Anyone ever use a harmonizer?

Bryan Daste · Post by **Bryan Daste** » 30 Sep 2009 6:22 pm

Chas, WOW! You've got crazy amounts of really sweet gear. I looked at the Digitech HM2 video, and it looks really promising. I don't have any cash to throw at one of these, but it's inspired me to revisit the harmonizing and octave capabilities of my PodXT.
Thanks...

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 1 Oct 2009 3:21 pm

I tried out my boss ps5 on steel last night for the first time. The harmonizing function was not so great sounding on steel (sounds great on guitar) possibly because of the need for exact intonation. But what was interesting to me was the "whammy" function.

Has anyone else ever tried whammy pedals on steel?
Basically , when i stomp on the pedal it will take the note up or down an octave (or any full step interval in between) at whatever speed i dial in. Im picturing ending a rock solo with that slow octave bend way way up beyond hugheyland, or dive bombing way way down.

Bryan Daste · Post by **Bryan Daste** » 1 Oct 2009 11:52 pm

The Pod doesn't have much in the way of harmonizing, just a very synth-y tone that doesn't blend well with the steel. The octave stuff is OK, but after seeing the Harmony Man, it all seems very primitive.

Dean Parks · Post by **Dean Parks** » 2 Oct 2009 12:10 am

Haven't heard this with anything but voice, but in person, very hi-fi sounding.

http://www.tc-helicon.com/video_select. ... ntId=10831

Steve Norman · Post by **Steve Norman** » 2 Oct 2009 8:29 am

Im in the studio today, I will record some stuff with the pog just so you guys can hear it, and post to youtube or myspace.

Ill let you guys know when I get it posted.

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 4 Oct 2009 10:15 am

That would be cool Steve. I am really interested to hear the POG on steel. I'd love to be able to get a nice organ sound from it.

Steve Norman · Post by **Steve Norman** » 4 Oct 2009 1:56 pm

ran out of time, Ill try it next week, other wise I will just do a crappy recording at the house with it.

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 5 Oct 2009 10:26 am

The POG does a great organ sound, but I need to use my Motion SOund guitar leslie for the best sound. I had one, but I gave it to my wife for use with her cello. She's a genius with effects......

I'll see if she will loan it back to me so that I can record a demo.

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 5 Oct 2009 7:07 pm

Before this thread came up, I was looking at octave pedals - I need a good sub-octave sound for guitar for a country/soul/funk/blues project I have going, and I want to explore it for steel also. I was looking at the usual suspects - trying to find an old Mutron Octave Divider or perhaps get a modern analog rendition like the FoxRox Octron. But I also tried a POG 2 and Micro POG, and spurred by this thread, I also checked out some harmonizer pedals like the Digitech Harmony Man.

I really wanted to like the Harmony Man - the features are really pretty cool for a relatively inexpensive harmony pedal like this. But I just couldn't get past the tonality of the output - it seemed pretty harsh to me, especially on the sub-harmony sounds. It was OK on the high end, but the sub-octaves were pretty weak, to my tastes. The other thing, of course, is that it's not polyphonic, so it really glitched a lot outside of single-note use. To be fair, so do the very organic sounding analog octave pedals, and I understand that it's not advertised as a polyphonic pedal.

The Micro POG did everything I really need, and then some. Being polyphonic, it handled 2 and 3 notes very well, and actually it also tracked larger chords, but of course sounded pretty weird with complex extended chords. But major and minor chords with 2-3 octaves sounded great, if a bit busy. The sub-octaves didn't have the smooth sound of, let's say, an old analog octave pedal, but it was, let's say, very "acceptable". I tried to make it glitch, and didn't succeed.

I don't have access to a HOG yet - I'm trying to run one down that I can reasonably drive to - if the sub-octaves are as good as the POGs, I may go for one of them. But I have to say, the POG may not have anything but octave and sub-octave multiples, but I found it hard to get a bad sound out of it, and it gave a lot of different but very good sounds. The POG 2 has the ability to emulate the trad ring-modulated upper-octave sounds of the old-school octave pedals like the Mutron. It's really a pretty cool pedal, I wasn't really expecting it to be this good.

I guess that unless the sub-octave sounds on the harmonizers get me somewhere close to the sound of the old analog pedals, I'll stick to either a Mutron clone or perhaps the POG. I can see the utility to being able to easily do things like Allman Brothers style harmonized leads on guitar, but one of the best things about pedal steel is precisely its great chord-melody possibilities. In a pedal, I really don't see much point in trading off tone for additional harmony notes.

I imagine the $5000+ Eventide makes essentially no compromises, but I guess I don't need it that much. I suppose I should try to track down their $500 stomp box - nobody anywhere near here has one, but it might be worth a shot.

Loren Claypool · Post by **Loren Claypool** » 6 Oct 2009 10:11 am

I have a Boss PS-5 Super Shifter. I have not used the harmonizer function on lap steel, but I used the octave function with steel on a couple of songs on One Feather Shy to drop an octave, one song with my baritone lap steel. I am pleased with the deep, rich bass tone.

Dave Hopping · Post by **Dave Hopping** » 8 Oct 2009 10:24 pm

My only experience with a harmonizer was at a gig with a bass player who did vocal backups-ran his mic through a vocal hamonizer into the board.He was right in front of the drummer's ride cymbal,which was being ridden hard all night long and consequently leaked all over the stage.I must say that you've never heard a ride cymbal until you've heard it harmonized.

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 11 Oct 2009 9:58 am

just picked up a digitech whammy pedal. the harmonizer section is pretty bad. the whammy function is fun for shredding.

i breifly tried the micro pog in a store on a guitar and couldnt get a good organ sound out of it. maybe it was the environemnt i was testing it in, or maybe you need the full on POG for the organ sounds?

Steve Norman · Post by **Steve Norman** » 11 Oct 2009 10:38 am

need the full pog

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plnjVxJ1evY

at 2:30 in the vid, Its actually sounds more organ like on a steel, and it tracks the bends and slides perfectly

this is the old full pog, the new one is the same but with presets

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UV83GWbIDBw

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 12 Oct 2009 9:45 am

this vid does a better job with the organ sounds at 3:00
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dp8gF7H7 ... re=related

I wish these pogs werent so expensive. that IS an impressive organ sound from a guitar and I would imagine with the VP and sustain of a steel it would only be even better. me want!

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 12 Oct 2009 10:23 am

Hey Steve and Dan T., quick question on the POG organ sounds.

It looks as if the POGs organ sounds are pretty good, but while alot of effects are good at emmulating or producing sounds...they are often not usuable in a practical sense outside of the bedroom or studio in the context of a full live band. Are you guys able to use the POGs organ sounds in real songs live to produce organ like chord pads?

I hope my question is clear, its hard to explain but some effects, while they soond great, just dont really work like you would imgaine or hope in a live setting.

Steve Norman · Post by **Steve Norman** » 12 Oct 2009 11:19 am

I use mine on a couple of Otis Redding songs one band does, I do a steel intro, then I pad with the pog on at very low volumes until my steel part comes back around. If you want to borrow it and try it out your welcome to.

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 12 Oct 2009 12:10 pm

that would be great Steve. Its an expensive item to take that leap of faith on without trying it out first. I could try one at a store but its not the same as with your steel and your other effects etc.

I'll send ya a pm.