Drop tuning using Pitch Block

[fenderbenderlax]

Hello Folks,

 

I'm trying to use the simple pitch block to get some drop tunings and its been a mixed bag so far. I use a simple pitch block as the first pedal in my signal chain and set it to the desired drop level (-1 for eb and -4 for C etc) with the mix at 100%. I find that it seems to work OK if I'm using modeled amps and some power chords. However, even power chords using my real amp sounds weird with this effect on. I also use some Acoustic IR's for electric guitars from 3 Sigma Audio. Today I tried a simple Eb drop tuning on the Acoustic side and it sounded HORRIBLE!! 

 

I'm guessing that is possibly due to the fact that the Helix pitch shifter is not polyphonic. So my question is would a Drop pedal like the Digitech drop be a "significant" improvement over the Helix simple pitch? I'm also guessing that a Variax is probably the best option but I would rather not spend the money on that as all I would need it for would be drop tuning and acoustic guitar. 

 

Thanks in advance!!!

[Rocco_Crocco]

Digitech Drop pedal works very well for the application you need. I used on for years in my old band. Much better than the shifters in Helix. There are some used ones listed on Reverb.com for $130.

 

https://digitech.com/en/products/the-drop

[Rocco_Crocco]

ALSO.... make sure the sound of your guitar being played acoustically isn't clashing with the amplified pitch shifted note.... it will cause a warbling effect.

[gunpointmetal]

Simple Pitch isn't awesome at polyphonic downtuning because the stuff that happens between notes (harmonics, modulation) can confuse the algorithm. I could never get on with Drop/Morpheus type pedals for downtuning anyways, because once I got it loud enough to not notice the strings vibrating differently than the sound I was hearing I was drowning out my drummer.

[rsvette12]

Just buy a drop and be done with it 

[fenderbenderlax]

Thanks everyone!! It looks like the drop might be a great option..one question I had was would Drop work even for clean tones? I found that the helix pitch shift was worst with clean tones...also I was looking online and it looks like Digitech has a Pitch whammy combined with the Drop...Is the octaver and other pitch effects in general better? Basically I guess the question, is the Digitech better for pitch effects in general as compared to the Helix? 

[Kilrahi]

53 minutes ago, fenderbenderlax said:

Thanks everyone!! It looks like the drop might be a great option..one question I had was would Drop work even for clean tones? I found that the helix pitch shift was worst with clean tones...also I was looking online and it looks like Digitech has a Pitch whammy combined with the Drop...Is the octaver and other pitch effects in general better? Basically I guess the question, is the Digitech better for pitch effects in general as compared to the Helix? 

 

It's just plain better across the board. Yes. 

[jester700]

3 hours ago, Kilrahi said:

 

It's just plain better across the board. Yes. 

+1. I love my Helix - best modeler I've ever had. But DigiTech just does pitch better. My HarmonyMan intelligent shifter (for "twin guitar" parallel 3rds) and my whammy for drop tuning (same algorithm as the Drop) are just better.

[guitarbloke1980]

Digitech Drop is the way to go man.  I've been using one for years and it's excellent!

 

 

[fenderbenderlax]

Thanks everyone!!! I ended up ordering a used whammy DT...any thoughts on the routing...would it be best to

 

a) Guitar --> DT --> Guitar in on the helix (Midi out to Midi in on DT to control patches)

 

b) Put the DT in an FX loop (Midi control same as above).

 

Thanks

 

[Kevin-M]

49 minutes ago, fenderbenderlax said:

Thanks everyone!!! I ended up ordering a used whammy DT...any thoughts on the routing...would it be best to

 

a) Guitar --> DT --> Guitar in on the helix (Midi out to Midi in on DT to control patches)

 

b) Put the DT in an FX loop (Midi control same as above).

 

Thanks

 

I’d put any pitch effect before the helix. 

[rsvette12]

I use tuner to drop then to guitar in into back of Helix Lt - but you can go to drop first then into helix guitar in - also one push of drop button gets you to a 1/2 step down tuning - in my case thats all I use it for :) have fun with it - not cheap but worth it 

[fenderbenderlax]

1 minute ago, rsvette12 said:

I use tuner to drop then to guitar in into back of Helix Lt - but you can go to drop first then into helix guitar in - also one push of drop button gets you to a 1/2 step down tuning - in my case thats all I use it for :) have fun with it - not cheap but worth it 

 

thanks man...We use four different tunings...plus I have some whammy applications as well 

[rsvette12]

Great have fun Buddy

[Kingbozo]

On 9/6/2019 at 10:43 AM, fenderbenderlax said:

So my question is would a Drop pedal like the Digitech drop be a "significant" improvement over the Helix simple pitch?

 

 

Yes.  No question about it

[rzumwalt]

A little off topic, but I found the Helix model of the Whammy pedal to be better than the simple pitch for that application. But I still generally agree with everyone else that the DigiTech pedals actually do a better job. The reason I figured this out is interesting and might help someone out if they ever get in a jam like I did. 

During a runthrough before a show, one of the screws that held the springs on my guitar's floating bridge broke and I couldn't tighten the other screw or the tuning pegs enough to compensate, so my guitar flat without any way to tune it the rest of the way up. The best I could do was about 0.6 of a step flat. So I set up a block with the Whammy model at the front of the signal chain and set the effect pedal so that heel down was a step down and heel up was neutral (no pitch change). I was able to get it roughly in tune, and it was good enough for the runthrough. I ran home to get another guitar before the gig though.