Hotone Freqlux: More Than a Polyphonic Pitch Shifter
200 presets, five modes, three engines!
4,0 / 5,0 | 
Hotone proved that it takes its pedal designs just as seriously as its modeler series, as we’ve seen last year with the Verbera. Now, with the Hotone Freqlux, the company is introducing a polyphonic pitch-shifter pedal that, much like the reverb effect, goes far beyond conventional offerings.
What Does the Hotone Freqlux Sound like?
In the world of effect pedals, there are a few very different needs players have when it comes to pitch shifters. There are those who don’t want to retune just for a few songs, whether they’re playing a half-step lower or briefly switching to Drop-C. Then there are the solo fanatics who want to spice up their Dream Theater-esque lightning-fast arpeggios with some polyphonic sparkle.
And then, of course, there are the sound designers and ambient producers. Where sounds float, swirl, and wander. There are pitch-shifting effects for every one of these scenarios, but rarely one that covers all the bases. The Hotone Freqlux might just be that. This new pitch shifter pedal comes with three separate pitch shifters, each of which can run in one of five modes, each with its own unique effects. Impressive.
Freqlux’s offerings range from simple drop tunings to an Arp mode where you can make every note shimmer endlessly (in key!). And with the built-in modulation effects (chorus, tremolo, phaser, flanger, vibrato), you can make the sound wobble, swirl, and float.
What Features Does the Hotone Freqlux Offer?
Through the top three controls (H1, H2, H3), you adjust settings for each of the three pitch engines. First up is the mode: PolyShift, KeyTrack, Detune, ARP, or Mod Only. PolyShift shifts notes and even entire chords polyphonically. With KeyTrack, the pitch shift occurs within a set key, not chromatically.
Detune allows for microtonal shifts in chorus effects, ARP chops and pitches each note like an audio arpeggiator, and with Mod-Only, you can apply one of the modulation effects to the notes without changing their pitch.
Plus, you can set separate levels, panning positions, and drive and modulation levels for each of the three engines. If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed by all these features the Hotone Freqlux has to offer, just start by browsing the 95 presets that come pre-installed. And for your own experiments, you get an 105 additional slots.
What I/O Does the Hotone Freqlux Offer?
Of course, the entire signal path in the pedal is in stereo, but you can also route a mono signal through the effect if you don’t want it to sound wide and swirling. In addition to the sound and tracking accuracy (how quickly and precisely a pitch shifter recognizes the notes played), latency is no small matter with a digital effect like this. Hotone cites 4 to 5 ms, which should be barely noticeable even for solos at 250 BPM.
The Freqlux uses 32-bit for AD/DA conversion, so there shouldn’t be any noticable clipping or noise. As for connectivity, the Hotone Freqlux features stereo (TRS) input and output jacks, two MIDI and expression inputs, and a USB-C port for installing firmware updates and editing and managing presets through Hotone’s free desktop software.
Conveniently, the entire workflow is managed via the built-in color LCD display, the six knobs (which also function as buttons), and the two footswitches. When purchasing, keep in mind that the Freqlux requires a 500 mA, so you’ll need a capable power supply.
How Much Does the Hotone Freqlux Cost?
You can order the Hotone Freqlux now for $293 / £263 / €299 at Thomann*.
More on the new Pedal from Hotone
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