PS-5 Super Shifter Review

The Boss PS-5 Super Shifter is a next-generation intelligent pitch shifting pedal with killer sounds and Boss first features. It provides pitch shifting, harmonies, detuning, and wild tremolo arm/flutter effects ? all with simple, knob-based control.

Ease of Use:	8.5
Sound:	8.8
Reliability:	10
Impression:	9
Overall rating:	9.1
Users rating:	7.6
Comments:	16

overall: 8

Featured review by: toyboxmonster, on march 27, 2009

Price paid: C$ 149

Purchased from: Spaceman Music

Ease of Use: The PS-5 Super Shifter is probably the single stompbox with the most information packed on it's face. At first, this seems rather confusing, and even now, switching between my favourite settings can take a little while. There are four switches: 1- Balance/Speed, which controls the amount of wet signal (only active in Pitch-Shifter, Harmonist, & Detune modes) and the speed of the effect (active in Trem Arm, Flutter, and Detune mode). 2-Harmonist Key, which sets the key in which the harmonist will be working. 3- Pitch, which will determine the variation in pitch. 3- Mode, which allows the user to select from five modes (Flutter, T. Arm, Detune, Pitch Shifter, Harmonist). The manual helps a great deal in explaining the pedal's numerous switches in detail and is absolutely essential in gaining an understanding of all the modes. // 8

Sound: As with most pitch-shifters, the PS-5 does best at the very front of an effects chain. According to the manual, it can work post-gain, but that's really only true of the Pitch Shift mode, and even then, it's a little murky to really be satisfactory. I haven't noticed a great deal of noise from this unit, even though I don't use the recommended PSA-series adaptor. For straight pitch-shifting, this is a great pedal with very good sound quality; however, for some other effects, it isn't so great. I bought this mainly to do Whammy sort of effects but quickly discovered that the Trem Arm mode is nowhere near precise enough to do it well. The Harmonist mode is extremely irritating. The Flutter setting sounds great, but the annoying little dip that is produced upon pressing down the pedal makes it difficult to do anything but hold it down for an entire song, making it essentially useless. One real consolotation is that the Detune sounds heavenly and easily achieves both strange, space-rock sounds and breezy 12-string sounds. An EV-5 Expression pedal can be hooked up to this stompbox. I imagine that using one would make Whammy effects much easier and would make the pedal much more practical. But seeing the price of both the EV-5 and the PS-5, it's hard to justify not just getting a DigiTech Whammy. // 7

Reliability & Durability: Like all Boss pedals, it's pretty well-built. The metal chassis seems durable enough, and the Switch doesn't look too fragile. The knobs look like DigiTech's knobs but are much more sturdy; each is secured with a steel bolt. The thumbscrew securing the footplate makes the PS-5 much more reliable and efficient than pedals that require unscrewing of the backplate and pedals that have a more flimsy footplate like DigiTech products. // 10

Impression: I play ambient music, and I was counting on this pedal to provide pitch-shifting and Whammy effects. It did not deliver the second, but I am willing to try out an EV-5 to see if that will make it possible. I have found a use to the Flutter mode, though it does require me to keep the footswitch down for the entire duration of the songs in which I use it (this gets very, very irritating). An EV-5 would allow me to produce the same effects by rocking the expression pedal back and forth in pitch-shifting mode. I really wish I had tried it out a little more extensively; I may have decided on a DigiTech Whammy instead, simply for it's versatility. I really can't imagine anyone getting any real use out of the Harmonist function, though I have heard people claim that it's useful to them. Once again, the PS-5 had the potential to be a very versatile stompbox, maybe even the quintessential pitch-shifter, but the good people at Boss rendered all of it's Stranger and more interesting functions entirely unuseable. In the end, it is simply a pitch shifter, nothing more, nothing less. // 7

Reviewed by: unregistered, on april 05, 2004

Price paid: $ 169

Purchased from: Guitar center

Ease of Use: This pedal, as I found it, isn't the easyest to use but once you get used to it you can just count the clicks and know what your gunna sound like. // 8

Sound: Through my crate and my line-6 this thing punches a pritty good sound. However I have a computer in my room to pull music while I play... the thing isnt shielded 100% so the higher lower quality pitch shift, especially in the upper side, gets nasty. It's my impression this would happen with a wireless as well, but other than that this thing is owesome. // 8

