I need a pitch shifter

[Clef_de_fa]

Oh ok ... then why not just install a drop D-tuner on the E string ... there you have the possibility to get to C and maybe B but you'll have to work on your technique a little bit because the string will be floppy but I think it is more relyable than an electronic pitch shift that will sound synthy

 

[DavC]

price wise ... a cheap bass is close and probably more useful as time goes by ...

the electronically Dropped sound always sounds rather processed ( because it is ! )

the drop tuner is the cheapest route for a step or step 1/2 ...

 

[RedLefty]

Oh ok ... then why not just install a drop D-tuner on the E string ... there you have the possibility to get to C and maybe B but you'll have to work on your technique a little bit because the string will be floppy but I think it is more relyable than an electronic pitch shift that will sound synthy

And at $60 it's more affordable too.

 

[JonnyAngle]

The Line 6 m5 is the best pitch shifter that I've ever tried

 

[KevInDaBassment]

I hate to buy a new bass for two songs out of 40 though. Not when these pedals might be a much cheaper solution.

Coming from someone who owns one 5'er and VASTLY prefers 4-strings, a 5 is really going to be more useful than for just those two songs if used properly. Since you can also play further up on the neck, it can keep you from having to shift hand positions on songs if you plan out your placement correctly. I've had some songs that playing on a 5'er made way easier...you can also get a decent Squier 5 string or Ibanez (my recommendation) for very cheap used prices. You don't have to worry about tracking issues, fiddling with the controls, or fitting it on your pedalboard. Worst case scenario, you can typically sell a used bass for what you have in it. Just my $0.02

 

[Adamixoye]

I always assume that an OP for a question like this has considered the alternatives for other basses and bass modifications, and s/he is wanting an FX-based solution to their current setup. Not that the other alternatives aren't valid in some contexts, but it's missing the intent of the original question.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

EHX Pitch Fork will color your timbre more so than the Digitech Drop.
Digitech Drop is also true bypass.

PF doesn't do 3 semitones up/down, but Drop will do 3 down.

PF is also controllable with an expression pedal, which is what I use to make it my Whammy pedal.
The expression pedal/PF deal also lets me tune up down in increments that are not semitones, for instance a reference of 445 Hz vs. 440 Hz.

I use my Drop the most, because I'm usually playing C# Black Sabbath songs or some Eb Motörhead songs. I play both genres.

Don't get me wrong about the timbre coloring of the EHX, I actually like the way it sounds.
It's as if it adds some harmonics.

Also, the PF is pretty wild sounding if you put it in dual mode with an expression pedal.
Dual mode actually comes close to sounding like a chorus pedal, IMHO.

Add:

Throwing ALL that aside, I'd recommend getting a Digitech Whammy pedal.
It does both up and down, doesn't color your timbre, & has an expression pedal built in.

 

[Adamixoye]

EHX Pitch Fork will color your timbre more so than the Digitech Drop.
Digitech Drop is also true bypass.

PF doesn't do 3 semitones up/down, but Drop will do 3 down.

PF is also controllable with an expression pedal, which is what I use to make it my Whammy pedal.
The expression pedal/PF deal also lets me tune up down in increments that are not semitones, for instance a reference of 445 Hz vs. 440 Hz.

I use my Drop the most, because I'm usually playing C# Black Sabbath songs or some Eb Motörhead songs. I play both genres.

Don't get me wrong about the timbre coloring of the EHX, I actually like the way it sounds.
It's as if it adds some harmonics.

Also, the PF is pretty wild sounding if you put it in dual mode with an expression pedal.
Dual mode actually comes close to sounding like a chorus pedal, IMHO.

Nice to have someone with experience on both weigh in. Do you have an opinion on the latency of the Drop vs. the PF?

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Drop is a fraction faster than the PF. I almost don't notice a lag with Drop, but I do with the PF. I have no way of measuring it however.

 

[Adamixoye]

Drop is a fraction faster than the PF. I almost don't notice a lag with Drop, but I do with the PF. I have no way of measuring it however.

