While I'm on the subject - harmonizer pedals

[HamerHokie]

After playing around with the Boss Harmonizer I realize that you can't really use it to replicate many classic harmonized guitar solos.  The problem becomes when the song changes chords and the harmony follows the change.  The harmonizer pedal stays on whatever key you have it set for.

For instance, I messed around with Bad Company's 'Can't Get Enough of Your Love.'  Setting the harmonizer for the key of F gives you the scale to do the initial part of the harmonized solo.  But when the chord changes from C to G, the key of F no longer fits.  

Anyone find a harmonizer that can get around this issue?

[RobB]

20 minutes ago, HamerHokie said:

After playing around with the Boss Harmonizer I realize that you can't really use it to replicate many classic harmonized guitar solos.  The problem becomes when the song changes chords and the harmony follows the change.  The harmonizer pedal stays on whatever key you have it set for.

For instance, I messed around with Bad Company's 'Can't Get Enough of Your Love.'  Setting the harmonizer for the key of F gives you the scale to do the initial part of the harmonized solo.  But when the chord changes from C to G, the key of F no longer fits.  

Anyone find a harmonizer that can get around this issue?

Was the Eventide programmable? I have footage of JPage playing, “Achilles Last Stand”, at Knebworth (‘79?), and the harmonizer seems to be following the chord progressions pretty well. 

[specialk]

Maybe?

 

[Biz Prof]

1 hour ago, HamerHokie said:

After playing around with the Boss Harmonizer

Just out of curiosity, where do you place that pedal in your signal chain?

[mathman]

1 hour ago, specialk said:

Maybe?

 

I just have to say this has to be what I consider the height of Led Zeppelin's song writing powers.  One of my all time top of the list Zep songs.

[HamerHokie]

37 minutes ago, Biz Prof said:

Just out of curiosity, where do you place that pedal in your signal chain?

In the effects loop, in front of a Keeley Caverns and a chorus pedal.

[RobB]

41 minutes ago, mathman said:

I just have to say this has to be what I consider the height of Led Zeppelin's song writing powers.  One of my all time top of the list Zep songs.

My all-time fave Zep album. No one ever cites, “Presence”, as their fave LZ album, but it’s MINE. Not their best, but still my fave. Their most real, most honest record. The sound of a band that’s falling apart. 

[scottcald]

Presence is awesome.  The Knebworth thing may be me, but it sounds to me like Page is playing both notes himself.  

I don't know if harmonizers back then could be completely diatonic, don't think they could be programmed either but I'm no harmonizer historian. 

[Bennyboy-UK]

One of these could help, Digitech Harmony Man

It has a second input which picks up the keys and changes from a second guitarist when live or rhythm track.

Here’s a good demo video:

At 4.00 this feature is demoed.

Cheers!

Ben.

 

PS. you can do the same with an eventide harmoniser - pitchfactor for example but you would need to switch patches for different keys.

[Biz Prof]

9 hours ago, RobB said:

No one ever cites, “Presence”, as their fave LZ album

I harbor the same opinion, but never outwardly express it. And that's nobody's fault but mine.

[Steve Haynie]

Presence is the album with an 8 string bass all over it.  Thanks to Hamer, I can play some of those parts. 

Nobody's Fault But Mine starts off with a heavy riff.  Once you play it on an 8 string bass you just go wow! 

[HamerHokie]

18 hours ago, Bennyboy-UK said:

One of these could help, Digitech Harmony Man

It has a second input which picks up the keys and changes from a second guitarist when live or rhythm track.

Here’s a good demo video:

At 4.00 this feature is demoed.

Cheers!

Ben.

 

PS. you can do the same with an eventide harmoniser - pitchfactor for example but you would need to switch patches for different keys.

Innnnnnnteresting, thanks.  This might work. Look at all the cables it takes to make it work right!

I have a friend that uses the Eventide H9 but it's like $500 retail.  

[Armitage]

On In Through the Out Door, it was an MXR Blue Box... multitracked

[HSB0531]

On 8/30/2022 at 6:00 PM, HamerHokie said:

After playing around with the Boss Harmonizer I realize that you can't really use it to replicate many classic harmonized guitar solos.  The problem becomes when the song changes chords and the harmony follows the change.  The harmonizer pedal stays on whatever key you have it set for.

For instance, I messed around with Bad Company's 'Can't Get Enough of Your Love.'  Setting the harmonizer for the key of F gives you the scale to do the initial part of the harmonized solo.  But when the chord changes from C to G, the key of F no longer fits.  

Anyone find a harmonizer that can get around this issue?

 

On 8/30/2022 at 9:11 PM, scottcald said:

Presence is awesome.  The Knebworth thing may be me, but it sounds to me like Page is playing both notes himself.  

I don't know if harmonizers back then could be completely diatonic, don't think they could be programmed either but I'm no harmonizer historian. 

If it was 1975 and later, many studios had the Eventide H910 harmonizer. It may have been used on the Led Zep and BadCo albums. It was definitely used on David Bowie and John Lennon's albums of that era.

 

[HSB0531]

On 8/30/2022 at 6:23 PM, RobB said:

Was the Eventide programmable? I have footage of JPage playing, “Achilles Last Stand”, at Knebworth (‘79?), and the harmonizer seems to be following the chord progressions pretty well. 

Here's a link to the H910 and what it did:

https://www.eventideaudio.com/plug-ins/h910-harmonizer/

[RobB]

It seems to be harmonized, especially on those slow bends. Page is definitely not bending two separate strings simultaneously. 

[Armitage]

Don't forget overdubs... or guest guitarists... or the solo may have been recorded in more then one part, cut and pasted together. All very common occurrences. Look at any Queen album to hear it masterfully done.

Maybe just buy another harmonizer pedal for the other key?

[HamerHokie]

On 9/2/2022 at 2:02 PM, Armitage said:

Don't forget overdubs... or guest guitarists... or the solo may have been recorded in more then one part, cut and pasted together. All very common occurrences. Look at any Queen album to hear it masterfully done.

Maybe just buy another harmonizer pedal for the other key?

Buying multiple harmonizers is an interesting solution.  Seems excessive though.

I wonder why no modern harmonizer has the key tracking features of the 2008 Digitech unit.  

[draelyc]

On 8/30/2022 at 9:06 PM, Bennyboy-UK said:

One of these could help, Digitech Harmony Man

It has a second input which picks up the keys and changes from a second guitarist when live or rhythm track.

Here’s a good demo video:

At 4.00 this feature is demoed.

Cheers!

Ben.

 

PS. you can do the same with an eventide harmoniser - pitchfactor for example but you would need to switch patches for different keys.

Yawp, came here to post this!

 

I had one for many years, and of all the individual pedals I let go when I switched to a Boss MS-3-based board, I miss my old HarmonyMan the most.

Not only did it track keys/chords as advertised, but the harmonized lines had the most natural, “organic” (forgive me) tones of any intelligent harmonizer I’ve used.  Cannot recommend highly enough.

[burningyen]

One of the nice things about MFX units is you can make these kinds of changes on the fly.