Boss PS-5 Pitch Shifter and the Mark V

[sean106alcon]

Hey guys. I have been watching the vids on the Boss PS-5 Pitch shifter and really like being able to harmonize and set it set it like a 3rd up or down, 5th up and down etc.

Question is: can it be used in FRONT of my Mark V or does it have to go in the loop? I see in all the vids they use OD pedals BEFORE their amp and was wondering does the PS-5 have to go into the loop before the gain with the V; as opposed to putting in the front of the V. I don't really want to use the loop as I just have a chorus pedal sitting on top of the V and leave it on all the time and just want that in the loop.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[JAZZGEAR]

Hey guys. I have been watching the vids on the Boss PS-5 Pitch shifter and really like being able to harmonize and set it set it like a 3rd up or down, 5th up and down etc.

Question is: can it be used in FRONT of my Mark V or does it have to go in the loop? I see in all the vids they use OD pedals BEFORE their amp and was wondering does the PS-5 have to go into the loop before the gain with the V; as opposed to putting in the front of the V. I don't really want to use the loop as I just have a chorus pedal sitting on top of the V and leave it on all the time and just want that in the loop.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Front of amp, you want the best tracking possible...that's gonna come closest to the original signal, your guitar

 

[MrMarkIII]

Wrong. In the loop, or at least post-preamp, post-gain, post distortion, whatever you want to call it. The PS-5 tracks great, been using one for years in the loop of my Mark III, no problemo.
Put it before the chorus, it'll be awesome. Running it in front will just distort the harmonies and it will be mush. But try it both ways, can't hurt anything.
Oh, and be sure to research how blues harp players pick which harp to use in different keys. For example, in the key of C, set the PS-5 for the key of F.
The PS-5. It's Fun and Educational! :lol:

 

[sean106alcon]

Hey thanks for the help guys. Yeah they are a bit pricey. But I may get from from MF or GC and fiddle with it and see how it works LOL and then return it and get it cheaper on EBAY.

 

[sean106alcon]

Any one use the Boss HR-2 Harmonizer? I have been watching those vids too and seems like a good pedal for just what I want to do. Harmonize single notes for solo's or slow played Harmonies; not chords. Thanks again guys.

 

[MrMarkIII]

I have owned both. The HR-2 is old tech. You must split your signal so that the HR-2 sees only a clean tone, no other effects allowed, including overdrive/distortion. This is the purpose of the "Detector In" jack. The PS-5 does not have this problem.
(These things sound best with distortion before, and modulation after.)
The only advantage to the HR-2 is its ability to do two-voice harmonies.
The HR-2 does not harmonize chords. The PS-5 works on whole chords in some, but not all, modes.
You can hook up an expression pedal to the PS-5 and get Whammy sounds, for example. And the Detune mode works as a chorus.
Do yourself a favor, go to the Boss website and download a few manuals.

 

[sean106alcon]

I have owned both. The HR-2 is old tech. You must split your signal so that the HR-2 sees only a clean tone, no other effects allowed, including overdrive/distortion. This is the purpose of the "Detector In" jack. The PS-5 does not have this problem.
(These things sound best with distortion before, and modulation after.)
The only advantage to the HR-2 is its ability to do two-voice harmonies.
The HR-2 does not harmonize chords. The PS-5 works on whole chords in some, but not all, modes.
You can hook up an expression pedal to the PS-5 and get Whammy sounds, for example. And the Detune mode works as a chorus.
Do yourself a favor, go to the Boss website and download a few manuals.

Hey thanks for the feedback. Yeah I was curious on the HR-2 but figured there had to be a reason they stopped making it. Heard and read some pretty good reviews on the PS-5 so I am gonna try one out and see how she works. Mainly just want it for simply lead and harmonies. Not the whammy, flutter and chorus type sounds (although who knows it may sounds like it does a nice chorus tone and may be better than my Boss super chorus in my loop. Thanks again.

 

[sean106alcon]

Hey again guys. So I just got the PS-5 off EBAY. Fiddled with it for like 10 minutes as I am tired and heading to bed.

As you know I mainly bought it for the Harmonizer mode and add 3rd's and 5th's to single note melodies and Harmonies. One question. Do you have to pick a key for what song the key is in in order to properly get good harmony notes out of it? I mean so many songs of mine are in different keys. I know my basic scales like the pentatonic, major, natural minor etc. I wish it had a neutral position on the key knob, so it can add harmony a 3rd or 5th up or down regardless of key. Can it do that? Like is there a specific key I should choose to do this. Sorry for the noob question but I really know nothing about theory and what key a particular song of mine is in. I have not tried it yet, but looks like the manual states a setting to use the pitch shifter mode and it will add harmony regardless of key. Will try that the more I fiddle with it when I have time. Neat little box so far IMO. Just curios how you all use for Harmonies and melodies. Do you always choose a key for each song before setting 3rd's or 5th's etc.? Thanks!

BTW running through the loop so it was tracking quiet well. Did not try it in the front yet.

Thanks again.

 

[MrMarkIII]

Sorry, son, you're gonna have to git sum book learnin'.
If you just use the pitch shifter mode, and add major thirds to the note you play, you won't have harmony, or at least the harmony you get won't fit, unless you're playing nothing but whole note scales (C - D - E - F# - G# - A# - C). This is because every harmony note will always be a major third (two whole steps) away from the original note. Harmony doesn't work like that, because some notes are closer to the note being harmonized. Just like in any scale, some notes are a whole step apart (C and D), some are a half step (E and F). That's why you gotta specify the key.
Now, fifths would at least sound like power chords (or Gregorian chant).
What could help you is finding a tune in "C" and jamming along with it.
The key of C has no pesky sharps and flats, so it's a bit easier to start with.

And you thought it was all about getting chicks :lol:

 

[sean106alcon]

Sorry, son, you're gonna have to git sum book learnin'.
If you just use the pitch shifter mode, and add major thirds to the note you play, you won't have harmony, or at least the harmony you get won't fit, unless you're playing nothing but whole note scales (C - D - E - F# - G# - A# - C). This is because every harmony note will always be a major third (two whole steps) away from the original note. Harmony doesn't work like that, because some notes are closer to the note being harmonized. Just like in any scale, some notes are a whole step apart (C and D), some are a half step (E and F). That's why you gotta specify the key.
Now, fifths would at least sound like power chords (or Gregorian chant).
What could help you is finding a tune in "C" and jamming along with it.
The key of C has no pesky sharps and flats, so it's a bit easier to start with.

And you thought it was all about getting chicks :lol:

LOL to the ending.

Yeah I just played some more with it. Yeah I need to do my homework on some theory. I know the basics as I mentioned of commonly used scales. But yeah I find having to change keys all the time annoying as for me it is like trial and error till I get it sounding like it really is harmonizing a "majority" of the notes of the key it is set in for 3rd's up. Like I am too used to playing the A natural harmonic scale or E minor scale too much.

Most of my songs, the guitars are tuned to D standard, dropped C and Open C. The de-tune chorus sounded quiet nice, but I have a chorus pedal I prefer. The Detune effect was cool and made me sigh as I miss having my Baritone I should have never have sold as I had some cool songs I wrote with it tuned to A standard. But when I had it down to the low A sound with the pedal, the volume dropped and got a lot of flutter.