uk_lefty Posted August 25, 2020 Share Posted August 25, 2020 Not sure if this is the right place... I'm tempted by a TC Helicon vocal pedal. Either a voice tone or a mic mechanic, but open to ideas. Basically I can sing a bit but I can easily run out of steam or lapse here and there when playing bass. I'd like to see if a box of tricks could help me cheat the system a bit. Any advice gratefully received! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidder652003 Posted August 25, 2020 Share Posted August 25, 2020 Our singer uses the TC Helicon Voice Live and it sounds amazing, the harmony feature is superb (used sparingly) and the reverbs are also excellent. TBH it's probably overkill for pub gigs and it's expensive. I used to have the Pitch correction pedal but we never really got on with it live. At the end of the day, you can sing or you can't ( I can't) and a pedal will help a bit, but if I was the singer I'd be concentrating on technique and maybe some pro lessons. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted August 25, 2020 Share Posted August 25, 2020 I use a voice live play, and so does the singer (after using mine). Good echos, good harmonizing if you set it up well (certainly worth you making presets for songs knowing what the key is). Had a few glitches with mine though, but it is underpowered on a pedalboard, so probably why. My wife has the Mic Mechanic, it adds a bit of warmth, but more an individual singer thing, as it doesn't do much that you couldn't do with the mixer (or it does, but probably not enough to warrant). I have just got a TC Critical mass as I realised that for mostly backing vocals, all I really need is the gang vocal and backing singer stuff. Its also smaller and space on the pedal board is a big thing for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted August 25, 2020 Author Share Posted August 25, 2020 Thank you both. I'm looking at what I can pick up for a good deal on fleabay, my vocal work has improved a lot in the last few years by backing a decent singer, a lot of it down to maturity and knowing my range, so in the past when someone said "let's do an Aerosmith song" I should have just said No. Does the mic mechanic help with pitch correction? That's the bit I'm looking for as I have half an idea to front a three piece while playing bass, that's where I'd need it most. For BVs it could help but I'm happy enough with most of what I'm doing now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidder652003 Posted August 25, 2020 Share Posted August 25, 2020 (edited) 10 minutes ago, uk_lefty said: Thank you both. I'm looking at what I can pick up for a good deal on fleabay, my vocal work has improved a lot in the last few years by backing a decent singer, a lot of it down to maturity and knowing my range, so in the past when someone said "let's do an Aerosmith song" I should have just said No. Does the mic mechanic help with pitch correction? That's the bit I'm looking for as I have half an idea to front a three piece while playing bass, that's where I'd need it most. For BVs it could help but I'm happy enough with most of what I'm doing now. looks like it does have pitch correction on the blurb.. https://www.bax-shop.co.uk/vocal-effects/tc-helicon-mic-mechanic-2-vocal-effects-pedal?gclid=Cj0KCQjw7ZL6BRCmARIsAH6XFDIFoiU0CThCyI1kjgPWfkvTDExt34eVCp34QlnxYOJgNR421tWkH_saAog-EALw_wcB https://www.sustainpunch.com/tc-helicon-mic-mechanic-2-review/ Edited August 25, 2020 by skidder652003 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted August 25, 2020 Share Posted August 25, 2020 23 minutes ago, uk_lefty said: my vocal work has improved a lot in the last few years by backing a decent singer Most of it is just practice. Obviously within the confines of what you have you have limits but it is just muscles, they need to work to get good. And frankly a lot of it is just confidence 23 minutes ago, uk_lefty said: Does the mic mechanic help with pitch correction? That's the bit I'm looking for as I have half an idea to front a three piece while playing bass, that's where I'd need it most. For BVs it could help but I'm happy enough with most of what I'm doing now. It does to some extent but not to the same level as the voice lives. Pitch correction is one of those things that needs to be practiced with. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted August 25, 2020 Share Posted August 25, 2020 Pitch correction on the Mic Mechanic is done fairly well - there's a wet/dry knob for it so you can choose whether you want the correction to be subtle (and it can be) or go the full Cher. The compression works for people with poor mic technique like me. Because I'm more focused on not screwing up the bassline I adopt the lazy solution of almost always singing with my lips touching the mic. That keeps me on-axis but leaves my signal vulnerable to overload when I get excited, just ask @Silvia Bluejay. It also thickens up my voice a little, though not as effectively as my Mic Mechanic Duplicator., which is basically the same pedal but with ADT built in. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia Bluejay Posted August 25, 2020 Share Posted August 25, 2020 We now use the Vocal compression on the Behringer XR18, which is A Good Thing, when used sparingly. It will stop excessive peaks, as well as increase audibility when the singer is off-axis or too far from the mic. I prefer it to using that on the Mic Mechanic, but just because I'm in control in case of feedback, not because there's anything wrong with it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted August 25, 2020 Share Posted August 25, 2020 I have the Mic Mechanic and I really like it. The single setting "Tone" adds Compression / de-esser / EQ and I really like what it does to my voice (tenor range mostly) The pitch correction is subtle and seems to be a shift to the nearest note in freq terms rather than the nearest correct note - there is no way to input a key signature and it doesn't listen to chords like the more complex units do. I didn't really use the pitch correction unless I had a bit of a cold! But I always use the unit for it's EQ / compression stuff as I like the sound of it. It's mounted on my pedal board and will stay there. I'd love to try one of the more complex ones. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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