Recording - July 2017 - 72

Eventide

PitchFuzz for H9
Review By Mike Metlay
For users who haven't read our review (December 2013),
Eventide's H9 ($499) is a stereo-in/stereo-out digital effects pedal
whose powerful DSP engine can run any of dozens of algorithms,
and which can be easily programmed and controlled from any
iOS device via Bluetooth. New algorithms for the H9 are constantly
being released, extending the unit's power dramatically.
The latest algorithm for H9 is PitchFuzz, which starts with a
fuzz algorithm that's nothing short of brutal-the sort of all-out
sonic murder that you'd expect from a germanium transistorbased fuzzbox with a sagging battery. From there, the signal is
routed into a 3-voice pitch shifter (up to 2 octaves up or down on
each voice), and from there into a dual digital delay with up to 2.5
seconds of delay time. That's a lot of power, but there are some
subtle touches that take this algorithm completely over the top.
First, a single elegant control called Pitch Amount controls the
blend of pitch-shifted voices. As the control goes from 0 to 1,
the first pitch-shifted voice is gradually added to the dry signal
until it's at full volume. From 1 to 2, the second voice comes in,
and from 2 to 3, the third voice joins the other two.

Grace
Design
ALiX

Review By Mike Metlay
We reviewed Grace Design's FELiX in our December 2015 issue. This rugged and impeccably clean acousticinstrument pedal offers a unique combination of blendable mic and
instrument-pickup inputs plus EQ and gain boost. FELiX would be
overkill for players who don't use a mic, or who don't need two
channels for their acoustic rig on stage. But if they still want the best
possible pickup sound, that's where ALiX comes in.
ALiX is essentially the instrument-input side of FELiX in a
pedal by itself. You get a 1/4" instrument input with three
selectable impedances and polarity invert, separate 1/4" outputs
for a tuner and a stage amplifier, a 1/4" TRS insert jack for
other effects (post-EQ/pre-Boost), and an XLR DI output with
switchable mic/line level output and ground lift-everything
an acoustic/electric player needs to hook up reliably.
The front panel controls include Gain, EQ, Boost, and
Amplifier level, with footswitches to kick in the Boost circuit or Mute
the output for tuning. The EQ includes a fully parametric Mid with
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RECORDING July 2017

$19.99 (free to owners of
H9 Max license); www.eventide.com
Second, you can choose between Group Delay, where all
pitch-shifted voices are sent to both delays, and Arpeggiated
Delay-where the first voice is undelayed, the second voice
goes to one delay, and the third voice to another. The end result
is arpeggios of pitch-shifted sounds from every note you play.
Finally, the Feedback control offers an option for linked and
rhythmic delay time patterns as well as independent delays.
With all this power, it's easy to make an unholy mess. But if
you ease off on the fuzz, set one or more pitch-shifted voices to
a subtle detune, and don't get carried away with the delays, the
results can be exquisite, with a rich detuned chorusing mixed with
delay for enormously spacious sounds. Gently adding in the Fuzz
gives the echoes a compelling immediacy, and you end up with
wonderfully integrated effects that replace an entire pedalboard
of individual stompboxes. PitchFuzz is a no-brainer for H9
owners, and a great reason to consider getting an H9 for your rig.

two possible
frequency
ranges (70-880 Hz or 670-8000 Hz), a lowcut
filter (20-1000 Hz) that can be set to a Notch
filter, and High and Low shelving. DIP switches
on the side of the unit select the two EQ options
and activate 12V phantom power for electret mics if
needed. ALiX has a standard IEC power cable and no wall
wart-it even has a 9V center-negative output that can power
other pedals if needed.
Built-in acoustic instrument pickups have a reputation for
sounding awful, but a lot of that blame can be assigned to
using the wrong amplification. ALiX offers an input impedance
ranging from 330 kΩ to 1 MΩ to a whopping 10 MΩ with a
flip of a switch, and even the most finicky piezoelectric pickups suddenly sound better than you ever thought they could.
The EQ can handle multiple problems at once: gentle contouring
of the highs and lows, massaging the mids to complement the
interaction of the guitar and pickup... and being able to notch
out 60 Hz hum is just brilliant.
I ran my Strymon Flint tremolo/reverb on the ALiX insert
and powered it from ALiX, creating a gorgeous-sounding and
beautifully compact rig that made getting great acoustic/electric
sounds a breeze. This box isn't cheap, but it sure doesn't
sound cheap; if you value the sound of your acoustic/electric
guitar, you should introduce it to ALiX.

$625; www.gracedesign.com

http://www.eventide.com http://www.gracedesign.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - July 2017