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Vocal effects processor for singing BVs

Rocksolid

Rocksolid

Mar 19, 2008
3,893
6,517
Adelaide, South Australia
#1
I have borrowed a Boss VE-1 to play with. No harmonies in this, just reverb/echo, doubling, pitch correction, and enhance - haven't worked that out yet. I sing BVs in a tribute band, and it needs that wet/verby/lush BV's some songs, quite dry call answer stuff in others. We run IEM so no issue with effects coming thru folds and creating feedback issues. Can't expect the Engineer to be changing effects on BVs every second song.

Thoughts on these units? Who uses them? Any feedback welcomed.
 
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#8
s0c9 said:
As a sound guy.. it’s not the device per se… it’s that most folks don’t know how to use them and always overdo the reverb/delay …
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Very true and many times they don't bypass them when talking in between songs.
Short of a couple exceptions there is still something weird going on even when bypassed.

Had one singer slip one in when I wasn't looking, I could tell something was up the moment I brought up that vocal channel.
 
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#12
Having each singer use and control their own processing sounds like an awful idea IMHO.

IMHO this is sort the same issue as pre VS post for your bass DI.

Most audio techs will want pre for the bass DI, although IMHO there can be exceptions when post is appropriate and useful. Pretty sure most audio techs will not want to deal with the VE-1 in the signal path, for the same reason they usually prefer setting the bass DI to pre.

An important caveat users should consider. The acoustics and your needs on stage are often quite different from what the audience hears out in the house. So the sound you hear should be processed different than the house sound. If you layer a bunch of processing on your signal, there is nothing the audio tech can do to dial it back if it's too much. So if you go ahead with the idea, try to be subtle and plan to negotiate/compromise with the audio tech regarding your settings.

When running a digital board, it's not all that hard for the audio tech to save a variety of presets that can be recalled with a few button pushes. A dedicated sub-group may be set up/configured to process back ground vocals separately from the lead vocals. My point is it should not be that hard for the audio tech the manage whatever effects are appropriate for the vocals.
 
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#13
Rocksolid said:
[...] No harmonies in this, just reverb/echo, doubling, pitch correction, and enhance - haven't worked that out yet.[...]
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My two cents: Make sure you're hearing your NON-pitch-corrected vocals in your IEMs, because if you hear what you're sending out to the console, i.e. the corrected version, then your brain will constantly assume you're on-key, and your voice could drift w/o your realizing it. If it drifts far enough, the processor will "snap" your pitch to the nearest (and incorrect) half step, nice and loud through the house PA. I've seen this happen several times over the years.

Thinking about how you would accomplish such splitting/routing is already giving me a migraine. Locating the unit up at the console rather than where you are on stage might make the task easier, though.
 
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#14
So I used this last night.
Effect level was set in consultation with the FOH engineer, not to my own personal taste in my IEM. Engineer understood my reasons for using it and gave it his blessing. Pitch correct was set at 50% wet/dry mix. Not glitchy sounding and sounded really clean and in tune. The doubling feature was used sparingly at times that needed that lush laying. The pedal was tuned of for chanty, unison type vocal. Less is more, and using tastfully is key. I think it was a positive addition. I will listen back to couple of videos for further evaluation.
 
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#15
eniac said:
My two cents: Make sure you're hearing your NON-pitch-corrected vocals in your IEMs, because if you hear what you're sending out to the console, i.e. the corrected version, then your brain will constantly assume you're on-key, and your voice could drift w/o your realizing it. If it drifts far enough, the processor will "snap" your pitch to the nearest (and incorrect) half step, nice and loud through the house PA. I've seen this happen several times over the years.

Thinking about how you would accomplish such splitting/routing is already giving me a migraine. Locating the unit up at the console rather than where you are on stage might make the task easier, though.
Click to expand...
So true...
 
#16
I gigged with a guy who used a vocal processor. He had that thing mastered. I think he ran his keyboards into it so it could sense the right harmonies. He had a 2 mic setup. When it came to the songs chorus, he'd switch to the second mic and have full BGV's in perfect harmony. He ran his own sound though so no issues with an inexperienced sound person.
 
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#17
DWBass said:
I gigged with a guy who used a vocal processor. He had that thing mastered. I think he ran his keyboards into it so it could sense the right harmonies. He had a 2 mic setup. When it came to the songs chorus, he'd switch to the second mic and have full BGV's in perfect harmony. He ran his own sound though so no issues with an inexperienced sound person.
Click to expand...

Tim uses a Helicon harmonizer and he's nailed it...he runs his Tele thru it.

Riis
 
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#18
DWBass said:
I gigged with a guy who used a vocal processor. He had that thing mastered. I think he ran his keyboards into it so it could sense the right harmonies. He had a 2 mic setup. When it came to the songs chorus, he'd switch to the second mic and have full BGV's in perfect harmony. He ran his own sound though so no issues with an inexperienced sound person.
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As long as the person using them knows how, they work great.
However IME, those that use an instrument input to discern key and create appropriate harmonies for lead vocals, do NOT work great for a harmony singer.
Meaning, a BGV/harmony singer would need to sing the lead line (not the harmony) into that type of harmonizer.
The more expensive TC ones can be programmed for that, but REQUIRE that key and harmony type/style be programmed for each song and are NOT triggered by an instrument input.
Note: I'm referring to harmonizers being used by BGV's NOT lead.
 
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#20
Rocksolid said:
Can't expect the Engineer to be changing effects on BVs every second song.

Thoughts on these units? Who uses them? Any feedback welcomed.
Click to expand...

Yes you can, that's his job. And its really not even that hard for someone who knows what they are doing.

Vocal effects devices are a nightmare for sound engineers. Had a gig recently with a fill-in lead singer who snuck one in on me. After the first song I had to go up and tell him to turn it off. Sounded awful, and near impossible to mix. Since its pre-everything, it screws with the other members monitoring too.

These types of things are best left to the small acts without a sound guy. Even then you better know what you're doing or it can just make things worse. If you have a sound guy, have a conversation with him about what kind of effects might be useful, and let him handle it. If he can't handle it, then find another sound guy.
 
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