Simple pitch - distorted notes

[nutello84]

Hello everybody,

 

I' simply trying to emulate the sound of the intro of Radiohead's My Iron Lung. I just plug my Telecaster into the chain with a Amp+Cab and a Simple Pitch effect.

Either by putting the pitch shifter before or after the amp I cannot manage to obtain a "linear" harmonization (i use to mix dry/wet at about 45%). Indeed, anytime I play two notes NOT stopping them (imagine a B string at the 3rd fret and then free) the effect seems to lose its reference and creates a harsh and disturbing sound.

 

Is something I can do to enhance the sound? Is Line6 working to realize a better algorithm? 

 

Please excuse me if this topic has been already mentioned in some other post: i tried to search on the forum but didn't found anything exactly matching with my request. Obiously, feel free to close (eventually, please, help me suggesting the topic that talks about this theme).

 

 

[lungho]

The Simple Pitch should be the first block in the chain, though I would try Pitch Wham seeing how it is modeled after the Digitech Whammy, which (from what I understand) is what was used on the recording.  That being said, the Helix isn't polyphonic and neither is the Digitech Whammy.  I can clearly hear the wonkieness or, artifacts, from the effect in the song.  This may or may not be a factor, but make sure you are tuned to open G.  How well your guitar's intonation is set may also be a factor. 

 

To the best of my knowledge, Digitech only makes two polyphonic pitch shifters, the Digitech Whammy DT and Digitech Drop.  Neither are modeled in Helix.  From what I understand the Helix would require an enormous amount of DSP to incorporate a polyphonic pitch shifting block.

 

Hopefully this helps.  If not, I'm sure some others will chime in too. 

[nutello84]

6 minutes ago, lungho said:

The Simple Pitch should be the first block in the chain, though I would try Pitch Wham seeing how it is modeled after the Digitech Whammy, which (from what I understand) is what was used on the recording.  That being said, the Helix isn't polyphonic and neither is the Digitech Whammy.  I can clearly hear the wonkieness or, artifacts, from the effect in the song.  This may or may not be a factor, but make sure you are tuned to open G.  How well your guitar's intonation is set may also be a factor. 

 

To the best of my knowledge, Digitech only makes two polyphonic pitch shifters, the Digitech Whammy DT and Digitech Drop.  Neither are modeled in Helix.  From what I understand the Helix would require an enormous amount of DSP to incorporate a polyphonic pitch shifting block.

 

Hopefully this helps.  If not, I'm sure some others will chime in too. 

Hi lungho and, before anything, thanks for the answer.

 

I tried to put the block at every stage of the chain, unfortunately getting no enhancement at all. 

Before buying Helix I was using stompboxes and one of them was just the Digitech Whammy V: I can tell pretty surely that the overall performance was absolutely better then what I'm obtaining with Helix, and my guitar was EADGBE. (little disclaimer for potential haters: i sold all my effects gear to buy Helix because I love Helix and think that is the better digital multiFX on sale. this post is just to better understand how to use all the functionalities of the Helix).

I'd like to ask you some further detail about the open G/intonation suggestion: why should these factors impact on the response of the pitch shifter?

 

 

 

 

[phil_m]

I agree with the above. Try the Pitch Wham model. The original recording is done with a Whammy set to an octave up, and the signature warble is because of the Whammy not perfectly tracking (the newer Whammy V model is polyphonic, but that's beside the point).

 

 

[lungho]

1 hour ago, nutello84 said:

I'd like to ask you some further detail about the open G/intonation suggestion: why should these factors impact on the response of the pitch shifter?

 

I only mention intonation because the 2nd and 3rd strings can sound kind of funky together if intonation isn't set well.  G tuning because it will be easier to play and it will sound better.

 

Edit, forgot to mention that I'm using the settings Phil mentioned and it sounds decent in open G.  I'm using Pitch Wham block first in the chain with the pedal position at 100%.  

[jester700]

A polyphonic pitch block has been a request for at least 4 years. This was on Idea Scale 4 years ago with almost 800 votes:

https://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Polyphonic-Pitch-Shift/776657-23508

 

There are several similar requests:

https://line6.ideascale.com/a/ideas/search?templateId=0&query=polyphonic+pitch

 

I assume this is a difficult thing to do, either in DSP power or programming, though Digitech and EHX have done it. I'd love to see it in Helix, but for now my Whammy V works well.

[themetallikid]

not to hijack the thread's intent, but is there a discernable difference in the processing between the whammy 5 and Drop?  

[jester700]

No. It's the same algorithm. The Whammy 5 is just slightly more complicated to use if all you want is a "drop pitch detuner" and is bigger. But it also gives you the ability to pitch upwards and the whammy effects. I got mine just because I got it used for the same $$ as a used Drop. But after buying it, I mainly use it to drop pitch and would prefer the smaller unit.

[nutello84]

16 hours ago, phil_m said:

I agree with the above. Try the Pitch Wham model. The original recording is done with a Whammy set to an octave up, and the signature warble is because of the Whammy not perfectly tracking (the newer Whammy V model is polyphonic, but that's beside the point).

 

 

 

Phil thanks. I tried with the Pitch Wham and sounds slight better as you suggested. To be honest I think it's still not completely ok, but definitely way better than the simple pitch does. How a polyphonic pitch would affect the quality of this effect? I don't know the difference 

[phil_m]

7 hours ago, nutello84 said:

 

Phil thanks. I tried with the Pitch Wham and sounds slight better as you suggested. To be honest I think it's still not completely ok, but definitely way better than the simple pitch does. How a polyphonic pitch would affect the quality of this effect? I don't know the difference 

 

Having polyphonic pitch shifting would smooth out those artifacts/warbles/glitches, whatever you want to call them, so it would sound more natural. In this song, though, the glitches are kind of integral to the effect, so having the effect be polyphonic would actually work against trying to recreate this sound.