Do any of you use your AX8 for dropping 1 step or 1/2 step in tuning?

Ericbr1

Inspired
I know there's another recent thread that touched on the Pitch Shifting capabilities, but just curious if any of you use your AX8 for shifting down 1/2 step or 1 step (i.e. for drop C tuning with a D-Tuna) . . IF so , can you briefly let me know which settings your using? I just tried using the FIXED Harmonizer and 100% for shifted volume and 0 fb, and -2 for Voice 1 and -2 for Voice2 and it tracks just great, BUT I'm getting phase shifting/zero flange sounds with it! I'm obviously doing something wrong and I'm curious as to how you guys do it? Thanks for any info. Eric
 
Also, try to mask the transient loss as in the discussion, I link to here http://forum.fractalaudio.com/threads/pitch-shifter-on-ax8.122045/#post-1454143

Some of you guys are so damn smart! I tried the above advice and yes my phasing effect is gone, but now I hear/feel the latency pretty good. . Even though it's still rather cool playing in drop C with a superstrat which will allow me to do a few requests of tunes we used to do , but I got sick of bringing a 3rd guitar! SO....I started reading this about putting the volume block in parallel and then assigning the adsr to the volume parameter... This will supposedly allow the normal pick attack and then due the pitch shift. .I'm off to a different project now, but if that works to reduce the odd latency effect, that's ingenius. . I'll definitely check it out by tomorrow. Thank you . Eric
 
I played one song during the set this morning pitched down 1/2 step so I could play a Gb song with open chords.

Yes there's added latency, but if your brain can get past it, it sounds find.
 
I played one song during the set this morning pitched down 1/2 step so I could play a Gb song with open chords.

Yes there's added latency, but if your brain can get past it, it sounds find.

Hey I have no issue with the latency really.. The songs I play those tunings are 'hard rock' like Drowning Pool/Godsmack/Ozzy,etc and the only thing I've found really weird today experimenting is when I'm hitting muted strings it really doesn't mute right. I'm presuming that's the 'transient' deal spoken about above. Have you tried Simeon's whole latency-reduction/transient enhancing method??? The way I set it up today seems like it'd work pretty fine as long as there isn't the chugga/chugga/muting thing to worry about.. . i.e. fingerpicking or strumming is just fine. (Hard to explain) . Eric
 
I played one song during the set this morning pitched down 1/2 step so I could play a Gb song with open chords.

Yes there's added latency, but if your brain can get past it, it sounds find.

I found that the fewer blocks you use for a preset, the latency Is improved greatly.

Try just the pitch shifter, and an amp and cab all by themselves, and the latency is almost nil. Then add back only the blocks you need for that song, hopefully just one or two more, and test it every time you add a block in to check for latency.

As I understand it, the pitch shifter has a lower priority over other effects, so the fewer effects you use, the less latency you will notice.
 
I found that the fewer blocks you use for a preset, the latency Is improved greatly.

Try just the pitch shifter, and an amp and cab all by themselves, and the latency is almost nil. Then add back only the blocks you need for that song, hopefully just one or two more, and test it every time you add a block in to check for latency.

As I understand it, the pitch shifter has a lower priority over other effects, so the fewer effects you use, the less latency you will notice.
Among other things.........Setting the 'source' parameter in the 'Pitch' block to 'Local' instead of 'Global', gives it a higher priority.
 
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One thing to consider, especially with the AX8, is using a Digitech Drop pedal in front for down tuning. In my experience, it has much less noticeable latency than the pitch block on the AX8, even with few other blocks running, and it frees up CPU for other things. Yeah, you have to run an external pedal, but I have found the trade-off to be worth it. The Drop is a fantastic pedal.
 
I found the sound and the latency a little below expectations, so I plugged back my morpheus droptune.
 
I will use it at home when trying to learn something that is tuned down, but I'm not a fan of using it live.
 
I just want to mention that using the AX8 Fixed Harmonizer dropping 1 step (-2 on the Algorithm) , I could easily play my Drop-C songs using my Ax8 and a regular guitar (where I drop the low-E down)
. . . I wrote a basic patch using the Bogner XTC RED, a Filter for extra gain boost, and a delay and the PitchShifter dropping the 1 step and it uses 38% of the CPU and works just great. I need to add a Solo boost to it, and then I'll be set. I was all set to buy the Digitech Drop based on what I've read about that, but to be honest, this seems it'll work for me. Eric
 
I tried the Axe for this and it was Ok. I had the Drop pedal by Digitech and it was better. It did add a high end hiss I could not get rid of. I thought it was the pedal so I tried another one and the hiss was still there.

To be honest I don't think the hiss it was the Drop pedals fault. In my chain I always use a SDD clean pedal boost and it was adding to the hiss.

However I still did not like the artifacts of the Drop and the lower you go the worse it got. I play a lot of single note lines and it just felt spongy as did the sound.

I opted for this on my Strat and could not be happier. Tunes excellent and extremely fast. No more three guitars for me now either. I like this so much I am going to pick up a set for my JM Jaguar.

https://www.tronicaltune.com/
 
I just want to mention that using the AX8 Fixed Harmonizer dropping 1 step (-2 on the Algorithm) , I could easily play my Drop-C songs using my Ax8 and a regular guitar (where I drop the low-E down)
. . . I wrote a basic patch using the Bogner XTC RED, a Filter for extra gain boost, and a delay and the PitchShifter dropping the 1 step and it uses 38% of the CPU and works just great. I need to add a Solo boost to it, and then I'll be set. I was all set to buy the Digitech Drop based on what I've read about that, but to be honest, this seems it'll work for me. Eric

Will you share the patch? Or even just the pitch shift block?
 
Will you share the patch? Or even just the pitch shift block?

I'm 1 of the few who doesn't use the ax8 hooked up to a computer editor,etc, so now syx patches from me, but I'll be glad to head downstairs later and just write/type out what I did. .It's a very simple patch set up just for Drop-C tuning (it brings guitar down 1 step and of course you have to drop your low string down on your guitar... I use a D-TUNA for that on this particular guitar) . I should be able to do it shortly
 
I'm 1 of the few who doesn't use the ax8 hooked up to a computer editor,etc, so now syx patches from me, but I'll be glad to head downstairs later and just write/type out what I did. .It's a very simple patch set up just for Drop-C tuning (it brings guitar down 1 step and of course you have to drop your low string down on your guitar... I use a D-TUNA for that on this particular guitar) . I should be able to do it shortly

Thanks Eric, I appreciate it! I can't get it to sound quite right.
 
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