two he chose was the Luxe.

 

Back to square one? Sort of, my Mac system includes some nice plugins and one of them is a pitch shifter that will do increments as small as .001 of a cent - there are 100 cents in a half step so this is an absurdly precise level of control. And I can easily run multiple duplicate tracks by copying and pasting one track. So I have my dream de-tuning system available for recording.

 

For now, I'm happy. Maybe there is a multi effects amp out there that has something similar, I haven't explored the Line 6 stuff yet.

 

I think it's really cool - you should try it in stereo if you really want to hear a three dimensional shimmer. I bet it's awesome. Cheers, Kuru

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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@ Picker, It sounded pretty cool to me...I would have liked hearing the other two settings just for kicks but if it's got the sound you want, skipping the other two is OK. It definitely will save a lot of money over a rack mount and didn't break the bank if you only need it for a few tunes. :cool:
Take care, Larryz
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I might end up making it a featured part of my own sound on original songs. It really sounds cool to me.

 

I will experiment with the other two settings, but I have tried harmonizers before, and didn't really care for the results I got. I thought an octave up on a bass guitar might sound cool. If the pitch shift does what I think it will, it might be handy for a few things.

Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else.

 

 

 

 

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I might end up making it a featured part of my own sound on original songs. It really sounds cool to me.

 

I will experiment with the other two settings, but I have tried harmonizers before, and didn't really care for the results I got. I thought an octave up on a bass guitar might sound cool. If the pitch shift does what I think it will, it might be handy for a few things.

 

For mw, harmonizers are only fun for brief blasts of weirdness. Too much trouble for too little fun!

 

There are lots of pedals I have not tried but so far I haven't gotten a bass sound I liked - some sound pretty good but get glitchy pretty easily and most don't sound good and are glitchy too.

An octave up on a bass is worth trying, do it!

 

On my DAW I've used detuning on acoustic guitars, vocals and you can have one clean full frequency bass track with a high pass filter on a second identical bass track and pitch shift that.

Pitch shifting low frequencies just guts the fullness and punch.

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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Sounds pretty cool, but the VH gear trivia was even better. VH's tone comes from the entirety of his massive signal chain, and no bite-sized box can give you all of that. I see that Jake was playing a Kramer that sorta looked right, but I didn't finish the vid, cuz his playing was screechy to me, so I don't know what actual amp he was using. It did convey that the pedal has unique value in a board, so we look fwd to hearing your cuts with it.
Never a DUH! moment! Well, almost never. OK, OK! Sometimes never!
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I first dialed up a Double Detune sound on a Boss PS-3 Pitch Shifter pedal, and it sounded like Adrian Belew-in-a-box! Much richer than mere Chorus, without the constant LFO pulsing or warbling in the background.

 

FWIW, a number of my friends in the EM/Experimental Music scene use those little Mooer and Donner boxes, and get great results from them. I've seen that Pitch Box in a few rigs.

 

Like KuruPrionz, I tend to use Pitch Shifter FX for Special FX, rather than trying to emulate dual-Guitar Harmonies. Unless you have a fully programmable Pitch Shifter, with the ability to create and store Custom User Scales, you're stuck with one or two fixed Intervals, which means you have moving parallel scales in different keys, not real Harmonies. There are few sounds more painful than someone trying to play the closing lines of "Hotel California" or "Free Bird" with a Pitch Shifter pedal set to a fixed Interval; it's just wrong, one of those offenses that should get you evicted from any Guitar store.

"Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King

 

http://www.novparolo.com

 

https://thewinstonpsmithproject.bandcamp.com

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There are few sounds more painful than someone trying to play the closing lines of "Hotel California" or "Free Bird" with a Pitch Shifter pedal set to a fixed Interval; it's just wrong, one of those offenses that should get you evicted from any Guitar store.

 

LOL! :lolol:

 

This reminds me of the Wayne's World movie (my memory fades so I'm paraphrasing here)...Wayne keeps going to the music store to drool over the white Strat of his dreams and above it there is a sign that warns music store guitar wanna bee stars some day, that says "no stairway to Heaven"...It cracks me up and I always feel sorry for the sales guys that work in those stores LOL!

Take care, Larryz
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That"s a good scene!

 

Never saw it play out in real life, but I know that sometimes, those stores sound like an avant-garde bands warming up at full volume, with everyone in a different key...and tuning.

Sturgeon's 2nd Law, a.k.a. Sturgeon's Revelation: âNinety percent of everything is crapâ

 

My FLMS- Murphy's Music in Irving, Tx

 

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. . . sometimes, those stores sound like an avant-garde bands warming up at full volume, with everyone in a different key...and tuning.

 

I've heard this sound, hell, I've performed this sound! 70+ Guitars, all plugged in, all furiously re-tuning to "E", while cranking out a beat. I assure you, it sounded far better than the cacophonous offerings in your local GC.

"Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King

 

http://www.novparolo.com

 

https://thewinstonpsmithproject.bandcamp.com

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I first dialed up a Double Detune sound on a Boss PS-3 Pitch Shifter pedal, and it sounded like Adrian Belew-in-a-box! Much richer than mere Chorus, without the constant LFO pulsing or warbling in the background.

 

FWIW, a number of my friends in the EM/Experimental Music scene use those little Mooer and Donner boxes, and get great results from them. I've seen that Pitch Box in a few rigs.

