Need Good Vocal Rig...(For Live Use)

I am going to be building a new live rig for my vocals and need advice on what would be the best bang for my buck.

I already have a good Sennheiser Mic, so I think I'm ok there. Here's what I need (add to it if you think I'm missing something):

1. Good Effects Unit which has the following - preferably $1000 or less but flexible:

Good reverb - should i get a separate Reverb unit? would prefer not to, but...

Good Delay

Modulator effects

Pitch Shifter effect

Programmable EQ patches

2. EQ unit (graphic or parametric, whichever would be better) - Mid Level unit should be fine.

3. Good Preamp - Not more than little over $1000 preferably.

4. Good Compressor

I have heard good things about the TC Helicon Voiceworks units. Would one of these be a viable solution for my effects needs? Other suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

The VoiceTone pedals from TC Helicon can do all of that. Together the VoiceCorrect (compression, pitch correction, EQ, de-essing) and the VoiceCreate (reverb, delay, modulation) go for $500 or so. What's not included is voice doubling and harmonizing--but TC Helicon has dedicated pedals for these effects as well.

Each VoiceTone pedal goes for $250 or so, the quality is excellent, and the user interfaces are simple and intuitive.

The VoiceTone pedals from TC Helicon can do all of that. Together the VoiceCorrect (compression, pitch correction, EQ, de-essing) and the VoiceCreate (reverb, delay, modulation) go for $500 or so. What's not included is voice doubling and harmonizing--but TC Helicon has dedicated pedals for these effects as well. Each VoiceTone pedal goes for $250 or so, the quality is excellent, and the user interfaces are simple and intuitive.

Cool, so would you recommend getting the pedals over the rack unit? Not sure if the rack has all those effects or not, will have to look into it further when I get home later.

The pedals put a lot of power at your feet but they also put lot of pedals, wires, etc., at your feet. That to me is the primary problem, but it's one I can live with because of the quality and simplicity of the pedals.

The rack unit relieves you of the mess at your feet, but I'm not sure how you would control it from the stage. Moreover--and this is the big point--it may well have a complicated interface. The beauty of the pedals is their simple, intuitive interface. They are designed for musicians not engineers.

A while back I had a TC Helicon VoiceLive unit, which was great and did most of the things the four pedals now do together. But the thing was an absolute beast in terms of the interface----cycling through menus and sub-menus, endless tweaking opportunities, complicated methods for saving things and for getting out of the various tweaking and saving modes, etc. I sold it and never regretted getting rid of it.

So beware the interface! :poke: I'm not familiar with the rack unit--it may be simple and intuitive, like the pedals. You may also be an inveterate tweaker, and if so even a complicated interface could seem very cool to you because of the opportunities it offers for new and creative sounds. If you don't have the soul of an engineer, however, make sure the interface is one you're comfortable with!

Yah I'm definately weighing the pedal vs rackmount thing. Pedals are a sinch, but I also have a midi control board so it would be less messy to have the rackmount.

May go with pedals just for ease of use

Thanks for your advice my good man.

I have the Create pedal, and it is very nice. Really worth it.