Eventide effects need little introduction. For over 50 years, they’ve trail-blazed digital processing and algorithms, developing massively successful hardware that’s been heard on countless records and used by some of the greatest musicians of all time. The formidable PitchFactor pedal by Eventide places 10 effects in a compact floor unit, a worthy implement to review and break down for any potential buyers!
Eventide’s PitchFactor Offers Ten Effects in One Stompbox
Multi-effects are Eventide’s calling card. What began with the H910 Harmonizer in 1975 all the way through the more recent H9000 in 2017, the brand has found novel ways to invent and reinvent the digital effects processor to numerous producers’ and artists’ satisfaction.
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It’s true that their rackmount effects are what built the Eventide legacy, and the introduction of pedals to the lineup in the 2000s opened the gates for a whole new audience. The PitchFactor is just one of a dozen Eventide stompboxes, including 10 flavors of pitch shifting and delay.
What Effects Are Included?
- Diatonic: Classic pitch-shifting harmonizer based on the inputted interval/key
- PitchFlex: Capable of whammy-style effects
- Quadravox: A four-voice version of the Diatonic harmonizer
- Octaver: Creates a lower octave note as well as a sub-harmonic tone two octaves below the input pitch
- HarModulator: A pair of chromatic pitch shifters with added modulation
- Crystals: Dual reverse pitch shifters and reverbs with delay/feedback. An iconic Eventide sound.
- MicroPitch: Ultra-fine resolution shifter and delay designed to thicken and enrich sounds
- HarPeggiator: 16-step arpeggiating sequencer
- H910/H949: Built-in emulations of two Eventide masterpieces
- Synthonizer: Mimics analog synthesizer, organ, and Theramin sounds
Eventide PitchFactor Review
Retro Build with Modern Functionality
The PitchFactor contains 10 classic Eventide effects, so there shouldn’t be too many surprises when it comes to sound (that isn’t to say that this isn’t an exciting unit!). Whether you’re aware of it or not, you’ve probably heard Eventide’s harmonizing somewhere. To call these types of effects “retro” would be technically correct given their genesis, but Eventide’s always been transcendent — creating sounds that never go out of style.
Most of PitchFactor’s modernity comes namely by virtue of being a stompbox. It boils down 10 thematically similar effects, and gives users easy hands-on control with direct connection to their instrument.
Flexible Parameters to Dial in Your Sound
Eventide gave users a pair of pitch controls, a pair of delay parameters, a pair of modulation adjusters, and realistically not much else. It’s the exact amount of parameters needed to take this thing from 0 to 100 as fast as you can.
And that’s arguably one of this pedal’s best features. There are as many knobs as fingers on two hands, all of which are intuitive. As powerful as the PitchFactor is, it’s quite simple to wrap your brain around. After just a few moments of experimentation, you should have a fair grasp of how to dial in a tone.
Explore 100 Presets
Users can hit the ground running just by calling up one of 100 built-in presets. That’s more than a taste of the types of sounds you can expect from the PitchFactor, and also a good springboard on which to fine-tune your own unique effects.
How Does the Eventide PitchFactor Sound?
Iconic. Eventide’s studio-grade effects have been the pride of engineers, producers, and musicians for years and years now. There’s absolutely no way they’d cut any corners to develop a pedal for the sake of it. Anyone who plugs into the PitchFactor or any of Eventide’s stompbox effects can expect uncompromising sound quality and a level of musicality that’s hard to match.
Is It User-Friendly?
Without a doubt, the PitchFactor is very user-friendly. We described in brief the layout above, which is only 10 knobs. All of them are clearly labeled (Pitch A, Pitch B, Delay A, Delay B, etc.) and telegraph precisely what they do.
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Recall any of the 100 presets to give yourself a foundation, or simply dive in and get your hands dirty from scratch. Whichever approach you take, the PitchFactor responds well. It seems to be a source of sonic inspiration, keeping the technology out of the way of in-the-moment creative expression.
Our Take: Eventide PitchFactor Offers a Wide Range of Sounds in a Small Package
To tidy up, the Eventide PitchFactor is a powerhouse multi-effect unit in review. It offers unmatched Eventide sound quality and decades of ingenuity in a small floorboard chassis. Whether you’re brand new to Eventide effects or have been using them for years, the PitchFactor generates timeless harmonizer tones with ease.
