I've had a Roland GR33 for about 10 years, and I just use it in my home studio. My Roland is great for bass, sax, trumpet, and banjo. The piano, and organ sounds don't even come close to the EHX Key9. My Roland "hiccups" on the keyboard sounds. I'm sold on this baby!
Cool playing, so non-showy, appreciated in the world of supergeezers on full display, just love your chord-work, my kind of voicings every time.... & btw the pedal ain't bad. GR8 REVIEW
You need to download the manual and use the settings for each of the instruments. It's not a plug and play pedal. Also, as he says, you need to alter your playing style to get it to sound like a keyboard. A good reverb unit is needed too. I bought mine used maybe the manual is included if you buy it new.
This pedal looks better than Mel 9, I should listen to both. I really would like to try them. Though mel 9 has cello and high choir, that is so coool. If I could buy a pedal to make a low choir to simulate gregorian chants, that would be great. After all there is a miku pedal (or whatever)
I'm still trying to figure out how the 9 series work. Is it sample based? Or does it model the audio? What' the technology behind it? Does it pitch-track, and re-synthesise the audio? Or does it model the initial incoming audio?
It uses effectology and modelling. If you look at what Bill Ruppert does in his effectology series, it's basically that. The nines are basically multi effect units, almost like a multitude of pedals in one, that shape the tone of your axe in such a way that it ends up sounding like an organ, e piano, mellotron, bass, synth, string section etc. Depending on the model. Each pedal essentially has a multitude of built on effects that shape the tone to sound like something else, and changing the parameters on the pedals changes up the effects or the parameters of the effects. Back in the day, guitarists would use and experiment with different pedals in the studio and live in combinations to achieve the craziest effects. Some even went further and incorporated technique, such as E - bowing or slides or others, and a few even full-on bowed their guitars with literal violin bows (eg. Jimmy Page). While these crazy feats were often super experimental, many people also tried to jump on the bandwagon and try it themselves (even now, there's plenty of videos on YT of people achieving x sound with a bunch of pedals and doing tutorials on how to do so). The only problem is that unlike Jimmy Page or other famous guitarists, most people don't have a load of space and money and time to mess around dialling tones on 20 something pedals/rackmount units. So EHX decided that they'll help out and make pedals that allow guitarists to emulate different sounds of instruments with just one pedal, sparing the need for rackmount units or a crap ton of pedals. MIDI does achieve this, too, but there are fundamental problems with guitar to MIDI that I personally experience too as an FTP user. The elephant in the room is that you will have to somehow attach an extra pickup to your guitar, which isn't easy. But also, MIDI takes away organic sounds from your tone as you're essentially just becoming a keyboardist using your guitar as a keyboard, so certain guitar techniques will be difficult. Also, MIDI is very sensitive and will often be mistrigger, especially if you are, like me, a fast punk/metal player, which really causes MIDI to f up and barf out a crap ton of mistriggers and other poor sounding noises that essentially look like one has gone and slammed their face into a MIDI keyboard. There's also the whole process off taking the acoustic signal of the strings into the pickup and sending each strings output to a decoder, which deciphers what you played, turns it to MIDI and then sends that into whatever you want to control. This often causes latency, especially with lower notes. The nines, on the other hand, have no latency and no triggering (and therefore, no MIS triggering) and no guitar to MIDI translation. They literally just use your guitar -> multiple effects in on pedal -> amp (or whatever else you want after the pedal).
It's more responsive with higher output pickups. I had to raise the pickup height on a couple of my teles that have low output pickups to get the optimal response from it. At first I thought it was defective until I did that.
I have watched a few other demos of this peddle and it seems like all have been finger picking rather than strumming. I'm wondering if it's just as good only strumming.
While you can certainly strum on these petals, just like with bending notes, the attack doesn't give as convincing a sound as if you play finger style. If you really want it to sound like another instrument then you have to adjust your playing style a bit.
Great demo! I have trouble with this pedal. I use it with a Pog to create organ. Difficult pedals yield wonderful rewards. Right hand muting with extreme settings is pretty cool.
