TC Helicon Voiceworks

[cpizey]

I've seen a bargain secondhand TC Helicon Voiceworks. I'm thinking of getting it, just to be used, live, on my lead vocals, probably on an insert (as we've run out of aux sends on the desk). We have no sound engineer (other than me) and as I play and sing at the same time that pretty much means I have to set up the sound at soundcheck and leave it like that all night. So I don't want whizzy Cher-like effects. I like to think I sing in tune, so I'm really just after something that can thicken my vocals a little and add some compression/limiting as we have none of this at present. Its a loud 4-piece rock band and I don't want to use it in any way that is likely to increase onstage feedback. Is this the right bit of kit or if not, what would be better? Max budget is £200 or may be £250 at a push. All thoughts gratefully received. Thanks!

[cedd]

The TC voiceworks is a very nice piece of kit (IMHO). I have one in my rack (for very similar reasons to yourself back when I was fronting a band). I've never bothered with anything other than the presets (99 of them). Some are completely useless in a live music background (squeaky voice, dragon kid, mice, arnold.... etc.) but I have used all of the above to great effect within the theatre as well. We did use a few of the octave effects during our Muse tribute act, other than that they remain largely unused.

The trick to using this unit is careful programming beforehand. Quite a few of the simple effects are simply pitch shifts, but the more complicated (and better sounding) ones require you to enter the key of the music beforehand.

 

I would strongly suggest the external 3 button pedal as well, you can't do "harmony hold" without it and the buttons are freely assignable.

I'd suggest not putting the unit as an insert. It's really designed to go in the signal path. It can operate in two modes - insert and in line. In line however makes the harmony hold and other effects slightly more convincing - as an insert you'll still get the dry mix coming through and you'll be able to tell the difference.

All settings are freely assignable on a "per preset" basis.

Nice piece of kit. I spent around £350 on mine. If I'm honest, I probably don't use it enough to have waranted the money, but if yours is cheap, go for it. The live pedalboard version is almost identical, just in a different package.

[Sound Juice]

I'd suggest not putting the unit as an insert. It's really designed to go in the signal path. It can operate in two modes - insert and in line. In line however makes the harmony hold and other effects slightly more convincing - as an insert you'll still get the dry mix coming through and you'll be able to tell the difference.

 

Inline and insert are the same... Unless in insert mode the unit acts remarkably differently?

Let me find some crayons and draw you a diagram of the 2

[cedd]

Inline and insert are the same... Unless in insert mode the unit acts remarkably differently?

Let me find some crayons and draw you a diagram of the 2

Alright alright, don't reach for the insults just yet! So far I seem to be the only person who's posted anything useful, read on for an explanation of my reasoning and the explanation of a slight c*ck up in wording......

The unit has quite a good onboard pre amp which has always seemed to do the job very well. Whilst line and mic inputs are available, it's wise to keep the line one clear as I believe the unit is capable of having a guitar plugged in here and "listening" to the chords played, changing the key setting mentioned above, to suit (never had reason to do it, but I know the pedalboard version can do this and the two are largely identical). Using the onbard pre also means the unit can stay next to the performer and doesn't have to be near the mixer, so they have access to the front panel controls.

Yes I'm aware that inline and insert are largely the same, albeit in my definition at least, one pre and one post mic amp. I possibly confused things (and myself) by halfway through my post deciding that the OP was wanting to put the unit on an aux send - not what they said at all. In that instance the unit would need to be set up in a different way - wet mix only so that the return level could set the overall mix of original vocal and effect. In "insert" or "inline" mode (as you rightly point out are the same), the unit can be programmed to let varying mounts of the unprocessed vocal through depending on preset selected.

 

So actually what I should have said was; Use the unit before your mixer, using the onboard mic pre, you could insert it, in which case you'll loose the functionalty of the line input and really need to have the unit next to the desk. It could also go on an aux send, but as you're the engineer as well as the singer, I'd advise using the presets and allowing the unit to decide whether the unprocessed vocal gets through or not - not possible if it's on an aux send.

As an example, during a lot of our set I had the unit doing a touch of thickening - it allowed the original vocal through and then added a couple of doubles and a slight reverb - all very subtle. Then along comes one song where we used a pitch shift as a bit of a gimmick. You now don't want the un-shifted vocal getting through so we just programmed it into the preset. If it had been on an aux send then I'd have hd to go to the desk and pull out the original vocal, instead one stomp of the pedal and it as there.

 

I knew what I meant, I just didn't write it down very well!

[Gareth Owen]

Inline and insert are the same... Unless in insert mode the unit acts remarkably differently?

Let me find some crayons and draw you a diagram of the 2

Well thats not very helpful is it? And for that matter, its not even correct.

 

Putting something inline suggests connecting the unit in-the-line between say the microphone and the mixer. Inserting something implys using the unit in a send / return configuration via the insert point of the mixer, ie post preamp.

 

Inline and Insert may very possibly have the same audible affect but they are very much not the same thing.

 

Hope thats a bit clearer? Or is it my turn to get the crayons out?

[Joe]

I have had one for a couple of years (since it's release I believe). When I first saw it being used it was very much a live tool and was being very impressively demo by someone singing and acompanying himelf on guitar.

 

I would agree that you do need the pedal though to use it live in this way.

 

Great product, and I also wish I could make more use of it

 

Joe

[Sound Juice]

I'd suggest not putting the unit as an insert. It's really designed to go in the signal path. It can operate in two modes - insert and in line. In line however makes the harmony hold and other effects slightly more convincing - as an insert you'll still get the dry mix coming through and you'll be able to tell the difference.

 

Inline and insert are the same... Unless in insert mode the unit acts remarkably differently?

Let me find some crayons and draw you a diagram of the 2

 

Aplologies for that, sounds much much harsher having re-read it than I ever intended..

 

I did mean find a diagram with signal paths on, and definately didn't mean as patronising as it sounded.

 

Apologies, I'll go crawl under a rock for a bit

[Gareth Owen]

It was a bit harsh but good on you for apologising I say!

[cedd]

Yeah no hard feelings.

Looks like only 2 people on here have used the thing anyway!

I guess for what it is, buying one new at the full retail price is a little much, especially as it's not an item that appears on many riders. Rather have a couple more drawmer gates or a KT graphic than a fancy vocal tool that will only be used a few times.

As I said though, if the price is right then it's a very nice piece of kit to have. I love the TC equimpent. I have one of their multieffects too and can't fault it.

[cpizey]

Thanks everyone, for the advice and the interesting discussion on insert/in-line! I've decided to buy it, so fingers crossed. Feels much less of an impulse buy now, and I'm very grateful for that. Cheers. Conrad.