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There are many different types of vocal effects that can be used for live performance, ranging from simple pitch correction to more complex harmony and echo effects. Some vocal effects are designed to simply make the voice sound more powerful or to help the singer project their voice more effectively, while others can be used to create more unique and interesting sounds.
Ultimately, the best vocal effects for live performance will vary depending on the specific needs of the singer and the type of music being performed.
20 Best Vocal Effects For Live Performance
Product Image
Product Name
Features
Price
Boss VE-20 Vocal Performer Vocalists Effect Processor Pedal
Mix melodious sounds to your music with this vocalist effect processor pedal
Vocal-effects technology offers enhanced functionality to experiment with the tones
The BOSS VE-20 is a vocal effects procesor with a built in footswitch and more. The VE-20 is packed with essential, high quality effects for vocalists such as Reverb, Delay, Dynamics, Chorus, and more.
These effects have been difficult for vocalists to have control of, but now the VE-20 offers incredible easy user interface for complete control your vocal sound. Simply dial up your favorite setting and sing no programming required.
VE-20 is a practical vocal effects processor even for first timers. Of course, if you want to roll your sleeves up and create, the VE-20 has a variety of editing tools onboard. Designed from the ground up for singers, featuring some of the finest vocal-effects technology on the market.
With the click of a footswitch, you can instantly add lush vocal layers and harmonies to your singing, add real time pitch-correction, and you can show your creative side with special effects such as Distortion, Radio, and Strobe.
This pedal is a must have for vocalists anywhere. It really makes your voice shine right out of the box, the basic effects are already good enough for many occasions. On top of that, it has a huge capacity for user created banks and allows all kinds of adjustments and effects to be put together.
It also has a loop function! Hard to be better. Down points? Maybe it is not that easy to understand/use at first impact and the screen is kinda small and simple, but that is just me trying to find problems where they don’t exist.
TL/DR this is a BOSS/ROLAND product with all the quality you expect from these brands.
I reccomend downloading the manual. It will be much easier to read and work with as this pedal can do a lot. I am a solo guy with guitar. Country, blues, popular songs. I just need one good batch of settings for my voice all night.
I have been using the Boss VE2 for several years. I like the simplicity and the harmonies sound good. However for whatever reason I would like more variations on the reverb, delay, pitch correct, compression, (Yes dynamics is compresson) This pedal is a vocal pedal first and harmony pedal second.
The pedal has every possible adjustment you can make to your voice. If you are not familuar with studio adjustments the presets will help you find something quickly but there is so much more you can do to find your perfect voice with it.
As for the harmonies selecting your harmony key is probably not as good sounding as auto tune off your instrument. For example I have a song that goes E, F#m, G#m. I won’t be using it on that song. Standard 1,4,5 type songs it’s not bad.
But it does have several adjustments to each seperate voice of your harmony. So for example you can have the double harmony one volume and the 3rd another volume and so on. Really nice. Plus your can vari the genders.
Overall this unit far surpassed my expectations for finding the voice of what I thought I should sound like for the night which is the reason I bought it. I’ll use the harmonies here and there and its no problem to bend down to change the keys.
Just push the right arrow button and with the dial knob find the key.
The only hardware vocal processor with Antares Auto-Tune pitch Co-developed with Antares Audio Technologies, the TASCAM TA-1VP vocal processor brings together everything you need for a polished, modern vocal sound.
The rackmount processor includes a microphone preamp, compression, de-essing, microphone and tube modeling, and Antares world-famous Auto-Tune pitch correction. Perfect for live performance, house of worship or studio use, the TA-1VP brings your vocal sound into the 21st century.
A high-quality XLR microphone input is provided on the TA-1VP front panel, with phantom power for condenser mics. Processing is laid out in simple-to-use blocks on the front panel, each with dedicated buttons and meters to show you exactly whats being done to the signal.
Antares microphone and tube modeling takes the input signal and gives it the character of another microphone, with a library of classics to choose from. The De-essing module removes sibilance from your signal before variable-knee compression and gating.
A great-sounding digital EQ is last in the chain before output. The Auto-Tune module can be set for any level of pitch correction, in a variety of user-selectable scales. All settings can be recalled through presets on the front panel or through MIDI.
Balanced TRS input and outputs are located on the rear panel, including a Double-Track out for simulating doubled vocals. A S/PDIF digital output is also provided. Built for every audio application from live performance to studio mixdown, TASCAMs TA-1VP is the only hardware processor with Auto-Tune technology for flawless vocal intonation.
Features Antares Auto-Tune Evo real-time pitch correction with enhanced tracking and correction capabilities Antares Microphone Modeling simulates a variety of high-end studio microphones with variable proximity effect Analog tube modeling effect Variable-knee compression Downward-expanding gate processor Variable frequency de-esser Flexible 2-band parametric EQ Automatic mono or stereo double tracking User-programmable settings Dynamic MIDI control Retrostar Music is an Authorized Dealer of Tascam products.
Compressor, gain, speed, save, attack, +48V phantom power, page
Features
LCD display, 2 band EQ, preprogrammed settings
Connections
Microphone – XLR Foot switch – phone 6.35 mm Balanced audio input/output – phone 6.35 mm Digital audio output (coaxial) – RCA MIDI input – 5 pin DIN MIDI output – 5 pin DIN
Reviews From Real Customers
With the addition of this piece of equipment to my home studio, i finally get to achieve the professional sound i’ve been looking for. It has a built in compressor that is easy to manage, a ton of various vocal presets, that i can also manually adjust to make it my own, two different sets of EQ so i can dial in precisely the vocal sound i’m wanting, and my personal favorite, a built in tube warmer that i have complete control over the warmth of my vocals.
