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Author Topic: Compact harmonizer?  (Read 17289 times)

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Harley Hexxe

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Re: Compact harmonizer?
« Reply #30 on: Time Format »

@ Richard,

    I was playing with two working bands at the time, a hair-metal band, and a funk band and bringing home a decent paycheck every week, so I wasn't doing too bad except everytime I would go into a music store, I'd blow $2000-$3000 at a time.

@ Sinn,

    I'm right on your heels as far as age is concerned, but I still do my thing.

     "Too old to rock n roll, but too stupid to quit!"
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rabidgerry

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Re: Compact harmonizer?
« Reply #31 on: Time Format »

Ok perhaps I'm not as picky as the rest of you guy's.

@Harley so yeah it goes wonky if you have to start free styling (same as the boss harmonizing effects I've used before so something I know to avoid).  I guess that's where that would never happen to me purely because if I was using such a device as my IPS33 I would only use it with designated passages all carefully worked out to begin with.  That's just how I write songs, I don't leave much room for improvising as I want my solos etc. to be recognised as identifiable parts of the song.  Boring to some (like the dutch band I toured with thought) but not to me and many other guitarists who play their solos in the same way so they are recognisable hooks in the songs.

So yes there I see (IPS33 ) it's disadvantage, but as I said I would never use it in this capacity.

So an Eventide in this capacity will know what to change the scale to then is what you are saying?  I see, so it's clever.  Even their early units?

I played with a band in the summer and the guy had one of those eventide pedals.  Sounded like shit to me.  Perhaps it was his tone though, I dunno.  My Boss GT5 harmonizer sounded better lol and it's from 1994.

@ Van sinn

I'm not sure what it is you are after then, I have only recommended a few different pedal units to you on this thread.  The Digitech IPS33 was only mentioned by myself as I got one recently.

The Digitech whammy is a pedal as are the boss pedals myself and MJMP have mentioned and I found another unit in my last post which is the Digitech harmony man (another pedal and compact - looks good to me).

Another might be one of those electro harmonix pitch fork.  Tiny little thing.

@ Richard  too right mate, I love the IPS.  I am so pleased with it.  I think quality wise it sounds great, as for the interface, so far it has not bothered me at all  :dunno: perhaps I'm used to complicated boss MFX units which make everything else seem easy to program.  I'm going to post my new home rig soon which will feature the unit as a permanent fixture - watch this space.  As for the tracking and distortion loop, you are correct, that loop really helps the unit out.  I have no experience using it as midi unit though so I can't say I have had that nightmare you had trying to do Highway Star.  I can see the IPS only being a studio unit for me.  In my live rig which has to b small for travel I'm either sticking with Roland GP100 or Boss GX700, depends.
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Harley Hexxe

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Re: Compact harmonizer?
« Reply #32 on: Time Format »

Hey Gerry,

    The early Eventide harmonizers like the 910, 949, and 969 didn't do complex lines very well, they we much more simplified. The H-3000 was the first that could be programmed to adjust to changes in the middle of a solo.
    As for the interface, you could "teach" the IPS33 to do the same things I'm talking about, but the display is limited, and I found myself not coming back to the right point in the editing process to finish the program I was working on. It was tedious to me and time consuming, and at that point in time, I felt like I was spending too much time editing and programming, and not enough time playing and working on the music. The Eventide is much friendlier in this way as I only have to select a soft key in a program I am editing, make the changes in the area I want it, and save it. It wasn't so much about improvising on the fly, as it was about changing the way I would solo in a certain section of a musical passage.
   One of the things I found myself getting caught up in back when all this technology became available to guitar players, was how much time I was spending to get the sounds and effects as perfect as I could, and that 's not how I like to work. I'm one of those guys who would prefer to just set it and forget it, and get back to the music. As long as I'm getting a tone from my guitar that gives me goose flesh, then I'm good to go.
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rnolan

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Re: Compact harmonizer?
« Reply #33 on: Time Format »

Back in those days I had allot more energy and tolerance for tweaking and programming the various gadgets, these days I just like it to work easily so my fx are relatively simple (generally some mild stereo delay and some reverb).  I keep thinking to play around with the IPS33, like whenever I listen to Trevor Rabin..  I've got it in my studio rack in anticipation...  But mostly I just start playing and just get lost in that.  Like the Diamonds & Gold clean MP2 patch Van posted, I've seen the sun come up a few times just diddling around with that patch and trying to give some of my other guitars a run.  The TC MOne has a nice "for guitar" program (del/rev) which I haven't modified and I just mix that in to taste.

My Midiverb4 has got some pitch shifting capabilities (and it's in my live rack), at some point I'll try it out.
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Harley Hexxe

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Re: Compact harmonizer?
« Reply #34 on: Time Format »

Hey Richard,

    I know what you mean. I also have some pitch shifting and harmony effects in my Lexicon units, but I don't bother with them. Maybe one day...
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rnolan

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Re: Compact harmonizer?
« Reply #35 on: Time Format »

Hey Harley, I've been thinking to buy a couple of lexicon multi Fx units so I can have it all in the one unit.  My quadverb has been a brick but is showings its age sonically, and I've never really explored my midiverb4 (which does sound better/different than the quadverb and has some pitch shift abilities).  I have a TC MOne XL in the studio rack, and it puts them both to shame sonically but isn't quite as versatile.  I've always loved Lexicon reverb, came home to me when I used an old souncraft spirit powered desk one night which had Lexicon Fx/verb built in, nice   :metal: . If behringer ever get a decent Fx chip in their desks... coz it's crap  :facepalm: .

