Freq Shift+

A single-sideband frequency shifter with multiple rate domains, direct phase control, and an optional filtered feedback delay network.

What it does #

The current editorial summary is: A single-sideband frequency shifter with multiple rate domains, direct phase control, and an optional filtered feedback delay network.

Freq Shift+ moves every spectral component by a constant frequency offset rather than multiplying all frequencies by a pitch ratio. Its Bode-style quadrature shifter can be driven in hertz, rhythmic, Hold/phase, or keytracked domains, then combined with delay, directional feedback, filtering, anti-reflection, and an additional all-pass network.

Controls and ports #

Control	Label	Official description
shift	Shift	Relative amount of frequency shift applied, with range set by the Range and Unit pair
shift_keytrack	Shift Keytrack	[When Unit is set to 'Keytrack'] Attenuates the Rate In port. A setting of "100 %" would assume a proper pitch signal or offset (via Octaver or other Pitch modules).
phase_note	Manual 'Hold' Mode	[When Unit is set to 'Hold'] Frequency shifting is effected by the Phase In port and the Phase control (in the Inspector Panel)
range	Range	Shift range, defined as a multiple/scaling of the Unit
unit	Unit	Unit used for shift Range: • Hz/kHz for frequency shifts • Note values for rhythmic effects • Hold to shift via Phase • Keytrack uses incoming note pitches
feedback_direction	Feedback Direction	[When Feedback is used] Direction that any cascaded feedback will be applied. Positive values shift up, and negative values shift down.
delay_on	Delay On	Enables a delay within the frequency shift
delay_time	Delay Time	Length of the delay (when enabled)
phase_in	Phase In	Phase modulation of the shifting oscillator
rate_in	Rate In	Shift amount, set relative to the Range + Unit parameters and added to the Shift amount
high_pass	High Pass	High-pass cutoff applied within the feedback loop
low_pass	Low Pass	Low-pass cutoff applied within the feedback loop
anti-reflect	Anti-Reflect	When shifting downward, will avoid negative frequencies from appearing
all-pass	All-Pass	Add an additional all-pass network, which can give a strong phase-y effect when Feedback is high
phase_all	Phase All	Offsets the shifting oscillator's phase
phase_offset	Phase Offset	Relatively offsets the shifting oscillator's right channel

Practical uses #

• Apply a tiny hertz shift for subtle beating, stereo motion, or detuning without conventional chorus.
• Use larger shifts to break harmonic ratios and create bells, metallic percussion, or radiophonic textures.
• Enable delay and directional Feedback for echoes that climb or descend by the shift amount on every pass.

Things to know #

• Unlike pitch shifting, a fixed frequency offset does not preserve the ratios between harmonics.
• Hold mode makes phase input the primary oscillator-position control instead of advancing at a fixed rate.
• Keytrack converts the desired pitch relationship into a frequency difference, not a transposition ratio applied directly to samples.
• High-pass and low-pass stages are inside the feedback network; Anti-reflect changes downward-shift behavior near zero frequency.
• The optional All-pass network is part of the feedback coloration and can produce a pronounced phase effect at high Feedback.

Technical details #

A high-confidence Nitro implementation candidate supports the technical summary, but the visible-module mapping remains inferred.

The exact mod_fx/frequency_shifter_module wrapper calculates oscillator phase increment in hertz/kilohertz, beat-relative, Hold, or semitone/keytrack modes. Beat modes multiply beatsPerFrame by documented straight, dotted, or triplet scales. Semitone mode converts source and destination pitch to hertz and uses their difference. Static and incoming phase form pm; the wrapper then calls a BodeShifter with shift type, input gain, frequency/phase increment, Feedback and direction mix, optional delay time, wet Mix, feedback LP/HP, All-pass, Anti-reflect, and Delay enables. This is the visible module wrapper, not the unrelated FFT candidate previously selected by name matching.

Nitro port	Type
in	InputAudioPortType
rate	InputAudioPortType
rateIn	InputAudioPortType
rateMod	InputAudioPortType
phase	InputAudioPortType
phaseIn	InputAudioPortType
phaseMod	InputAudioPortType
beatsPerFrame	InputAudioPortType
phaseROffset	InputAudioPortType
barLength	InputAudioPortType
timebase	InputValuePortType
type	InputValuePortType
shift	InputAudioPortType
fb	InputAudioPortType
fb_mix	InputAudioPortType
mix	InputAudioPortType
delay	InputAudioPortType
fb_lopass	InputAudioPortType
fb_hipass	InputAudioPortType
gain	InputAudioPortType
use_ap	InputValuePortType
use_anti_refl	InputValuePortType
use_delay	InputValuePortType
pitchValue	InputAudioPortType
out	OutputAudioPortType

Open questions #

• Measure every rate Unit/Range mapping, Bode type response, sideband rejection, and Anti-reflect behavior around zero frequency.
• Quantify delay maximum, feedback direction law, filter response, All-pass topology, latency, gain, and stability.
• Confirm Hold and Keytrack phase conventions, right-channel phase offset, reset state, and audio-rate modulation bandwidth.

Version and sources #

Checked against Bitwig Studio 6.0.6. This page combines Bitwig's module metadata, the existing Grid course and guides, and Nitro analysis where the mapping is strong enough to support a technical statement.

Related material #

• Dome Filter in Bitwig

Return to Bitwig Grid Modules or the Grid Modules course lesson.