TEST: Eventide H8000

Sometimes they still exist, the moments in which a slight smile slides over the face of even the most veteran tester when he takes a look at a product. Be it the reputation that this product enjoys, be it the name that has been used in everyday studio life for decades, or be it the knowledge that he is holding one of the last great battleships of a long-gone era in his hands.

When you get an Outgear multi-effects processor, which is not made in China but in the USA, has a regular retail price of just under € 6,500, - his own and hears the name Eventide H 8000 FW, can imagine any sound engineer who has not spent the last 2 decades with commercial jingles and bedroom productions, what the clock has struck. Here is once again really clotted with everything that had to offer the golden age of high-end productions some time ago, enriched with various design features, which do not miss the current state of the art.


Construction

Visually, the Eventide H 8000 FW with 2 U and a weight of 5.5 kilograms comes across relatively unspectacular, only the opulent number of connections on the back of the product let us already foreshadow a global orientation for all production sections along with broadcast functions. Here everything is available, starting with four balanced combo jacks (jack / XLR) as input, four times XLR out, 2x AES/EBU digital, 2x SPDIF, word clock, ADAT, MIDI and as a concession to modernity, dual Firewire with otional daisy chain. The sample rates are correspondingly, i.e. the product delivers 96kHz, 88.2kHz, 48kHz, 44.1kHz at 24-bit. The device is designed for stereo operation as well as for 5.1 applications.

The H 8000 FW has 2 independent DSPs, which can be operated either separately or in parallel to ensure computationally intensive algorithms at high sample rates such as 96kHz, 88.2kHz. As effect sections, the product serves, besides various dynamic ranges, all common modulation effects and the standard room simulations, a sampler whose maximum storage duration is 174 seconds mono and can be treated hereafter with time compression. Not to forget, of course, the company's flagship, the latest version of the Ultra Harmonizer, which has been THE benchmark for pitch shifting for decades.

The H 8000 FW offers 20 MIDI Virtual Rack preset algorithms with up to 5 fully interconnected effects. Each preset provides ten different settings that can be programmed, saved and controlled in real time via MIDI. Up to 45 different parameters can be changed with a single MIDI controller command. The individual effect blocks are also available as separate presets. In total, the product comes with 1600 presets, which are of course all editable down to the last parameter, more is really not possible. A total of 8 H8000s can be remotely controlled via the Remote Control EVE/NET, and up to 6 external footswitches can also be configured via 2 jack outputs.


Practice

When you switch on the H 8000 FW, it first performs a comprehensive self-diagnosis, which can take up to a minute. You shouldn't get confused by the various relay switching noises that come from inside the device. After that, you can deal with the display, which is still too hard to read for me personally. I know about the problem of generating a perfectly readable display even in poor lighting conditions, here the 8000 does a good job, but it always feels to me as if someone had turned the clock back decades and one of the first AKAI samplers would be standing in front of me.

The search function also allows you to find the individual presets pretty quickly, though as I said, it's not mine in terms of interface. No one expects a Mac OS Finder here, but a little more could go with the times in my opinion. Well then, what do the inner values say?

There are products in a reviewer's life where you don't really know how to describe the protagonist without getting lost in the word choice of a teenager who has had his first experience with the opposite sex. The H 8000 FW is one of those devices. No matter which preset is called up, no matter which algorithm is brought to light, one is always inclined to crawl along the very edge of superlatives.

Many presets have that famous little difference that turns a good effect into an excellent effect. The rooms have an excellent depth of detail, the individual parameters are tastefully and efficiently designed, the pitch shifter algorithm is still the fastest available in the world and the sound of the device is one of the best outgear processors currently on the market.

The product is equipped with all synchronization options, is relatively easy to use despite its immense complexity, and should be difficult to beat in terms of sound when several components are daisy-chained accordingly. An absolute top product, which is worth every penny despite the high price! A product for audiophile gourmets who have not yet lost their love of detail in the swamp of the dying music industry.



Conclusion

How often have I felt sorry for my colleagues who never had the pleasure of working with tools that gave the profession of audio engineer, or master, the glamour that until recently generated a respectable basic respect among all those interested in and around the studio business. The time before the amateurish handling of plug-in presets on the home PC and the flood of third-rate "productions" degraded the laboriously learned craft to a laughing stock.

Anyone who has worked seriously with the Eventide H 8000 FW for only a short time will hardly dare to let his home computer generate more than just tracks, so pitiful will his hobby plug-ins most likely sound in direct comparison. Even the cream-de-la-creme high-performance workstations will have to dress more than warmly to be able to compete with the effect quality of the H 8000 FW.

Eventide shows with this product what is still possible in terms of quality, if you only want, can, and have the necessary budget. A device of the absolute top class, which not for nothing enjoys the extraordinary reputation of a top performer. If you get used to the display, you might only be able to wean yourself off this product with the threat of brute force. Let's hope that the delivered quality won't be ruined again in a lousy mix or even an overdone mastering.

As long as sonic dreck like the last Metallica disc "Death Magnetic" continues to sell millions of units, it's hard to convince an investor to invest almost 6,000 Euros in a high-performance processor so that the end product "sounds better“…..

Additional Informations:

- Eventide is a company that has been at the forefront of professional audio equipment design for over 50 years. Founded in 1971 by Richard Factor and Steve Katz, the company has been responsible for some of the most innovative and groundbreaking effects processors and recording tools in the industry.