And last but not least , it comes with auto tune, if you’re into that.
Tascam is a definitely name you can trust! Combine the name “Antares” (the developer) of Auto Tune & Mic Modeler, in a one rack mount module – what more can you ask for? I was so stoked from day one that I had to have it one my studio!! I cannot forget to mention that in addition to Auto Tune & Mic Modeler, it also has your compressor / gate, de-esser, and EQ built in to the unit.
All variable and programmable. I am loving it from day one!!! Less than two weeks! Definitively meets my expectations and beyond!.
Have been confident in TASCAM products since the reel-to-reel days (telling my age here). This processor does not disappoint. Bit of a learning curve, but results sound more natural and subtle than the plug-ins of a DAW.
Of course, the capability is there to go wild, if that’s your thing. Overall, am impressed with the TA1VP on a professional level (not for the novice) and would highly recommend for the serious studio and music producer alike.
HARMONY SINGER 2 gives you the tools to always sound your best with harmony backup vocals, state-of-the-art reverb and Adaptive Tone all in an ultra-simple stompbox designed to elevate your performance to the next level.
HARMONY SINGER 2 provides your choice of 8 harmony styles all controlled via your guitar. From the classic ‘third up’ harmony voice to combinations of voices above and below your own, there’s a style in HARMONY SINGER 2 to fit almost every song.
Reverb simulates a physical space, allowing your voice to fit into the music perfectly. Whether it’s the ambience of a small room, or the massive reverberation of a concert hall, HARMONY SINGER 2’s vocally tuned reverbs always brings out the best in your voice.
HARMONY SINGER 2’s adaptive Tone combines EQequalization) with compression, de-esser and gate to automatically control the timbre and shape of your sound, ensuring every note is pristine, clear, and intelligible.
When the crowd hears exactly what you’re singing, they can join in and there’s nothing better than that You’re only human, and let’s face it; sometimes even pros need a little help hitting every note perfectly.
HARMONY SINGER 2’s auto-chromatic pitch correction can instantly nudge your pitch to the nearest semitone with performance so transparent the audience will think you are superhuman You’re a singer first and foremost, so getting knee-deep in technology probably isn’t what your gig calls for.
That’s why HARMONY SINGER 2 automatically sets your mic gain to the optimal level, allowing you to concentrate on giving your best performance night after night. HARMONYSINGER 2 gives you the option of either plug-in power via the 9 V adapter or battery operation for those occasions when house power isn’t readily available.
Our church Praise Team is relatively small but tight sounding group. I added this to my mike and acoustic guitar and (as one of the male voices) pop in the upper harmonies during the chorus/refrains.
Adds a lush, fuller sound to our vocals without being distracting. Our director is leery of new tech toys and worries about those toys misbehaving during performance, but the Harmony Singer has not failed yet.
Note that you do have to plug all the connections in prior to powering it up. We found that if you power it up prior to connecting the mike, it will not recognize the microphone. easily fixed, just unplug the power and plug it back in.
Even our director has given his tentative nod of approval on its reliability and loves the sound. For those singers worried about it being a distraction, don’t worry. You actually hear less of it as you are singing (the resonance of your voice in your head overpowers what you will typically hear through your PA.
) I haven’t tried it with in-ear monitors, but with external monitors, all I notice is lusher chorus. BTW, if you are singing a sustained pitch and change chords (say major to minor), it will change your harmony pitches.
This could be good or bad depending on what you want it to do. We have found that on the rare occasion I will need to sustain a guitar chord through a chord change or move to a new chord early to prevent the vocal harmonies from changing.
if we want to keep the pitch from changing, but that is not a big deal typically. Only con, and it is very minor, is that I would love to be able to have it do more than two harmonies at a time. For instance have it do one below and two above my voice.
Not a big deal though. Have no complaints at all. Bottomline: TCHelicon knows how to work vocal processing, it sounds natural and our director would love to have TC Helicon come up with a piano tech toy to allow him to just plunk a melody and have it play the harmonies for him (hah!!) Get this! You will not be disappointed!.
I’m a songwriter and I had one specific song in mind for this, but the effect is so natural and convincing that it’s opening a lot of ideas for my other songs. It’s an amazingly beautiful sound, fortified with a tone button that sweetens your voice to a pro level, even if you’re an average singer.
I use a Sennheiser e835 microphone and it sounds like I spent thousands when I sing through my powered speaker, even when not using the harmony effect. The reverb is really great, and the gain knob very appreciated to balance my vocal microphone (e835) with my guitar cab miked with a Shure SM57.
At first, I had a high, non-standard tuning on my one guitar, and it didn’t work well. I read the documentation and it mentioned that most any tuning will work as long as it’s A440. In other words, use a tuner before you start for best results: this guitar was tuned by ear.
As soon as I tried my other guitar, tuned with a chromatic tuner, to E flat, I was blown away by how awesome this pedal is. A person may not need harmonies on every song they do, but on the ones they do, this brings something magical that stands out in a big way.
Having used this pedal a few weeks, I’d have bought it just for the reverb, gain and tone enhancement. It’s that good.
This might just be a little early, as I am still dialing it in. I actually used it onstage to good effect with little practice, and had to explain to a couple of people on breaks where the other voices were coming from.
My reservations are due to the fact that it seems that I can overload the mic more easily than before, and the tone settings have changed fairly drastically. I had to cut the treble 3 numbers, and increase the bass by 2.
I have put a foam screen on the mic so I don’t get into it and overload the signal. One other thing. I have an AKG 1000 through a Fishman 220 tower. I was not clear on the phantom power always being on in the Harmonizer, and left the phantom power on in the amp.