That's what I would have assumed, and that's what the guitar people say. Thanks.

 

[blue4]

I'm thinking the drop is my answer. Although, all this 5 string talk is making wish I didn't sell my Ibanez SR405 or my Brice.


Thanks for all the suggestions and reviews.

 

[kevteop]

I had a Pitch Fork until recently. I only used it as a +1 oct Whammy and a +1 oct doubler but it's very good at those things. Still not as good sound-wise as the Whammy effect in the Line 6 M-series boxes though. I think the Digitech Drop sounds more like what you're after.

 

[kevteop]

Actually if you've got space for it and you only need monophonic pitch shifting I would recommend the M5. The pitch shifter sounds better than anything I've tried and I've currently got an Eventide H9. Yes I am serious.

 

[Adamixoye]

Actually if you've got space for it and you only need monophonic pitch shifting I would recommend the M5. The pitch shifter sounds better than anything I've tried and I've currently got an Eventide H9. Yes I am serious.

So YOU were the guy who voted for it, eh?

 

[kevteop]

I'm on mobile and if there is a poll I didn't see it, but I use a lot of pitch effects, vibrato and oscillating filters and so on and genuinely the most natural-sounding and responsive Whammy-type effect to be had on bass is what Line 6 have got.

Full credit to their developers they did a brilliant job on it. I'm a professional software guy myself and I have tried to come up with better real-time shifting approaches and frankly it's amazing what they are doing with so little processing power.

Yes I appreciate they will have a lot of experience in house and a lot of documentation for their R&D but really this is a tough nut to crack and they have done it better than anybody.

 

[Adamixoye]

I'm on mobile and if there is a poll I didn't see it, but I use a lot of pitch effects, vibrato and oscillating filters and so on and genuinely the most natural-sounding and responsive Whammy-type effect to be had on bass is what Line 6 have got.

Full credit to their developers they did a brilliant job on it. I'm a professional software guy myself and I have tried to come up with better real-time shifting approaches and frankly it's amazing what they are doing with so little processing power.

Yes I appreciate they will have a lot of experience in house and a lot of documentation for their R&D but really this is a tough nut to crack and they have done it better than anybody.

The poll in my "blind shootout" thread that I linked to earlier. In a blind test with dozens (dozens!) of TB voters, the Drop barely beat out the Pitchflex (on a Pitchfactor). The Line6 M5 was third by a fair bit, though it did have its devotees.

IMO, the M5 did hold up pretty well, but the other two were better for pure pitchshifting (not using the Whammy aspect).

 

[Plectrum72]

Not to hijack the thread, but does anyone know how the pitch shifter on the Zoom B3 (adjustible in semitone increments up to a full octave up or down) compares to the Drop? Asking for the same reason as the OP for the occasional drop tune or down tuned song. Not quite satisfied with the sound of the Zoom's pitch shifter, but it does the job.

 

[blue4]

A little further info on why I'm wanting to go the FX route. My main bass is a Epiphone Viola. The other two are a fretless Douglas and a SS Jazz my daughter uses. So a drop D tuner wouldn't really work without losing tone on my E string. I'd want an Ibanez 5 string, SR 405 at a minimum. Plus a new case since I have no 34" case. New price minimum of $599 total, and used prices have become ridiculous. So for two or three songs, that's just too much.

 

[blue4]

Update. Well as par for the course for me it looks like I'm not getting out of this the cheap easy way. Just got a call from the guitar players, they want to drop 3 more songs. I didn't want to pay for a new 5 string bass for a couple songs, but I'm also not playing all night with a pitch shifter on either. So I guess I'll price some new 5 strings. We're already at 25% of our song list, if it's really that much easier to sing they're not going to stop there. Pretty soon we'll be in grungeville. Oh well.

 

[Mosfed]

What would you guys recommend for a simple octave up? Smallest footprint possible and only need an octave up.

I want to start using one with the B9/C9/Key9/Mel9 series