The majority of guitar players use pedals to create strange and fascinating new sounds as we are always looking for fresh and original ways to express ourselves. You may apply pitch shift effects to your electric guitar by investing in a top-notch pitch-shifter pedal, which enables you to quickly change the pitch of your input signal and produce some killer tones.
Pitch shifting has been employed to deadly success by many of the best guitar superstars in history, with players like Tom Morello, Jack White, Mike Kerr, and Joe Satriani fully utilising this potent effect to produce some of the most terrifying riffs ever. Therefore, whether you want to add dramatic dive bombs to your playing, beef up your riffs with a thick lower octave, elevate your lead lines, or both, then this guide to the best pitch shift pedals is definitely for you.
Electro-Harmonix Pitch Fork Guitar Pitch Effect Pedal
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The Electro-Harmonix Pitch Fork is the Best Pitch Shifter Pedal in 2023. This pedal takes a straightforward approach to pitch shifting, is housed in a small and robust chassis, and comes with all of the necessary functions at a reasonable price. The Pitch Fork polyphonic pitch shifter effects pedal from Electro-Harmonix opens up a whole new world of sound to your playing. Convert your 6-string guitar to an 18-string guitar, or send single notes flying into the stratosphere with pinpoint accuracy.
This pitch-shifting pedal from Electro-Harmonix has a clean and basic design with only two knobs (Blend knob and Shift knob), one small button (Latch), a dual switch, and a footswitch to activate the effect. Simply pick the desired bend interval with the Shift knob, then select the direction of the pitch modes with the Latch switch (up or down, or both if Dual mode is selected). It doesn’t get any easier than that.
This EHX effects unit has 11 interval settings, including “Detune,” which pitch shifts your sound by 17 cents and gives you that chorus-thickened flavor without the modulation. You may also tell it to transpose in either direction by 1, 2, or 3 octaves.
You can choose from seven intervals with this pitch-shifting device: minor and major second, major third, perfect fourth, perfect fifth, major sixth, and minor seventh. There’s also an expression input, so you can use an expression pedal to simply bend into and out of the desired interval.
The Electro Harmonix Pitch Fork is also polyphonic, allowing you to play chords for rhythm, lead, and bass guitars. This is one of the best pitch shifters on the market, built by a reputable pedal company.
Mooer Pitch Box
- Allows you to create great harmonies and take your tone to a new place
- 3 different modes: Harmony, Pitch Shift and Detune
- Full metal shell
The Mooer Pitch Box is our “Best Budget Pick,” an alternative that eliminates some unnecessary functions while keeping others that are really useful, all in order to present you with a less expensive and smaller nano pedal. The Pitch knob and the Mode switch at the top are the two main elements of the interface you’ll interact with.
The Mode switch lets you choose between using the pedal as a harmonizer, a pitch shifter, or a detuner. A harmonizer will add a harmonic voice to your original signal, whilst a pitch shift will change your original notes by the interval you specify.
The Pitch knob, which is labeled with plus-or-minus values dependent on the amount of chromatic notes you’re transposing across and delivers up to 2 complete octaves above or below your original pitch, lets you choose the intervals you want to use. The pitch shifting is still polyphonic on this affordable little pedal, which means you can send complete chords through it with no tracking or accuracy difficulties. The harmonizer mode is monophonic and not “intelligent,” which means it doesn’t track keys, but the detune can handle anything.
Many players like the ability to easily switch between different tunings and back, which, as you may know, saves a lot of time and effort. My only criticism is that there is no mix control, which means you can’t alter the harmony level individually. It’s blended at a default loudness of unison. But none of that counts when it comes to the pitch shifting mode, which is why we’re here in the first place. There’s also actual bypass! It’s a capable option that may also be used for drop tuning. This is the ideal option for those that need to stay within their budget.
BOSS PS-6 Harmonist Guitar Pedal
- 3-voice Guitar Harmony Effects Pedal with Harmony
- Expression Pedal Controllability
- S-BEND (Super Bend) Modes
In the now-iconic BOSS stompbox shape, the BOSS PS-6 Harmonist provides four sophisticated pitch-shift effects and three-voice harmony. This is a potent pitch shifting pedal from the company that pioneered the stompbox. The PS-6 Harmonist is a powerful creative tool that’s also a lot of fun to use, making it a must-have for any experimental guitarist’s pedalboard.
