H90 Polyphony “stacking”

[Synergist]

Via  a “Program” creation,…Can the H90 run TWO (2) polyphony algorithms simultaneously, (in order to generate 2 octaves down, 1 octave down, 1 octave up, and 2 octaves up, in addition to the the input pitch…?…(i.e. as does the Electroharmonix POG 2…?…)

I play acoustic instruments, (wind instruments), which I must mic. and feed that signal into my Eventide “Mixing Link” Direct In box. …using a mono signal in —> mono out, signal path through a variety of different pedals…and back into the “Mixing Link”…which then “feeds” my amp. …

 

Additionally, via a “Program” creation, can the H90 run any/all of the available algorithms simultaneously,

 

[brock]

1).  Sure.  I’ve made Programs that simulate a POG architecture.  For all 4 octaves at once, plus input unison, you won’t get the EHX slow attack or filter-type attacks.  And in your use case, I’d use two PolyPhony instances in parallel.

You ‘can’ use a single QuadraVox instance to generate all 4 octaves plus input, but the processing is less forgiving.  Especially with you using mic’ed, complex input like wind instruments.

In Series, two PolyPhony instances can generate some very intense octaving.   But you are ‘processing the processing’ 2X, so the polyphonic accuracy starts to suffer.  More organ-esque.

2).  Any of the (currently 62) algorithms, two of them at a time.  Loaded in Series, or in Parallel.  With the option to Insert another two inputs, mono or in stereo, anywhere in that signal chain.

If you haven’t yet, check out the online manual.  It’s really complete, and well done:

https://cdn.eventideaudio.com/manuals/h90/1.3.0/index.html

 

[Synergist]

Dear Brock:

Thank you for your response…!…(it was very prompt, despite my rather delayed response time…).

I avidly anticipate receiving a pair of H90’s tomorrow, thereby “simplifying” my pedal board…(the 2 H90’s replacing 4 pedals…3 equally large, modulation, reverb., and delay pedals, as well as somewhat “fiddly” 3 pitch harmony generator…)

Due to the fact that the acoustic instruments I play, (the entire pitch-range of Renaissance—>Modern design recorders), which generate only VERY minimal overtone series, (and odd harmonics at that…), I desire/need(?) to augment those rather limited, naturally occurring harmonics, as well as augment them via a harmonizing device, hence the H90…(I WOULD like to be able to make good use of a “dirt” pedal or two, though thus far, perhaps due to a combination of variables, in order for me to generate an appreciable distortion/fuzz effect via sufficient gain, I begin to deal with a very significant feedback/noise issue…rendering such application useless…  ;-(  …).

I graciously welcome any and all input/suggestions/advice regarding ways I can do this, (generating useful octaves/harmonics, etc. …), using, PRIMARILY, one of the H90’s, allowing the other H90 to generate any desired modulation/reverb. and or delay effects…

Thank YOU in advance for any/all assistance that you, Brock, and anyone else may offer…

Peace/Namaste!

 

[brock]

Two H90s … somehow you must have circumvented the unruly crowd just outside the gate.  I’m working on obtaining a second one myself, at some point.

No deep thought given to this, but your reply triggered a couple of ideas.  Digital distortion gets a bad rap online, but I’ve embraced them long ago (full disclosure: S/A MultiWave included, and Izotope Trash 2 ITB).  But the Eventide offerings aren’t too shabby, either.  Sometimes, it takes fine-tuning to get only a *little* distortion / fuzz out of them.

PitchFuzz will generate overtones, intervallic ‘harmonics’, octaves, detuning; three additional voices.  Add delay if you like.  One algorithm slot.

I find Sculpt useful, as you can split the high & low distortion bands across a stereo field.  Plus a compressor, wah pedal, envelope wah … still only half of one H90.  Add Polyphony in series, and selectively target ‘harmonics’ on each side.  Plus full delay capabilities.  Still only one of the H90s occupied.

CrushStation and WeedWacker are more about fine control over your distortion & EQ, although you can carve a great wah out of the first one.  Still, half of one H90, with 3 more ‘slots’ free.

There’s much more, but you get the idea.  That 2nd H90 is going to be more icing on the cake.  You can accomplish much of what you listed using just one of them.  So start thinking bigger than that.

Recorders … I have a handful here.  Wind instruments I could actually test out (and not very well, at that).  But I can make a few noises, as a source.

