GAME CHANGER AUDIO Bigsby Polyphonic Pitch Shifting Pedal Instruction Manual
- June 12, 2024
- GAME CHANGER AUDIO
Table of Contents
GAME CHANGER AUDIO Bigsby Polyphonic Pitch Shifting Pedal
THANK YOU FOR PUR CHASING THE BIGSBY PEDAL
We congratulate you on your excellent choice, and we sincerely thank you for supporting Gamechanger Audio. The BIGSBY Pedal is a revolutionary polyphonic pitch shifter that specializes in reproducing the string bending and vibrato effects produced by the BIGSBY tremolo arm and other traditional tremolo systems. The idea to create a BIGSBY-style pitch shifting pedal was born from a long-standing admiration for the BIGSBY system’s unique feel, sound and design. In 2019 we approached FENDER and BIGSBY and secured a partnership deal for the development of the BIGSBY Pedal. We hope you enjoy this unique tribute to Paul Bigsby’s timeless design.
ALGORITHM
Powered by the formidable SHARC® Audio Processor, the BIGSBY Pedal runs a
proprietary hybrid algorithm that was specifically developed for smooth
polyphonic real-time pitch-shifting at low intervals. The BIGSBY algorithm has
been painstakingly tweaked to preserve the natural timbre and sound of
electric string instruments, including baritone and bass guitars. It also
works beautifully with acoustic instruments, including guitars, mandolins,
banjos, etc. Another key component of the BIGSBY Pedal’s sound is the DETUNE
parameter, an additional algorithm designed to emulate the imperfections and
dissonant properties of traditional mechanical string-bending hardware. As a
result, the vibrato effects produced by the BIGSBY Pedal are almost
indistinguishable from those of a traditional hardware tremolo arm.
For best results, please make sure that the BIGSBY Pedal is placed at the front of your signal chain and is receiving the clean output signal from your instrument.
INTERFACE
The unique spring-loaded foot-pedal design opens up a multitude of new ways to incorporate pitch shifting into your playing. First of all, the pedal is always “on” – the only thing you need to do to “activate” it is to step on the foot-pedal. You will immediately hear a change in pitch, and the white indicator light (the SELECT button) will change brightness depending on how much pressure you apply to the foot-pedal. As soon as you let go, the pedal will spring back into position so that your instrument’s signal is unaffected. We have made sure that transitions between the DRY and WET (pitched) signals are as smooth as possible, allowing you to seamlessly incorporate pitch-bends into complex picking patterns as well as lead and melodic lines. This opens the door to a world of new strumming patterns, bend combinations and beautiful lap-steel and slide-inspired licks that cannot be achieved with a regular tremolo system.
We hope you enjoy the powerful BIGSBY Pedal and are able to take full advantage of its capabilities. May it bring hundreds of hours of inspiration and joy.
The BIGSBY Pedal’s central feature is the “L-shaped” foot-pedal.
You can press both ends of the foot-pedal to produce downward or upward pitch shifts. The “direction” of the pedal depends on the INVERT toggle-switch on the pedal’s back panel.
When the switch is DOWN, the pedal will behave as expected – the long end of the foot-pedal will produce a pitch-down effect and the curved end will pitch the signal upwards. When the switch is UP, the direction is reversed – the long end will pitch the signal up, and the curved end will drop the pitch down.
MAIN CONTROLS
The BIGSBY Pedal’s main controls consist of three backlit rotary knobs and the
SELECT button. The knobs on the pedal’s front panel have two “layers”: the
WHITE layer and the RED layer. To toggle between the WHITE and RED layers –
press the SELECT button. 
DEPTH
The DEPTH knob ranges from 0 to 12 semitones – this means that when the knob is turned all the way up (the knob is bright) and the foot-pedal is fully pressed down, the BIGSBY will pitch the incoming signal down by a full octave. When it is turned all the way down (the knob is dark) there will be no pitch shifting effect at all – this may come in handy when using the pedal as an Expression controller and no pitch shift is desired (see pages 5, 6). The first segment of the DEPTH knob is a gradual, unquantized climb from zero towards a ¼ tone interval. As you gently turn up the DEPTH control from its minimum value, you will see the knob light up slightly – this is an indication that you are now at the ¼ tone setting, and the full range of the foot-pedal is dedicated to a ¼ tone pitch-shift. By setting the DEPTH knob between the zero and ¼ tone values, you can access minimal pitch-shift values, even lower than ⅛ th of a tone. The rest of the DEPTH knob is quantized to semitones; you will see it flash once to indicate each new semitone. We encourage you to use your ears to set the pedal’s desired range. Alternatively, you can use MIDI to make quick changes to the knob values (see pages 6, 7).
