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Vocal Harmonizers


M-1 Fan

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In the early 90's I used to perform live with my DIGITECH!! How I loved it.

 

It sure did mystify a lot of folks when rich harmonies came outta one guy...

 

I used to run the DigiTech through a chorus and a reverb which, together, did much to soften the "robotic" quality of the harmonies.

 

My favorite thing to do was to try to emulate the 1940's sound of The Pied Pipers.

 

I also loved to play the coda of The Carpenters "Close To You" in rich harmonies:

 

"WAHHHH--AAHHH-AHH...CLOSE TO YEW-W-W-W"

 

;):mad::o

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I use the Digitech Vocalist Performer with my oldies/classic rock trio where I am the only singer.

 

Does a great job as long as the harmonizing is not overused.

 

I keep it set kind of low, but it is definitely there and it definintely adds a lot to the performance.

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My preference is the exorbitantly expensive and hard-to-find Garfunklizer, which employs intelligent voice-leading algorithms to transcend the robotic parallelism of most machine generated harmonies. It's a bit erratic and hard to master, however, and, by the terms of the license, you have to give the Garfunklizer co-writing credits on your tunes. Apparently, the unit has been burned in the past when people have used it generate a harmony, then thrown away the original melody and promoted the harmony to main melody.

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Well, to cut a long story short, I need an effect that I've never been able to match.

 

I got this song for my band and the vocals really need that something. And I know what I want, its just getting it.

 

Download the song "Where the Slime Live" by Morbid Angel. That's the exact sound I want for the vocal...

 

I may take a chance on the Digitech VX400... what do we think?

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Originally posted by KB Gunn

I enjoy the TCHelicon VoiceWorks. I sequence on the Triton Extreme 88. When I trigger the VW, it harmonizes, when I don't, I am singing solo. Very useful in live performance.


Here is an example







Kenny

 

 

How does that compare to the Digitech Vocalist? With the Vocalist, I have to punch in the key for the harmony and of course some harmony notes don't sound right some times. The VW sits on the floor, the Vocalist is up at arm's length. If I buy a VW will I get tired of bending over all the time for each different song?

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Originally posted by M-1 Fan

How does that compare to the Digitech Vocalist? With the Vocalist, I have to punch in the key for the harmony and of course some harmony notes don't sound right some times. The VW sits on the floor, the Vocalist is up at arm's length. If I buy a VW will I get tired of bending over all the time for each different song?

 

 

The VoiceWorks is a rack mount unit. They may have a floor unit that I am not aware of.

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Hi Guys/Gals, I'm a newbie which will shortly become self evident. I bought The Digitech vocalist 4 earlier this year and used on 2 live performances, we rehearse/jam more than we play! What a fantastic piece of kit, easy to use and completely flexible. I'm the bass player in the band so simply singing the melody line while the rhythm/ lead guitarist and singer belts out the tune and the Vocalist 4 does the harmonies making me look real good!

 

The guitarist wants to add in a distortion pedal but is relying on me to wire it in sequence for him. Do I understand the instructions correctly, guitar into Vocalist 4, then thru to effects pedal, then from effects pedal to fender amp?

 

Apologies if this question is posted in the wrong place but I really don't want to toast my new toy!!

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Hi Rasputin, absolutely loved that. When I set up the digitech for the first time the guitarist and I were getting great results on the first night in his home until the wee small hours. I went to bed with the manual as you do and discovered the setting which transposes a male voice to a female but didn't tell my pal that I had pre-selected this so when suggested to him that he should try Jolene the look on his face when he heard Dolly parton coming right back at him through the speakers was priceless. Thanks for your response, this a truly wonderful piece of gear. p.s. I like what I see in Beaux Arts. Cheers Spokane

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Hi Guys/Gals, I'm a newbie which will shortly become self evident. I bought The Digitech vocalist 4 earlier this year and used on 2 live performances, we rehearse/jam more than we play! What a fantastic piece of kit, easy to use and completely flexible. I'm the bass player in the band so simply singing the melody line while the rhythm/ lead guitarist and singer belts out the tune and the Vocalist 4 does the harmonies making me look real good!


The guitarist wants to add in a distortion pedal but is relying on me to wire it in sequence for him. Do I understand the instructions correctly, guitar into Vocalist 4, then thru to effects pedal, then from effects pedal to fender amp?


Apologies if this question is posted in the wrong place but I really don't want to toast my new toy!!

 

 

The Digitech units (chatter about them, tips, etc.) are reviewed in the Pro Reviews in Craig's forum section and there is also a long thread on one of the units in another forum here at HC. Do a search and you should find it easily. Lots of good tips in both places.

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My preference is the exorbitantly expensive and hard-to-find Garfunklizer, which employs intelligent voice-leading algorithms to transcend the robotic parallelism of most machine generated harmonies. It's a bit erratic and hard to master, however, and, by the terms of the license, you have to give the Garfunklizer co-writing credits on your tunes. Apparently, the unit has been burned in the past when people have used it generate a harmony, then thrown away the original melody and promoted the harmony to main melody.

 

And the things it would do to your hair... :facepalm:

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The Digitech units (chatter about them, tips, etc.) are reviewed in the Pro Reviews in Craig's forum section and there is also a long thread on one of the units in another forum here at HC. Do a search and you should find it easily. Lots of good tips in both places.

 

Hi Lucky #9, thanks for pointing me in the right direction, Craigs threads are exactly what I needed. Spokane

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Why is there currently only one on the market? Digitech used to have three of them in production, now they don't have any.
:confused:

 

Well, the original post was a long time ago, but now they have 3 on the market:

 

VL2 - This one does unison's, 3rds and 5ths above and below your voice with the key determined from a sidechain guitar input

 

VL4 - Basically the same with more effects and processing options it can do to the voice, more harmony voices (4 instead of 2) and harmony modes, and it can mix the guitar signal in as well (with some basic guitar effects).

 

VLPro - Does anything the VL4 does (besides mixing in the guitar signal) and it can take the Harmonies off MIDI. Can do the "Notes" harmony method (where what you play on the keyboard are the harmonies that come out of the unit)

 

each one has a pretty long thread on it if you search the forums

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I am with a trio that has two lead singers. Its with a guy and his wife. He runs the 4 and she has a 2. I play keys for them. All i know is the vocals are awsome. Smoke and mirrors , sure, In the hands of two great singers ,, it makes for a good show.

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