I’m hoping I didn’t damage the mic and causing the tone and overload problems. The instructions could be clearer on this subject. All in all, the pedal is fast and immediately intuitive. It’s fun to hold a note while changing chords, and listen to the harmonies shift accordingly.
Singing in falsetto puts the third above into the stratosphere. Pretty darn cool. Do check out the Play Acoustic before purchasing this device. For not much more money you can get a whole raft of effects for voice and guitar, as well as a looper.
If you’re serious about singing, you’ll find that sounding your best is about more than talent or vocal technique. It’s about taking what is unique about your voice and using the right tools to make it stand out – whether you’re live at a venue, a radio session, recording at home, or uploading to YouTube, SoundCloud, Facebook, Instagram, or any of your other favorite social channels.
Perform-VK lets you focus entirely on your love of singing and keyboard while it automatically handles the polish and production values. What formerly required a skilled producer or a dedicated sound engineer can now be set up in seconds, interact with your keyboard, and offer the professional vocal sound that is key to an unforgettable performance.
I bought this to bring with me to gigs when it isn’t practical to bring a whole sound board. The vocal processing is good, giving you various styles of reverb, echo, tone and pitch correction, and harmonies when you run your MIDI keyboard into it.
I wish it had a way to control the vocal volume output from the unit. You have to try to balance the keyboard and vocal levels using the master keyboard volume control to try to achieve the right mix.
I am a semi-pro singer, had used a friend’s for recording to Audacity. Loved how it improved the quality of my vocal recordings. So bought this one for myself. It’s easy to use, seller delivered quickly- works just as designed.
The (Should be included) Power Wall-Wart was replaced by a well used inferior substitute, and it was almost impossible to connect to the TC Helicon website in order to update the Firmware (as stipulated in the instructions.
) I finally got it to communicate and was able to get the update. It now works just fine. I wish I didn’t have to replace the Power Supply though.
Whether you’re at the top of the charts – or just a dreamer with a microphone, Voice Live Play gives you hundreds of songs, artists, presets to choose from, helping you create amazing vocals. Plug in your MP3 player and sing along with your favorite tracks or create instant HIT effects for your own songs.
TC make some great stuff – they’re pedals are generally made extremely well and the construction of this one is no exception. The vocal effects and ease at which to change is pretty easy. The downside is their back end software isn’t very compatible with Windows 10 – works great on Windows 7.
I tried everything to get it working on win10, tried it on USB3. 0, then down to USB 2. 0, tried it with adapters, updating drivers, various version of there software and nothing worked. Contacted MusicTribe support (because Behringer’s support also do these).
Generally MusicTribe is pretty good for support. In this case I didn’t get any satisfactory help. When trying to explain there’s an issue with win10, support basically said it works on their win10 machine, so it should on mine.
Well it doesn’t, never has so I’ve been using the software on an older machine to update when needed. It’s a great product for what it does, the software is where it’s let down.
The Boss VE-2 Vocal Harmonist provides professional quality vocal effects in an easy to use stompbox format. Ideal for vocalists who perform with guitar, the VE 2 can create harmonies which perfectly track a vocal, and follow guitar chord accompaniment.
The VE-2’s rugged construction and intuitive control layout make it ideal for use on stage, or in the studio. Phantom power is available for condensor microphones, even when running on batteries.
6-3/16 x 4-5/8 x 2-9/16 inches (156 x 116 x 64 mm)
Weight (including batteries)
1 lb 6 oz (600 g)
Manufacturer Part Number (MPN)
VE-2
Reviews From Real Customers
I lead worship services on guitar and have 20 years as a professional classical singer. Because I occasionally lead a service by myself, I thought this might be a useful tool for adding some richness to a song.
I found on simple, single-key pieces, it chose well about 85% of the time, which is probably fine. If the piece was more complicated, it would often scramble and choose a sour note, or just struggle to stay in tune, singing the minor third in a major triad, for example.
It also seems to think singing the flat seventh of any chord is a reasonable choice, and sometimes it isn’t. If you’re a singer-songwriter doing mostly three- and four-chord songs where it’s more about the writing than anything else, this could be a very cool piece of equipment in your arsenal.
If you’re looking for spot-on perfection in performance, this isn’t worth it. You won’t be happy and it won’t do what you want it to do. If you’re considering using this in a band context, stop considering that immediately :).
The natural differences between tuning for multiple instruments will just make any mistake the box makes harsher and will ruin whatever you’re trying to do. That said, there’s probably a performance art piece or experimental use for it by plugging in an electric guitar but not amping it and telling the box you’re singing one thing, then having it try to harmonize with you.
Could be very trippy and cool. I am saying I’d recommend it, because I would. if you’re a four-chord singer/songwriter.
Make your vocal sound shine for your next livestream, home recording, or onstage performance with the Zoom V3, a vocal processor teeming with exciting effects and easy-to-use controls. You’ll never have to enter a menu to access the V3’s powerful functions thanks to the large, clearly-labeled knobs and illuminated buttons, letting your focus remain on being creative and entertaining.
Dedicated buttons provide instant switching of the 16 onboard effects, which range from chromatic or key-based pitch correction to a talk box, vocoder, beat box, and more. You can even add up to two voices to produce thick 3-part harmonies.
Plus, compression, reverb, and delay are provided with their own separate controls for further refinement of your sound. The V3 features a high-quality mic preamp with an XLR input, switchable 48V phantom power for condenser mics, and a special Enhance function that elevates vocal clarity.