Whoa!!!,..one of THE BEST demos of this cool-ass EHX Pedal!! Great for us Crazy-Mad Live Loopers going out & losing our minds have a Rockin’,..Funkin’ good time Jammin’ on our pedalboards,.. amazing crowds around the world!..🌎✨✨🎶🎛🎸 b(‘ _< ) P.,S...for those whom may want more fun,..combine this EHX Key9 with a killer,.. Source Audio C4 🎛Synth Pedal in your line up‼️ Guaranteed you’ll grin from ear to ear❗️👍🏾😁✨🎶🎸
use the bridge pickup and stay away from the dusty end of the fretboard as the sounds are best below the 10th fret (in my humble opinion) - as the guy above says, read the manual.
Tried this out in a shop. First with a bass, it doesn't handle bassy notes well. With guitar you really have to hit it hard to get any response. Great as a modulation pedal, but I'm not really hearing "Keys".
These pedals are 100% worthless ; 240 Euro and after a few months , the organ type selector goes crazy . It becomes a game of chance to select the organ you want . Sad ...
@@terryb6802 The selector for sound type does not give the sound you put it on , it goes random , sometime changes , or doesn't change , it's unreliable . Pedals in this pricerange should work properly .
Strange guitar playing. (Not musical to my ears). And not what a keyboardist would play either. The key is to adapt your playing to what sound you are dealing with. Just an idea...
Great demo with tasteful and virtuosic playing when required.
I've had a Roland GR33 for about 10 years, and I just use it in my home studio. My Roland is great for bass, sax, trumpet, and banjo. The piano, and organ sounds don't even come close to the EHX Key9. My Roland "hiccups" on the keyboard sounds. I'm sold on this baby!
Cool playing, so non-showy, appreciated in the world of supergeezers on full display, just love your chord-work, my kind of voicings every time.... & btw the pedal ain't bad. GR8 REVIEW
Best demo of this pedal
You need to download the manual and use the settings for each of the instruments. It's not a plug and play pedal. Also, as he says, you need to alter your playing style to get it to sound like a keyboard. A good reverb unit is needed too. I bought mine used maybe the manual is included if you buy it new.
Thanks for the info!
Very fast sweeping arpeggios.. I like watching & focus the finger running so smoother
Excellent! One of the best demonstrations I have seen so far!
I agree! Thanks for the great demo.
your logo reminds me of gatorade
This pedal looks better than Mel 9, I should listen to both. I really would like to try them. Though mel 9 has cello and high choir, that is so coool. If I could buy a pedal to make a low choir to simulate gregorian chants, that would be great. After all there is a miku pedal (or whatever)
Good review! Get one of these and the MEL 9 and you can probably get some shows as a Keyboardist!
Positions 2 (wurlitzer) and 6 (vibes) are awesome !
I bought one years ago, very difficult to get sounds like all the UA-cam demos. A bit of fun was all, glad I was able to sell it only losing £20
I'm still trying to figure out how the 9 series work. Is it sample based? Or does it model the audio?
What' the technology behind it? Does it pitch-track, and re-synthesise the audio? Or does it model the initial incoming audio?
It uses effectology and modelling. If you look at what Bill Ruppert does in his effectology series, it's basically that.
The nines are basically multi effect units, almost like a multitude of pedals in one, that shape the tone of your axe in such a way that it ends up sounding like an organ, e piano, mellotron, bass, synth, string section etc. Depending on the model. Each pedal essentially has a multitude of built on effects that shape the tone to sound like something else, and changing the parameters on the pedals changes up the effects or the parameters of the effects.
Back in the day, guitarists would use and experiment with different pedals in the studio and live in combinations to achieve the craziest effects. Some even went further and incorporated technique, such as E - bowing or slides or others, and a few even full-on bowed their guitars with literal violin bows (eg. Jimmy Page). While these crazy feats were often super experimental, many people also tried to jump on the bandwagon and try it themselves (even now, there's plenty of videos on YT of people achieving x sound with a bunch of pedals and doing tutorials on how to do so). The only problem is that unlike Jimmy Page or other famous guitarists, most people don't have a load of space and money and time to mess around dialling tones on 20 something pedals/rackmount units. So EHX decided that they'll help out and make pedals that allow guitarists to emulate different sounds of instruments with just one pedal, sparing the need for rackmount units or a crap ton of pedals.
