Home Forums Review Your EHX Gear Stereo Polyphase

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  • #77345
    julian
    Moderator

    The Stereo Polyphase is a cool pedal. The feature set is pretty nice I really dig the slow envelope mode, which is something I’m missing with my current envelope filter.

    The square wave mode is also a nice feature, and you can get some pretty cool sounds with that, especially in conjunction with an expression pedal. It’s a tweaker pedal for sure.

    The expression mode is really cool. You can tweak it to be in the range of the stuff you’re playing and with distortion have the resonance be right in that range and you get these cool feedbacky notes. Add some vibrato and it’s quite wonderful. It’d be awesome if they made just an EHX “wah” that was just that mode of the Polyphase in a Wah enclosure.

    Cons:
    -it’s pretty subtle sounding, even for my tastes
    -hard to find a perfect setting on
    -never really find myself using it to write songs
    -expression pedal jack placement, most expression pedals don’t use right angle jacks for some reason, so it’s in a bad spot.

    Though I don’t really consider myself much of a modulation guy, so take my words with a grain of salt if you are. I could be perfectly happy if my board was just a pitch shifter, a ring mod, a tuner, some fuzzes, and a looper.

    #88728
    FZRJunkie
    Member

    Pigtronix EP-1 vs. EHX Polyphase – envelope driven phasers

    How noticeable is the phase-shift when using envelope mode?

    I’ve been wanting a phaser that can be driven by the player’s pick attack and speed, not just by an LFO. I guess it’s down to these 2 units, and I’d have to order either one blind. I don’t suppose there are any phaser junkies who have tried both of these? Any other suggestions?

    To be clear, I’m not looking for just an envelope filter/follower, but a phaser that is driven by the envelope. I suppose I could also figure out how to trigger a Moog phaser with another Moogerfooger’s envelope, but that path leads to crazyland. I’ve owned many phasers including the Moog, but the 2 units I am asking about pretty much do it by design. The clips for each sound good….

    First post. Please welcome me with unconditional adoration.

    #88729
    julian
    Moderator

    heh, I actually answered your question on HC.

    :)

    #88730
    FZRJunkie
    Member

    (Thanks for pulling double-duty! Yeah, I am home after some minor surgery hitting several forums with this question)

    You know, I am not really looking for funky Bootsy/RHCP Q-Tronish sounds, really I am looking for a phasery sound that speeds up when I play fast, and slows down when I let chords ring. Know what I mean? And maybe get a deeper phase when I dig in or spank the strings, and more subtle phasing when I pick lightly or arpeggiate.

    Think I’m barking up the right tree?

    How many stages does the Polyphase re-issue use?

    #88732
    julian
    Moderator

    not sure on the number of phases
    but slow envelope mode will get you sort of what you’re talking about, it’s touch sensitive, but not super funky. It sounds very natural.

    #88911
    FZRJunkie
    Member

    I am getting this thing.

    Heck, even if it didn’t have envelope mode I would be wanting it bad.
    Seems like a way more versatile Stone.

    #109534
    gearwhore
    Member

    Is it possible just to get a normal phase sound(such as the Small Stone)with the Poly Phase but controlled by an expression pedal?

    thanks

    #109539
    diegoarts
    Member

    i think the stereo polyphase sounds very good.

    it is a bit of a trial to find the right start/stop settings. it’s much easier with the expression pedal plugged in, so you really can find the sweet spots (like in the riddle!).

    great thing here, that’s missing in the riddle, is you can choose the EP-setting via switch and don’t have to unplug the pedal! strange, EHX didn’t do this within the riddle.

    what i found rather strange was – in stereo setup, the start frequency is left, and the stop right.?!?!
    it doesn’t sound bad, but it is strange and unpracticable: deep phasing – more stereo, lush phasing – less stereo. that’s just really strange.

    i don’t play much with envelope phasing, but sometimes it’s great to have.

    overall, i love the sound. it can be very oldschool, but modern as well, just with a tweak to the start/stop settings.

    those knobs are revolution! fantastic!
    can’t wait for a XO deluxe flanger with these knobs on it!!!

    diego

    #109549
    julian
    Moderator

    I ended up selling mine, but I really, really miss that slow envelope setting sometimes.

    #110048
    DarkAxel
    Participant

    i just found an ad for a good price… since i’m currently saving money for some modulation, i’m lucky

    i was thinking about Stereo Electric Mistress or a HOAX if i get enough money, but the polyphase is a good deal and it sure is more user-friendly than HOAX and it won’t bother me with chorus like SEM (i don’T like chorus) :)

    is the phasing good? can it be subtle? can it be more extreme?

    i like to play some funky stuff sometimes, so the envelope filter is totally a good feature for me. But i’d probably use the phaser more

    edit: and because it’s a good deal, i could get an exp.pedal and still have enough money to go on a date :D

    #110051
    julian
    Moderator

    It can be very subtle. It never gets really dripping wet intense though, you can definitely hear it, especially with distortion. It’s good for the funk though.

    #110062
    DarkAxel
    Participant

    ok, thanks… the seller still didn’t answer me, but in the meantime i got to try the SEM… boy, am i surprised… the ONLY thing i liked was the chorus :-D

    if i’ll buy it, i’ll write an opinion here about… next weekend… but the seller has to write me a response!

    #110080
    DarkAxel
    Participant

    ok, so next week it’s coming

    i have a question… i keep on reading about the subtleness… is it really so bad? what about the polyphase into distortion – can it be heard?

    i guess i’ll still buy a HOAX some day… and it’s supposed to be pretty extreme. so i guess i’ll cover more extreme ground in the future

    #110235
    DarkAxel
    Participant

    yeah, triple posts… way to go me :(

    anyways… it’s awesome!!! The envelope is really interesting, slow envelope is a great idea. The phaser has really nice sound and a wide variety of settings… i don’t know about the subtleness – when combined with distortion i could easily get that heavily pronounced Incubus-like, Boss PH-2-like phasing… but it can sound really nice and subtle, not like the PH-2 i had before :)

    i usually put modulation in front of the distortion, but since i have vintage specs fuzz, i choose to put the fuzz first… the polyphase after the silicon fuzz face is just WICKED :) especially in the envelope mode – the fuzz compresses a lot, so the funkyness isn’t very apparent, but what is this really cool filtering :) With the distortion after it’s cool

    the EXP mode – i haven’t explore the possibilities yet, but it sounds cool :)

    all in all – i’m happy with it :) and it fits nicely to my pedalboard

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