23-521: The DigiTech Whammy is a pitch shifter pedal manufactured by DigiTech . It raises or lowers the pitch of an audio signal by up to two octaves , controlled with a treadle . The first model, released in 1989, was the first mass-market digital pitch shifter. The Whammy has a distinctive artificial sound, and Guitar World described it as one of the most iconic guitar pedals . Its users include Jonny Greenwood and Ed O'Brien of Radiohead , Matt Bellamy of Muse , Tom Morello of Rage Against
46-515: A Grammy Award . The piece was written by Richard Wright and David Gilmour . It has sounds that describe the setting as an island, such as the sounds of seagulls and waves crashing on the shore. It was composed while jamming aboard the Astoria in early 1993. Gilmour processed the guitar sound with a DigiTech Whammy pedal to pitch-shift notes entire octaves. Also in the background can be heard wailing guitar effects by Gilmour, reminiscent of
69-508: A "strange and artificial" sound, with distinctive "wobbly" artifacts . MusicRadar described the pedal's "distinctive warble". Later models introduced more accurate pitch tracking for chords, with the option to switch to the "classic" sound. Guitar World described the Whammy as one of the most iconic guitar pedals. According to MusicRadar , "It's hard to overstate the effect of a mass-market digital pitch shifter becoming available for
92-501: A recording by the same amount, whereas in practice, pitch correction may make different changes from note to note. Numerous cartoons have used pitch shifters to produce distinctive animal voices. Alvin and the Chipmunks recordings with David Seville (aka Ross Bagdasarian ) were created by recording vocal tracks at slow speeds, then playing them back at normal speeds. Voice artist Mel Blanc used pitch shifting techniques to create
115-424: Is a sound recording technique in which the original pitch of a sound is raised or lowered. Effects units that raise or lower pitch by a pre-designated musical interval ( transposition ) are known as pitch shifters . The simplest methods are used to increase pitch and reduce durations or, conversely, reduce pitch and increase duration. This can be done by replaying a sound waveform at a different speed than it
138-474: Is a sound effects unit that raises or lowers the pitch of an audio signal by a preset interval . For example, a pitch shifter set to increase the pitch by a fourth will raise each note three diatonic intervals above the notes actually played. Simple pitch shifters raise or lower the pitch by one or two octaves , while more sophisticated devices offer a range of interval alterations. Pitch shifters are included in most audio processors today. A harmonizer
161-516: Is a type of pitch shifter that combines the pitch-shifted signal with the original to create a two or more note harmony. The Eventide H910 Harmonizer , released in 1975, was one of the first commercially available pitch-shifters and digital multi-effects units. On November 10, 1976, Eventide filed a trademark registration for "Harmonizer" and continues to maintain its rights to the Harmonizer trademark today. In digital recording , pitch shifting
184-465: Is accomplished through digital signal processing . Older digital processors could often shift pitch only in post-production , whereas many modern devices using computer processing technology can change pitch values virtually in real time. Pitch correction is a form of pitch shifting and is found in software such as Auto-Tune and Melodyne to correct intonation inaccuracies in a recording or performance. Pitch shifting may raise or lower all sounds in
207-628: Is how you feel listening to this pallid, five-minute-and-thirty-second guitar solo." The instrumental won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the 37th Annual Grammy Awards in 1995. This song had only been played live three times before 2024: On the two dates in Oslo, Norway (one of which is featured in the bonus features on the Pulse DVD ) on the 1994 "The Division Bell" tour and at " The Strat Pack " charity concert, for
230-424: Is known for including pitch-shifted samples of vocal melodies in his songs. Goregrind and occasionally death metal use vocals that are often pitch-shifted to sound unnaturally low and guttural. The famous bass intro to the song " Seven Nation Army " by The White Stripes , is the result of guitarist Jack White playing an electric guitar through a pitch shifting effects pedal set to an octave below. The band
253-474: The 50th anniversary of the Fender Stratocaster guitar, where Gilmour played his "#0001" Stratocaster. In 2024, David Gilmour played it as a part of his Luck and Strange tour. An excerpt of the music is featured on Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd . In 2014, for the twentieth anniversary of the original release of The Division Bell , a music video for the song was produced and released on
