Electro Harmonix Freeze Sound Retainer

Pros:
- function
- build quality

Cons:
- loud footswitch

Not much to say here; the Freeze does one thing and it does it well. Use it in the intended way to augment your music, or try and use it the wrong way to create some interesting noises. The three modes are useful and build quality is solid as usual from EHX.

One thing to note if you are not familiar with it is that it has the noisy clicky EHX footswitch. When playing something quiet or solo (which the pedal is great for), the switch noise is pretty loud. The switch is easy to replace though.

Nice idea for a sort of sustain pedal. You have to learn to use it to avoid some sort of "glitch"/"latency" if you don't synchronize to the millisecond your foot and your hand (no big deal, you only have to get used to it). Yet, you still can use that strange sound in some manner (Bill Frisell loves it).

I have to say that the switch is a bit noisey and can be a little annoying in silent environments (studio work while tracking isolated parts).

I also have to mention the fact that the switch failed on me (I never abused it, of course), it broke and I had to bring it to a repairman to replace it.

Again: great pedal indeed

very nicely indeed. the sound really is frozen, and what you get feels like the last thing you played has been stopped at some sonic event horizon - this does mean that the quality of the sound has little feeling in it and is as flat as a pancake but (in my case) liberates you to create all sorts of cool contrapuntal b3 type effects bt rapidly switching the sustained note but keeping it floating across bars. it's a simple effect that really has the potential to be a huge musical tool. build q is EHX usual, ie simultaneously both rugged and slightly crap. but toggle switch is blissfully quiet. all in all - a bargain and an essential addition to a pedalboard. ehx really should make the gliss freeze on the HOG 2 available as a sep. effect, though. they'd sell a million.

This is a very solid, well built bit of Kit. I've found its gig applications limited but for exploring in a home/rehearsal environment it's great. It's like a basic loop station but when combined with other effects it makes for a great sound scape builder.

I've used it both with acoustic and electric. It's more suited to electric use but still sounds good with an acoustic, but run with a magnetic and under saddle for pure acoustic signal.

I recently bought a B9 by electro Harmonix and the combination of the two works very well and I think this could work its way into my live set up.

But over all a great product.