Real time 3rds/4ths harmoniser pedal

Caffeine_Vampire

Lizzy again. I need a harmoniser pedal
to cover the weird harmony intervals in the usual Lizzy numbers on one guitar. Last time I looked a programmable shifter hadn’t been invented yet (t’was a while ago). Anybody know what my best bet is without resorting to using an expression pedal to switch intervals while I’m playing?

english_bob

I don't think there's anything that will switch between thirds and fourths without you having to do *anything*, but the Line 6 M5 with an expression pedal can toggle between "intelligent" thirds and fourths, meaning you only need the pedal occasionally (I think...), and it won't break the bank either. 

I don't know for sure of anything else that will even get you that close.

Caffeine_Vampire

@english_bob Thanks. Can’t believe someone hasn’t come up with one yet. There aren’t many gaps in the pedal market but this one needs filling. 

english_bob

^ I'm not sure how it could be done. Even if it could I imagine it would be a nightmare to program.

But then I'm not a DSP engineer.

Caffeine_Vampire

@english_bob I’ve used a harmoniser before but as soon as the harmonic interval shifts it sounds like the worst bum note you’ve ever played. There’s got to be something out there. 

sgosden

digitech whammy pedal? pretty sure you can have 4th / 5th  set for heel down/ up

Handsome_Chris

Boss GT-1000 has programmable pitch shifting / harmonisers in that you can define the scale.  As does the Axe-FX II.

The Eventide PitchFactor is a bit of a beauty too.

Caffeine_Vampire

Handsome_Chris said:

Boss GT-1000 has programmable pitch shifting / harmonisers in that you can define the scale.  As does the Axe-FX II.

The Eventide PitchFactor is a bit of a beauty too.

So is the price 

english_bob

sgosden said:

digitech whammy pedal? pretty sure you can have 4th / 5th  set for heel down/ up

You can, but it doesn't have the "intelligent" aspect of other harmonizers where if you tell it the key it will automatically give you, for instance, a major or minor third. 

As I understand it, the OP is looking for a pedal that will harmonize in thirds in a given key (which requires an "intelligent" harmonizer"), but occasionally in fourths too (which requires unicorns).

Caffeine_Vampire

english_bob said:

sgosden said:

digitech whammy pedal? pretty sure you can have 4th / 5th  set for heel down/ up

You can, but it doesn't have the "intelligent" aspect of other harmonizers where if you tell it the key it will automatically give you, for instance, a major or minor third. 

As I understand it, the OP is looking for a pedal that will harmonize in thirds in a given key (which requires an "intelligent" harmonizer"), but occasionally in fourths too (which requires unicorns).

Yes. Send me unicorns. Send them now. 

sgosden

Caffeine_Vampire said:

english_bob said:

sgosden said:

digitech whammy pedal? pretty sure you can have 4th / 5th  set for heel down/ up

You can, but it doesn't have the "intelligent" aspect of other harmonizers where if you tell it the key it will automatically give you, for instance, a major or minor third. 

As I understand it, the OP is looking for a pedal that will harmonize in thirds in a given key (which requires an "intelligent" harmonizer"), but occasionally in fourths too (which requires unicorns).

Yes. Send me unicorns. Send them now. 

ah ok I gotcha.

wear unicorn socks and do it with the pedal

english_bob

Caffeine_Vampire said:

@english_bob I’ve used a harmoniser before but as soon as the harmonic interval shifts it sounds like the worst bum note you’ve ever played. There’s got to be something out there. 

If you were playing over a sequenced backing track it could have built-in MIDI messages that told the harmonizer to do different things at different times, but unless the harmonizer is being "told"- either by you or by some other pre-programmed source- what to do, it would have to somehow have the capacity to decide for itself.

Not too tricky when it only has one set of rules to follow (Here are the intervals of the major scale. Here is the key. Produce a tone a third above the note I play.), but asking it to decide whether thirds or fourths are more musically appropriate for each given note seems like it would need some serious computing power.

Technically it's probably possible (@WiresDreamDisasters does DSP stuff for a living- he might know better), but I'm pretty sure it doesn't exist yet as a thing you can buy. 

JD50

sgosden said:

Caffeine_Vampire said:

english_bob said:

sgosden said:

digitech whammy pedal? pretty sure you can have 4th / 5th  set for heel down/ up

You can, but it doesn't have the "intelligent" aspect of other harmonizers where if you tell it the key it will automatically give you, for instance, a major or minor third. 

As I understand it, the OP is looking for a pedal that will harmonize in thirds in a given key (which requires an "intelligent" harmonizer"), but occasionally in fourths too (which requires unicorns).

Yes. Send me unicorns. Send them now. 

ah ok I gotcha.

wear unicorn socks and do it with the pedal

Doesn't the EHX Ring Thing have tunable pitch shiftfing?

Bezzer

Only thing I can think of is getting 2 Boss PS-6 pedals off the 'bay to reduce the cost and use a pancake patch cable so they are close enough to hit both pedals at the same time.

Just put big shoes on and you'll be fine.

english_bob

JD50 said:

Doesn't the EHX Ring Thing have tunable pitch shiftfing?

Yes, but once again it isn't "intelligent", let alone able to switch between harmonizing in thirds and fourths.

Fishboy7

Doesn't Pitchfactor do this?

Handsome_Chris

Fishboy7 said:

Doesn't Pitchfactor do this?

I believe that I got dissed in the hood for mentioning that excellent piece of gear.

english_bob

Fishboy7 said:

Doesn't Pitchfactor do this?

I don't own one, but having skimmed the manual I don't think so- at least not without input from the player.

...although it does do a lot of other nutty things I'd forgotten about. Still want one. Still can't afford one.

UnclePsychosis

english_bob said:

Caffeine_Vampire said:

@english_bob I’ve used a harmoniser before but as soon as the harmonic interval shifts it sounds like the worst bum note you’ve ever played. There’s got to be something out there. 

If you were playing over a sequenced backing track it could have built-in MIDI messages that told the harmonizer to do different things at different times, but unless the harmonizer is being "told"- either by you or by some other pre-programmed source- what to do, it would have to somehow have the capacity to decide for itself.

Not too tricky when it only has one set of rules to follow (Here are the intervals of the major scale. Here is the key. Produce a tone a third above the note I play.), but asking it to decide whether thirds or fourths are more musically appropriate for each given note seems like it would need some serious computing power.

Technically it's probably possible (@WiresDreamDisasters does DSP stuff for a living- he might know better), but I'm pretty sure it doesn't exist yet as a thing you can buy. 

It would be way easier to just have the harmonised part pre recorded and then trigger it live. Or even better get an extra guitarist! 

thecolourbox

Could you have two pedals, one that does intelligent thirds and one set to straight perfect 4ths?

english_bob

UnclePsychosis said:

It would be way easier to just have the harmonised part pre recorded and then trigger it live. Or even better get an extra guitarist! 

Absolutely. A second human guitarist would be better since a recording would be locked to a particular tempo, which would require a drummer who could do the same...

But the OP wants what he wants...