Eventide H9 Users

[nosidamde]

I'm not sure if this is allowed in the Amplifiers section, so if it isn't, please feel free to delete this.

Has anyone here had experience with an Eventide H9 and more specifically the expression output? With my recent amp purchase I've decided that I'm going to change up my board again to make it more compact. I was wondering if the H9 can replace my delay, phaser, and wah pedal? I found a video on YouTube where someone has plugged a volume pedal into the H9 and uses it as an expression pedal but can still use it as volume when the H9 isn't activated... At least that's how I see it. Can anyone verify this here that has one? Any other general thoughts or comments on the H9 modulation effects?

 

[László]

I'm not sure if this is allowed in the Amplifiers section, so if it isn't, please feel free to delete this.

Has anyone here had experience with an Eventide H9 and more specifically the expression output? With my recent amp purchase I've decided that I'm going to change up my board again to make it more compact. I was wondering if the H9 can replace my delay, phaser, and wah pedal? I found a video on YouTube where someone has plugged a volume pedal into the H9 and uses it as an expression pedal but can still use it as volume when the H9 isn't activated... At least that's how I see it. Can anyone verify this here that has one? Any other general thoughts or comments on the H9 modulation effects?

I have the H9, loaded with all the algorithms. The volume pedals that double as expression pedals are actually built for that purpose. Not all volume pedals or expression pedals can do that. Dunlop makes one that does, and I think others do, too. The Mission Engineering pedals are supposed to be very high quality, I'm sure there are more.

I love the H9's mod and time based effects; to my ears, they're the best of the best in terms of modulation, delay, reverb, and no one else is even close on the interesting effects that employ pitch. They're based on many years of studio effects boxes, including the boxes that go for close to 5 figures until quite recently. There are no higher quality digital effects, in my opinion. That doesn't mean they're for you, but they work for me.

The distortion effects are not my cuppa meat. I can't stand digital distortion effects in general.

Whether the H9 can replace your delay, phaser and wah depends on how you do things. While some of the algorithms employ more than one effect - the Space Time algorithm for example - most are single effects. It's not a pedal that you can do more than one patch at a time.

So if you need, say, a rotary speaker, plus a delay at the same time, you will still need two pedals. This is why touring pros like Pete Thorn will have two H9s on their boards.

Here's a shot of my current board; as you can see I don't often use the H9 with an expression pedal, I still have a wah, because I like the way analog wahs interact with the pickups on the guitar. There isn't room on my pedalboard for both, but there are times I'll put an expression pedal next to the board and plug it into the H9.



The greatest beauty of the H9, besides its sounds, is the ability to be used with the iPad, iPhone or computer, to edit algorithms, to set it up in flexible ways, etc., even on the fly. I absolutely LOVE not having to be on my knees bending over with a guitar strapped on, twisting a pedal's knobs.

 

[nosidamde]

Les, thank you for responding with that info!

I do not have a need for delay, phaser, and wah together at the same time... or even using more than one during one particular song. I do currently have a Dunlop volume pedal that I could use as an expression pedal for an H9. However, I'm trying to shrink down my board so I may end up getting the Dunlop mini volume pedal that recently came out.

I feel the H9 Max is right up my alley. It's just a lot of money, regardless of the model, so I'm trying to get second opinions to make sure I'm making the right decision.

 

[László]

Les, thank you for responding with that info!

I do not have a need for delay, phaser, and wah together at the same time... or even using more than one during one particular song. I do currently have a Dunlop volume pedal that I could use as an expression pedal for an H9. However, I'm trying to shrink down my board so I may end up getting the Dunlop mini volume pedal that recently came out.

I feel the H9 Max is right up my alley. It's just a lot of money, regardless of the model, so I'm trying to get second opinions to make sure I'm making the right decision.

Just remember that a volume pedal is different from an expression pedal, unless you have a special one that has both. Expression is simply a control voltage, I think. Volume is audio. So, two different functions. It's nice to have them both in one pedal, though.

The H9 is indeed expensive if you get the max. You could get the base model, and then just buy the algorithms you're interested in, too. That's always a good choice. I got the Max version because I do this stuff for a living, so I felt I should have as many options as possible.

 

[Tosca]

Agree with Les...you cannot go wrong with an H9 (or two). They are pricey...but when you consider the number of other pedals that they can replace (basically everything except drive and compression pedals)...they start to look like a great value.

 

[László]

Agree with Les...you cannot go wrong with an H9 (or two). They are pricey...but when you consider the number of other pedals that they can replace (basically everything except drive and compression pedals)...they start to look like a great value.