A 3. 5mm stereo aux input ensures that you can easily play along with music from your smartphone or backing tracks from a computer. Stereo line and headphone outputs allow simultaneous hookup to a PA system and headphones, and the headphones’ volume can be independently adjusted.
Additionally, the V3 offers USB audio interface functionality, should you want to record directly to your computer for creating podcasts, song demos, YouTube videos, or more. Run the V3 for up to 3. 5 hours on four AA batteries, power it via USB, or connect the separately available Zoom AD-16 AC adapter for long-running projects.
Buyer beware, if u are a professional vocalist looking to sing and record your vocals DO NOT BUY. You will have wasted your money. There are two effects that MAY be effective. 1. Chorus (which basically sounds like an additional reverb; there is already a reverb knob on the device) 2.
The second is possibly useful feature is the harmonizer. It has not been perfected on this device. Also, harmonies end up sounding like they are autotuned or coming out of a voice box. Not useful if you are a professional vocalist looking to record straight ahead quality vocs that are not gimmicky.
The rest of the features like ‘child’s voice, telephone, deep, robot, dormant character, whistle, talk box, distortion, and beat box’ render this doggone thing a toy. At best. I’m not even joking. It’s sad.
I wanted to love this but it is a complete and utter waste of money. You can get a vocal processor that is strictly for vocalists for less money which is what I should have done and avoid this at all costs.
Speaking of costs, this thing costs 200 bucks AND you have to turn around and buy an adapter separately but only the adapter made by ZOOM will work and it is hard to find. If you choose to use 4 AA batteries which is required for it to function, those batteries will only work 2 1/2 hours at best.
Then you need 4 more AA batteries. Not efficient or convenient when you are in the middle of writing and recording. PLEASE DO NOT BUY. You will not only waste your time but your money. And this is from someone who REALLY wanted to love this product especially considering I spent my money on it and saw those very misleading promo videos which led me to buy it.
We are currently using this as our vocalist controlled FX unit for live performance. Fairly solid sound comes out of the box, but the reverb and delay are unusable. Giving this 5-stars, as we have tested pretty much every tabletop vocal effects unit, and the portability (super light-weight) combined with easy access to functions and reasonable sound quality, this is our go to unit for live performance currently (although I strongly desire something more powerful).
Another annoyance is no XLR out (stereo TRS only).
The VE-5 Vocal Performer is a compact and mobile personal effects processor and looper for vocalists. Featuring a simple-to-use tabletop design that can be easily attached to a mic stand for performing, the VE-5 is perfect for singers, rappers, beatboxers, webcasters, and anyone that wants to have fun with processing vocal sounds.
Its physical design is small and light, yet its effects are heavyweight class, derived from the popular VE-20 Vocal Performer. With battery operation and built-in phrase looping, the VE-5 is also an ideal tool for street performers who want to bring a new dimension of creativity to their act.
This unit is in excellent condition. It has no wear and appears to be barely used. It has been tested and is functioning as it should. Item comes with the original box, manual, and mic stand mount. It does not include batteries or an adapter.
I’m a singer working in a duo, and that might be coming to an end soon, in which case I’ll probably go solo. I’m used to having a great singer harmonising with me, and I know I’ll miss that. While I appreciate that there’s probably no machine that will take the place of a real voice, it seems to be the only way forward for me.
I saw some videos of various different machines online, and having written to one of the reviewers decided this was the best machine for me. Not being a musician as such I need a processor that doesn’t need t be told what key I’m in when I’m using backing tracks, and so far so good this does the job.
Obviously during the current pandemic I can’t trial it live, but it’s giving me some nice harmonies when I hook it up at home. There are also some cool vocal effects which I’ll be able to utilise when I’m doing jingles for a friend’s radio show.
Here’s the but. Having shelled out 179 (just a shade over $231) I expected a power supply to be included. Not so, had to buy one separately after it arrived, which kinda took the shine off it a bit. Otherwise I’m happy with my purchase and would gladly recommend it to anyone in my situation.
I love this little vocal box, which is packed with functions. But the instruction manual barely touches on all the things it can do, or how best to use it. Once I understood how to use the pre-programmed settings, and what they did.
I was able to customize them for the individual songs we play, name them, and save them for later. Even in the order of the setlist! Super cool. The trickiest thing to make sound good are the pitch correct and harmonies.
the key is figuring out what KEY the song is in, as you really should set that for each individual song if you want the harmonies and PC to sound right. And what key is your song in? Well unless you now music theory and scales, that’s not easy to figure out.
But I found one site that has a whole list of popular SONG KEYS, though different people think the song is a different key. And another site that has a chart, so you can look at the notes/chords and figure out the key yourself.
Takes a little research, but now the box makes me sound WAY better! Love it!.
I have been using this unit for 3 weeks. I love it, it has been easy to use once I understood how to tweak everything. I have only found 1 major flaw. The function on the harmony button. It’s configured to latch on and latch off with or without external pedal.
I use a pedal for this function. I REALLY wish it was able to be configured NOT to latch on harmony button. While singing I want to just hold it when i want the harmony on and release for them off.
Right now I have push on and push off:/ would be amazing if they did a firmware update that added this functionality:/.
The TC Helicon VoiceLive Play is a vocal effects pedal loaded with hundreds of genre presets for pristine vocals. The VoiceLive Play allows you to kick-in effects right when you need them, allowing you to add backing harmonies, double-tracking, EQ and compression, reverb, pitch correction, and more.
You can customise the parameters of each of the effects and then save them to recall later. Plug in your phone and sing along with your favourite tracks. Create amazing vocals with ease with the TC Helicon VoiceLive Play.
