# Octave vs. Phase shifter?



## puckhead (Sep 8, 2008)

*Octave vs. Pitch shifter?*

OK, so I'm wanting to get something that can can double my lead lines with the stomp of a button. either an octave away or maybe a 4th away for self-harmonies. 

now... after looking at Boss' website, it seems to me a phase shifter can do everything an octaver can do, plus a little bit. Is that accurate? 


Boss OC-3? 
Boss PS-5? 
EHX POG? 
something else? 

:thanks5qx:


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## puckhead (Sep 8, 2008)

Paul said:


> No, it is not accurate.
> 
> You may be more interested in a PITCH shifter, which is not the same as a phase shifter.


ahh yes.. the Boss PS-5 is a *pitch *shifter. thank for pointing that out.

question remains though: does the pitch shifter do the same as an octaver, and then some?


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## NB_Terry (Feb 2, 2006)

Check out the youtube demos of the Foxrox Octron. 

Maybe you'll like that pedal.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

As I just finished writing on the Octavia thread, pitch shifters (AKA harmonizers) work differently than octavers. Because one of the pitches that can be shifted to IS an octave up or down (though analog pedals use a fundamentally different process to do either), there is a mistaken assumption that pitch shifters are the same as octavers. Not so. two different technologies, beasts, and results.

Also, do not confuse pitch shifters with frequency shifters. Also two different beasts. A *pitch* shifter moves all content over (up or down) by the same proportion, such that all harmonics (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc) are preserved. In a frequency shifter, a particular constant is added or subtracted to the original signal, without any regard to maintaining the relationship between harmonics. You can hear what a frequency shifter sounds like here: http://www.modcan.com/modhtml/freqshift.html


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## puckhead (Sep 8, 2008)

thank you for all the feedback.

maybe I'll just practice more with my looper for a while :smile:


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

I had the old Boss pitch shifter (3?) and sold it. It was:


very thin and weak output
only usable absolutely on single notes, no double stops or chords
made the original note sound very processed

It was sortof a cool effect but so very very limited.

On the other hand, I have a Foxrox Captain Coconut with fuzz, octave, and univibe all in 1 pedal. The octave, as with most octave pedals (hey, I haven't tried em all) doesn't necessarily come thru as a separate note but a blending of an octave up with the original note. It *is* a cool and usable effect. The only caveat is that it usually works better a) on single coils b) the neck pup c) with the tone rolled off. So, for example, using it with a humbucker bridge pickup and the tone up typically yields very little or no effect at all. Most octave pedals are actually a fuzz of some sort, again *mostly* usable for single note or maybe at most power chord stuff. Full complex chords get buried in a mess of noise.


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

I currently have a PS-5. Although it sees only select use - primarily when I'm the only guitarist, I take advantage of a lot of the features, including the harmonizing, "octaving", and the detune to beef up my presence.

The whammy and vibrato functions are fun but not very practical for me.

I do think it's a very useful and although it's not an everday tool it is, much like my looper, a very handy thing to have around when you want it.


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