Eventide’s Harmonizer family of products are a curiously named bunch. Most do, in fact, harmonize and produce related pitch effects. But Eventide’s new H90 Harmonizer, like its predecessor the H9, also does about a million other things very, very well. It’s a powerful multi-effect that, in its new incarnation, offers thousands of vintage and future sounds and generates rich textures and tone colors that can transform the germ of an idea into a foundation for composition, or something grander, quickly and with relative ease.
Brother to Legends
The H90’s architecture is rooted, to some extent, in that of the H9000 Harmonizer, an $8K, rack-mounted, ultra-deep studio instrument utilized to wildly varied effect by producers, film score composers, and deep-pocketed sound experimentalists. The notion of a compact derivative of the H9000, even with a fraction of the functionality, at a little more than a tenth of the price, is appealing for obvious reasons. But the H90 is impressive outside of comparisons to the H9000. It’s very practical— particularly if you work sessions, multiple bands or gigs, or create and produce music on the move. Its footprint isn’t much larger than its predecessor, the H9. And, if you consider its size relative to its capabilities, there is little that even space-obsessed pedal heads can complain about.
If you’re the impatient sort, or just like to chance upon sounds, you can dive headlong and blind into the H90’s world of sound and get cool results. The excellent factory presets make intuitive voyaging a lot of fun. And the streamlined control set makes transformative tweaks easy. That said, you can get in the weeds pretty quickly if you choose to forego a read of the manual or quick start guide. The H90 does a lot. And if you intend to unlock even a fraction of its capabilities you should plan on some homework.
The H90 features 10 new algorithms. Some are familiar effects, like the SP2016 plate reverb emulation, a TS-style overdrive called the “weedwacker,” and an emulation of the old Eventide PS101 phaser. Other vintage flavored algorithms include a multi-head delay and Uni-Vibe emulations. More “modern” sounds come via a polyphony algorithm that enables harmonization in specific intervals, and a “wormhole” algorithm that creates the kind of spacious, pitch-modulated reverb washes you associate with CGI animations about the vastness of the cosmos.
Perhaps the most significant enhancement in the H90 is the capacity to use two algorithms in series or in parallel and shape them independently. This capability, along with the streamlined, well-considered parameter controls for each algorithm, exponentially stretch the depth and potential of factory presets and the ones you’ll make on your own. Routing and connectivity options are impressive, too. Dual routing means you can set up two independent stereo paths utilizing two different algorithms. There are also MIDI in and out jacks, two inputs for expression pedals or auxiliary switches, and a USB-C port for use with the Eventide H90 Control app.
Harmony of the Spheres—And Many Other Shapes
Listing the sounds the H90 makes would take a review many times the length of this one. And that would only scratch the surface. But it’s easy to see why so many musicians that have to cover a lot of bases found the H90’s predecessor, the H9, so appealing and valuable. Because once you get your presets dialed in, you can switch readily between familiar vintage sounds and completely alien ones.
As anyone that has used an H9, Space, or TimeFactor can tell you, modern Eventide effects tend to be deep, expansive, and capable of very rich sounds. But the twin algorithm capabilities often create a perceptible extra layer of intricacy that, when dialed in carefully, generates intriguing lattices of sound that can be subtle or strange.
”For a lot of players, the H90’s price tag, which is roughly the same as a high-quality affordable guitar or amp, will be worth every penny.“
Sometimes the dual algorithms can produce familiar tones. The “hey floyd” program, heard in the accompanying audio clip 1 combines the weedwacker and “spacetime” programs’ “outer limits” preset to create a pretty convincing take on David Gilmour's Big Muff and Electric Mistress tones circa The Wall. In the “fuzzy old bits” program (clip 2), a vintage rack delay model and spring reverb emulation combine to create a combination of ’80s dotted-eighth delay and ’60s surf ‘n’ psych ambience.
The complexity in dual program settings doesn’t necessarily mean they are a washy mess. Combining harmonic modulation with a modulated echo and reverb lends weird animation and movement from odd harmonizing overtones in the “gentle arps” setting (clip 3). “Floating in Space” (clip 4) demonstrates the intricate but clear wash you can create by using two blackhole algorithms at different settings. “Dream Sequence” (clip 5) probes the more ethereal capabilities of the H90, combining emulations of the old Eventide H910 and the spacetime algorithm.
The Verdict
At about 900 bucks, the H90 is a high-ticket piece of kit. If you’re strictly a guitarist, your tastes include unconventional styles, and you have a very open mind, the H90 can transform what you play, guide you along unexpected creative vectors, and extract you from a rut in a flash. It also gives you access to a vast library of familiar sounds And for a lot of players, the H90’s price tag, which is roughly the same as a high-quality affordable guitar or amp, will be worth every penny. Multi-instrumentalists are likely to get even more out of the investment.