MIDI does achieve this, too, but there are fundamental problems with guitar to MIDI that I personally experience too as an FTP user. The elephant in the room is that you will have to somehow attach an extra pickup to your guitar, which isn't easy. But also, MIDI takes away organic sounds from your tone as you're essentially just becoming a keyboardist using your guitar as a keyboard, so certain guitar techniques will be difficult. Also, MIDI is very sensitive and will often be mistrigger, especially if you are, like me, a fast punk/metal player, which really causes MIDI to f up and barf out a crap ton of mistriggers and other poor sounding noises that essentially look like one has gone and slammed their face into a MIDI keyboard. There's also the whole process off taking the acoustic signal of the strings into the pickup and sending each strings output to a decoder, which deciphers what you played, turns it to MIDI and then sends that into whatever you want to control. This often causes latency, especially with lower notes.
The nines, on the other hand, have no latency and no triggering (and therefore, no MIS triggering) and no guitar to MIDI translation. They literally just use your guitar -> multiple effects in on pedal -> amp (or whatever else you want after the pedal).
A nice review. Thank you so much
Is it necessary to have a specific pickup to use it?
It's more responsive with higher output pickups. I had to raise the pickup height on a couple of my teles that have low output pickups to get the optimal response from it. At first I thought it was defective until I did that.
I have watched a few other demos of this peddle and it seems like all have been finger picking rather than strumming. I'm wondering if it's just as good only strumming.
While you can certainly strum on these petals, just like with bending notes, the attack doesn't give as convincing a sound as if you play finger style. If you really want it to sound like another instrument then you have to adjust your playing style a bit.
For flat picking it seems to work fine
How would you strum a piano? You'd have to open it up and get inside it.
Great demo! I have trouble with this pedal. I use it with a Pog to create organ. Difficult pedals yield wonderful rewards. Right hand muting with extreme settings is pretty cool.
Damn dude - I knew you were good, then you wait until the end to do the sweeps so effortlessly... Nice demo.
Cool but I think the B9 sounds are closer to the originals.
Whoa!!!,..one of THE BEST demos of this cool-ass EHX Pedal!! Great for us Crazy-Mad Live Loopers going out & losing our minds have a Rockin’,..Funkin’ good time Jammin’ on our pedalboards,.. amazing crowds around the world!..🌎✨✨🎶🎛🎸 b(‘ _< ) P.,S...for those whom may want more fun,..combine this EHX Key9 with a killer,.. Source Audio C4 🎛Synth Pedal in your line up‼️ Guaranteed you’ll grin from ear to ear❗️👍🏾😁✨🎶🎸
Useless ads are getting really bad and annoying
is any preference on pickup position to use this pedal?
use the bridge pickup and stay away from the dusty end of the fretboard as the sounds are best below the 10th fret (in my humble opinion) - as the guy above says, read the manual.
I might have to send mine back. It does not sound like this even close.
a compressor really helps and high output pickups.
@@greysnoutcompressor before or after the key9?
Can't amagine what Allan Holdsworth would have done with a pedal like this as well...
True. That's got me thinking.
Tried this out in a shop. First with a bass, it doesn't handle bassy notes well. With guitar you really have to hit it hard to get any response. Great as a modulation pedal, but I'm not really hearing "Keys".
Dankeschöööön! BG aus D
Pretty sure these are not battery powered
Got Steely Dan written all over it.
Why can't people just play the damn thing without talking
Isso é som de qualquer coisa menos de piano
These pedals are 100% worthless ; 240 Euro and after a few months , the organ type selector goes crazy . It becomes a game of chance to select the organ you want . Sad ...
What do u mean
@@terryb6802 The selector for sound type does not give the sound you put it on , it goes random , sometime changes , or doesn't change , it's unreliable . Pedals in this pricerange should work properly .
Don't think it sounds that realistic.
who gives two shits
Sounds like every cheesy pedal ever made all rolled into one convenient package.
No talks please !
Strange guitar playing. (Not musical to my ears). And not what a keyboardist would play either. The key is to adapt your playing to what sound you are dealing with. Just an idea...
Great review!!! Thanks so much 👍