Pitchfactor Portamento issue

[mkallis]

I am having the same problem described in this post: http://forum.eventide.com/cs/forums/p/5989/25865.aspx

Has this been addressed in an update yet?

Thanks!

[DGillespie]

Hi mkallis,

I believe everything discussed in that post was addressed several years ago.  What problem are you having with your Pitch Factor? What software version are you using ?

Thanks,

Dan

[mkallis]

Hi Dan, the problem is stated well in this quote from the linked post:

concerning the 'portamento': I was speaking about the, as it sounds to me, built-in ramping up the pitch, without any external modulator, of the pitch-algorithm, when the detector is 'unsure'. For example the HOG is spot on, no upward pitch-bend to the target note. Might be completely different technologies and the PF can do so much more, just wanted to point this out and ask.

[DGillespie]

Hi mkallis,

Can you give some details of which algorithm you're using in the PitchFactor, and when you hear the portamento sound?

Thanks,

Dan

[mkallis]

I can really hear it on a patch I have that just has a 2 octave up effect 100% wet. When i play lead lines the notes aren't tight – there's a glide between each note.

[DGillespie]

Hi mkallis,

There are 10 algorithms on the Pitch Factor which are selected via the encoder.  You can tell which one is selected by the LED which lights up next to a name above the encoder.  I need to know which of these you are using to look further into the issue.  Please let me know when you get a chance.

Thank You,

Dan

[mkallis]

Thanks for the response Dan. Unfortunately my rig is in the tour truck and I won't be able to check for another week and a half. I can show you what I mean if you can take a look at the below video. At 4:24 you can hear exactly what I'm talking about. He's on preset 11:2 if that helps with the algorithm question.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSRaUZWiIEM

[ROBLEISHMAN]

This is an issue with the pitch flex algorithm, on the h9 and pitch factor, the tracking is slow compared to the line 6, digitech, and ehx  "whammy" effects. I use the line 6 pitchbend for long sustained note soloing, I've tried without success to replace the unit with eventide products but the "ramp-up-into-the-note"/portamento tracking just doesn't cut it.

 In fact, it the only reason I have a big huge clunky line6 m5 on my board just for whammy effects.

 Kind of a bummer considering how "highend" eventide is, that a low end competitor's product  harmony effect performs so much better.

[DGillespie]

Hi mkallis,

Thanks, in that video I see what I'd refer to more of as a warble than a portamento.  Is this what you're talking about?  If so, there are a couple methods to tackle it.

1. Make sure you're on version 4 at least.  There was a bug before this that made the warble worse.

2. Make sure you have the pedal calibrated to your guitar or that you have the guitar tuned to the pedal.  There is a calibration menu in the system menu, by default it is set to A440.  You can make sure your guitar is tuned to this by using the tuner in the Pitch Factor.  This warble is really the pitch detector getting confused about which note is being played, and the guitar and pedal being tuned differently can exacerbate this.

3. Make sure you're getting enough level into the pedal.  We've made accommodations for a variety of levels, but the pitch detector is really happiest when it get's a loud clear signal.  If possible consider driving it with a clean rather than distorted sound as well.

4. If you really want the cleanest octave up sound consider using the harmodulator or pitch flex algorithms.  These algorithms don't do any diatonic pitch detecting at all and therefore respond a bit faster.

Alternatively if you're really talking about portamento, I'm not able to reproduce what you're talking about here, and I'm not really seeing it in that video.  The one thing the shifters do have a tendency to do is eat pick or hammer attacks so you get a slightly smoother signal which may sound a bit like it's gliding between pitches, but it's not really gliding any slower than your guitar.

Thanks,

Dan

[DGillespie]

Hi Robleishman,

I believe this issue you're talking about is different, and has been fixed in later versions as well.  Are you using pitchflex with an expression pedal, or with the flex switch on the PitchFactor?

Dan

[ROBLEISHMAN]

I've tried with both, it's not the delay a or b feature of the algorithm, it's the inherent tracking of the Harmonized sound, I will record a comparison of the line6 and H9 and post it here in the next few days to  illustrate what I mean.

[DGillespie]

Do you mean a warble when you play a chord, or do you mean a that the pitch doesn't change quickly enough when you use the expression pedal?

Thanks,

Dan

[Author]

Posts