Boss Harmonist PS-6 Intelligent Pitch Effects
My latest gear haul brought in a Boss Harmonist PS-6 in excellent condition. This particular pedal is currently listed in the Picking Power Reverb Shop.
It is a powerful pedal with 4 intelligent pitch effects. The effects are Harmony, Pitch Shifter, Detune, and S-Bend. You can access the S-Bend features via an optional expression pedal. The Harmony section allows for major, minor, and the 12 keys. 3-voice harmonies are also possible.
The pedal can generate 2 or 3 part harmonies, such as direct, 3rd, 5th, in Pitch Shifter, Detune, and Harmony modes.
The S-Bend feature allows up to 4 octaves of “extreme pitch” bending. I think what they’re trying to say is this is a pedal that makes some crazy and unusual sounds. Upon further research I found that the S-Bend is capable of 3 octaves down and 4 octaves up. That’s a serious range!
The pitch shifter allows for an octave up to a 5th below.
Conclusion
Using a pitch effect pedal is definitely a good way to find or write interesting parts. A lot of the time it can be something simple like the riff in Lonely Boy by The Black Keys. I find that pitch effect pedals can be a bit overwhelming if used on “normal” riffs. Adding pitch effects is best when done subtly, in my opinion.
So, if you’re looking for a powerful and intelligent pitch effect pedal check out the Boss Harmonist PS-6.
