Effects unit for vocal.

[shezza]

Hi All,Not sure if I'm in the right section but here goes.
Can someone recommend a decent effect's unit for vocals.
I am a solo artiste and would like to add something to the vocal apart from the normal echo/delay thats found on all pa amps.
Not necessarily harmony but that would be nice,I'm Looking for
something like two voices to thicken up the voice,If you listen to some artists they sound as though they are singing along with their own voice Cliff Richard is a good example of this.
I understand that the majority of these effects are put in at the recording stage but I have heard these effects at live gigs.
I know that some units require the plugging in of an instrument
to get it's key from.But I am looking for a stand alone unit,to plug the mike into and get an effect. All suggestions welcome,What do you use?

[mark]

Hi shezza
they are called vocal harmonizers. My keyboard has one built in but you can buy them seperate to plug into your PA. Ask at your nearest Music shop.
All the Best
Mark

[alpina]

Hi Shezza, At last something I can comment on

I treated myself to a tc- helion voice works unit for xmas.

VoiceWorks has multi-voice harmonies, transparent pitch correction and fat automatic double-tracking, all so realistic you can solo them with confidence. VoiceWorks includes superb TC Electronic effects and our latest innovation - HarmonyHold which lets you freeze your backing harmonies while you sing over them.

It really is an excellent bit of kit and to be honest I am still learning to tweak it.


Andy
The harmonies are excellent if used correctly

[shezza]

Alpina,Does this unit work by just plugging a mike into it,
Or does it have to have an instrument plugged into it.

[alpina]

Just plug a mike in and away you go

Take a look at the tc helicon site. It has quite a few demos to listen too.

It also has a built in pre-amp , compressor and eq.

[charlie]

Hi Sheeza,

I too have tried the TC Helicon vocal harmonizer as Alpina described...and there is some tweaking to do such as setting up chord progressions to get the correct harmonies, but it's not all that complicated. I did, however, want to comment on what you said regarding "thickening of the vocal - singing with oneself" sound. TC Helicon has released a new product called the Vocal Doubler...and it's exactly the effect you are hearing on recordings today (at least I think so). You can have up to four individual voices all singing the same pitch...talk about thick...you almost have to have a spoon to stir the sound so you can hear it. It's pricey...around $1000 here in the US. I downloaded some samples from their website. Check it out on line...the Vocal Doubler...you'll see what I mean.

[shezza]

Thanks guy's. The big problem I can see with the harmonizers is that you have to key in the Key one is singing in! Am I right,If so
thats a few key changes/messing about between songs.

[alpina]

In a way you are right , if you are using the pitch correction you can input the key you are singing in . I choose a chromatic scale to make it easy ... only ever a half step away.

The voice works has up to 4 harmonies that you can have at one time and you can set each harmony to be at equal pitch to your voice or perhaps + 6 half tones or maybe 2 down 3 half tone and 2 up 3 half tones . you decide .

It really is easy to use though.

Andy

[growe]

Hi Shezza,
Do you play an instrument or use a midi file player or module to back your vocals? The reason I ask this is that if you use a midi file module you can connect most harmonisers and thickening vocal processors to find the chords generated in one of the tracks of the file and this will give you the option of chord recognition harmonies, and by making control change input in the tracks add and reduce the harmony voices required. Amazing wot you can do these days.
I have a Korg i harmony unit that worked in this way linked to a Korg keyboard by midi cable, not expensive and not popular as Korg then added a more sophisticated unit as an onboard option, to their new genration of keyboards. The thickening could be generated by the seperate unit giving two voices above and below or just one if you wanted manually (buttons on and off), but you have to be pitch correct fairly close, or you could have five voices out of tune!!
The more expensive units like TC Helicon will do everything you want but needs much time and linked to midi chord info to get the best, and will also pitch correct too!! No doubt we all have heard some we could have suggested this box to, in fact you may be surprised how many well known artists nedd these in the studio!!

Well better go my dinner is burning.
Regards,
G.

[thingyy]

TC Helicon Voiceworks works better in note mode than chord. Once set up and saved all the global effects and pitch correction can be saved in the system or on a midi file.

[elcrutch]

i was looking for the something that did the same thing. I found Sonar 5: Producer Edition. you can do your own back up, harmonies and it even has V-Vocal which is a vocal editor where you can correct your off notes. its brilliant! i use it everyday.

[shyamwestwind]

WOW !!!! Really nice gadget, but alas !!! I cant afford it !

[thingyy]

I also have been using Voiceworks for a couple of years now.I use it in note mode and have dedicated tracks on the midi file for it.
It has some great effects and has pitch correction and voice thickener. Mike on/off.Stereo voice controll. Rev/echo percentage controlled by midi data.
Initially a pain in the butt to get to grips with the manual but has great support on the web site.
Put all the controller info into Cakewalk mapper and away you go.

[freddieca]

tried to use a BOSS digital delay and zoom 505....sounds ok but am quite sure not as good as voiceworks

[Tubbs]

I think if you polish your voice too much with these effects it takes the edge off the live performance, stick with the echo, if everything sounds perfect live then we all might as well stick a CD on and mime!!!...........

[bri]

Good ol' Tubbs. Tell it like it is. I agree with you 100%
Bri

[freddieca]

I, too, agree with Tubbs and Bri ... I believe we do justice to duets yet we require the use of such gadget when we are requested to do songs from the ABBA, Queen, the Lettermen, ENYA etc...

most performers here in korea use mp3 karaokes thus eliminating the need for back up singers, all they have to do is supply the lead part and there you go and much cheaper, I guess, than purchasing an extra gadget but "this" sort of cheat is the one that "edges off the live performance"

[shyamwestwind]

Tubbs, I totally agree with you. A little bitty echo and reverb is the only help we need.Its left to us to put the punch in our voices . These harmonisers get me nervous and gets me conscious of how I'm singing and I land up concentrating on how I should sound instead of so singing with my soul. I hope you know what I mean.

[thingyy]

If you or your partner have a cold or flue you can have the notes written on a midi file and voice activated. No gigs missed money still rolling in and a note perfect harmony or lead.

[JohnG]

Hi Shezza,
I'm not sure that there is an effects unit that just plugs and goes! You could try for a 2nd hand Yamaha MU100R sound module which has a Yamaha vocal harmoniser in it or, again 2nd hand, an MU128 and look for a plug in card called a PLH100VH (catchy name eh!). I bought mine from eBay and I've been very pleased. I could keep an eye open and let you know when one comes up. The MUs are good sound modules in their own right too. But they do require XG MIDI files. There are plenty of people on the forum who do XG (I'm one) and I'd be pleased to help you.
Best regards,
JohnG.