Upon release of Little MicroShift, I was anxious to try the “H3000 #519” preset. On my mixes, I use this effect on any or all of the following: lead vox, background vox, synth bass, organic bass, synth pads and chords, synth leads and anything I need to sound thick and wide. The MicroPitchShift effect is instantly recognizable to the ear and provides a high level of familiarity to whichever vocals or instrumentation it is being applied. It defaults to creating a slight delay on copies of the original signal, then detuning the copies +9 and -9 cents, creating a gorgeous chorus effect that is not perceived as being out of tune (because the pitch adjustments are so small). The most famous and widely used setting on the H3000 is preset #519, called “MicroPitchShift”. The Line button on the lower-right of the unit must be engaged as well.
In a professional control room, this is as easy as patching an aux through a mult, then taking two splits from the mult and entering the input of the H3000.
Some settings either require dual-mono or react better with signal hitting both sides of the unit. Before we get to Little MicroShift, let’s talk a bit about using the hardware unit and its famous setting. When Eventide released the H3000 in 1986, it was the first unit to offer true diatonic pitch shifting, as well as many other features. I now had access to the best chorus hardware AND the best chorus plugin. Finally, I could have the power of the H3000 in the box. I was over-the-moon excited when Soundtoys announced Little MicroShift in 2014. The texture, width, thickness, warmth and tonal characteristics generated by the “MicroPitchShift” setting are vital to the controlled wetness of my mixes (and countless other mix engineers’ mixes).
These units, including one preset in particular, are used on every mix that I perform. I have used the Eventide H3000 in professional studios for many sessions over many years. Then, along comes the best chorus plugin to follow. I’ve had access to the best chorus hardware for over a decade.