The Electro-Harmonix Pico Pitch Fork is a compact digital pitch shifter that packs 30 pitch shift options into the maker's smallest Pico chassis. Released in 2023, it is a scaled-down member of the Pitch Fork family of pitch shifting pedals, offering Up, Down and Dual shifting modes plus a SWEEP control that creates automatic whammy-style pitch bends12. Premier Guitar called it "the next evolution in pitch shifting from Electro-Harmonix"3.
For a player, it covers the common pitch shift jobs: octave up and down for thickening or thinning a part, harmony intervals, and footswitch-driven pitch dives. It runs on a single 9V supply and sits in a footprint of just a few inches, making it an easy fit on a crowded pedalboard14.
What it does: 30 pitch shifts in a Pico chassis
The Pico Pitch Fork offers a total of 30 pitch shift options with expanded controls, in a compact Pico chassis1. The SHIFT control selects the pitch shift interval, and the maker describes the pedal as the next evolution in its pitch shifting line1. Gearnews reported the same 30 pitch shift options when the pedal was unveiled as part of Electro-Harmonix's NYC DSP series4.
The pedal is a stylized version of the popular Pitch Fork, part of the Pico series of mini pedals2. Where the full-size Pitch Fork and the Pitch Fork Plus offer more controls and connectivity, the Pico version keeps the core pitch shifting functions in the smallest box Electro-Harmonix uses.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| SHIFT | Selects the pitch shift interval1 |
| Mode button | Selects between Up, Down and Dual modes2 |
| BLEND | Sets the wet/dry blend of the output mix2 |
| VOL | Adjusts the overall output volume2 |
| SWEEP | Controls pitch bend sweep time when toggling between bypass and effect and back, for automatic whammy effects2 |
Up, Down and Dual modes
The pedal features 10 pitch shift intervals and three modes of pitch shifting: Up, Down and Dual1. The Mode button moves between them25.
- Up shifts the pitch upward from the selected interval.
- Down shifts the pitch downward.
- Dual pairs specific pitch shift intervals for unique sounds, according to Delicious Audio's coverage2.
Dual mode is what sets the pedal apart from a simple octave up or down box: by pairing two intervals, it can produce two shifted voices at once rather than one21.
Latching and momentary footswitch modes
The footswitch can operate in two modes: Latching and Momentary1.
- Latching turns the effect on with one footswitch press and off with another2.
- Momentary turns the effect on only while the footswitch is held, which Delicious Audio described as delivering "instant bursts of pitch-shifting pandemonium"2.
Momentary mode combined with the SWEEP control is what makes Whammy-style effects possible: hold the switch and the pitch sweeps in and out over the time you set2.
Power and connections
The pedal draws 100mA at 9.0VDC through its 9V power jack, and a 9.6VDC-200mA power adapter is included1. Audio is mono, with one INPUT jack and one OUTPUT jack1.
The 100mA current draw at 9V is on the high side for a pedal this small, so plan your power supply accordingly if you are not using the included adapter.
What reviewers said
Guitar World's coverage warned readers not to underestimate the pedal on size alone6:
"don't be fooled by its humble size: it sounds like an absolute beast"6
Guitar World, 20236
Guitar.com listed the price at $217.60 when the pedal launched5, matching the maker's current list price1.
Where it sits in the Electro-Harmonix lineup
The Pico Pitch Fork is one of several pitch and octave pedals in the Electro-Harmonix range. Players comparing options can look at the full-size Pitch Fork, the Pitch Fork Plus, the Pitch Fork Polyphonic Pitch Shift, and the polyphonic octave generators such as the POG, POG2 and POG3. For harmony rather than pitch shifting, the Pico Intelligent Harmony Machine arrived in 2026 in the same Pico format. See the full range on the octave and pitch pedals page.
Videos
EHX
Musicmaker
Global Gear Watch
Questions
Is the Pico Pitch Fork true bypass?
No. Electro-Harmonix lists the Pico Pitch Fork's bypass as Buffered Bypass, not true bypass. When the effect is off, the signal passes through a buffer rather than a hard-wire bypass path.
Can the Pico Pitch Fork do Whammy-style effects?
Yes. The SWEEP control sets the pitch bend sweep time when you toggle between bypass and effect and back, which creates automatic whammy-style pitch bend effects without an expression pedal.
Is the Pico Pitch Fork stereo?
No. Electro-Harmonix lists the pedal's audio as mono, with a single INPUT jack and a single OUTPUT jack. It is a mono in, mono out pitch shifter.
Can the Pico Pitch Fork run on a battery?
No. The pedal draws 100mA at 9.0VDC from a 9V power jack, and a 9.6VDC-200mA power adapter is included. There is no battery option in the facts.
How big is the Pico Pitch Fork?
The pedal measures 3.65 x 2.0 x 2.0 inches, in Electro-Harmonix's compact Pico chassis. That footprint makes it one of the smallest pitch shifters available.
Sources (6)
- Pico Pitch Fork, Electro-Harmonix
- New Pedal: Electro-Harmonix Pico Pitch Fork, Delicious Audio, 2023-10-04
- EHX Unveils NYC DSP Guitar Pedals, Premier Guitar, 2023-09-26
- Electro-Harmonix NYC DSP Series pedals unveiled, gearnews.com, 2023-09-21
- Electro-Harmonix unveils the NYC DSP Series: 9 ultra-compact stompboxes for your 'board, Guitar.com, 2023-09-22
- Electro-Harmonix unveils Pico mini pedal lineup, Guitar World, 2023-09-21