 

Like KuruPrionz, I tend to use Pitch Shifter FX for Special FX, rather than trying to emulate dual-Guitar Harmonies. Unless you have a fully programmable Pitch Shifter, with the ability to create and store Custom User Scales, you're stuck with one or two fixed Intervals, which means you have moving parallel scales in different keys, not real Harmonies. There are few sounds more painful than someone trying to play the closing lines of "Hotel California" or "Free Bird" with a Pitch Shifter pedal set to a fixed Interval; it's just wrong, one of those offenses that should get you evicted from any Guitar store.

 

I agree that trying to replicate harmony leads on a gadget set to a single interval sounds awful, but I also recall Trevor Rabin playing the lead to Owner Of A Lonely Heart on an MXR Pitch Transposer set to a 5th, and making an epic job of it, too.

Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else.

 

 

 

 

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I've been attracted to mini pedals lately. Mostly, they ain't real sexy, but they're cheap, effective, and don't take up much real estate on a pedalboard.

 

Last night, I was skimming through Craig's List, and saw this little blue box called a Pitch Box. I hadn't heard of that before, so I searched it up on You Tube. I found

I'm not really out to cop Eddie's tone, but I did like the sound this thing made.

 

I went back to Craig's List, and got the seller's contact info, sent him an email. His asking price was $60.; I offered $40, and he accepted. I picked it up today, and now it's mine.

 

I've gotten to a point where chorus sounds like too much sugar in coffee tastes, overly sweet. But, I miss it if I'm not using it. This has a sort of chorus-y sound to it, but seems more subtle, not as cloying. It gives a sort of "shimmer" to it.

 

I might end up making it a featured part of my own sound on original songs. It really sounds cool to me.

 

I will experiment with the other two settings, but I have tried harmonizers before, and didn't really care for the results I got. I thought an octave up on a bass guitar might sound cool. If the pitch shift does what I think it will, it might be handy for a few things.

 

What do you think, guys?

 

I think that's a cool alternative to the more usual 'chorus' effects, and I think that if you like it and you've found something to add to your arsenal, that's great!

 

There's a sort of similar effect on earlier Van Halen albums, the "Wow & Flutter" modulation that's a by-product of his using an Echoplex tape-echo machine, that uses moving mechanical parts and magnetic tape to make echoes, which inherently has fluctuations in pitch. I :love: LOVE :love: that spongy, squishy modulation! I can get that from my Strymon El Capistan, as well as echoes, via its "Wow & Flutter" and "Tape Crinkle" controls.

 

 

Also, picker- I bet you'd really like the tiny yet mighty (and all analog) Xotic SL Drive Overdrive, which does a great job of emulating the overdrive and distortion character of vintage Marshal Super Lead and Super Bass amps. I got mine to have a good overdrive to place after my Uni-Vibe stylee that wouldn't get too flubby, throbby, and muddy with the 'Vibe, and I love it! I have another fantastic big honkin' dual-channel modded-Marshall-flavored overdrive/distortion pedal that I love, but it's too gainy for use with the Uni-Vibe in front of it... I can HIGHLY recommend the Xotic SL Drive to ya, and good deals can be found for used ones. It's very versatile and has a very wide range of gain and tone available.

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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Also, picker- I bet you'd really like the tiny yet mighty (and all analog) Xotic SL Drive Overdrive, which does a great job of emulating the overdrive and distortion character of vintage Marshal Super Lead and Super Bass amps. I got mine to have a good overdrive to place after my Uni-Vibe stylee that wouldn't get too flubby, throbby, and muddy with the 'Vibe, and I love it! I have another fantastic big honkin' dual-channel modded-Marshall-flavored overdrive/distortion pedal that I love, but it's too gainy for use with the Uni-Vibe in front of it... I can HIGHLY recommend the Xotic SL Drive to ya, and good deals can be found for used ones. It's very versatile and has a very wide range of gain and tone available.

 

I have one also, and yes, it is indeed Molto Groovy! I started out with the EP booster, and like it well too, and I just got the SP compressor. IU haven't had the time to work with it much yet, but I kinda wanted the who set, y'know?

Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else.

 

 

 

 

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...I kinda wanted the whole set, y'know?

 

I do know; I'm impressed by this SL Drive, and wouldn't hesitate to go for any other Xotic offerings that I felt would suit a need for me.

 

And I'm also kinda that way about a lot of Fulltone and Strymon pedals. Regarding Fulltone stomps, I have occasionally found great deals on used, new/"Blem", and "open box/demo" specimens, though I've slowed my roll and limited pedal-purchases all-around of late. Strymon? Love their wares, and they have a few models that are quite unique that do things that I would REALLY :love:LOVE :love: to have at my disposal- buuut their prices, worthy as they may be, kinda prohibit my goin' full-Pokémon on 'em... !

 

Out-of-production VFE and HomeBrew Electronics also made a lot of GREAT stomps that I'd love to have and would highly recommend.

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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Strymon stuff looks great, but dang, it's pricey!

 

Yeah, 'tis; but well worth it, based on the few that I have, that do things for me that nothing else would quite do when I bought 'em! There are two or three more of theirs that I'd love to have, but... that's not going to happen any time too soon.

 

Anyways, that pedal that you recently scored, and even that SL Drive, were bargains, as were a number of my favorite stomp acquisitions!

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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I recently picked up a Donner Water Echo pedal for literally pocket change.

 

Chorus and delay in a size that's in between mini and standard. Sounds pretty good, too.

 

I'm a lot more like I am now than I was when I got here.

 

 

 

 

 

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