This thing is amazing! I upgraded from a PlayAcoustic to this to hopefully be able to use the looping with a little more ease with more buttons, and to be able to use it with my electric guitar with my two bands as well.
I’m still learning how powerful and versatile this thing is. It’s BIG compared to the PlayAcoustic. And you really have to put more thought into each preset individually if you want to really use it to its full potential.
I would not recommend this to someone that’s not techy and willing to put some time into learning how to use such a powerful musical tool. Sure there are some cool presets that you can just plug and play and sound pretty good.
But if you’re willing to read the manual and watch some YouTube videos you can really do some amazing things that will add some wow factor to your life performances. I thought the “talk box” feature was a really awesome addition.
And the step feature is definitely good for changing effects on the middle of a song.
Pluses: this thing is very powerful. I mainly compose and record at home as a hobbyist but I have been doing it a long time. The effect on my projects was immediately noticeable – the harmonies for vocals and the basic effects etc.
i’ve only recently started to dive into the guitar effects as it takes quite some time to get the intuition of this thing. That being said, I find all of the guitar effects amazing but i don’t expect to use the presets.
Here’s why: i’ll Prob grab a vocal preset and then easily create a simple guitar preset for the vocal preset because you can’t separate the guitar and vocal presets. And I don’t want one global guitar sound – sorry.
Minuses: so far, really only the learning curve. It is steep but I think worth it in the end. And it’s fun learning something new, but if you have a lot going on and can’t dedicate some time to this, there are some simple things you can do to get going right away, but it becomes immediately obvious that you’ll need to put in the hours to unleash some serious potential.
This is the only product of its kind. You can be a choir of Gregorian monks, ABBA, choir of kids, you can get as simple or as complicated as you feel like, you can turn from man to a woman and back without any surgeries, you can be a robot, a telephone-you name it-this device has got you covered.
It is very robust, compatible with many systems and programs, quite user friendly and portable. My only complaint is that the slider isn’t always responsive, it is hard to scroll through functions-sometimes it gets stuck, sometimes scrolls too fast.
There is no bluetooth and there will be several wires dangling around, but if it had a blue tooth the price would probably be even higher. I have owned this device for about 7 years and it is still about the same price I bought it for, which is quite pricey.
But as I said-there is nothing quite like it on the market. Thank you TC Helicon.
Perfect for practice. Perform beside your own virtual choir or craft beats off the cuff with the TC-Helicon Perform-VE. Shift your vocals into unreachable octaves or mangle them beyond recognition. Then layer in beats via the one-button drum looper.
I use this as a solo performer and occasionally in my studio for recording. Its great and does produce great pro quality sound. My only gripe as a solo guitarist/synth player is that it has no midi out to sync up with my other gear.
But its great for just good vocal processing for any singing situation as well as the more wacky things it does. All sound good and I would buy it again.
I love this thing. One of the greatest bargains ever. The price was phenomenal and I promise you won’t get a better vocal processor even if you spend $100 more. I promise. It’s better than the Roland VT-3/4 by a fair margin and way less expensive.
Compact with mighty enormously great results live and in studio! Im still working with it. So many ideas coming. Saves time having to train others on the proper harmonies needed. Thanks TC Helicon, afte all these years; your reputation still speaks volumes.
Who says stompboxes are just for guitarists? The new, easy-to-use VE-20 has been designed from the ground up for singers, featuring some of the finest vocal-effects technology on the market. With the click of a footswitch, you can instantly add lush vocal layers and harmonies to your singing, add realtime pitch-correction, and you can show your creative side with special effects such as Distortion, Radio, and Strobe.
You can even create loops and layers in real time with the onboard Phrase Looper. Perform anywhere with the VE-20 since it runs on AC or battery power.
After a few mediocre and one downright terrible vocal processor, the Boss VE-20 manages to have great effects and good editing features while also being simple to program yourself provided you read the manual.
The presets are good and get you singing right out of the box, the looper feature is operated by literally three button presses, and navigation and menu diving is streamlined to be as hassle free as possible.
The real shining light for me has got to be the distortion effects. Ive never been able to run distortion on vocals without getting huge amounts of feedback from the PA. I dont know why, I dont know how, but as I brought the Boss to the studio a couple days ago, the volume was cranked and I received absolutely no feedback from the monitors.
I think there might be some kind of gate within or a limiter of some sort, but Im just happy it works so well!.
I am sure that it will take some time to figure out how to use the Boss VE20 but it is the unit I have been wanting for some time. Youtube has tutorials and I have downloaded a copy of the instruction manual.
I used the unit for the first time at band practice on the simplest of functions (ROCK, ECHO, CATHEDRAL, etc. ) and it made a big difference in my vocals. Can hardly wait to learn the other features.
Best of all I got THE BEST DEAL available anywhere. Some of the Ebay prices were exorbitant so I waited. and waited. Finally after a year of obsessing on the web I pulled the trigger. Boom!!! This one was listed as a used item but I couldn’t tell.
It appeared to be brand new AND the price was only $169. 00!!! BOOM BOOM!!! I have a lot of confidence in products made by ROLAND and BOSS units have a proven track record of reliability as well. So i’m happy to be using the Boss VE20 for all of my vocal effects.
For years I enjoyed using the TC Helicon Create XT as a simple addition to live sound. Of course not nearly as good as computer software or my Lexicon but still have a bit more polished, commercial sound.
I heard good things about the Boss VE-20 and figured that it was time to modernize and upgrade. I think this Boss product is pretty terrific. It has lots of solid effects, easy to use, reliable and still compact.
I made the right decision. This was an upgrade and at a reasonable price.