Whether you want to invest the time in digging deep into the H90’s considerable powers so that you can justify the price tag is another matter. The H90 is intuitive enough that it takes just minutes with the unit to yield buried treasure. But this is also the kind of pedal that can chew up hours of studio time if you’re not careful. A little focus and discipline—and a concerted investigation of the manual—can go a long way toward making freer, more intuitive exploration possible down the line. And unless you’re really averse to digital interfaces, there’s little cause to be intimidated by the H90’s deep capabilities. With practice, programming your own very individual presets becomes a satisfying, creative endeavor, and you’re likely to make a lot of amazing sound discoveries along the way.
Onstage, Tommy Emmanuel executes a move that is not from the playbook of his hero, Chet Atkins.
“My biggest decision every day on tour is, ‘What do I want to start with? How do I want to come out of the gate?’” Emmanuel explains to me over a video call. “A good opener has to have everything. It has to be full of surprise, it has to have lots of good ideas, lots of light and shade, and then, hit it again,” he says, illustrating each phrase with his hands and ending with a punch.“You lift off straightaway with the first song, you get airborne, you start reaching, and then it’s time to level out and take people on a journey.”
In May 2023, Emmanuel played two shows at the Sydney Opera House, the best performances from which have been combined on his new release, Live at the Sydney Opera House. The venue’s Concert Hall, which has a capacity of 2,679, is a familiar room for Emmanuel, but I think at this point in his career he wouldn’t bring a setlist if he was playing Wembley Stadium. On the recording, Emmanuel’s mind-blowingly dexterous chops, distinctive attack and flair, and knack for culturally resonant compositions are on full display. His opening song for the shows? An original, “Countrywide,” with a segue into Chet Atkins’ “El Vaquero.”
“When I was going to high school in the ’60s, I heard ‘El Vaquero’ on Chet Atkins’ record, [1964’s My Favorite Guitars],” Emmanuel shares. “And when I wrote ‘Countrywide’ in around ’76 or ’77, I suddenly realized, ‘Ah! It’s a bit like “El Vaquero!”’ So I then worked out ‘El Vaquero’ as a solo piece, because it wasn’t recorded like that [by Atkins originally].
“The co-writer of ‘El Vaquero’ is Wayne Moss, who’s a famous Nashville session guy who played ‘da da da’ [sings the guitar riff from Roy Orbison’s ‘Pretty Woman’]. And he played on a lot of Chet’s records as a rhythm guy. So once when I played ‘El Vaquero’ live, Wayne Moss came up to me and said, ‘You know, you did my part and Chet’s at the same time. That’s not fair!’” Emmanuel says, laughing.
Atkins is the reason Emmanuel got into performing. His mother had been teaching him rhythm guitar for a couple years when he heard Atkins on the radio and, at 6, was able to immediately mimic his fingerpicking technique. His father recognized Emmanuel’s prodigious talent and got him on the road that year, which kicked off his professional career. He says, “By the time I was 6, I was already sleep-deprived, working too hard, and being forced to be educated. Because all I was interested in was playing music.”
Emmanuel talks about Atkins as if the way he viewed him as a boy hasn’t changed. The title Atkins bestowed upon him, C.G.P. (Certified Guitar Player), appears on Emmanuel’s album covers, in his record label (C.G.P. Sounds), and is inlaid at the 12th fret on his Maton Custom Shop TE Personal signature acoustic. (Atkins named only five guitarists C.G.P.s. The others are John Knowles, Steve Wariner, Jerry Reed, and Atkins himself.) For Emmanuel, even today most roads lead to Atkins.
When I ask Emmanuel about his approach to arranging for solo acoustic guitar, he says, “It was really hit home for me by my hero, Chet Atkins, when I read an interview with him a long time ago and he said, ‘Make your arrangement interesting.’ And I thought, ‘Wow!’ Because I was so keen to be true to the composer and play the song as everyone knows it. But then again, I’m recreating it like everyone else has, and I might as well get in line with the rest of them and jump off the cliff into nowhere. So it struck me: ‘How can I make my arrangements interesting?’ Well, make them full of surprises.”
When Emmanuel was invited to contribute to 2015’s Burt Bacharach: This Guitar’s in Love with You, featuring acoustic-guitar tributes to Bacharach’s classic compositions by various artists, Emmanuel expresses that nobody wanted to take “(They Long to Be) Close to You,” due to its “syrupy” nature. But for Emmanuel, this presented an entertaining challenge.
He explains, “I thought, ‘Okay, how can I reboot “Close to You?’ So even the most jaded listener will say, ‘Holy fuck—I didn’t expect that! Wow, I really like that; that is a good melody!’ So I found a good key to play the song in, which allowed me to get some open notes that sustain while I move the chords. Then what I did is, in every phrase, I made the chord unresolve, then resolve.
Tommy Emmanuel's Gear
“I’m writing music for the film that’s in my head,” Emmanuel says. “So, I don’t think, ‘I’m just the guitar,’ ever.”