BLEND
The BLEND knob adjusts the amount of DRY (unpitched) signal sent to the BIGSBY
Pedal’s output. When the knob is turned all the way down (the knob is dark),
the BIGSBY Pedal’s output is fully WET (pitched signal). This setting
recreates the sound of a classic tremolo system. By gradually combining the
WET and DRY signals, the BIGSBY Pedal can be used to produce nuanced chorus or
harmonizer effects, depending on the DEPTH of the pitch-shift. When BLEND is
turned all the way up the volume levels of the WET and DRY signals are equal.
RATE
When the RATE knob is turned all the way down (the knob is dark), the BIGSBY
Pedal’s pitch-shift algorithm precisely follows the movement of the foot-
pedal, and stays static for as long as the pedal is pressed down. Turning up
RATE will put BIGSBY Pedal into “Auto Mode”, and the knob will start flashing.
In Auto Mode the pitch shift depth oscillates rhythmically at a given speed,
while the maximum depth of the pitch-shift is determined by the amount of
pressure applied to the foot-pedal. Adjust the RATE knob to change the speed
of the vibrato effect. When in Auto Mode, turning up the BLEND knob will
produce a chorus-style effect. When using MIDI, the BIGSBY Pedal can be synced
to an external clock source (see page 6). In this case, the RATE knob lets you
scroll through a variety of beat subdivisions. There is also a dedicated CC
message for adjusting the offset of the vibrato curve.
DEPTH
The BIGSBY Pedal’s DEPTH knob allows you to set different values for the
downward and upward pitch-shift intervals. Press the SELECT button to enter
the RED layer, which is indicated by a red backlight on the pedal’s knobs. Use
the DEPTH knob to set the desired upward pitch-shift value. Toggling the
INVERT switch on the pedal’s back panel will only affect the foot-pedal’s
direction – the DEPTH values set up for both downward and upward pitch-
shifting will remain set.
TONE
The TONE knob adjusts the brightness of the WET signal produced by the BIGSBY
Pedal. The DRY (unpitched) signal is not affected by the TONE control. When
the TONE knob is turned all the way down the WET signal will have a muffled,
dark character – this is well-suited for imitating lower register instruments.
Turn the TONE knob all the way up to boost the WET signal’s high frequencies –
thus highlighting note attacks and overall string brightness.
DETUNE
The BIGSBY’s DETUNE function emulates the instability and asymmetrical nature
of traditional hardware tremolo systems. When the DETUNE knob is turned all
the way down, the BIGSBY will produce even pitch-shifts. When DETUNE is turned
all the way up, chords will have the familiar “out of tune” effect – a
characteristic of mechanical string bending systems. Single notes will also
sound “out of tune”
and “warbly”.
KNOB LOCK
The BIGSBY Pedal’s knobs can be temporarily locked in order to prevent
accidental adjustments during a live performance etc. To lock the current knob
settings, hold the SELECT button and toggle the INVERT switch on the back of
the pedal. When the pedal is locked, all knob adjustments will be ignored,
which will be indicated by flickering knobs. The SELECT button will still
function as a toggle between the WHITE and RED knob layers.
ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONALITY
MIDI In Connector
The BIGSBY Pedal can be fully controlled via MIDI CC and PC messages (see MIDI
CC and PC map sheet included). Connect the BIGSBY Pedal to the MIDI OUT of
your interface or controller using a standard MIDI cable and the 3.5 mm TRS to
5 pin DIN MIDI adapter (Type B) included with the BIGSBY Pedal.
The EXP Out / FSW In connector on the BIGSBY’s back panel is designed for dual purpose functionality:
- The BIGSBY can be used as an Expression pedal to control external gear with an EXP input.
In this setup the BIGSBY Pedal is in front of the signal chain and is also connected to the LIGHT Pedal´s EXP input – functioning as a pitch shifter and an expression controller simultaneously. The BIGSBY Pedal’s EXP Out settings – RANGE, DIRECTION and OFFSET – are adjusted separately in the SETTINGS MENU (see page 6). The BIGSBY can also be used outside of the signal chain, as an Expression pedal only, but it still needs to be connected to a power source.
- The BIGSBY Pedal can be put into LATCH mode with a standard external footswitch.
- Pressing the footswitch will activate LATCH mode (indicated by the SELECT button). When latched – the BIGSBY will produce a constant pitch-shift determined by the current position of the DEPTH knob.
- This way you don’t have to hold down the BIGSBY Pedal for long phrases.
