The Alabs Orbital is a stereo pitch shifter pedal from Alabs. It sits in the octave and pitch family of effects: nine pitch intervals can be selected via the rotary knobs on the right, including +/- 3rd, 4th, 5th and Octave, and every mode features a stereo output. Delicious Audio listed it at $159 as of November 20241.
What it does
The Orbital selects among nine pitch intervals using rotary knobs on the right of the pedal. Alongside those interval modes there is a Root option that can create a pitch modulation through the Rate and Detune knobs, which turns the pedal from a straight shifter into something closer to a modulated pitch effect1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Interval knobs (right of pedal) | Select among nine pitch intervals, including plus or minus 3rd, 4th, 5th and Octave1 |
| Rate | Shapes the pitch modulation available in Root mode1 |
| Detune | Shapes the pitch modulation available in Root mode1 |
| Tone | Dials in more nuanced tones1 |
| Mix | Blends the shifted signal against the dry one1 |
A Detune mode splits the two outputs in opposite directions, with plus 100 cents at the left output and minus 100 cents at the right output2.
The pedal also has a momentary effect that lets you change the pitch when holding the footswitch, so the shift is active only while the switch is held1.
Engine and stereo operation
Under the hood, the Orbital runs on what Alabs calls the W.A.V.E. Wizard Audio Virtual Engine, on a high-performance 32-bit floating-point digital signal processor, according to Pedal of the Day3.
For stereo setups, the pedal offers:
- a Differential True Stereo mode3
- analog dry-through3
- two selectable Bypass modes3
Where it came from
Delicious Audio's product page gave the Orbital a $159 price tag as of November 2024, and its reviewer summed the pedal up this way: "For its $159 price tag, the Alabs Orbital packs a lot of sounds and features"1. The page also points players to the maker's manual for how to program the pedal1.
"For its $159 price tag, the Alabs Orbital packs a lot of sounds and features"
The Orbital has a momentary effect that lets you change the pitch when holding the footswitch, and a Root option that can create a pitch modulation through the Rate and Detune knobs1.
Videos
Mike Hermans
Doug Hanson
Pedal of the Day
Sources (3)
- Alabs Orbital Pitch Shifter, Delicious Audio, 2024-11-07
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2023-11-27
- ALABS Audio Orbital Stereo Pitch Shifter, Pedal of the Day, 2024-01-23
