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EHX Pitchfork: Noise Problem?

Discussion in 'The Stomp Box' started by Kayle McGuire, Jun 1, 2018.

  1. Jun 1, 2018 #1
    Kayle McGuire

    Kayle McGuire Tele-Meister

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    Today I purchased the Pitch Fork from Electro Harmonix! I initially placed it at the beginning of my pedalboard, right after my tuner. It worked great!

    But when I engaged my distortion, I got an overwhelming amount of high-pitch frequency.
    The distortion, when on all by itself, had a crazy amount of static/noise.

    When I removed the Pitch Fork from the signal path, there was almost no excess noise from the distortion, as normal.

    Note: Each of my pedals was isolated through my Voodoo Lab 4x4 Power Supply. Clean, isolated power made me rule out that as the issue.

    I ended up solving the problem (sort of). When I placed the Pitch Fork at the end of the signal path, (after my distortion), the distortion operated normally.

    If the Pitch Fork is not even engaged, how can the pedal affect the sound of my distortion when placed before?

    And why is it that when the Pitch Fork is after the distortion, not even engaged, the distortion hiss goes back to normal?

    KM
     
    Last edited: Jun 1, 2018
  2. Jun 1, 2018 #2
    dlew919

    dlew919 Poster Extraordinaire

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    If it’s not true bypass then the pedal still has a circuit. (You need buffers too. I’m just saying).

    Some pedals are very sensitive to order. Maybe the distortion tames those rogue frequencies? Maybe the buffer in the distortion is needed.

    An interesting problem.
     
  3. Jun 2, 2018 #3
    jddub440

    jddub440 Tele-Holic

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    Happy NPD!!!
    I've had my Pitchfork for a couple years now....I really like it but it has certainly caused me the most problems of all my pedals so far. They're not even big problems but I discovered quickly that it does NOT like sharing power with any other pedal at all! The other issue I found with it is that it also ruins the sound of my germanium Fuzz Factory. If I run the Fuzz Factory after the Pitchfork the sound of the fuzz is terrible no matter whether I'm using the PF or if the PF is bypassed. However when I run the Fuzz Factory before the Pitchfork I can use one or the other independently without any issue, but I still cannot achieve any close to a desirable sound using both simutaneously.
    Unfortunately I feel as if I could not live without either pedal so I have been in search of a dirt to run after my Pitchfork to "finish" my pedalboard. In my quest for the PF's dirty playmate I've gotten a lot of my best PF tones out of a RAT2 running after the PF. I still am searching a bit but I'll likely stay with the RAT2.
    Oh and I've also noticed that the Pitchfork just always amplifies that staticy sound that creeps through the speaker when guitar is totally silent.
    BTW What distortion are you using??
    I recently moved my analog delay in front of my Pitchfork so I could shift pitch shift the repeats and I noticed that I could nearly max out the repeats/feedback before the delay oscillated outta control....I imagine the Pitchfork must've been pushing the analog delay into oscillation earlier in its repeats/feedback range due to the PF's buffer when the delay had been placed after!?
    I dunno for sure....but i do know the Pitchfork is a wild effect pedal! I've pulled off a few really good and convincing tricks with it.
     
  4. Jun 2, 2018 #4
    DeVilleDude

    DeVilleDude Tele-Holic

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    I'm no expert in pedal order, but I run my Pitchfork right after my QTron and drives, followed by my SA Orbital Modulator, then delay and reverb. I've never experienced any incompatibility with any drives, and the PF plays nice with all the effects in the Orb. I often have engaged Qtron+stacked drives+PF+Orb+delay+verb, with no noise or signal conflicts. I power with a PP2.
     
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