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Rich_S
Silver Member
USA
219 Posts |
 Posted - 06/03/2009 : 16:27:29
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Curse you, Andy Summers! Just when I thought I had my rig nailed, I started noticing his subtle use of octave-up effects on the recent live CD. It adds a really nice, spacey ambience to otherwise pedestrian riffs, and helps spread out the range of a 3-piece.
Anyway, I started looking at low-end rack-mount stuff, but incorporating a single rack-mount processor into my stompbox-based rig is a hassle. All that cablinig back adn forth, and extra AC cord, figuring out how to footswtich it, bah. Stompboxes rule.
Anyway, I have one space open on my pedalboard. I WAS thinking I'd fill it with an MXR Carbon Copy. I already have a DD-3, but I like having two delay sounds preset, and adding the CC would give me the choice of analog funk or digital cleans.
So, then I thought I could add a PS-3 instead. That would give me a pitch shifter, with the option of making it a second delay if needed. However, I think I read somewhere that the PS-3's tracking is iffy on the octave settings.
So, I could get a PS-5. Seems to be overkill for a simple octave-up. I doubt I would use the whammy and T-Bar features much, but who knows? Maybe if I had them, I'd find a use.
That of course, leaves me without a second delay. Or, maybe I put the Carbon Copy on the board, and keep the shifter separate, since it's not really an every-day kind of effect. (Hmmm... I have busted Cry Baby sitting around, too.. Might be pressed into service as an expression pedal. Wish the PS-5 allowed exp control over more than just pitch, though.)
Anyway, this is the BossArea, so please give me your experience/advice concerning the PS-3 and PS-5. Pro's, con's? How do they compare at tracking the dreaded octave intervals, especially for chords?
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natthu
Gold Member
Australia
756 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2009 : 17:26:52
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I have a few pitch shifters, mainly for shifting down an octave or two (OC-3,Exar OC-04, Pearl OC-7) but I do have a PS-2, PS-3 and a PS-5 aswell.
The PS-3 is an awesome pedal as you can get the delay to interact with the pitch shifting, it makes for some pretty out there or spacey effects if you want it. It's tracking is pretty good, although you can freak it out by playing fast or lots of chords. It sounds rubbish with an expression pedal (it steps through the parameter changes rather than smoothly bending). The PS-3 can also sound a bit metallic/robotic when you don't want it to. The PS-5 is quite similar in many respects. However, the lack of delay means that you can't do all the fun wierd sounds achievable with the PS-3. The harmonizer in the PS-5 suffers from the same occasional tracking problems as the PS-3. I wouldn't bother getting the PS-2 unless you got it real cheap (it's like the PS-3 but half as good).
Other options you may want to look into are the Electro-Harmonix POG (Laurie swears by it and claims the tracking is top banana) or maybe a Digitech Whammy (built in expression pedal). I've heard that the older Digitech Whammy's are better, but that may just be a case of vintage snobbery. I haven't tried either of these myself, although I would like to...
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Rich_S
Silver Member
USA
219 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2009 : 19:06:08
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| I don't get it... how do you combine delay with pitch shifting in the PS-3? It seems an either/or proposition. How long is the "slight" delay in Mode 6? |
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Laurie
Double Platinum Member
Canada
4854 Posts |
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copper
Bronze Member
USA
73 Posts |
Posted - 06/04/2009 : 00:03:03
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quote:
Originally posted by Rich_S
I don't get it... how do you combine delay with pitch shifting in the PS-3? It seems an either/or proposition. How long is the "slight" delay in Mode 6?
You can either have delay, pitch shifting and delay, or two shifted pitches at once.
PS-3 is cool. I recently got one and I love it. I use it for octave down. Yes the tracking isn't the greatest, but if used with it mixed very low, making it so it's a little more than noticeable, you can't tell and it makes the sound really huge. Delay is alright, not a fan of digital delay though, so it doesn't get used, but it's nice to have available. It can also be used as a chorus pedal which doesn't sound bad.
I totally recommend a PS-3, very versatile effect for the value. Got mine for $142.04. |
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Jkeatley
Copper Member
United Kingdom
47 Posts |
Posted - 06/04/2009 : 00:04:51
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| you could place a PS-3 on the end of the dd-3 set the mix full wet and use the direct out into an aby which would give pitch shifted delays. |
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natthu
Gold Member
Australia
756 Posts |
Posted - 06/04/2009 : 09:56:35
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quote:
Originally posted by Rich_S
I don't get it... how do you combine delay with pitch shifting in the PS-3? It seems an either/or proposition. How long is the "slight" delay in Mode 6?
When you use one of the dual delay/pitch shifting modes it's not like having two pedals in series, the feedback loop from the delay gets pitch-shifted so that each repeat is a little more pitch shifted than the last - until it sounds almost like a ring mod (ascending) or it's too low for your amp to reproduce (decending)...
I hope that makes sense to you?
It's a very cool effect if used sparingly. It also makes drum machines sound wierd/cool - which is why I bought it in the first place.
PS-3 mode 6 is pitch shift +or- 2 octaves and *slow* delay. From memory (I might be wrong) I believe the delay is the same as mode 2 (125-500ms) although I can't check this for you just now as my pedals are all packed up for moving... Sorry!
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nion
Silver Member
USA
164 Posts |
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Rich_S
Silver Member
USA
219 Posts |
Posted - 06/05/2009 : 15:27:35
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| Will the PS-3 and PS-5 track simple chords? Not big, speedy power chord riffing, but small, 2- and 3-note, arpeggiated chords? A small delay is OK, but do they track stuff like that correctly, just pick up the last (or maybe, loudest note), or do they just freak out? |
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ChristoMephisto
Platinum Member
Canada
1288 Posts |
Posted - 06/06/2009 : 00:20:55
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Both bother with the PS5, it's  |
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FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
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Pitch Shifters 101