Guitarists — how would you like to robo-tune or reverberate your vocals with the press of a switch? Create lush three-part harmonies and dynamic loops as inspiration strikes? It’s all possible with the BOSS VE-500 Vocal Performer from New York Music Emporium.
This vocal power plant is the perfect pedalmate to your existing pedalboard. An onboard instrument input and through output allows the VE-500 to generate smooth, natural, intelligent vocal harmonies just by listening to your chord voicings.
No theory or programming is required. A clean XLR mic preamp with adjustable gain and onboard +48V phantom power provide the all front end you need for favorite stage condenser or dynamic mic. Meanwhile, the VE-500’s 99 programmable user presets keep whole sets’ worth of 32-bit floating point effects — distortion, delay, filtering, reverb, and more — ready at a moment’s notice.
Stereo XLR outputs deliver your best performances directly into a PA system or recording medium for safekeeping.
This is a relatively tiny unit, but it packs a tremendous punch-especially at its price point. Dedicated sections for enhancer/compressor/de-esser/EQ, pitch correction, harmony (up to 3 parts)/vocoder, reverb&delay, looper, plus up to 4 additional effects inserted between the harmony/vocoder and reverb&delay sections provide a wealth of options.
You can customize the controls to use the foot switches, an external foot controller, MIDI, or a combination of all three to control effects in real time during performance. The bad news. this does not ship with a USB cable to connect to your computer-and connecting to you computer is a must.
Why? The tiny screen makes setting up and editing patches a Herculean task, but if you download the editor software from Boss it becomes so much easier. MIDI patch changes are straight forward, but CC messages go to the controller section which is customized on a per patch basis rather than globally.
Because of the ability to customize these controller settings there is no CC master list to use when programming your MIDI messages to the unit, so finding the correct CC value is a bit of trial and error beyond simply toggling an effect on or off.
Overall though, this is a great processor for the price. The footprint is small, and would handily fit onto a pedal board. If you have the time to set this up using the editor on a Mac or PC before taking to the stage, the limited on board UI is easy to overlook.
The Boss Vocal performer was a great addition to my acoustic performances. Especially when you are using a small set up or do not have a person to help with sound. I like being able to adjust my sound, add harmonies, etc and the built in tuner is GREAT.
I do wish it was a little easier to push the pedal to enable the tuner, the two buttons are a little farther away than on the previous model and I have a hard time turning it on and off.
TC Helicon’s Voicelive 3 Extreme contains multiple effects for vocals and guitar, providing multiple I/O, such as vocal PA, USB flash drive output, and Guitar Out. The Voicelive 3 Extreme has an array of guitar sound stomp box effects and amp tones, harmony processing, and more.
A 3-phase looper helps with solo or improvisational performances.
The TC Helicon voice Life 3 extreme is absolutely the biggest junk I’ve ever bought in my whole career as a musician and sound engineer. The support from the business was absolutely horrible. I bought this thing with great intentions knowing that I’ve used TC in the past and had great luck with them.
But this thing absolutely the biggest waste of money in my life. Sent it in on a glitch reason for the screen that they all were having to get it back and it has 20 more problems and they wanted nothing to do with it or admit that there was a problem.
I’ve been in the music business almost 40 years now never have I had such a pile of s*** purchase.
First unit I received had a defective chip in it so nothing worked properly, was noisy/distorted. So I travelled to the store to test the replacement in situ. This time seems all OK. It is functionally powerful but does add noticeable noise to your signal chain – be careful how to tweak signal to minimise this.
Unlike boss products which have a comprehensive hi res computer interface software for detailed programming, this machine’s main interface is the pedal’s awful (but readable) low pixel screen, which is functional but 15 years obsolete in terms of GUI interfaces.
Nonetheless it is very comprehensively featured as an all in one digital processor for guitar vocals, which it does well, so still an essential pro piece of kit. In reality it has no competitors at this level of feature richness.
HARMONY SINGER 2 lets you supercharge your vocal performance with either one or two harmony singers instantaneously! Conveniently packaged in an easy-to-use stompbox format, HARMONY SINGER 2 provides your choice of 8 harmony styles – all controlled via your guitar.
Also included are studio-grade reverbs, our proprietary Adaptive Tone, and hands-free mic gain setting, making HARMONY SINGER 2 a must-have for any band or solo artist. Reverb simulates a physical space, allowing your voice to fit into the music perfectly.
Whether it’s the ambience of a small room, or the massive reverberation of a concert hall, HARMONY SINGER 2’s vocally tuned reverbs always bring out the best in your voice. From the classic “third up” harmony voice to combinations of voices above and below your own, there’s a style in HARMONY SINGER 2 to fit almost every song.
Experimenting with different harmonies can spawn new and creative song ideas, so be sure to try all eight of them!.
I am a keyboard player and I wanted to try let’s see how this harmonizer would work with a keyboard and it works perfect. It’s very simple to use in the sound quality of the harmonies is so realistic and so beautiful that is immediately makes you want to sing.
I would highly recommend this harmonizer to any musician and just because it says it’s for guitarist I am a keyboard player and I love it and even though I have it hooked to my keyboard it works perfect.
Using this for about a year now at live gigs and couldn’t be happier. It follows guitar/keyboard very well. Does not sound “robotic” like some of the others. I like the fact that the button is quiet when turning vocals on/off.
So , if you’re recording in a studio or playing a small venue where the audience is close and listening, like a house concert, coffee shop, small club, and want to record your performance, you don’t that distracting annoying unprofessional “click” going on.
A light comes on when vocals are activated , and goes off when no vocals. Glance down to see if it’s on or off. EASY ! ! ! Most times , folks are wondering where the back up vocals are coming from since they assume the pedal must be for the guitar.
