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Vocal Processor/Harmonizer for live - advice?


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The singer in my band is interested in getting a vocal processor/harmonizer for live performances. Something with reverb, delay, and harmonization that's easy to use. This is an area I know almost nothing about. I found this:

 

TC-Helicon VoiceLive

 

And am aware of some of the DigiTech stuff. But I was wondering if anybody had any advice for what's good. I don't know what she is willing to spend on it, so whether it's expensive or not, let me know what you think is good! Thanks!!!

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Ken, check out the Pro Review on the VL2 in the Pro Reviews forum. It's main competition is the VoiceLive, but the VL2's "special sauce" is that it bases its harmonies on input from a guitar (or other instrument)...play an A major, sing, and an A major harmony comes out. There's no setting of scales or presets, so it's a real no-brainer. It doesn't have as many options as the VoiceLive, but if you just want simple, quick, pretty much foolproof harmony lines (with some other limited processing...check out the audio examples in the Pro Review), a lot of people - myself included - are giving it a thumbs up.

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I've only used my harmonizer by setting the key manually for each song.

 

I wonder how it would work hooking it up to my keyboard via MIDI . . . any keyboard players in here do that? I'm curious how it would react to the chord changes of someone actually playing their parts on a keyboard, not just holding the chord for the duration of the chord change.

 

I guess the only way to find out is to try.

 

KB, you look like Brian Wilson. :)

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I wonder how it would work hooking it up to my keyboard via MIDI . . . any keyboard players in here do that? I'm curious how it would react to the chord changes of someone actually playing their parts on a keyboard, not just holding the chord for the duration of the chord change.

 

 

It's the most accurate way to do it. A harmonizer set to respond to MIDI notes will harmonize exactly those notes. It is absolutely the best way to get harmonies because in the real world harmonies often don't follow chords exactly, but will hold a note while the melody moves, or vice-versa. Or double the melody for a phrase, then go a third up or down. Then go silent for a tag, then reappear. The only way to really recreate this is to record the harmony notes themselves or with MIDI notes and a harmonizer.

 

I record my harmonies using a keyboard into a MIDI sequencer, and have those MIDI tracks play back into the harmonizer onstage. That way I never have to touch the harmonizer live. When it sees MIDI notes it generates harmonies on those notes perfectly. I wish I could sing as accurately. Otherwise, it's silent. No muss no fuss about it.

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It's the most accurate way to do it. A harmonizer set to respond to MIDI notes will harmonize exactly those notes. It is absolutely the best way to get harmonies because in the real world harmonies often don't follow chords exactly, but will hold a note while the melody moves, or vice-versa. Or double the melody for a phrase, then go a third up or down. Then go silent for a tag, then reappear. The only way to really recreate this is to record the harmony notes themselves or with MIDI notes and a harmonizer.


I record my harmonies using a keyboard into a MIDI sequencer, and have those MIDI tracks play back into the harmonizer onstage. That way I never have to touch the harmonizer live. When it sees MIDI notes it generates harmonies on those notes perfectly. I wish I could sing as accurately. Otherwise, it's silent. No muss no fuss about it.

 

 

 

Great info, thanks. I can't wait to try it.

 

I'm just curious how it will work when it sees notes coming in from a piano player. Say the chord progression is G, but I am playing a G over a B in the bass? What if I am playing a 9th chord, or an altered chord? I just feel that are too many nuances in a keyboard players playing, that it might confuse the harmonizer.

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If you set it to respond to MIDI notes, it will generate a harmony note for every keyboard note held down. This is how I work. I don't play chords that I don't want harmonies on. I record notes just like I would if I were doing a horn line or something.

 

If you set it for chord recognition, it will generate harmonies based on that chord. I never do this because it's too inaccurate.

 

When I use my harmonizer onstage it's always in a single or duo configuration and we're already using MIDI backing tracks. One more track for the harmonizer is easy.

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When I use my harmonizer onstage it's always in a single or duo configuration and we're already using MIDI backing tracks. One more track for the harmonizer is easy.

 

 

 

OK, gotcha. You use a pre-recorded MIDI track to trigger the harmonizer live. Cool.

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I have a Digitech mic stand mounted harmonizer that I use in a band. We'd be lost without it. I have the newer Digitech that works off the guitar and voice on order. They're supposed to be available next month. I'm a bass player so I don't know how I'm going to make it work in the band.:confused:

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I have a Digitech mic stand mounted harmonizer that I use in a band. We'd be lost without it. I have the newer Digitech that works off the guitar and voice on order. They're supposed to be available next month. I'm a bass player so I don't know how I'm going to make it work in the band.
:confused:

 

Check out the Pro Review about the VL2 in the Pro Review forum. Not sure about triggering off of bass, but just take a split from the guitar player's guitar output (i.e., route the guitar through the box before it goes to any amp or effects) and you'll be fine.

 

It's a pretty incredible unit, before I used it I thought "yeah, it'll probably work most of the time" but I'm finding it's really accurate.

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