The Electro-Harmonix Freeze Sound Retainer is a compact stompbox that does one thing: it sustains any note or chord you play. When you stomp the footswitch, the pedal takes a snapshot of the signal running through it at that instant and holds it as a steady, unbroken sustain until you tell it to stop. Unlike a looper, it is not recording a passage of playing; it is freezing a single moment of sound1. MusicRadar's reviewer described it as ideal for creating thick soundscapes and drones with your guitar, especially when you run it through other effects like wah, tremolo or delay1.
What the Freeze does to your sound
The core idea is simple: sample the guitar signal at the moment of stomping and sustain it until the footswitch is reset1. What sets the Freeze apart, according to Premier Guitar's review, is how clean that sustain is. The reviewer wrote that "EHX has designed the effect so that there is no digital popping sound when the effect engages and there are no repetitive undulations or audible loop points while engaged," describing the result as steady and constant, like a constantly bowed cello2.
The pedal has one knob and one switch:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Effect Level knob | Sets the volume of the sustained signal2 |
| 3-position mode switch | Selects Fast, Slow or Latch mode2 |
| Footswitch | Captures and releases the sound, depending on mode21 |
Fast, Slow and Latch modes
The mode switch changes how the freeze starts, holds and ends1:
- Fast mode: the Freeze begins sustaining your signal the moment the footswitch is pressed and holds that sound until the footswitch is released. MusicRadar puts it plainly: the pedal starts sustaining as soon as you stomp, and stops when you release your foot21.
- Slow mode: the captured signal fades in gradually and then sustains until you release the footswitch, at which point it slowly fades to silence. You set the length of this fade by selecting one of three preset durations2. MusicRadar's reviewer found Slow mode gives a variable-speed fade in and out to the sustain, which, when switching between chords, is much smoother1.
- Latch mode: the captured sound sustains even when the footswitch is released, allowing you to capture and sustain additional sounds on top of it. A double-tap on the footswitch kills the effect2. MusicRadar notes the stomp switch can also be used in Latch mode so you can take your foot off for long sustained periods1.
Where it came from
The Freeze is not a new circuit idea invented from scratch. Premier Guitar's review traces it to Electro-Harmonix's own harmonizer line: "Specifically, the Freeze is derived from the HOG's Freeze Gliss function"2. In other words, it takes one feature from the HOG, a much larger and more expensive pitch-tracking pedal, and builds a single-function stompbox around it.
Power and bypass: what to know before you plug in
Two practical points matter for pedalboard planning:
The Freeze does not run on a battery. Premier Guitar's review states that "the Freeze does not offer the option of 9-volt operation, it's power supply or nothing"2. Budget a power supply output for it.
The Freeze is not true bypass. While most Electro-Harmonix pedals are true bypass, Premier Guitar reports that the Freeze's circuitry requires a high-quality buffered bypass2. Your guitar signal passes through a buffer even when the pedal is off.
What reviewers said
Both published reviews land on the same picture: a focused pedal that does its one job cleanly.
Premier Guitar's reviewer found the sustain free of the artifacts that plague sampled-sound pedals: no digital popping when the effect engages, no repetitive undulations or audible loop points while engaged, with a steady, constant sustain compared to a constantly bowed cello2.
MusicRadar's reviewer acknowledged the pedal's narrow focus but saw the upside: "It may be a bit niche, but there's the potential to have a lot of fun with this little stompbox"1.
Videos
EHX
Reverb
EytschPi42
Questions
Does the Electro-Harmonix Freeze run on a battery?
No. Premier Guitar's review notes that the Freeze does not offer 9-volt battery operation: it is power supply or nothing. Plan for a dedicated power supply or an isolated output on your pedalboard power brick, and do not expect to run it from a battery clip or a daisy chain.
Is the Freeze Sound Retainer true bypass?
No. While most Electro-Harmonix pedals are true bypass, Premier Guitar reports that the Freeze's circuitry requires a high-quality buffered bypass. In practice the signal passes through a buffer when the pedal is off, which is worth knowing if you are particular about long cable runs and pedalboard order.
What is the difference between Fast, Slow and Latch mode on the Freeze?
Fast mode starts sustaining the captured signal as soon as you stomp and stops when you release the footswitch. Slow mode fades the captured signal in gradually, sustains it until you release, then fades to silence, with the fade length set by one of three preset durations. Latch mode keeps the sound sustaining after you lift your foot, and a double-tap kills the effect.
Is the Freeze based on the HOG?
Yes, in part. Premier Guitar's review states that the Freeze is derived from the HOG's Freeze Gliss function, the same family of pitch-tracking technology Electro-Harmonix built into its HOG harmonizer pedals, distilled into a single-function stompbox.
Can you play over a frozen note with the Freeze?
Yes. In Latch mode the captured sound sustains even when the footswitch is released, which Premier Guitar notes allows you to capture and sustain additional sounds on top of it. Reviewers describe using it for thick soundscapes and drones, especially when running the Freeze into other effects such as wah, tremolo or delay.
Sources (2)
- Electro-Harmonix Freeze Sound Retainer review, MusicRadar, 2010-10-21
- Electro-Harmonix Freeze Sound Retainer Pedal Review, Premier Guitar, 2010-10-20