Eventide's first product was the Instant Phaser, a phase-shifting effects unit that was soon followed by the Instant Flanger. These early products were extremely popular with musicians and recording engineers, and helped establish Eventide as a serious player in the industry.

Over the years, Eventide has continued to innovate and push the boundaries of what is possible with audio processing technology. In the 1980s, the company released the H3000 Ultra-Harmonizer, a multi-effects processor that quickly became a staple in studios around the world. The H3000 was capable of producing a wide range of effects, from simple delay and chorus to complex pitch shifting and harmonization.

In the years since the H3000, Eventide has continued to release groundbreaking products. The Eclipse, released in 2002, was a multi-effects processor designed specifically for live sound applications. The H8000FW, released in 2005, was a powerful effects processor with eight channels of processing and a massive library of presets.

More recently, Eventide has focused on creating software plugins that bring their legendary hardware effects to the world of digital audio workstations (DAWs). Their Anthology XI bundle includes emulations of some of their most iconic effects processors, including the H910, H3000, and Blackhole reverb.

One of Eventide's most recent products is the H9000, a massive multi-effects processor with 16 channels of processing and a vast array of effects algorithms. The H9000 is designed to be the centerpiece of a modern recording studio, with support for Ethernet, USB, and Thunderbolt connections.

In addition to their hardware and software products, Eventide is also known for their commitment to customer service and support. The company has a dedicated team of engineers and support staff who are available to help customers with any questions or issues they may have.

Overall, Eventide is a company that has consistently pushed the boundaries of what is possible with audio processing technology. Their products are used by musicians, producers, and engineers around the world, and their commitment to quality and innovation has helped establish them as one of the most respected names in the industry.


- The Harmonizer is a type of audio effects processor that has been a staple of recording studios since the 1970s. It was first introduced by Eventide in their H910 Harmonizer, and quickly became a popular tool for creating unique vocal and guitar effects.

The basic concept behind the Harmonizer is simple: it takes an audio signal and pitches it up or down by a set interval. The interval can be anything from a single semitone to an octave or more. This can be used to create harmonies, pitch-shifted vocals, or even to create new sounds entirely.

One of the unique features of the Harmonizer is its ability to create harmonies in real-time. This means that a vocalist can sing into a microphone and hear their voice pitch-shifted in real-time, creating a harmony with themselves. This was a revolutionary concept at the time, and opened up a whole new world of creative possibilities for musicians and producers.

The Harmonizer has been used on countless classic recordings over the years, from David Bowie's "Heroes" to Radiohead's "Paranoid Android." It has also been used extensively in film and television, where it is often used to create otherworldly sound effects.

In addition to creating harmonies, the Harmonizer can also be used to create pitch-shifted effects. For example, it can be used to create a "robotic" voice effect by pitching a vocal up or down by a large interval. This effect has been used on countless recordings, from Daft Punk's "One More Time" to Kanye West's „Stronger."

The Harmonizer has evolved over the years, with newer models offering more advanced features and greater control over the pitch-shifting process. For example, the Eventide H3000 Harmonizer, released in the 1980s, offered a wider range of pitch-shifting options and more precise control over the effect. The H8000FW, released in 2005, took things even further, with advanced features like surround sound processing and the ability to create custom effects algorithms.

Today, the Harmonizer remains a popular tool in recording studios around the world. While there are now many digital alternatives available, many producers and engineers still prefer the sound and character of the original Harmonizer units. Whether it's used to create harmonies, pitch-shifted effects, or otherworldly soundscapes, the Harmonizer is a tool that has had a profound impact on the world of music production.

- FireWire, also known as IEEE 1394, is a high-speed data transfer interface that was first introduced in the late 1990s. Developed by Apple and later adopted by other computer and electronics manufacturers, FireWire quickly became a popular way to connect devices such as external hard drives, video cameras, and audio interfaces to computers.

The key advantage of FireWire over other data transfer interfaces at the time, such as USB 1.0, was its high speed and reliability. FireWire was capable of transferring data at speeds of up to 400 Mbps, which was much faster than USB 1.0's maximum speed of 12 Mbps. This made FireWire an ideal choice for devices that required fast, reliable data transfer, such as video cameras and audio interfaces.

One of the areas where FireWire had a significant impact was in the world of music production. FireWire audio interfaces quickly became the standard for recording studios and home recording setups alike, due to their low latency and high reliability. FireWire was capable of handling multiple channels of audio at once, making it ideal for recording and mixing music.

Another area where FireWire was widely used was in video production. FireWire enabled video cameras to transfer digital video data to computers in real-time, without the need for expensive capture cards or other hardware. This made it possible for amateur and professional video producers alike to capture and edit digital video footage with ease.
Despite its many advantages, FireWire had some limitations that ultimately led to its decline in popularity. One of the biggest limitations was its lack of compatibility with newer computer systems. As computer manufacturers began to phase out FireWire ports in favor of newer interfaces such as USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt, it became increasingly difficult to find computers with FireWire ports.

Another limitation of FireWire was its relatively short cable length. FireWire cables were limited to a maximum length of 4.5 meters, which made it difficult to use FireWire devices in larger studios or in live sound setups.

Today, FireWire is largely considered to be a legacy interface. While there are still some devices on the market that use FireWire, most new computers and electronic devices have moved on to newer interfaces such as USB-C, Thunderbolt 3, and HDMI.

Despite its decline in popularity, FireWire remains an important part of the history of computing and music production. Its high speed and reliability made it a popular choice for recording studios and home recording setups, and its impact on the world of music production will continue to be felt for many years to come.