Photo by Simone Cecchetti
Guitars
- Three Maton Custom Shop TE Personals, each with an AP5 PRO pickup system
Amps
- Udo Roesner Da Capo 75
Effects
- AER Pocket Tools preamp
Strings & Picks
- Martin TE Signature Phosphor Bronze (.012–.054)
- Martin SP strings
- Ernie Ball Paradigm strings
- D’Andrea Pro Plec 1.5 mm
- Dunlop medium thumbpicks
“And then to really put the nail in the coffin, at the end, ‘Close to you’ [sings melody]. I finished on a major 9 chord which had that note in it, but it wasn’t the key the song was in, which is a typical Stevie Wonder trick. All the tricks I know, the wonderful ideas that I’ve stolen, are from Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, James Taylor, Carole King, Neil Diamond. All of the people who wrote really incredibly great pop songs and R&B music—I stole every idea I could, and I tried to make my little two-and-a -half minutes as interesting and entertaining as possible. Because entertainment equals: Surprise me.”
I share with Emmanuel that the performances on Live at the Sydney Opera House, which include his popular “Beatles Medley,” reminded me of another possible arrangement trick. In Harpo Marx’s autobiography, Harpo Speaks, I preface, Marx writes of a lesson he learned as a performer—to “answer the audience’s questions.” (Emmanuel says he’s a big fan of the book and read it in the early ’70s.) That happened for me while listening to the medley, when, after sampling melodies from “She’s a Woman” and “Please Please Me,” Emmanuel suddenly lands on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”
I say, “I’m waiting for something that hits more recognizably to me, and when ‘While My Guitar’ comes in, that’s like answering my question.”
“It’s also Paul and John, Paul and John, George,” Emmanuel replies. “You think, ‘That’s great, that’s great pop music,’ then, ‘Wow! Look at the depth of this.’”
Often Emmanuel’s flights on his acoustic guitar are seemingly superhuman—as well as supremely entertaining.
Photo by Ekaterina Gorbacheva
A trick I like to employ as a writer, I say to Emmanuel, is that when I’m describing something, I’ll provide the reader with just enough context so that they can complete the thought on their own.
“You can do that musically as well,” says Emmanuel. He explains how, in his arrangement of “What a Wonderful World,” he’ll play only the vocal melody. “When people are asking me at a workshop, ‘How come you don’t put chords behind that part?’ I say, ‘I’m drawing the melody and you’re putting in all the background in your head. I don’t need to tell you what the chords are. You already know what the chords are.’”
“Wayne Moss came up to me and said, ‘You know, you did my part and Chet’s at the same time. That’s not fair!’”
Another track featured on Live at the Sydney Opera House is a cover of Paul Simon’s “American Tune” (which Emmanuel then jumps into an adaptation of the Australian bush ballad, “Waltzing Matilda”). It’s been a while since I really spent time with There GoesRhymin’ Simon (on which “American Tune” was first released), and yet it sounded so familiar to me. A little digging revealed that its melody is based on the 17th-century Christian hymn, “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded,” which was arranged and repurposed by Bach in a few of the composer’s works. The cross-chronological and genre-lackadaisical intersections that come up in popular music sometimes is fascinating.
“I think the principle right there,” Emmanuel muses, “is people like Bach and Beethoven and Mozart found the right language to touch the heart of a human being through their ears and through their senses ... that really did something to them deep in their soul. They found a way with the right chords and the right notes, somehow. It could be as primitive as that.
Tommy Emmanuel has been on the road as a performing guitarist for 64 years. Eat your heart out, Bob Dylan.
Photo by Jan Anderson
“It’s like when you’re a young composer and someone tells you, ‘Have a listen to Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind,”’ he continues. “‘Listen to how those notes work with those chords.’ And every time you hear it, you go, ‘Why does it touch me like that? Why do I feel this way when I hear those chords—those notes against those chords?’ I say, it’s just human nature. Then you wanna go, ‘How can I do that!’” he concludes with a grin.
“You draw from such a variety of genres in your arrangements,” I posit. “Do you try to lean into the side of converting those songs to solo acoustic guitar, or the side of bridging the genre’s culture to that of your audience?”
“I stole every idea I could, and I tried to make my little two-and-a-half minutes as interesting and entertaining as possible. Because entertainment equals: Surprise me.”
“If I was a method actor,” Emmanuel explains, “what I’m doing is—I’m writing music for the film that’s in my head. So, I don’t think, ‘I’m just the guitar,’ ever. I always think it has to have that kind of orchestral, not grandeur, but … palette to it. Because of the influence of Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, and Elton John, especially—the piano guys—I try to use piano ideas, like putting the third in the low bass a lot, because guitar players don’t necessarily do that. And I try to always do something that makes what I do different.
“I want to be different and recognizable,” he continues. “I remember when people talked about how some players—you just hear one note and you go, ‘Oh, that’s Chet Atkins.’ And it hit me like a train, the reason why a guy like Hank Marvin, the lead guitar player from the Shadows.... I can tell you: He had a tone that I hear in other players now. Everyone copied him—they just don’t know it—including Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, all those people. I got him up to play with me a few times when he moved to Australia, and even playing acoustic, he still had that sound. I don’t know how he did it, but it was him. He invented himself.”
YouTube It
Emmanuel performs his arrangement of “What a Wonderful World,” illustrating how omitting a harmonic backdrop can have a more powerful effect, especially when playing such a well-known melody.
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