I use it with the batteries when Busking. It’s light , easy to hook up, easy to use, built like a tank, nothing to program, always works, and very affordable. Hope they never change this unit as it’s perfect just the way it is , especially for the gig out live entertainer.
Highly recommend. Those interested, attached is a video taken at Porchfest Quincy, MA using the Harmony Singer 2.
BOSS VE-1 The BOSS VE-1 Vocal Echo is designed for—to make your voice sound even more incredible when you sing. It provides lush reverb and other essential vocal tools magically packaged in a compact and user-friendly unit, allowing you to easily create a great ambient vocal sound every time you perform.
What’s really cool about the VE-1 is that you don’t have to be a pro sound engineer to make your voice sound sweet. Everything is right at your fingertips to get great-sounding vocals anytime and anywhere.
Whether you’re a newcomer to the world of audio effects processing or a highly trained PA engineer, the VE-1 provides high-quality processing for any singer to take their voice over the top with that extra luster and polish.
With the VE-1, there’s no need to worry about complicated parameter settings to achieve rich results. Simply dial up a sound from one of the seven available professionally designed presets, and then twist the knobs to easily and intuitively control the effect level and depth.
And if you’re a more advanced user, additional detailed parameters are available to fine-tune sounds even further. Along with the top-quality reverbs, dedicated controls are right at your fingertips for applying Double, Pitch Correct, and Enhance features to your vocals to put the finishing touch to your sound.
Pitch Correct helps you to stay in tune, and also allows you to obtain that characteristic “electronic voice” sound. With the convenient Memory feature, you can store and recall up to four favorite settings, including your current live setting.
The built-in USB audio port enables you to record your polished vocal sound directly to a DAW or create a studio-quality sound for a YouTube performance. The VE-1 runs on batteries or AC power, and works great in any situation, from street performing to recording in your home studio to performing live at a café or club.
The Enhance feature adds top end and articulation – makes vocals stand out in the live mix. Haven’t used in studio yet. Most of the longer echoes and reverbs are not useful for me but they sound fine.
In live situations for me it’s pretty much set and forget. The pitch correction is less noticeable than I expected, even turned up full. Very happy to get a power supply for free!.
Great little box for gigging and live performances. Can use battery or buy mains lead. Sound quality good and lots of extras. The memory button is a little confusing but you don’t necessary need to use it.
Well made and easy to transport. All in all very good value sound machine.
Has all the features you could want with none of the ones you don’t. Bought this for grown up son and I’ve had various vocal effects from basic to the highest end rack units and you will be happy with this one if budget is a issue.
For anyone serious about singing, but unfamiliar with how to get a professional vocal sound, tc-helicon is releasing perform-v – its most intuitive and straightforward vocal processor to date. Designed to remove the obstacles that singers typically face in performance, perform-v lets vocalists focus entirely on their performance by providing easy control of tried-and-true vocal sounds while it expertly polishes the production values via intelligent tone functions (adaptive EQ, compression, de-easing and Gating), automatic mic input gain, pitch correction and anti-feedback algorithms.
Using perform-v is as simple as plugging in a mic, and it snaps directly onto the mic stand – just where a singer needs It. For singers wanting to go beyond the essential sounds included in the box, tc-helicon offers hundreds of iconic vocal sounds for free download, using sister company TC electronics proprietary technology (known from their tone print app) to “beam” Presets directly from a smartphone to perform-v, without the need for accessories or even a wireless/Bluetooth connection.
Transform your voice at the touch of a button. The Zoom V3 Vocal Processor is a compact and highly portable vocal processing unit that is perfect for live performers. The V3 Vocal Processor presents you with an ergonomic layout which is comprised of 16 pads, each with their own dedicated processor/effect.
The vocal processing is highly varied, ranging from pitch correction (great for autotune-style sounds) to harmonisation and formant-changing effects. The harmony option allows you to create your own backup vocals by doubling up your voice, great for creating powerful vocal performances.
The Zoom V3 provides you with the ability to fine-tune these effects and processors. It also features classic effects to texturise the processors including reverb, delay and compression. These come with their own dedicated control knobs for quick and easy access.
The portable design can operate using 4 x AA batteries and can be easily attached to a mic stand for added convenience.
Great product as always from zoom , lots of bang for you buck and quality , I will use this product all the time , the harmonies are terrific, easy to use , sound natural , tip don’t colour your sound too much , don’t over do it , just a little it will do the rest.
Ultra-simple studio-quality vocal effects stomp box for doubling, reverb, and pitch correction gives you stand-out vocal effects anywhere you perform. Three classic doubling sounds with tight, loose, and octave up and down options.
Vocally tuned reverb places your voice in the perfect musical space. Effortless auto-chromatic pitch correction helps you sing in tune. Adaptive tone for perfect EQ, compression, De-essing and Gating.
Intelligent mic input gain for quick and painless setup. Talk mode for speaking with your audience. High-quality, low-noise mic preamp for pristine vocals. Simple, easy-to-use controls get you up and running in seconds.
Compatible with remote mic control using the TC Helicon mp-75 or Sennheiser E835 FX microphones. Rugged, road-worthy construction for years of dependable use. designed and engineered in Canada.
It does what it is supposed to, making your voice into a group. However, you have to drive it fairly hard to get the results. The reverb is barely useful – quality is not so good. It is ridiculous that you need a tiny screwdriver to replace the battery! No easy open plastic battery compartment? This will be a nightmare at a gig when the battery goes bad, and another nightmare when you lose the screws.
It did not duplicate voices like I was expecting. I exchanged it for a different model that cost $70. 00 more but was exactly what I wanted. So if you are serious about wanting a single singer to sound like a duet or quartet you just have to spend a little more money and get the Perform-VK, it works like magic.