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#1732771833725276-517: The Machine and Audioslave , David Gilmour of Pink Floyd and Jack White of the White Stripes . The DigiTech Whammy uses digital processing to raise or lower the pitch of an audio signal by up to two octaves . The degree of shift is controlled by a treadle . Users can set pitch-shifting intervals , add harmony , or detune the signal for a chorus -like effect. The first model
299-487: The Problematique ", he programmed the Whammy to shift his power chords rhythmically, creating octave patterns. On the 2022 song " Kill or Be Killed ", he plays a tapping solo through a Whammy programmed to shift rapidly between octaves, creating broad arpeggios . In 2020, Bellamy worked with the guitar maker Manson to develop a guitar with a built-in Whammy effect. The Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour used
322-504: The Studio host Redbeard. Stereogum opined that the instrumental "stands out primarily as a song that sounds as much like Pink Floyd as anything on their mid-'70s releases. The song roots itself to Gilmour's familiar lonesome melodic guitar descants threading themselves through the trademark mood setting and foundation of Mason's drum work and the invaluable Wright's keyboard deviations." Contrastingly, Vulture wrote that "[m]arooned
345-641: The Whammy to achieve "wild, octave-wide bends" on the track " Marooned " on the 1994 album The Division Bell . Jack White of the White Stripes recorded the riff for " Seven Nation Army " (2003) with the Whammy set one octave down. The Whammy is used by math rock acts such as Three Trapped Tigers and Adebisi Shank to create "video game"-like tones. Other users include Steve Vai , the Smashing Pumpkins , Swervedriver , and Justin Chancellor of Tool . Pitch shifter Pitch shifting
368-465: The Whammy to shift his guitar chords from minor to major . O'Brien said the Whammy was one of his most used effects. Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave uses the Whammy to create otherwise impossible effects. For "Voice of the Voiceless", he uses the pitch knob to cycle between intervals. Matt Bellamy of Muse uses the Whammy on several songs. For the 2007 song " Map of
391-432: The first time." The Radiohead guitarists Jonny Greenwood and Ed O'Brien both use the Whammy. For the introduction of the 1994 song " My Iron Lung ", Greenwood uses it to pitch-shift his guitar by an octave, exploiting the inaccurate pitch tracking for chords to create a "glitchy, lo-fi" sound. For " Just ", he uses it to shift his solo into a high, piercing frequency. On the 2001 song " Dollars and Cents ", O'Brien uses
414-461: The show's run. One notable early practitioner of pitch shifting in music is Chuck Berry , who used the technique to make his voice sound younger. Many of the Beatles ' records from 1966 and 1967 were made by recording instrumental tracks a half-step higher and the vocals correspondingly low. Examples include " Rain ", " I'm Only Sleeping ", and " When I'm Sixty-Four ". Electronic musician Burial
437-469: The song " Echoes ". Wright's grand piano parts (originally played and recorded on a Kurzweil) were recorded at Olympic Studios in London. David Gilmour has mentioned that "pretty much" all of "Marooned" is improvised and that he "probably took three or four passes at it and took the best bits out of each". Wright also said this was the first song to be mixed for The Division Bell in an interview with In
460-423: The voices of Tweety and Daffy Duck . In the 1970s, reruns of shows like I Love Lucy were sped up in order to run more advertisements during commercial breaks. The Eventide H910 Harmonizer was used to downward pitch-shift the characters' voices back to normal after the episode was sped up. South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have used pitch shifting for most of their characters throughout
483-416: Was a duo, who lacked a bassist and had never previously used one in any of their music, choosing instead to mimic the sound of a bass guitar. From 1986 to 1988, American musician Prince used pitch shifting to create his “Camille” vocals. Marooned (instrumental) " Marooned " is an instrumental track on Pink Floyd 's 1994 album, The Division Bell . It is the only Pink Floyd track ever to win
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#1732771833725506-493: Was introduced in 1989. Later models added more accurate polyphony , drop-tuning modes, a MIDI input for external control, and a "dive bomb" setting that emulates the sound of a whammy bar dropping the pitch. DigiTech also released the Bass Whammy, a model for bass guitars. Early models were monophonic , meaning they could only accurately track one note at a time. According to Sound on Sound , playing chords created
529-422: Was recorded. It could be accomplished on an early reel-to-reel tape recorder by changing the diameter of the capstan or using a different motor. As for vinyl records, placing a finger on the turntable to give friction will slow it, while giving it a "spin" can advance it. As technologies improved, motor speed and pitch control could be achieved electronically by servo drive system circuits. A pitch shifter
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