The PS-6 is a new-generation harmony shifting pedal from BOSS, featuring increased sound quality thanks to the company’s strong DSP. In the modes of Pitch Shifter, Detune, and Harmony, this pedal may generate two or three voices. This might give your guitar’s sound and tonal possibilities more depth. In a natural way, detune deepens the sound. The direct signal can have up to three voices of detuning applied to it. From -3 to + 4 octaves, you can bend the pitch throughout a 7-octave range. You can also manipulate the bending effect in real time with the BOSS PS-6’s pedal knob or an additional expression pedal. By selecting the key, defining major/minor, and using the Shift knob to select the voicing you wish to employ in Harmony mode, you may create a broad variety of effects. This knob alternates between the various pitch options offered in each mode.
However, if you crank the Shift knob to the extremes, this bad boy can detune with up to three voices, as well as add two voices to your pitch changing. The Shift knob doesn’t have any labels, but it includes all of the standard options, such as minor and major 2nds, major 3rds, perfect 4ths and 5ths, octaves, and so on.
It also has an S-Bend setting, which means’super bend,’ which makes the pedal a whammy. In this mode, the Balance and Key knobs function as Rise and Fall Time controllers, allowing you to regulate the glissando rate rather than trying to make a smooth curve with your foot.
The PS-6 utilizes a 9 Volt battery or power adaptor, as do other BOSS stompboxes. Overall, this is a strong release from the stompbox king. This is one of the Best Pitch Shifter Pedals for Guitar in 2023.
TC Electronic Quintessence Harmonizer
- Exceptional dual-voiced intelligent harmony pedal with PolySense and innovative pressure-sensitive footswitch
- Groundbreaking MASH technology turns footswitch into a pressure responsive expression controller
- MASH footswitch lets you easily pitch-bend harmonized notes up to the next interval
The Quintessence harmony pedal from TC Electronic is capable of some significant sonic movement. It creates clever two-voice harmonies in real time while you play, with full creative freedom provided via TC’s TonePrint software for customizing your settings. This polyphonic pitch changer can be used in a variety of styles, ranging from country and southern rock to metal.
The MASH technology in the TC Electronic Quintessence Harmony pedal allows you to bend harmonized notes without moving a finger. You can also choose exotic scales and bespoke intervals for harmonies using TC Electronic’s TonePrint technology.
It’s impossible to overestimate how simple it is to use this pedal. The MASH footswitch is a strong expressive instrument that eliminates the need for an additional expression pedal. The default settings on the MASH switch bend your harmonized note to the next interval in the scale.
You may set MASH to control just about any feature of this stompbox in TonePrint mode, including custom scale steps both above and below the original harmony. This enables you to move between two different intervals without touching any knobs, as well as do smooth pedal steel bends worthy of Nashville.
You can rapidly switch between conventional latch mode and momentary mode with this pedal for on-the-fly impromptu harmonizing. This is excellent for a quick boost whenever you need it. Overall, the Quintessence Harmony is an excellent pitch shifter pedal, and one of the best currently available.
DigiTech Whammy V
- 6 Whammy modes including famous 2 Octave Up as heard on 100’s of songs!
- 10 Harmony Bend modes including 2nd Up to 3rd Up simulating pedal steel bends!
- Expression pedal controls dive bombs and bends
The DigiTech Whammy has all of the same amazing effects and features that made the original such a hit with guitarists. However, they’ve been upgraded and improved to give you more fullness and depth, taking your sound to the next level and beyond.
This is a fifth-generation version of a famous pitch shifter pedal that has been around for decades. It now has even more features, yet none of them are confusing or obtrusive. This pedal has been employed by legends such as Steve Vai, The Edge, Tom Morello, and Buckethead as part of their vast sonic pallet.
The DigiTech Whammy V has a straightforward user interface that is simple to grasp and operate. A single knob on the right side allows you to pick the interval of your choice. +/- 2 octaves, 1 octave, a fifth, a fourth, and a second interval are among the alternatives. The final choice is “Dive Bomb,” which lowers your pitch by three octaves.
The Harmony column on the left gives a full-on harmonize pedal, and the expression pedal can be used to choose between the notes in the intervals or blend them together.
The Whammy V is an excellent choice for individuals who prefer a pitch shifter with an expression pedal over a pure harmonize effect. This is the pedal for you if you like to bend and shift pitches while creating distinctive sounds.
Eventide PitchFactor Harmonizer Pitch+Delay Pedal
- Up to 4 voices of diatonic pitch shifting and up to 1.5 seconds of stereo delay
- Studio quality sound
- Guitar or bass compatible
In the world of stompboxes, the PitchFactor is a spectacular innovation. It’s never been easier to bring professional-quality pitch-shifting to the studio or stage thanks to Eventide’s enormous array of incredible effects. For the most discerning guitarists, we recommend the Eventide PitchFactor. It offers a wide range of options as well as excellent sound quality, functionality, and depth. St. Vincent, Deadmau5, and Katy Perry are among the artists who have used it.