Reliability & Durability: Bboss... yeah its bomb proff. // 10

Impression: Needs to be shielded better againt radio wave and to have true control over the wammy you need an expression pedal... but it's friggin sweet. My friends hate my one-guitar slayer shows because it's some sort of blastfamy... sweet. // 10

overall: 9.3

Reviewed by: [travis], on july 10, 2009

Price paid: $ 169.99

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Ease of Use: In order to get your perfect sound out of this pedal, it depends on what selection you have it on: "Pitch Shifter," "Harmonist," "Flutter," "Detune," and "T. Arm." Each selection has you either adjusting 2 knobs, 3 knobs or 4 knobs. The knobs are Balance, Pitch, Key, Delay, and the Selection knob. The manual that the pedal comes with is helpful. The manual explains to you which knobs to use on which mode you're using, and what to do with those knobs. Towards the end of the manual, you get illustrations of how to set up the knobs for each mode. For example: you can get a Hawaiian type flutter sound, Bass guitar sound, D tuned sound, or a 12 string sound (for clean tone). The good thing about this pedal is that your konbs won't get loosened or rotated as you step on this pedal. The pitch knob can have (2 Octaves below; Octave below; 7th below; 5th below; 4th below; 3rd below) or I can have the pitch at (2 octaves above; Octave above; 7th above; 5th above; 4th above; 3rd above.) The Balance knob helps adjust your noise level with the Harmonist mode. If I want to make it sound like two guitars dueling, or make it sound like one guitar but with the pitch changed. There's a delay knob for the "D Tuned" mode, which can give me a real quick delay, almost like half a second off, and make it seem like I'm missing notes. The Key knob gives you all the Major Keys with the Minor keys in a silver box, righ next to it. The only keys you see written down are only the (A B C D E F G) keys. All the Major Flat keys are not written down, but there's a line there for them. Meaning, you can dial in the knob to that line for that key. Don't worry, the keys are in order. C (Am) starts at the 7 O'Clock mark, and the B (Gm) is at the 5 O'Clock mark. Basically, it's in clockwise order. The manual will tell you which knobs to use on whichever mode you choose. The only problem with the "Harmonist" mode is that you have to know a little bit of Theory. If you have your guitar tuned at Drop B (B F# B E G# C#) and you want to play at F Major (Dm) then you have to drop the key a certain # of steps in order to get the Harmony right. The pedal isn't a "smart pedal" like the "Harmony Man" pedal, so it'll always think you're in standard tuning. If you're at Drop D Standard (D G C F A D) and want to play in C Maj (Am), then have the key knob set to B Maj, since your tuning is a step lower than Standard tuning. // 8

Sound: For my setup, I use this connected in order: Line 6 Spider II 120V --- Morley Steve Vai Bad Horsie 2 Wah --- Super Shifter --- EVH Flanger --- (Whatever Guitar I'm using). Whichever guitar I use, the pedal still gives me a great sound and doesn't effect my tone at all. When the pedal is on any mode, it doesn't hum or hiss at all. Turning it on and off is no problem at all. This pedal to me has multi-effects on it. Meaning, I can get a short delay effect, a Whammy pedal effect, tremelo effect, chorus, or a Harmony effect. If I have the mode knob set to (T. Arm): I adjust the pitch knob to an octave up. Then, I can step on the pedal when I want to to get a DigiTech Whammy Pedal effect. It gives me a good enough effect to play a Tom Morrello solo, or a Dragonforce solo. For that mode only, whenever I step on the pedal, and then release it, the pedal goes off. For the Whammy Pedal Effect, I can set the time knob to how I want to note to be approached: I can have it set to where I step on the mode, it slowly raises the note to an octave above, or whatever I have it set off. Or, I can have it set to where I can just step on the pedal and it immediately goes to an ovtave above, or etc. For a 12 string effect, on clean tone, I can change the pitch to an octave above, on the "Pitch Shifter" mode. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I would definently use this pedal in a gig without a backup. All I need is a 9V battery or 9V adapter. I can use this if I want to have a guitar solo duel, or Harmony, without having to have a second guitarist. If I had a second guitarist, I could just use this pedal for a Whammy Pedal, or a D Tuned effect. I could really depend on this pedal without it breaking down, or bustin, or a knob coming off or the on Switch jamming. // 10

Impression: I use this pedal on a variety of different music styles. It's mainly used on Metal though for me. I do use the chorus type effect or the 12 string effect for cool jazzy chords or easy blues tones. I've had this pedal for about a month, and I've been using it every day since I bought it. If this pedal were to get stolen, I think I would buy this pedal again, or even buy the Harmony Man Pedal, so I can use the Whammy Pedal effect in it and the Harmony Man at the same time. There are two thing I really like about this pedal: the Harmonist mode, and the Whammy Pedal effect on the T. Arm mode. I compared this pedal to it's previous version: The Phase Shifter, but it didn't have as much features as this pedal does. I really wish this pedal was a smart pedal like the Harmony Man, becuase then, it would've been just as better, and at a lower price than the Harmony Man. // 9

Reviewed by: unregistered, on march 17, 2005

Price paid: $ 250.74

Purchased from: Feedback Music

Ease of Use: This thing is awesome, if you know what you want you can a desired sound. However, of course you don't know all settings and sounds and tweaking the perfect does take time and patience. The manual is good, it tells you the basics of all effects and all how-to's. // 10

