Electro-Harmonix STRING9

The Electro-Harmonix STRING9 String Ensemble is a digital synth pedal that transforms a guitar into nine different string ensemble and string synthesizer sounds, from a large symphony orchestra to classic '80s synth strings¹. It is fully polyphonic, built on the same technology that powers every pedal in the EHX 9 Series, and it needs no special pickup, no modifications and no MIDI: you plug a standard electric guitar straight in and play¹².

Released in 2022, the STRING9 was the seventh pedal in EHX's 9 Series of digital synth pedals, a range launched in 2014 with the B9 Organ Machine and dedicated to recreating non-guitar sounds¹³⁴. It lends the engine of the Synth9 to string and orchestration duties⁵.

The nine modes

A rotary switch on the front selects the sound of your choice¹. MusicRadar's review describes the spread: ARP Solina and Crumar Performer-style modes, sounds based on a small string section sampled by a PCM electronic keyboard, an Orchestron playback sample with warble, and a trio of Freeze modes⁶.

The June-O setting emulates a Juno-style keyboard sound that MusicRadar's reviewer found evokes the '80s, new wave and Charles Bernstein's work on A Nightmare On Elm Street⁶. Symphonic mode is described by Guitar.com's reviewer as a dense, gently modulating polyphonic string voice with soft attack and natural fade, and its octave-down effect extends the whole playing range into what MusicRadar calls a quasi-symphonic orchestra⁶³.

The Vox Freeze mode takes its Mellotron choir and strings sounds from Electro-Harmonix's Mel9 Tape Relay Machine⁶.

The Freeze effect

In a 9 Series first, the STRING9 includes the signature EHX Freeze effect on three of the presets, Orch Freeze, Synth Freeze and Vox Freeze, to sample and hold notes and chords with infinite sustain¹. The algorithm is the same one featured in the EHX HOG and Superego pedals, and Ctrl 2 sets it to either automatic or manual⁸⁴.

MusicRadar's review breaks down how the two modes work in practice:

• Auto Freeze can be set up relatively easily for self-sustaining synth pads. If it triggers too easily, rolling back the guitar's volume control helps, and muting the strings with the fretting hand while tapping them with the picking hand also stops it. Clicking the bypass footswitch disengages it⁶.
• Manual Freeze takes a little more getting used to, but opens up options such as cranking up the dry volume to play over the held pads⁶.

The controls

The front panel keeps things practical, which MusicRadar counted as a plus: "Practical set of controls makes it easy to dial in"⁶.

Those control dials can dramatically alter the sound in each setting, according to MusicRadar's review⁶.

Outputs, power and placement

The pedal has a standard input plus two outputs. The Dry output jack always outputs the input signal at unity gain, while in effect mode the Effect output jack carries the mix set by the Dry and Effect volume knobs, with a source impedance of 500 ohms¹. MusicRadar notes that these separate outputs allow wet/dry routing, and that the control afforded over the wet/dry mix is a very practical consideration⁶.

Power comes from the included 9.6VDC-200mA adapter; the pedal itself draws 100mA at 9VDC on a center-negative plug¹.

Tracking, chords and bass

The STRING9 creates fully polyphonic tones using the technology powering all EHX 9 Series pedals². MusicRadar found no problems with tracking, with no need to mix in dry guitar to disguise shortcomings, so pure string sounds are available if you want them; blending strings with guitar offers what the review calls a lovely range of textures combining a sharp attack with a lingering sustained body⁶. Guitar.com's reviewer found it tracks reliably all the way up and down the neck³.

On bass, the picture is narrower: Gearnews reports the String9 was designed for the range of guitar and only goes down to the low open A string on a bass¹⁰.

What reviewers said

Reviews were positive about the pedal doing its one job well. Guitar World's reviewer concluded⁹:

The same review found it handy as a keyboard player substitute, with plenty of new textures when mixing strings with guitar⁹. MusicRadar's verdict highlights included good tracking, a superb option for keys sounds, and the blend control as a reason to buy⁶. Guitar.com's reviewer noted one trade-off in the synth modes: pick attack can be completely buried in the sound, even with the dry signal pushed past halfway³.

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