The Electro Harmonix EHX Pitch Fork pitch shifter pedal is a neat guitar effects pedal to arm your musical palette with some sudden pitch variations. The device offers the player a possibility to transpose his or her instrument’s pitch three octaves above or below.
This is a great tool both for minute and major audio shifts, as the control knobs allow you to implement the Pitch Fork as a subtle sound bender, but also as a bonafide pitch bomb machine. It comes straight from the workshops of Electro Harmonix, a company known for its hidden gems among the aficionados of guitar-fueled sound.
What makes the pedal stand out above similar items is the wide array of options available at your disposal. Pitch shifting is a function that can be utilized in many styles and music genres, but some creativity is required. We are not talking about your average distortion pedal, but about something a bit more refined.
Controls, Features, Specs
Apart from the on/off switch, the pedal features a set of two control knobs and a pair of switches. The knobs allow you to produce an output that can severely vary, and if the pedal is combined with other effects, you can go from mellow pop to roaring metal.
Shift – Basically the key knob. It offers a total of 11 different positions. The function allows you to detune, perform a shift of 17 cents, all the way through Minor 2nd, Major 2nd, Major 3rd, Perfect 4th, Perfect 5th, Major 6th, Minor 7th, 1 Octave, 2 Octaves and 3 Octaves.
Dual – This switch allows you to create dual pitches and therefore lay down a harmony to your root melody or groove.
Latch – This one is used to switch between two work modes – Latch and Momentary. Momentary mode allows you to instantly switch between two pitches, or control the pitch through your expression pedal. In Latch mode, the effect varies each time the pedal is activated.
Blend – Finally, the blend switch controls the mix of the dry signal and the effected signal. Essentially, it mixes up the tone and results in more or less bass and mid section tones depending on the position.
You can get more info from Electro Harmonix or check it out for yourself.
Tones and Sounds
What is cool about this pedal is that you can use it both as an attention-grabbing gimmick thing and a vital part of your sound. The way this pedal is utilized to its fullest capabilities is by mixing it up with other effects, especially the standard stuff like overdrive and distortion pedals.
It can capture any mood and by no means does it fall into the “experimental” category. The Pitch Fork allows you to explore genuine emotion and not just explore sonic patterns. There is no genre that it can’t tackle, so if you got the chops and skill, you can place this baby within the realms of pop, country, blues, jazz, rock, and even full-on metal.
Several notable things about this one – the Dual mode allows you to underline your melody with harmony and essentially produce the effect of two guitars playing at once. Additionally, you can reduce the pitch of your guitar so low that it sounds like a bass. Finally, the Blend function can be used to produce chords otherwise impossible to play. But these would be the flashy features. When used in more standard mode, the pedal can give your audio output an aspect that will make it more rich, powerful and effective, resulting in more resonance among the listeners.
Road-Worthiness & Durability
The device utilizes a fairly classic type of pedal casing, the case is made of sturdy metal, and the inner circuits and components are connected very efficiently. This results with a pedal that is more than capable of sustaining physical damage.
Whether we are talking about tumbling and punches during transport or stomping during frequent use. In a nutshell, the pedal is strong and gets a thumbs up from us for the durability aspect.
Overall Rating
Pedal Rating:
When all factors are combined, this is one of the top pitch pedals you can buy. It is incredibly versatile and offers a sound that is very warm, natural and organic. In order to capture the best sound possible, we wholeheartedly recommend that you get an expression pedal to go along with the Pitch Fork. Whether it’s subtlety or full-blown Tom Morello experimentation you’re after, this pedal won’t let you down.