So it seems some of the Lexicons can also do decent pitch shifting  :dunno: , in which case they would go well in a 4 RU rack with MP2, Lex in loop, poweramp (Mmm B200s) good to go and cover all bases.  Anyway that's sort of my thinking and (http://lexiconpro.com/en-US/products/mx300) these look like fun ?
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Harley Hexxe

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Re: Compact harmonizer?
« Reply #36 on: Time Format »

Hey Richard,

   Just a heads up you should be aware of when considering Lexicon rack gear. If this unit you are considering is for a live rack, it might work out for you, but this is one of the Harman issued Lexicon processors. and like all the MX series Lexicons, they only accept MIDI program change commands on MIDI channel 1. The same is true for Alex, Reflex, Jam Man, MX 100, MX110, and so on. All of these units are very shallow and use wall-wart power supplies.
  If you are looking at older, high-end Lexicon processors, they will have full MIDI implementation and SYSEX function, but you may find that with most MIDI program change controllers that use a daisy chain MIDI path, that there will be a noticeable lag in program changes. This would include LXP series, MPX series, and PCM series.
   This is why I use a Voodoo Labs Ground Control when I incorporate any of these processors in a live rack.
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rnolan

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Re: Compact harmonizer?
« Reply #37 on: Time Format »

Hey Harley, thanks my friend, salient thoughts  :thumb-up: .  My intention for it/them is purely for live rack(s) I'm kind of thinking to split my hybrid bass (MB1) & guit (MP2) rack and work in my new(ish) MP1). So I kind of want one for the bass rig and one for the guitar rig.  Do these Harmon versions still sound good ? Or should I look out for an older unit ? (advice appreciated BTW).

Back to the thread, I do want decent pitch sifting in a multi Fx gadget so I can reduce rack space.
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Harley Hexxe

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Re: Compact harmonizer?
« Reply #38 on: Time Format »

I haven't tried any of the Harman units for pitch shifting, so I can't answer that definitively. But I can say if they include it in the processor, then it's probably a safe bet it should do the job. If you go with the MX unit in your live rig, then you may want to consider a momentary footswitch to bypass the unit when you need the effect out of the way in a hurry. an ADA FS-2 will work for it. It may even have the ability to change effects with a 2nd switch.

The Lexicons I have used the pitch shifting effects with are the MPX-1 and LXP-15 II, and both work really well, and can be modified and stored in memory. They can also be controlled and modified on the fly with footswitches and expression pedals. They're good processors for the price, but the MPX can be a pain to edit at times. The LXP is a good multi-effects processor with awesome Reverbs, and other effects, (it took the place of my Digitech DSP128), and easier to edit and store. I like to use that one with my MP-2.
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rnolan

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Re: Compact harmonizer?
« Reply #39 on: Time Format »

Hey Harley, cool, seems I should look out for a LXP then.
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Harley Hexxe

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Re: Compact harmonizer?
« Reply #40 on: Time Format »

Hey Richard,

    They should be pretty affordable by now, and they are pretty user friendly to work with. The manuals are still available for download at the Lexicon archive, but be aware, if you put it in a rack, it's a deep unit. You may need to support the back end of it. That's why I have rear rack rails in my rack case. I use a plain rack shelf underneath the back of those deep effects.
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MarshallJMP

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Re: Compact harmonizer?
« Reply #41 on: Time Format »

I also have a MPX-1 and I love the sound but like Harley says, the editing is a big pain in the ass but once you get to know it there's a lot of possibility's. Soundwise these are great units (PCM's are better but more expensive). For me the MPX-1 sounds better then the LXP. Stay a way from those MX units.
The best lexicons are the PCM's but they still go for a lot of money. So a good and not so expensive unit is the MPX-1 IMHO.
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rnolan

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Re: Compact harmonizer?
« Reply #42 on: Time Format »

Thanks for the heads up  :thumb-up: Found a couple on evil bay (http://www.ebay.com/bhp/lexicon-mpx), the software interface also looks interesting.
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Harley Hexxe

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Re: Compact harmonizer?
« Reply #43 on: Time Format »

The MPX replaced the LXP basically. The LXP is not bad, but it uses a single processor compared to the dual processors in the MPX, but the MPX is much more transparent because of it The LXP still gives you the kind of reverb we look for in the Lexicon gear though, just all of the effects in there are set to 100% wet, just like in the PCM units, so you have to cut the mix back for use in a guitar rack.

I'm going to eventually upgrade to a PCM 80 to preserve the stereo signal path, so I can place the Lexicon at the end of the chain where I feel it belongs. I believe reverb should be the last thing in the effects chain.
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