 

 

[Synergist]

Dear Brock:

Ah…thank you for your suggestions…sometimes vague/unfocused musings generate genuine “eureka moments” to be honed over time…hopefully my exploration begins tomorrow…I have the great luxury of having SO much to learn…,”I am but an egg…”, lol…

(Yes, I openly and fully acknowledge that I am/will be “suffering” an embarrassment of riches…(TWO H90s arriving tomorrow…one of those “oh, what the hell, you only live once kind of expenditures…), so my challenge to myself is to make the most of my technological wealth…being so fully aware that so many others have created so much more with so much less…

As a “singing”/melodic instrument, the basic timbre, and articulation facility of the recorder is really not bad at all…HOWEVER, as it is most often associated/perceived as a child’s starter instrument with an attendant painfully strident/out of tune sound,  as I have mentioned, I would love to gnarl-up/distort/”fuzz-up”(?) the sound of a recorder, (it is not called the “Flauto Dolce” in Italian for nothing…), as I would like to moderately distance myself/my timbre from that “traditional”/anticipated/”feared”(?) sound.

With my current relatively “fiddly”/pot(?), harmony generator, I am able to and elect to generate a combination of 3 octaves “around the pitch being played…a combination of one or two octaves below and one above, or two octaves above and one below, depending on the music being performed…generally filling “slots” 1 and 2 with one and two octaves below my played pitch to thicken/warm my sound…however, sometimes I reverse that such that I am creating generating one and two octaves ABOVE and one below my lower recorder(s) so that I can still cut through the mix…

Regardless, my doing so is an attempt to create a more lush/broad/complex timbre…and I certainly desire more control and range over those parameters…(even IF I cannot ever really generate a genuinely appealing “dirty” timbre), however, IF I am ABLE to create the harmonic series/overtones necessary to create that elusive, “modern” timbre, GREAT…!…

Again, I appreciate any and all input/suggestions/advice…

Peace/Namaste,

Tim

P.S.  Should you be inclined, I would love to learn what you learn by recording/analyzing the output from YOUR instruments…(it is my understanding via a relatively shallow foray on the internet that recorders/”flutes”, (be they organ pipes or otherwise…), all appear to generate remarkably limited harmonic series, (particularly in terms of their amplitude above the 1st harmonic)…and that those overtones that ARE generated are primarily odd harmonics…

 

 

 

 

[brock]

You have an interesting journey ahead of you, on a path less traveled.  But I see a parallel in synthesizer technique.  Building with modules from sine or triangle waveforms. Additive, or FM, as opposed to more common subtractive synthesis.

I would grab a spare phone or computer, and keep that online manual (linked above) alongside at all times.  Run through the Factory Programs, find what you like, over-analyze a few, but don’t get stuck there with plug ‘n’ play.

A focus on one H90 to start; download the H90 Control app, but really learn all of the ‘gestures’ on the hardware itself.  I feel it’s important to (eventually) know each algorithm inside & out.  It makes the selection much easier when you’ve experienced the advantages of each one.

Eventide has a ton of targeted videos up to learn from.  Tweak the H90 alongside with them.  The important thing is ‘hands on’, until it’s second nature.  Create a lot of Lists in H90 Control (they’re unlimited).  I have numbered versions of Drafts, Practical, Experimental, WTF, Finals, Uploads, Downloads …

Check out PatchStorage.  There are currently  over 100 Programs for download from a variety of end users coming from unique perspectives.

I think you’re going to be pleasantly surprised with your pitch shift focus.  No doubt that’s a great place to start, and get your feet wet.  I’d suggest an expression pedal or two as essential accessories; at least an Aux Switch.  Not exactly ‘required’ (especially considering the H90 Perform options).  But with your stated intentions, you are going to want an expression pedal.

It struck me that a recorder might be a near perfect source for the HotSawz algorithm.  A complete monophonic synthesizer in a single Preset slot.  It will generate sawtooth waveforms from your input, and allow you to apply all sorts of subtractive synthesis techniques.  Pretty forgiving (or ‘interesting’) with any glitches you might get from microphone input.  Or you might try experimenting with some cheap contact mics.  RingMod might be another good fit.

Then there’s always incorporating that 2nd H90.  Physically connected in series, parallel alongside, or plugged in as an insert to H90 #1.  You have some endless possibilities there.  Patiently, one step at a time, get the learning curve down pat first.  I’ll be interested to see how this all shakes out for you.

[rograt]

I also ran two POG type presets in parallel when I first got the H90. After a while I realised that I preferred the 1 Oct up and 1 Oct down only preset and set about making it sound like my great Boss OC5. It’s almost there. When I last compared them there was a touch of “room” in the H90 whereas the OC5 is slightly drier for leads. If you aren’t comparing them the H90 is good enough for me to have removed my OC5 from my board.

I run this in front of my amps preamp stage but I have got usable stacked sounds with either half of the stack in the effect loop or the entire program in the loop but then I found that with the H90 you don’t need to stop at octaves and there are other great intervals to be dialled in with the expression pedal when you want them.

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