Sound: I use it with a Roland Cube 30 and Yamaha Pacifica 112 with SD pick-ups. This thing doesn't get noisy, A) because this thing is solid and well built B) my guitar doesn't feedback C) neither does my amp. The effects sound great though I prefer the T. arm setting over the Pith shift, the pitch shift effects has some kind of weird sound in the background of it. Maybe it's just my pedal but I prefer the T. arm setting with the octave settings because it gives me the more desired sound. I can easily get the sound of my favourite artists, for example Muse. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This thing is highly dependable. This is obviously not something new because we all know how reliable Boss pedals are. I would definitely use it without a back-up, I mean what can go wrong. Unless you're some kind of dumb-ass that likes to toss it out of your window to your neighbour who you dislike. // 10

Impression: I mostly play alternative rock which for example means music like Muse etc. This thing does fit in since I like to play with crazy Whammy effects. I've been playing for 15 months and I also own a Cube 30 along with a Pacifica. I'm soon going off to buy a Wah. I love the T. arm/Harmonist mode it just sounds so sweet and really fills in your sound. I compared this with a Whammy, now a Whammy is way more expensive but is a bit easier to use. All settings available have been preset and you only need to use the knob to choose which one you want, however, it's not as compact as the PS-5 and sometimes sounds a bit digital. But that's because the Whammy is a re-issue which is a bit crap compared to the almighty original. I simply choose the PS-5 above the Whammy for it's compactness and price. Whammy still rocks though. And if this thing would be stolen, I'd just buy a new one or consider buying a Whammy if the prices are better. // 10

Comments

[DaBlackE]

This pedal is way overpriced. If you actually paid more than $200 for this thing and chose it over Digitech's whammy you're a idiot. Also ya gotta buy Boss's shitty expression pedal to get full use out of it. If you got a good knowledge of music theory you could find some use with this but if you suck (like my friend who traded a LTD H-207 for this & a Big Muff?!) you're just gonna annoy people trying to sound like Korn. Go with the Digitech whammy instead.

[tsk84eva]

Thiis pedal is actually pretty cool. You can get some wild sounds with this thing. However, you do need to buy the expression pedal to get the experience of it. I definitely reccomend this pedal.

[Ischi]

I tried this pedal... If my theory knowledge was better than it is, i'm sure i would think very differently about it...

Guess it serves me right for listening to Eventide Harmonizer effects first lol

[outofmyelement?]

i bought mine new for only 120. i dont thin khe actually paid over 200 for it.

[DiamondOfBlood]

This pedal is pretty decent..I was able to play many jfac songs and other harmonized songs with it..if your into heavy death core like tteotd and all that..this thing is for you..but to really make it scream (harmonizer mode) you need two amps..one for the original lick and the other for the harmonized notes over it...hasnt failed me yet but i should mention that the battery gives out in less than an hour..you just need to unplug it and put a different one in..alternate between two batteries..or just go with an adapter to fix the problem..the pitch shifter in my opinion is shit though..

[DaBlackE]

Alright I take back what I said about his pedal, cuz I bought a Digitech Whammy & it sucks! It ****s with your tone & your tone is more important than going up 2 octaves! I heard someone using the harmonizer setting with a Metal Zone & they were getting some Judas Priest twin guitar sounds with it. Knowing the good people at Boss, this pedal should have true bypass.

[metal jello]

I want one sooooo bad....

[Iplayneatthings]

I've owned this pedal for a few years now and i only ever used it for its Detune effect which sounds awesome. I run it through the effects loop on a Peavey JSX Joe Satriani Signature Head with just a delay. It gives a real 80's sound to overdrive and adds a nice subtle chorus to cleans. It is expensive though.

[Mr E]

I agree with the review where it says about it sounding weird in pitch shift as opposed to T arm. I thought it might just be mine. I just got mine about 30 mins ago. A bit dissapointed so far, but maybe I'll get to understand it and use it a bit better after more practice.

[xXLuciusXx]

guys this pedal is amazing. You need to knoe a little about music theory, but if you know what key your playing in it harminzes behind you it is sooo awesome. Really works well to emphasize a solo

[night117hawk]

I have a question? This seems like a stupid thing to ask but when they say it has a detuning effect does that mean i can first tune my guitar to drop d and then use this pedal to drop it down a whole step to make it drop c?

[bossboy]

man i wish these things grew on trees or sumthing

[lao123]

Ever thought that he's in another country? Maybe that's why it's $270

[J 50102]

How is the harmonizing?

[toyboxmonster]

J 50102 wrote:

How is the harmonizing?

Icky.

[[travis]]

J 50102 wrote:

How is the harmonizing?

If you don't have the balance knob adjusted right, it can sound way off or out of key. Unlike the Harmony Man Pedal, this pedal can only let you play the natural notes of a Major Scale. Playing the solo to Bat Country came out pretty bad, because there's notes that are not in the F Major Scale, which is what Bat Country is in.