Eventide announced CrushStation on July 15, 2015 as a new overdrive algorithm for its H9 Harmonizer, the compact multi-effects pedal. It is not a standalone stompbox: it is software that loads into an H9, turning the unit into what Premier Guitar's report called a pedal where "the H9 introduces a new world of overdrive effects with extensive creative parametric control." Eventide described the range of results as "ranging from buttery saturation to crushing assault," so it covers everything from a mild push into overdrive territory to sounds closer to distortion.1
Price and availability
CrushStation was priced at $19.99 for the H9 and H9 Core, and is free for the H9 Max. Eventide made it available for purchase immediately via H9 Control, the app used to manage algorithms on the pedal.1
CrushStation runs on the H9 family, not as its own pedal. If you do not own an H9 or H9 Max, there is no separate CrushStation hardware to buy.
The controls
The algorithm's parameters go beyond the usual drive pedal layout. Premier Guitar's announcement listed "the usual suspects: Drive, Sustain, multi-band EQ. Plus control over features like Sag, Octaves" and Grit.1 Pedal of the Day's review of the H9 Max summed it up as "access to Drive, Sustain, EQ, Sag, Octaves and Grit."2
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive | Amount of overdrive |
| Sustain | Compression and note sustain |
| Multi-band EQ | Tone shaping across frequency bands |
| Sag | Simulates lo-fi voltage starvation3 |
| Octaves | Octave content |
| Grit | Added texture |
The Sag control is the one most overdrive pedals leave out. Guitar.com's Richard Purvis, reviewing the H9 Max, described it as "'sag' for simulating lo-fi voltage starvation," the dying-battery feel of a sagging amp.3 Purvis's verdict on the deeper parameters was positive: "All of these work fiendishly well and help to ensure CrushStation is adding genuine value to the H9 offering."3
The presets
Eventide created 10 presets to show the algorithm's range, and Pedal of the Day noted that CrushStation "pops right out of the box with 10 new presets."12 Guitar World described several of them by character:2
- Fra Diavolo: a spicy metal preset
- Jumbo Shrimp: a big little sound
- Scuttle Butter: thick blues
- Sag Harbor: with heavy sag
- PunkRock Lobster: lots of trouble
The seafood-themed names run from metal to blues to heavily sagged sounds, which tracks with Eventide's own description of the algorithm's span from saturation to assault.1
Where it came from
Eventide developed the algorithm in house. According to Premier Guitar, "One of our lead developers and resident bassist, Russell Wedelich, took on the challenge," designing it with bass-friendly low end in mind alongside guitar use.1 The company demonstrated CrushStation on the H9 at the 2015 Summer NAMM Show in Nashville, where Guitar World filmed "the Eventide crew demonstrates the new CrushStation algorithm on their H9 pedal."4
Videos
ProGuitarShopDemos
Premier Guitar
Eventide Audio
Questions
Is CrushStation a standalone pedal?
No. CrushStation is a software algorithm that runs inside Eventide's H9 Harmonizer, not a pedal of its own. Eventide announced it on July 15, 2015, and made it available for purchase immediately through the H9 Control application. To use it, you need an H9 or H9 Max; there is no dedicated CrushStation stompbox.
How much does CrushStation cost on the H9?
Eventide priced CrushStation at $19.99 for the H9 and H9 Core at its July 2015 announcement. Owners buy and load it through the H9 Control application. On the H9 Max, the algorithm is included free.
Is CrushStation free on the H9 Max?
Yes. When Eventide announced CrushStation in July 2015, the company stated the algorithm is free for the H9 Max. H9 Max owners get it as part of the unit's loaded algorithm set, while H9 and H9 Core owners pay $19.99 to add it.
Can I try CrushStation before buying it?
Yes. Eventide said you can demo CrushStation and its presets by downloading the free H9 Control application to a PC, Mac or iOS device. That lets you hear the algorithm on your own H9 before committing to the $19.99 purchase.
Sources (4)
- Eventide Announces the CrushStation Algorithm, Premier Guitar, 2015-07-15
- Eventide H9 Max Harmonizer® Effects Processor, Pedal of the Day, 2015-08-17
- Eventide H9 Max review, Guitar.com, 2015-10-27
- Summer NAMM 2015 Video: Eventide H9 CrushStation, Guitar World, 2015-07-21
