One of the most unsung pedal makers in recent memory, ALABS, launched in 2022 and delivered a kick in the pants to other budget-conscious pedal manufacturers, as well as some boutique marketers. So far, ALABS has released four pedals in their “Adam Adventures” series: the CETUS Reverb, TIMESLIP Delay, NOVADRIFT Modulation, and the ORBITAL Pitch: The latter just might be the winner of the batch.
Sturdy, reliable, and tonally precise, the pedal delivers all the benefits of a good pitch shifter along with inventive touches that allow guitarists to sculpt a range of unorthodox noises and otherworldly soundscapes. There are nine settings on the pedal, each of which delivers a secondary note (or harmonized pitch) along with the note played. In addition to being able to play higher harmonies in thirds, fourths, fifths, and octaves, the pedal tackles those same settings in lower frequencies and offers a “unison setting” which provides a replica of every note, thickening the sound. The ORBITAL Pitch is equipped with tap tempo, which can be used for one-quarter or three-eighths beat division. There’s also a rate knob, which sets the time of the pitched tone, and a mix knob for adjusting the amount of wet and dry signal played. Here’s a neat trick: simulate a bass by turning the mix knob to fully wet and the pitch shift down a full octave.
Fully functional as a great-sounding pitch shifter, it’s the extra two knobs and a switch that unlock the ORBITAL Pitch’s reservoir of invention and present guitarists with a wide range of creative possibilities. Let’s start with the switch, which toggles between infinity (down) and comet mode (up). The infinity setting makes the pedal work in a standard fashion. Step on the pedal to activate the effect; step on it again to turn the effect off. However, in comet mode, the ORBITAL Pitch is set to momentary operation. On its simplest setting, it will change pitch when the pedal is held down and turn off when released. But, by pressing the pedal until the light below the switch turns purple, the pedal can record random or calculated changes made to the effect knobs for up to five seconds (kinda like a mini-looper). Pushing the pedal again will replay the loop on demand. This function can be used to make a range of experimental sounds when used in tandem with the Shift, Detune, and Glide/Tone knobs.
Sure, there’s a learning curve to figuring out all this Glide/Tone/Detune/Comet/Infinity stuff (the instruction manual helps), but that’s where the real fun begins. Switch into Comet Mode and increase the Detune control from zero to ten for up to five seconds. Then, switch on the replay to repeat the ominous sound. Speaking of the Detune knob — which alters the tone of the shifted pitch from slight to severe — when used at low settings in tandem with the Rate knob, the pedal creates a chorus-like effect. Turn one or both up and the modulations become more dramatic, which works well for ambient/shoegaze music, or unsettling garage/psychedelia (especially when accompanied by a distortion pedal).
Then, there’s the Glide/Tone knob which works differently depending on whether the switch is set to Infinity or Comet. In the latter setting, the Glide knob controls the attack time and release time of the pitch glide. When the knob is rotated clockwise, the attack time of glide increases. When played with the footswitch down, the release time of the glide increases gradually, approximating the sound of a whammy pedal. The Infinity mode (switch down) triggers the Tone control, which sets the timbre of the wet signal, from murky and dark to sharp and bright.
To say the ALABS Orbital Pitch has a lot going for it is an understatement. Currently priced on Amazon for $98 (with a $20 off coupon), the unit features multiple functions and killer tones usually only available on far more expensive pedals. In tech terms, the Orbital Pitch is a microtonal true stereo pedal that allows different modulation for each channel but also works in mono. It features a controllable independent analog dry-through buffer amplification circuit that provides zero latency on the dry signal without AD/DA conversion, and the whole unit works on an “advanced audio algorithm engine” that, according to its spec sheet, utilizes “high-precision dynamic forward virtual circuit modeling technology” that runs on a “32-bit-floating-point digital signal processor.”
In other words, there’s some high-tech circuitry under the hood of the ALABS Orbital Pitch that makes it sound great and perform above and beyond the functionality of many pitch shifters with a higher price point. Like the three other ALABS pedals, the Orbital Pitch is housed in a sturdy metal casing (this one is orange) and decorated with the kind of sci-fi illustration usually seen on high-end pedals by companies like Earthquaker Devices, Walrus Audio, and Wampler. I’m not exactly comparing the Orbital Pitch to $300 boutique pedals, but if you’re looking for a solid pitch shifter with extra features, the Alabs Orbital Pitch is a great choice. – Jon Wiederhorn