- In LATCH mode you can still use the BIGSBY’s foot-pedal to make momentary dives and detune effects up to two semitones.
- By pressing the opposite side of the foot-pedal the pitch shift’s direction will be flipped.
- The BIGSBY Pedal´s FSW In connector is compatible with all standard momentary or toggle type footswitches with a TS (Tip/Sleeve) ¼” jack (normally closed or normally open).
- You can also use a dual latching footswitch with a TRS jack – in this case only one side of the footswitch will work.
- Connect the BIGSBY Pedal to the MIDI OUT of your interface or controller using a standard MIDI cable and the 3.5 mm TRS to 5 pin DIN
- MIDI adapter (Type B) included with the BIGSBY Pedal.
SETTINGS MENU
To enter the SETTINGS menu press and hold the SELECT button for 8+
seconds.
You’ve successfully entered the settings menu when you’ve seen a LED sequence
on the pedal’s knobs and the SELECT button is blinking.
Exit the SETTINGS menu by holding the SELECT button for 8 seconds.
The settings menu is also structured as 2 layers – WHITE and RED. You can
toggle between the WHITE and RED layers with the SELECT button.
The WHITE layer allows you to adjust the following EXPRESSION OUT parameters:
- EXP RANGE – adjusts the maximum range of expression out signal when pedal is used.
- EXP OFFSET – the level of expression out signal when pedal is not pressed down (bypass).
- EXP INVERT – this is a binary parameter for the direction of the expression out signal. When the knob is dark the EXP out signal’s direction corresponds to the pedal’s movement. When the knob is white – the EXP out signal’s direction is inverted to the pedal’s movement.
The RED layer lets you set up the following MIDI Parameters:
MIDI CHANNEL SELECT
By default the BIGSBY Pedal is set up on MIDI channel 1, but you can change
that to any MIDI channel between 1 and 16 by using the MIDI setup knobs: MIDI
setup LOW and HI are both divided into four steps and each step will be
indicated by an according blinking sequence – one blink for step 1, two for
step 2 etc.
The MIDI Setup HI knob lets you select between four value ranges:
1-4 5-8 9-12 13-16
The MIDI setup LOW knob lets you dial in a value between one and four – which represents the corresponding position in that value range.
Example:
If you wish to set your BIGSBY Pedal to MIDI channel 2 then set the MIDI setup
HI knob to it’s minimum value (range 1-4) and then set the MIDI setup LOW to
the second step (two blinks). To set up channel 12 set the MIDI setup HI value
to 3 (three blinks) which represents the value range 9-12. Next use the MIDI
setup LOW knob and turn it all the way up (four blinks) – this will indicate
the fourth position in the value range 9-12 – i.e. channel 12.
Alternatively, hold down the SELECT button and power the Pedal on by inserting the power supply jack. The BIGSBY Pedal is now looking for the first incoming PC or CC message and will set itself to whatever channel the first message is sent from.
MIDI SYNC
MIDI SYNC Knob – enables/disables synchronization of the BIGSBY pedal’s Auto
Mode with an external MIDI Clock. When the knob is dark, the pedal is NOT
synced to a MIDI Clock source and the RATE knob will adjust the vibrato speed
continuously. When the knob is RED, the BIGSBY Pedal is synced to a MIDI Clock
source and the RATE knob can be used to dial in various beat subdivisions for
the Auto Vibrato function.
SAVING AND RECALLING MIDI PRESETS
The BIGSBY Pedal offers 10 preset slots accessible through MIDI PC Messages. These preset slots can be used to save the pedal’s knob settings as well as the EXP Out settings and the MIDI Sync status. You can find the full PC and CC message chart on a separate index card included in the BIGSBY Pedal’s package, but the first 21 PC slots are dedicated to saving and recalling 10 PRESET slots. PC messages 1-10 are used to recall presets 1-10 and PC Messages 11-20 will save the pedal’s current settings to slots 1-10 accordingly.
Example:
- Dial in your desired settings using the front panel knobs –
- to save these settings to Slot 1 – send the PC message 11;
- to save these settings to Slot 2 – send the PC message 12, etc.;
- to save on Slot 10 – send the PC message 20.
To recall any of the presets 1-10 send the according PC messages 1-10.
When in a preset – use the PC message 21 to recall the physical values of the
knobs.