You can sing into it and have it come out your sound system sounding like three people singing; one an octave higher and one an octave lower, plus many, many more features. They were very gracious and fast in the replacing process.
The natural companion for any modern singer-songwriter, play acoustic combines all the things you need to make a live acoustic performance shine; lavish vocal sounds, perfect backing harmonies, best-selling guitar FX, and unique processing that makes your six-string sing – in perfect harmony with your voice.
New – added per-preset guitar FX, tc-electronic flashback delay and 2x looping time! *Requires firmware update. Operating Temperature: 2 F to 122 F (0 C to 50 C).
The evolution of vocals Elevate your vocal productions with iZotope’s most unique plug-in experience for vocals. Quickly get old-school sounds you need, or create a new school of vocal sounds. Get lost in layers, textures, effects, blending, and morphing in an experimental vocal playground, and finally find that secret something that makes your vocals stand out.
Choose and meld five unique vocal tools, or pick from hundreds of presets for quick impact.
I use Vocal Synth 2 on my Reaper DAW. I’m still just using the basic functions and having excellent results. I appreciate the many useful tutorials on all your products. (I own a few). VS2 had provided new inspirations in my songcrafting.
Though I consider myself a semi -professional recordist, I am a long time guitarist/songwriter with professional credits. I am also a 2X cancer survivor and have worked steadily throughout my treatments and subsequent remission.
Thank you for providing such useful, time saving products. Sincerely, MARTIN CHARLES MICHAEL COREY EARLEY.
This is a tremendously powerful plug in. If you are just going pop and hip hop, the presets will work in making you sound like everyone else. If you dig deep in to the engine. You have limitless possibilities for making interesting and creative vocal sounds.
I primarily record Alternative and Metal. Dont think for a second this plug in doesnt have a place in those genres. I do feel this is best used for enhancing background vocals. You can really bring them out without overpowering the mix.
There are definitely times and places to through this on the main vocals and make things weird. Overall, I think this is a must have in anyone’s arsenal.
An exquisite product, if I may say so myself! Many thanks to the esteemed team at ‘iZotope’, for the ‘VocalSynth 2’ plug-in really does do the job well 🙂 I’m sure I’ll be able to use this software/plug-in extensively throughout my creative forays into the digital auditory world.
Whilst it’s a dicey decision for most, this plug-in and ‘Ovox’ really are the stand-out products on the market. I also use the Ableton ‘Vocoder’, which is supreme in its own right, but this (VocalSynth 2) really has added another string to a burgeoning bow.
Best Vocal Effects For Live Performance Buying Guides
Vibrato
There are many different types of vibrato that can be used for live vocal performance, each with its own unique sound and purpose. The most common type of vibrato is the vibrato vibrato, which is a quick, repeated vibrating of the vocal cords.
This type of vibrato is often used to add emotion to a song or to make the voice sound more powerful. Other types of vibrato include the trill vibrato and the glottal vibrato. The trill vibrato is a rapid vibrating of the vocal cords that creates a trilling sound, while the glottal vibrato is a deep, throaty vibrating of the vocal cords that is often used to add depth to the voice.
Vocal fry
Vocal fry is a type of vocal effect that can be used for live performance. It is created by using a low, raspy voice that is produced by vibrating the vocal cords very slowly. This effect can be used to create a sense of intimacy or to add a bit of edge to a performance.
Whispering
There are a few ways to go about this. One option is to use a vocoder. This will take your live vocals and process them through the vocoder algorithm, which will then output the signal through a speaker.
This is a great way to get that robotic, processed sound that is perfect for live performance. Another option is to use a voice pitch shifter. This will take your live vocals and shift them up or down in pitch, depending on what effect you are going for.
This is a great way to add some depth and texture to your live vocals.
Yodeling
The yodeling of vocal effects for live performance is the yodeling of the voice to create certain effects during a live performance. This can be done for a variety of reasons, such as to create a certain atmosphere or to make the performer sound more interesting.
It is a technique that is often used in live music performances, and it can be a very effective way to add interest to a performance.
Screaming
In order to create a screaming vocal effect for live performance, the singer must first produce a consistent and strong vocal tone. Next, the singer must use proper breath support to maintain vocal power and control while singing.
Finally, the singer must practice techniques such as vowel modification and glottal attacks to produce the desired vocal effect.
Growling
A growl is a low, guttural, throaty vocalization produced by animals such as dogs and bears, and sometimes humans. Growls can be produced by forcing air through the mouth with the vocal cords relaxed, or by closing the glottis and vocalizing with the vocal cords relaxed.
Singing in falsetto
One of the most common vocal effects used in live performance is singing in falsetto. Falsetto is a type of vocal register that is often used to extend the range of a singer’s voice. When used in live performance, falsetto can create a sense of ethereal or otherworldly sound.
Additionally, falsetto can be used to create dynamics and interest in a live performance. For example, a singer may start out singing in their normal range and then switch to falsetto for the chorus of a song.
This can add excitement and energy to a live performance.
Singing in head voice
When you sing in head voice, the vocal effects are more pronounced and can be more easily controlled for a live performance. This is because the sound is produced in the upper part of your vocal range, which amplifies the sound and makes it easier to project.
Conclusion
The conclusion of vocal effects for live performance is that they are a great way to enhance your live performance and to make it more enjoyable for your audience. There are many different types of vocal effects that you can use, and it is up to you to decide which ones you want to use.
You can use them to make your voice sound more powerful, or to make it sound more gentle. You can also use them to add more depth to your performance.