Actually, they have a compression algorithm that sounds very good, too. Drive, mmmmffff...I agree with you.

 

[nosidamde]

Thanks again Les, and Tosca. I'm going to pull the trigger soon on a Max version. Also I'm in the middle of consulting Brady @ Brady Cases for my next pedalboard build as well. I'm hoping this is the last pedalboard and setup I'll need....

 

[László]

I'm hoping this is the last pedalboard and setup I'll need....

Oh right, The Last Pedalboard...

Detroit, Michigan, May 1971.

"Oh wow, man, what's this?"

"It's something new called a pedalboard. You attach your guitar pedals to this, and you don't have to keep setting them up, but it drains the batteries in the pedals unless you unplug the input jacks, so that's why they're all loose."

"How do you attach them?"

"With corner clamps screwed down to the board."

"Too bad you can't power these pedals with something, you know? So you don't have to unplug them."

"You're right, but this is the last one I'll ever need, so it doesn't matter what happens down the road."

Detroit, Michigan, May 1981.

"Hello, hon. What's this?"

"It's my new pedalboard. It's got all these new little pedals on it from this company called "Boss."

"How do you attach the pedals to the board?"

"Oh, you unscrew the screws at the corner of the pedals, and you use links from a bicycle chain to hold them in place. And you can power the pedals with these wall-wart things."

"What happens if you have to move the pedals around on the board? Won't the screw holes show?"

"Oh, that doesn't matter, because this is the last pedalboard I'll ever need."

Detroit Michigan, 1991.

"Dude! Whuzzup?"

"Oh, just working with this new pedalboard. It's got a built in power supply and has this Velcro stuff on the board. You stick this stuff to your pedals and they stay in place. And check these out, man! All Boss and this new company, Digitech!"

"Wow, that rules!"

"Yeah, this is state of the art, man, it doesn't get any better than this. This is the last pedalboard I will ever need."

Detroit, Michigan, 2001.

"Whoa! What's this?"

"Oh, it's my new pedalboard!"

"Looks cool! Those pedals are really different!"

"Oh yeah, they're all what's called 'boutique' pedals! Look at this, a Fulltone Fulldrive, and here's something called a Klon, it cost me almost two hundred bucks!"

"I like the gold paint color. Cool. And check out that Teese wah wah. Hey, what's that?"

"This one? It's a Mesa V-Twin! Polished aluminum, baby! This is the last pedalboard I'll ever need."

Detroit, Michigan, 2011.

"Hey, another new pedalboard, huh? I like the look of that one."

"Yeah, it's called a Pedaltrain! It's very light. And check out these pedals from all these little boutique companies, like Catalinbread, and Earthquake."

"Nice!"

"Oh yeah, this is the last pedalboard I'll ever need."

Detroit, Michigan, 2021

"What's that next to your wheelchair?"

"What?"

"That suitcase looking thing."

"I don't remember."

"Look down to the right."

"OK."

"Well what is that?"

"What is what?"

 

[Dusty Chalk]

It's funny because it predicts the future and it's true.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Actually, they have a compression algorithm that sounds very good, too. Drive, mmmmffff...I agree with you.

Hey, I have a stupid question when it comes to digital pedals and analog pedals -- when an analog pedal boosts, it boosts, it doesn't care about no bit depth. And when you stack boosts, they can go even wilder -- what happens when a digital pedal gets overrun by the analog signal, does the ADC do that horrible distortion when someone tries to put in a bigger signal than an ADC can handle? And why don't I hear this more often?

 

[László]

Hey, I have a stupid question when it comes to digital pedals and analog pedals -- when an analog pedal boosts, it boosts, it doesn't care about no bit depth. And when you stack boosts, they can go even wilder -- what happens when a digital pedal gets overrun by the analog signal, does the ADC do that horrible distortion when someone tries to put in a bigger signal than an ADC can handle? And why don't I hear this more often?

How a digital pedal reacts to the incoming signal depends on the algorithm, physical model, or impulse response.

Some can mimic the analog input to a degree, but once the digital input clips, it's horrible, as opposed to analog clipping, which can be very good, or very bad, but not as bad as digital clipping.

If you want to hear what digital clipping sounds like (as opposed to a digital model simulating clipping), just record something into your DAW at too high a level and listen to what happens.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

How a digital pedal reacts to the incoming signal depends on the algorithm, physical model, or impulse response.

Some can mimic the analog input to a degree, but once the digital input clips, it's horrible, as opposed to analog clipping, which can be very good, or very bad, but not as bad as digital clipping.

