TC Helicon voiceworks

[Ron Lawley]

I am thinking of buying a TC Helicon voiceworks for recording harmonies. I have a GEM keyboard and wondered if the voiceworks followed the chords transmited by the keyboard (via midi) to produce the appropriate chordal harmonies. I know cedd has used the voiceworks in a live situation maybe he or someone would know how the chordal harmonies would work.

Yours

Ron

[cedd]

Ron

 

As far as I'm aware, the TC only does single notes from the keyboard. Chords are built from the root of the scale or simply a direct shift of the original note. I seem to recall (though I seldom use mine with a keyboard) that it accepts the note played most recently with the most velocity, though I'd have to dig it out and have a play to be sure.

[Jammie300]

Yes TC Helicon only recognises single notes from a melody. MIDI Files have a melody line on a channel that the Helicon works from and harmonises from that. That how it works on my Korg PA 1 X which has the TC Helicon built in. Obviously if you want to harmonise to a song, then you will need the songs melody line as a midi file.

 

HTH

 

James

[Ron Lawley]

RonAs far as I'm aware, the TC only does single notes from the keyboard. Chords are built from the root of the scale or simply a direct shift of the original note. I seem to recall (though I seldom use mine with a keyboard) that it accepts the note played most recently with the most velocity, though I'd have to dig it out and have a play to be sure.

Thanks for your reply Cedd. My GEM keyboard has a harmoniser but when recording the vocal harmonies they come out horribly distorted regardless of how I adjust things. This does however work on the chords shapes that are played. I am looking for something better which the TC seems to offer. I previously had a vocalist but this didn't sound realistic.If you use your TC on stage in a live situation is it for the vocal harmonies ? If so do you have to pre-program the TC for each song or do you simply set the key or is there another way you create the harmonies ?YoursRon

Yes TC Helicon only recognises single notes from a melody. MIDI Files have a melody line on a channel that the Helicon works from and harmonises from that. That how it works on my Korg PA 1 X which has the TC Helicon built in. Obviously if you want to harmonise to a song, then you will need the songs melody line as a midi file.HTHJames

Thanks for your reply James. (See my reply to Cedd to avoid me repeating the same message.) If the TC only operates in this way then it is not going to suit me. I was sure that in addition to working in the manner which you have described, it also did harmonies that would followthe chord data transmitted on a Midi channel. Thanks again.Ron

[Jammie300]

Ron,

 

You have a midi file on the keyboard on a floppy or USB of the track that you are playing on stage and the Helicon takes it from the key in the Midi file. You can create your own harmonies by writing your own midi files and having the key you choose. The key is set from the midi file being used

 

HTH

 

James