Boss Harmonist pedal

[Twisteramps]

I have one of these on the way - my band is doing some songs that could use harmonies, and I'm about ready to retire the keyboard player from playing them with me.

Anyone here have one? Does it work best in the fx loop or in the front of the amp?

Pete

[Twisteramps]

Re: Boss Harmonist pedal

bump! C'mon, somebody has to have checked one of these out.

Pete

[taxistationary]

Re: Boss Harmonist pedal

I haven't tryed them, but I've heard mixed opinions. Some say they sound like ass, but some commend them. I'm sure they, like any harmonizer unit, can't exactly produce sounds that of a second guitarist, but I'd be willing to bet it gets the point across.

Just a suggestion but: Your handy, why not find the diagram and build you're own spin off of one?

[Firebird V]

Re: Boss Harmonist pedal

I used to use one. It tracked ok. If your doing stuff at lightning speed it does have a tracking delay. Not bad for a pedal though. I used to run it through the loop of my old Lee jackson head. If you are looking for a quick harmonized riff it is an excellent choice. Yngwie solos.... You will hear a tracking delay. Obviously you will need to know what key you are in and what key you want the tracking to be in for it to sound right. Post a few clips when you get it Pete.

[Twisteramps]

Re: Boss Harmonist pedal

Regarding building one... hell no! That would be like trying to make your own digital delay... most of the heavy lifting is in the chips, but still - we're talking about a lot of work instead of just buying one off the shelf. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Useage for me is going to be for little harmony parts - my band is doing "sing me away" by night ranger, and Don't tell me you love me... also Burnin' for you by BOC, and we're thinking about doing some Thin lizzy tunes.

Even if it's not 100% perfect, for live it might be fine. I'm just going nuts with harmony keyboard stuff... I think it just doesn't sound right.

Thanks for the info guys, keep em coming! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Pete

[jgcable]

Re: Boss Harmonist pedal

[ QUOTE ]
Regarding building one... hell no! That would be like trying to make your own digital delay... most of the heavy lifting is in the chips, but still - we're talking about a lot of work instead of just buying one off the shelf. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Useage for me is going to be for little harmony parts - my band is doing "sing me away" by night ranger, and Don't tell me you love me... also Burnin' for you by BOC, and we're thinking about doing some Thin lizzy tunes.

Even if it's not 100% perfect, for live it might be fine. I'm just going nuts with harmony keyboard stuff... I think it just doesn't sound right.

Thanks for the info guys, keep em coming! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Pete

[/ QUOTE ]

It will be fine for those songs Pete. It isn't an intelligent harmonizer so you have to be aware of the key.
Also, put it in the loop. The cleaner the signal to it the better it tracks. I suppose for Don't Tell Me You Love Me you were taking about the harmony solo at the end. It will work perfectly for that. I think alot of players bail out of the Harmonist pedal before they realize that you have to learn to use it. It just isn't a step on it and get instant harmony. I have one in my GT6 and it is awesome.

[Twisteramps]

Re: Boss Harmonist pedal

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Regarding building one... hell no! That would be like trying to make your own digital delay... most of the heavy lifting is in the chips, but still - we're talking about a lot of work instead of just buying one off the shelf. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Useage for me is going to be for little harmony parts - my band is doing "sing me away" by night ranger, and Don't tell me you love me... also Burnin' for you by BOC, and we're thinking about doing some Thin lizzy tunes.

Even if it's not 100% perfect, for live it might be fine. I'm just going nuts with harmony keyboard stuff... I think it just doesn't sound right.

Thanks for the info guys, keep em coming! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Pete

[/ QUOTE ]

It will be fine for those songs Pete. It isn't an intelligent harmonizer so you have to be aware of the key.
Also, put it in the loop. The cleaner the signal to it the better it tracks. I suppose for Don't Tell Me You Love Me you were taking about the harmony solo at the end. It will work perfectly for that. I think alot of players bail out of the Harmonist pedal before they realize that you have to learn to use it. It just isn't a step on it and get instant harmony. I have one in my GT6 and it is awesome.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah. I used to set one of the pedals on my Vetta to go between a b3rd and a major 3rd harmony - and moved it while I played, but that was a LOT of work. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Pete

[Chavelfan]

Re: Boss Harmonist pedal

I have one of these and per the manual and my experience it tracks best in front of the amp. The manual says it should be the first effect in your chain and that's where it sounded best. In my loop it was terrible and the switch popped. I only used it for octave up or down. It is hard to change keys and intervals on the fly on a dark stage. Mine stopped working a few months ago which was a bummer.
Hope this helps!

Jeff

[lerxstcat]

Re: Boss Harmonist pedal

I had one and found that it tracked fine at speed if you played clean and were in perfect tune. You do need to understand diatonic harmony. I liked to set one voice to double and one for a 3rd up. Since it will only play that preset interval, it's semi-intelligent.
If you're playing the 5th of the scale as your melody, where you might want the octave (a 4th above the melody) as your harmony, it will play the 7th instead. Sometimes that doesn't sound as good. I have found that sometimes you can invert the part you'd play and it sounds better. Like in a minor key if the record called for a 5th and octave harmony, the harmonizer would give you a minor 7th. I would just play the octave instead and get a minor 3rd abocve that. Still not the correct harmony, but on something like Hellion: Electric Eye, it sounds a lot better than if you played the "correct" note.

Of course, you can get a Digitech IPS 33 or 33B that have programmable harmonies and program each tone of the scale with your own custom harmonies. They don't cost that much more than the Harmonist and are a lot more versatile. Definitely no Eventide though, but
you can get one for under $100 and they sound passable live.