Eventide H8000FW Ultra-Harmonizer
Eight channels of 24-bit/96kHz processing, FireWire on board, and enough DSP muscle to run two chips on a single algorithm.
Overview
The H8000FW is the FireWire-equipped member of Eventide's H8000 family. The company's own advertising pitched it as an "8-channel, 24-bit/96kHz" effects processor and the "super-heavyweight champion" for anyone chasing the "signature 5.1 reverbs and effects" that demand "sheer processing power for dense reverbs and complex algorithms." That is marketing copy, and it reads like it. The numbers behind it are the interesting part. You get eight channels of 24-bit AES/EBU, ADAT and FireWire I/O, sampling up to 96kHz, plus four channels of analog I/O with a signal-to-noise ratio above 110dB. That last figure means a converter front end quiet enough that the reverbs and harmonizations aren't fighting a noise floor.
The ad copy spells out what separates the FW from its siblings. The H8000FW "combines the advantages of the H8000A with the H8000" and adds FireWire connectivity with your computer. This is the variant for the engineer who wants the full H8000 processing engine and also wants it talking directly to a DAW over FireWire, rather than living purely as outboard.
The processing architecture is where the H8000FW earns its keep. Eventide's "Monolithic Tandem" scheme runs an oversized algorithm across two DSP chips in parallel when a single chip can't carry it. That is how the box handles the dense 5.1 reverbs the advertising leans on. The preset library is large. The company's own materials describe it as built on roughly sixteen hundred to eighteen hundred preset-algorithms, and the count drifted between ad runs as the library grew. More than eighty 5.1 presets are included. Treat the exact preset count as approximate, since the figure moved across Eventide's 2006-2008 campaigns.
The interface is more approachable than the spec sheet suggests. Eventide built "virtual racks" that combine up to five stereo effects processors into a single preset-algorithm. It also added search functionality, so you can sort through the preset library rather than scroll it.
MIDI, BPM and Tap Tempo synchronization are all on board. The package also includes PC and OS X graphic editor/development tools for deeper programming from a computer. On a processor of this class, the software editor is how most owners will build complex algorithms, and it fits Eventide treating the H8000FW as a platform rather than a fixed-effects box.
Contemporary coverage treated the H8000FW as the flagship of Eventide's line. Mix (March 2007, p.25) ran the "Eats complex algorithms for breakfast" campaign, and the same advertising language appeared in Mix (October 2008, p.5) and EQ (2007, p.31). The company also ran an upgrade program that let H8000, H8000A, and Orville owners move up to the H8000FW at reduced cost. That means some units in the wild started life as earlier models. Confirm the actual model designation on the chassis rather than trusting a listing's title alone.
This is not a casual purchase. The H8000FW is a deep, multichannel studio processor aimed at engineers who will actually use 5.1 reverbs and FireWire integration. Someone wanting a simple stereo harmonizer is overpaying for headroom they won't touch. It has a learning curve to match its depth. FireWire is the whole reason the FW exists as a distinct model, and it is also the part most dependent on drivers and host compatibility, so it ages less gracefully than the analog I/O. Verify FireWire functionality on the specific unit and host system before buying.
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