Can a H90 replace a BOSS OC5/BOSS RC5?

[BrandonY]

Hi all!

Tl;dr

Can the Eventide H90 provide the polyphonic bass tracking, specifically the ‘lowest’ function of the BOSS OC5 and can it slave it’s looper to a drum machine like the BOSS RC5? Can it do these both simultaneously on a single program?

I’ve come to the realisation that a BOSS OC5 and a BOSS RC5 would boost my efficiency and ability as an accompanist as they’d allow me to:
-Toggle a seperate bass layer when I’m on guitar accompanying a vocalist
-Use a compact looper that I can slave to my drum machine’s clock (UNO DRUM)

My question to y’all is can the H90 do these things, specifically fulfil the roll of the OC-5? And can it do each function simultaneously in one program?
I’d love to be able to just use the same board for every gig and struggle to justify purchasing any potential redundancies like an RC5 on the board when I’m on bass or the OC5 while I’m on keys, nor am I interested in building ‘travel-boards’ or seperate boards for each instrument.

Thanks in advance for any responses and advice!
Cheers!

[brock]

I would compare the polyphonic tracking side-by-side first, if possible, between the Boss & H90 / Polyphony algorithm.  Both are very good, but it boils down to the ear of the beholder.

No, the H90 won’t do the ‘lowest note’ feature.  If ‘each function simultaneously’ refers to the octave selections, then yes.  Of course, it won’t do the Boss-specific Vintage Mode.

The H90 will clock to a drum machine, system-wide.  You can run Polyphony (or another pitch-shifting Preset) in series or parallel with a Looper Preset in a single Program.

[fiddlercrabseason]

With the caveat that the ‘tracking’ of any piece of pitch-shifting tech is subject to individual playing style, perception, etc….

The polyphonic tracking in the H90’s Polyphony algo is mind blowing.  The OC-5’s ‘polyphony’ can’t touch the H90.   But as far as I know, Polyphony will always shift the entire range of input signal, and cannot replicate the ‘lowest’ function of the OC-5 (“…the effect applies only to the lowest note of the chord…”).

      Eventide – please correct me if I’m wrong on that…

 

As for the server/client question re: RC-5…  H90 *can* send MIDI, so…  maybe?

 

[rograt]

I spent a lot of time trying to recreate my OC5 sound signature (ignoring the clever filtering that the right hand knob on the OC5 does). Regardless of that feature I found a difference which I couldn’t dial out but I got it good enough to just live with the H90.

The way I describe the difference is that the OC5 has a dry sound that is compulsive for lead work. What does that mean? Well the H90 set up to do the same thing always has a touch of “room” (as in room reverb) in the sound. I tried all the mix controls and got it close but it’s not there. That’s my only minor criticism.

To be fair my Poly Blue also did this so maybe the POG does too. I’ve never owned or even played a POG so maybe that’s what they went after.

The H90 has replaced so much kit on my board so lets not forget just how great this product is.

[turretboard]

I agree; Polyphony algo on my H90 alone is worth at least half the price of H90. I have tried the POG, MXR Poly Blue, OC5 and MR Black, and nothing glues to the notes quite as well as the H90. POG Nano was great; OC5 was a close second. H90 is another ligue. Literally, I can’t even sense any latency; it grabs the notes in true polyphony with no glitching. Amazing unit

 

FWIW

[rograt]

I agree about the lack of latency. If there is any I don’t notice it – and I hate latency. It reminds me of those early Line6 Pods.

You can play as fast as you like with a big grin on your face.

[Author]

Posts