RECALIBRATING THE BIGSBY PEDAL
The BIGSBY Pedal uses a system of optical sensors to ensure precise tracking of the foot-pedal’s movements. To maintain precision over time the BIGSBY automatically calibrates itself on every power-up, in order to confirm the foot-pedal’s “zero” or “center” position, therefore: When powering up the BIGSBY Pedal make sure that the foot-pedal IS NOT pressed down. If the foot- pedal is pressed down during the BIGSBY’s power-up the pedal will detect an error and switch into RECALIBRATION MODE, indicated by flashing white&red knobs.
When the pedal is in RECALIBRATION mode, please perform the following steps:
- Restart the BIGSBY Pedal by removing the power supply and plugging it back in. Make sure that there is no pressure applied to BIGSBY’s foot-pedal, while restarting.
- Press the BIGSBY’s foot-pedal all the way down and then all the way up. This will complete the RECALIBRATION process and the BIGSBY Pedal will return into performance mode.
In some cases when only a small amount of pressure was applied to the pedal during power-up, the calibration error will be undetected, but you will still hear that the dry signal is slightly pitched. In this case – make sure that no pressure is applied to the foot-pedal and restart the BIGSBY Pedal.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Connector type In: 1/4” Unbalanced TS
- Input impedance: 1 MΩ
- Max input level: 9 dBu
- Connector type Out: 1/4” Unbalanced TS
- Output impedance: 100 Ω
- Max output level: 9 dBu
- Connector type Exp: 1/4” Unbalanced TRS (Exp out) / 1/4” Unbalanced TS (FSW in)
- Input impedance (ring): 100 kΩ
- Output impedance (tip): 220 Ω
- Max input level: 20 dBu
- Max output level: 20 dBu
- Connector MIDI: 3.5 mm TRS (mini jack), Type-B
- Type: Optically isolated input, RF filtered
- Frequency response: 20 Hz to 20 kHz (±1 dB)
- Signal to noise ratio: 90 dB (A weighted)
- Operating temperature: 0º to 50º C
- Connector type power supply: 9V DC, center negative 2.1 x 5.5 mm plug
- Input voltage: 9V DC
- Input current: 220 mA
- Power consumption: 2 W
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 220 x 110 x 86 mm / 8,6 x 4.3 x 3.3 in
- Weight: 960 g / 2.11 lb
FACTORY RESET
To perform a full factory reset of the BIGSBY Pedal (including erasing all saved presets) unplug the pedal’s power supply, then press and hold the SELECT button, plug the power supply back in and keep holding the SELECT button for 8 more seconds. After 8 seconds you will see a sequence of lights on the pedal’s knobs indicating that the FACTORY RESET has been completed.
WARRANTY & RETURNS
You have a 30 day return period when you may return the product and receive a full refund. You will only be responsible for return shipping charges. Each BIGSBY Pedal manufactured by Gamechanger Audio is warranted to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for one year from the date of shipping or longer if required by the relevant legislation. This warranty shall not apply to any unit which in the opinion of the manufacturer has been used improperly or has been mechanically or otherwise damaged by accident, misuse or negligence or has been altered or repaired in such a way to impair performance, nor shall it apply to cosmetic defects (considered normal wear and tear). Other parts, such as knobs, rubbers, cable connectors, are non replaceable. The manufacturer reserves the right to make changes in the design or construction of this equipment without obligation to install similar changes in equipment already sold.
For more information, feedback and all other inquiries, please visit www.gamechangeraudio.com or reach us via e-mail: info@gamechangeraudio.com
SAFETY INFORMATION
Warning:
Use only power supplies that can produce at least 250 mA (or higher) of
current at 9V DC (center negative 5.5 x 2.1 mm barrel connector). This device
may be subject to signal interference when operating near high power magnetic
field generators, especially when using extended length audio cables, and this
is considered normal operation.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
- Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
- Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
- Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
- Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
- This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. Unauthorized changes or modification to this system can void the users authority to operate this equipment. This equipment requires shielded interface cables in order to meet FCC class B Limit.
For Europe:
This product complies with the requirements of Electromagnetic Compatibility
Directive 2014/30/EU
For Canada:
NOTICE: This Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian
Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.
AVIS : Cet appareil numérique de la classe B respecte toutes les
exigences du Règlement sur le matériel brouilleur du Canada.
GAMECHANGER AUDIO
Aisteres street 6
Riga, Latvia
LV-1007
info@gamechangeraudio.com
www.gamechangeraudio.com
Documents / Resources
| GAME
CHANGER AUDIO Bigsby Polyphonic Pitch Shifting
Pedal
[pdf] Instruction Manual
Bigsby Polyphonic Pitch Shifting Pedal, Polyphonic Pitch Shifting Pedal, Pitch
Shifting Pedal, Shifting Pedal, Pedal
---|---