If you want to hear what digital clipping sounds like (as opposed to a digital model simulating clipping), just record something into your DAW at too high a level and listen to what happens.

Yes, sorry, I meant digital clipping. I have heard it, it's awful. But people stack boosts and dirt and whatnot in front of digital pedals all the time, why don't I hear digital clipping more often as a result? I mean, I realize why I don't in professional recordings, but I listen to amateur demos all the time, and I can't even think of a single time I've heard it.

 

[László]

Yes, sorry, I meant digital clipping. I have heard it, it's awful. But people stack boosts and dirt and whatnot in front of digital pedals all the time, why don't I hear digital clipping more often as a result? I mean, I realize why I don't in professional recordings, but I listen to amateur demos all the time, and I can't even think of a single time I've heard it.

It's all a matter of headroom built into the digital pedal's input stage. As long as the circuitry in front of the A/D converter doesn't send so much level that it clips the converter, you won't hear it.

The input circuit on a decent digital pedal can take gobs of level before it clips.

And the output of a typical OD, even stacked, isn't all that hot a signal. Think about your guitar pickups' signal, and how low level that is, yet it is still enough to drive a pedal.

I don't use OD pedals currently with my board, but I have run them, plus boost pedals, ahead of my Eventide pedals, with no problems at all.

 

[goat-n-gitter]

OP, have you considered the Line 6 M5? Although it uses a proprietary expression pedal, you can get it and a pedal for half the price of the eventide. Give one a listen, you may find it does all you need it to do and sounds fine. My M13 works great for me.

Tom

 

[László]

OP, have you considered the Line 6 M5? Although it uses a proprietary expression pedal, you can get it and a pedal for half the price of the eventide. Give one a listen, you may find it does all you need it to do and sounds fine. My M13 works great for me.

Tom

Tom, the M13 is a good sounding box, and you won't hear me criticizing it, especially for the dough.

On the other hand, the H9 does different things, and many of its sounds are in a different league. So it's really a case of comparing apples and oranges.

 

[nosidamde]

OP, have you considered the Line 6 M5? Although it uses a proprietary expression pedal, you can get it and a pedal for half the price of the eventide. Give one a listen, you may find it does all you need it to do and sounds fine. My M13 works great for me.

Tom

Thank you for the additional option to consider. I checked it out, I'm still going to go with the H9 Max though. Haven't pulled the trigger yet, but I will after my new pedal board has shipped from Brady Cases.

 

[duhdewd]

Thank you for the additional option to consider. I checked it out, I'm still going to go with the H9 Max though. Haven't pulled the trigger yet, but I will after my new pedal board has shipped from Brady Cases.

I have an H9 Core that handles ALL of my mod and time effects (I almost never use pitch effects but the H9 has some really fun ones) it sounds better and has much deeper editing than the Line 6 HD series stuff I own.
The Helix is a different story but I don't own one.

You can't go wrong with the H9.

 

[nosidamde]

So I ended up getting the H9 Max and a Dunlop X Mini before ordering my new board to make sure everything will work together first. I was hoping that someone, such as Les, might know how to help me with something. I was able to get the Dunlop Mini X to work as an expression pedal when it was only plugged into the H9 with a TRS cable.

However, when I plugged in what was necessary to make it a volume pedal as well... so guitar-->MiniX In-->MiniX Out-->H9 In-->Shiva... also MiniX-->H9 Expression... it won't allow the expression pedal portion to work anymore.

Any thoughts to get me through the weekend before reaching out to Dunlop/Eventide? Thanks in advance.

 

[László]

Expression and volume are two different functions. One is audio, and the other is control voltage (or in some cases, MIDI).

The problem is that the pedal is either/or, not both at once -- this makes sense, since you'd be reducing or increasing volume even if all you'd want to do is control Expression.

In other words, it does two things, but not at the same time.

This is why all the pros who have expression pedals and volume pedals wired up on their pedalboards have two separate pedals, one for each function. Having one pedal that does two things will require you to swap out cables for whatever function you want to do.

On the other hand, it's a nice, small pedal, so plan on making room for two on your board if you need both functions. Incidentally, for volume I'd get the new Lehle.

What someone needs to make (and maybe this already exists) is a pedal that can be switched to do one or the other function with a footswitch, etc.

 

[nosidamde]

Thanks Les, I appreciate your feedback. The Lehle looks nice, but I'm trying to shrink down my next board, and this Dunlop Mini X seems pretty nice. I'll probably just grab another one.