From the H910, Quadravox, and even the Crystals effect, to the HarPeggiator and HarModulator, the PitchFactor has some of Eventide’s most prized algorithms. This pedal is capable of much more than just pitch effects. It’s a sophisticated pitch shifter that lets you specify the key and scale you’re performing in order to keep every shifted note in tune.
Because the PitchFactor is polyphonic, it can play both leads and chords. Eventide created apps for your computer, tablet, and smartphone to provide users with a choice of control options. A built-in tuner, MIDI control and clocking, an expression pedal input, tap tempo, and key auto-detection are all included in this pedal.
Despite all of its capabilities, it is still fairly simple to operate. You select your key and scale, then the interval you want to move to and the direction you want it to shift in. Then you can add one to four more voices.
The PitchFactor includes ten of Eventide’s characteristic pitch and delay effects, which are useful not just for guitarists and bassists, but also for singers who want to create properly tuned harmonies. Look no further than the PitchFactor for the most comprehensive pitch altering solution.
DigiTech Whammy DT Drop Tune Guitar Effects Pedal
- True Polyphonic Pitch Shifting and Whammy effects in a single pedal
- Drop or Raised tuning by 7 half steps or an entire octave
- Momentary footswitch for Hammer-on and Pull-off effects
The Whammy has been the industry standard pitch shifter for almost three decades, and the DT model adds features like true bypass wiring and selectable dropped and raised tunings, allowing you to change your tuning up or down seven half steps or an octave with a single button.
The DigiTech Whammy line has been the driving force behind pitch shift effects since 1989. After five generations of Whammy pedals, the latest DT model adds unique functionality that has never been seen before on any of the Whammy pedals.
The Whammy DT, in particular, allows you to change the tune of your guitar by seven half steps and an octave. This simple effect allows you to instantly change the tuning of your guitar without having to transfer guitars. The tuning is controlled by a single knob, and the detune effect is controlled by an independent footswitch, allowing you to use the rest of the pedal while the detune effect is active.
The Whammy DT also features ten different whammy effects and nine different harmony effects, as well as the iconic Whammy expression pedal, which lets you to get even more creative with how you apply the various effects this powerful pedal can produce.
TC Electronic BRAINWAVES Guitar Tools PITCH SHIFTER
- State-of-the-art pitch shifter pedal with innovative pressure-sensitive footswitch
- Completely independent dual voice pitch shifting from unison to 2 octaves up or down
- Offers wealth of studio-grade algorithms including polyphonic pitch shifting, whammy-style octave up and detune
The Brain Waves pitch shifter, perhaps the most inventive pedal on our list, includes the TonePrint app, which allows guitarists to save pedal presets and download new tones from a growing library of settings. A unique pressure sensitive footswitch gives expression pedal-like capabilities in a smaller package, and the Brain Waves pedal is one of the only ones on the market that allows stereo operation.
With a four-mode pitch engine and twin independent voicing controls, this TonePrint pedal in the TonePrint family gives you access to seven settings of fantastic harmony, doubling, octave, and pitch shifting effects.
Each voice has the ability to change pitch. With the pressure-sensitive Mash footswitch, you may add the effect in real time. On-the-fly effects, pedal-steel bends, and fake-whammy dive bombs are all possible with this setup. TonePrint technology gives you access to the TonePrint community, allowing you to download new sounds and program the footswitch’s behavior. It can slide anywhere in your signal chain because it has selectable buffering.
The Brain Waves pitch shifter is one of the most functional and unique effects in recent memory. It’s the size of a typical stompbox, yet it has features normally reserved for pedals twice or three times its size. A pressure sensitive footswitch can be used instead of an expression pedal to unlock similar capabilities without adding bulk to the pedal’s small frame.
A mode selector lets you choose from three effect modes and three TonePrint presets, as well as a mix control that lets you combine the effect with your dry signal and independent settings for two different harmony voices. You may customize how each independent voice responds to the pressure-sensitive footswitch using little switches.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is a Pitch Shifter Pedal?
Digital audio processors, as a device for musicians, used to have to deal with anything after it had been recorded in order for the device to evaluate the pitch. As technology progressed, the capacity to pitch shift in real time improved as well. It was only a matter of time until this capacity was harnessed for guitarists.
Amazingly, the first of them, the renowned DigiTech WH-1 Whammy, didn’t come out until 1989. In almost all of Tom Morello’s work, he has employed one to great advantage. There are hundreds of other examples, including Dimebag Darrell and David Gilmour, indicating that the original pedal sells for $300 to $500. Fortunately, you don’t need to spend that much money to learn how to pitch shift.
