BOSS PS 6 Harmonist

134
&
T
he problem with pedals
like the Harmonist is
that it can feel like you
need a degree in music
theory to be able to use them
properly. Boss puts these fears
to rest with the PS-6, which
features four different modes for
effecting your pitch (Harmony,
Pitch Shifter, Detune and
S-Bend) and four control knobs
(Balance, Shift, Key, Mode).
First off, the Harmony mode
adds up to two harmonies to
your input signal. This mode only
works on single notes and it’s the
one to use when you’re creating
Maiden/Queen-style harmonised
parts. Selecting a key is easy, as
is choosing whether you want
a major or minor flavoured
harmony. However, because the
Shift control selects different
interval ranges depending on
which mode you’re in, there
are no markings around the
control, which makes selecting
an interval tricky. We reckon this
problem could be fixed if Boss
provided some printed overlays
for the control in each mode.
The Pitch Shifter mode can be
used on chords or single notes,
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SUMMARY
TG says… Buy this and fire your bandmates
For: Plenty of pitch-based effects
Against: Noticeable latency in some modes
BOSS PS-6 Harmonist
Boss ‘pitches’ its new pedal for interesting harmonies and divebombs
and unlike the Harmony mode
you don’t have to select a key.
It tracks the incoming signal of
your guitar and can shift up or
down two octaves, with 3rd, 5th
and 7th intervals in between. The
tracking is solid without wavering,
but we did experience a short
latency between our dry and
pitch-shifted parts in this mode.
Onto the Detune mode, which
subtly shifts your pitch up or
down (by up to 20 cents of a
semitone) and blends it with
your dry sound. This function
works well for thickening chords
or lead parts, and is best thought
of as a fixed chorus.
Finally, there’s the S-Bend
(or Super Bend) mode, which
can bend your pitch down by
three octaves, or up by four. The
effect is activated by pressing
the footswitch, and the Balance
and Key modes control the rise/
fall time of the pitch bend in this
mode. While this may sound
similar to a DigiTech Whammy
pedal, there’s an added vibrato
effect on two of the settings, and
you can simultaneously bend
up and down two octaves. We’d
suggest plugging in an optional
expression pedal (EV-5, £69) to
get the most from it, though.
Conclusion: If you’re the only
guitarist in your band, creating
multiple parts is an obvious use
of a harmony pedal, but the
PS-6 includes enough modes to
emulate the sound of a 12-string,
play unison riffs, thicken up a
rhythm sound or create those
Morello-esque pitch bends.
Select extreme settings and a
certain amount of ‘chipmunking’
is inevitable, but overall the PS-6
is a versatile, useable pedal.
Stuart Williams
At a glance
Boss PS-6 Harmonist
TYPE: Pitch shifter
EFFECTS: Harmony, Pitch
Shifter, Detune, S-Bend
CONTROLS: Balance (rise
time), Shift, Key (fall time),
Mode
SOCKETS: Input, Out A,
Out B, Expression pedal
POWER: 9V battery; PSU
(optional)
C O N T A C T: Roland UK
01792 702701
WEB: www.roland.co.uk
“THE PS-6 INCLUDES ENOUGH
MODES TO EMULATE A 12-STRING,
PLAY UNISON RIFFS OR CREATE
MORELLO-ESQUE PITCH BENDS”
■ Pitch bend
S-Bend offers up to minus
three or plus four octaves
of pitch bend – best used
with an expression pedal
■฀Detune
This thickens your sound
by shifting your pitch up
or down and blending it
with your original signal
Harmonies ■
Make like you’re in
Maiden and build up to
three-part harmonies
Forget singing, the Boss
PS-6 lets you shred in
perfect harmony
£149
TGR210.gear_boss 134 12/1/10 11:39:30 AM