Difference between pitch harmony and pitch shift?

[magru]

I've been trying to figure out what the difference is between those two effects in the Catalyst. They sound identical and the controls are identical.

[silverhead]

Are you sure the controls are identical? I don’t have a Catalyst, nor either of the original Line 6 models, but in general a Harmonizer has a concept of key/scale while a simple Shifter does not. Perhaps the Catalyst Harmonizer has a Key parameter that the Shifter does not?
 

For instance, the difference between a major and minor key is the flatted 3rd note in the scale. A Harmonizer set to the Amin key up a 3rd will give a C note rather than a C# note when you play an A note. A simple Shifter up a 3rd will give a C# note every time you play an A note; it has no concept of key.

[magru]

Same controls, same sound. The controls seem to correspond with the Helix "Simple Pitch" effect and the icon also says "Simple Pitch".

 

It tracks multiple notes and chords just fine and does simply tranpose notes, not harmonize them.

 

[silverhead]

I notice a tuning fork icon on the bottom row of the controls. What’s the display for each under that panel?

[hurghanico]

A harmonizer without a key signature setting wouldn't make any sense, so it's obvious that you're still seeing the same pitch shift effect in both screenshots.
You're probably doing something wrong in how you actually select the effect you need.

[magru]

On 12/18/2023 at 3:02 PM, silverhead said:

I notice a tuning fork icon on the bottom row of the controls. What’s the display for each under that panel?

 

That button opens the tuner. Unrelated to those effects.

 

On 12/18/2023 at 6:17 PM, hurghanico said:

A harmonizer without a key signature setting wouldn't make any sense, so it's obvious that you're still seeing the same pitch shift effect in both screenshots.
You're probably doing something wrong in how you actually select the effect you need.

 

I choose any other effect and the controls change. Choosing one of those two shows the same as above.

[rd2rk]

I didn't spend a lot of time with this as it's an effect that I never use, but you may be right that it's the same effect with different default settings, which would explain the identical icons.

The default settings cause the "Pitch Shift" to output a single note, pitch shifted, whereas the "Pitch Harmony" results in two distinct notes in harmony. If you play around with the MIX and SHIFT LEVEL you can make either sound like the other. The only parameter that remains the same between them when switching is the INTERVAL.

[silverhead]

On 12/21/2023 at 12:23 PM, rd2rk said:

…., but you may be right that it's the same effect with different default settings, which would explain the identical icons.

The default settings cause the "Pitch Shift" to output a single note, pitch shifted, whereas the "Pitch Harmony" results in two distinct notes in harmony…

It would really be confusing if that’s the case. Two distinct notes can’t t really be said to be in harmony unless a key/scale is involved. If you use the so-called Pitch Harmony with an interval of a 3rd and then play in a minor key - it’s not in harmony unless the 3rd is flatted, and the Pitch Shift FX doesn’t do that. Calling it a Harmony FX without the ability to harmonize is misleading at best.

[rd2rk]

On 12/21/2023 at 11:02 AM, silverhead said:

It would really be confusing if that’s the case. Two distinct notes can’t t really be said to be in harmony unless a key/scale is involved. If you use the so-called Pitch Harmony with an interval of a 3rd and then play in a minor key - it’s not in harmony unless the 3rd is flatted, and the Pitch Shift FX doesn’t do that. Calling it a Harmony FX without the ability to harmonize is misleading at best.

 

Yes, I should have said that the "harmony" is relative to the interval, not true harmony relative to a key.

[magru]

 

On 12/21/2023 at 7:02 PM, silverhead said:

It would really be confusing if that’s the case. Two distinct notes can’t t really be said to be in harmony unless a key/scale is involved. If you use the so-called Pitch Harmony with an interval of a 3rd and then play in a minor key - it’s not in harmony unless the 3rd is flatted, and the Pitch Shift FX doesn’t do that. Calling it a Harmony FX without the ability to harmonize is misleading at best.

 

Misleading, but sadly true. It's also misleading saying that the Catalyst has 6 pitch effects when it's 5 in reality.

 

I opened a ticket with Line6 support which directed me to this video:

 

 

Starting from 7:17 the pitch shifter is explained,
starting from 16:32 the pitch harmony is explained.

 

I realised that choosing "Pitch Harmony" the mix knob defaults to 50/50, with "Pitch Shift" the mix knob defaults to 0/100. The idea for the former is explained in the video, doing some "easy power chords" to -7 and playing single notes.