Manual

ManualsBrandsElectro Harmonix ManualsGuitar & Bass EffectsVocoder

V256

Vocoder

Congratulations on your purchase of the Electro-Harmonix V256 Vocoder. The V256 is a

versatile and easy to use vocoder with the added benefit of being in a compact pedal format.

Musicians no longer need large rack equipment, computer plugins, or large keyboards to get

a wide array of classic and modern vocoder sounds as well as a few very unique vocal

transposition effects. The V256 includes internal synthesizers for easy vocoding without an

external instrument.

Special Features of the V256:



3 VOX-ROBO vocoder modes that feature a robotic synthesizer



Single, Major, and Minor modes feature a drone synthesizer



3 Brand new vocal transposition modes including TRANSPOSITION, INSTRUMENT CTRL, and

REFLEX-TUNE



Vocoder bands adjustable from a vintage sounding 8 bands to a smooth sounding 256 bands



TONE, GENDER BENDER, and PITCH controls



Save and load up to 9 presets: 1 preset for each mode.



Scroll through the presets using the MODE knob or PRESET footswitch.



Built-In balanced Mic Pre-Amp with switchable Phantom Power and Gain adjustment.



Effect output on balanced XLR line output and 1/4” unbalanced instrument output

WARNING: Use only the AC Adapter that the V256 comes supplied

with. Do not use any other AC Adapters. Using other AC adapters,

even those made by Electro-Harmonix, could cause harm to the unit,

the adapter or you. The V256 does not use batteries.

Summary of content (16 pages)

PAGE 1
V256 Vocoder Congratulations on your purchase of the Electro-Harmonix V256 Vocoder. The V256 is a versatile and easy to use vocoder with the added benefit of being in a compact pedal format. Musicians no longer need large rack equipment, computer plugins, or large keyboards to get a wide array of classic and modern vocoder sounds as well as a few very unique vocal transposition effects. The V256 includes internal synthesizers for easy vocoding without an external instrument.
PAGE 2
- QUICK START GUIDE BASIC MIXER CONNECTION SETUP 1. Connect your microphone to the MIC input on the right side of the V256 using a balanced XLR cable. 2. Using an unbalanced instrument cable, plug your instrument into the INST Input Jack on the right side of the V256. 3. Connect a balanced XLR cable to the EFFECT output jack on the left side of the V256. Connect the other end of the XLR cable to the line input of a mixer. 4.
PAGE 3
8. The factory setting for the INST output of the V256 is 100% dry instrument signal only. In order to use the V256 in this mode the INST output blend needs to be adjusted. 9. Hold down the MIC BYPASS footswitch and adjust the BLEND knob. Fully CCW is 100% instrument signal. As you turn the knob CW more V256 effect signal is added and at noon, the mix of dry instrument to V256 effect will be even.
PAGE 4
BASIC INSTRUMENT CONTROL SETTINGS 1. Turn the MODE knob until the mode INSTRUMENT CTRL is selected and set the other parameters as follows: -BLEND FULLY CW -BANDS NOON -TONE NOON -GENDER NOON -PITCH 2 O’CLOCK 2. Sing into the mic and you will hear your original vocal pitch. Play a single note line on your instrument as you sing, you will hear your voice but the pitch will now track the instrument’s notes. 3.
PAGE 5
- DESCRIPTION OF MODES The V256 has 9 modes to choose from. Each mode gives the musician a different sonic palette to work with. In addition, each mode may change the functionality of some of the V256’s knobs. In this section we will describe each mode and the functionality of the knobs that change with each mode. Use the MODE knob to scroll through the 9 modes. Turning the MODE knob clockwise goes up the LED ladder. Turning the MODE knob counter-clockwise goes down the LED ladder.
PAGE 6
VOX-ROBO Modes VOX-ROBO Modes 1, 2, and 3 are identical. This provides the flexibility to save 3 separate ROBO presets. These modes function as standard vocoders using an external instrument as the carrier signal, and in addition have robotic internal synthesizers that can be used as the carrier signal and controlled with the PITCH knob. When the PITCH knob is fully CCW or fully CW, the internal synthesizer is silenced. When the PITCH knob is at noon the robotic tone is a C3 note.
PAGE 7
When the preset is recalled, the frozen sample as well as any drones that were saved will be recalled. In order to clear the saved frozen sample, hold the MIC BYPASS footswitch without any instrument input, or turn the pitch knob to fully CCW. This will clear the frozen sample however if the preset is reloaded the frozen sample will return. In order to clear the frozen sample from the preset, turn the pitch knob fully CCW so the frozen sample stops playing, then save a new preset in the current mode.
PAGE 8
In this mode the BANDS knob controls how fast the pitch changes. At noon, the pitch will change instantly. As the knob is turned CW the instrument controlled pitch will slide to new notes more slowly. As the knob is turned CCW, the instrument controlled pitch changes will slow in the same manner and in addition the original dry vocal notes will change more slowly.
PAGE 9
- PRESETS The V256 can save one preset for each of the 9 modes. Each preset will pertain directly to the mode you have saved it in. Once a preset is saved, the V256 will remember the preset after power has been disconnected. Saving a preset will save the setting of all 5 of the black knobs. The V256 will also save any frozen samples that are created by holding the MIC BYPASS footswitch. You must hold down the MIC BYPASS footswitch while saving the preset to save the frozen sound.
PAGE 10
After loading a preset, if you move a knob, the knob’s new location will supersede the presets stored value for that knob. At this point, the PRESET LED will blink rapidly to indicate that a knob has been moved. If you then turn the knob back to its position, as saved in the preset, the PRESET LED will stop blinking. If the PRESET LED is blinking rapidly, when you press the PRESET footswitch, it will reload the preset for whichever mode you are currently in.
PAGE 11
In TRANSPOSITION the BANDS knob controls how fast pitches change to new intervals when controlled by a MIDI input. This creates a portamento type of effect. At noon the pitch change will be instantaneous. As the knob is turned CW the pitch change between new intervals is slowed down. As the knob is turned CCW the pitch change between new intervals will happen is slowed down, and the vocal pitch changes will also be slewed.
PAGE 12
In TRANSPOSITION mode the PITCH knob controls the amount of transposition up to +/-1 octave. In INSTRUMENT CTRL mode the PITCH knob controls the threshold of the instrument control. When the instrument is above the set threshold the instrument controls the pitch. When the instrument is below the threshold set by the PITCH knob, the original vocal pitch is passed through. Fully CW, the last note played persists and the pitch will not change until a new instrument controlled pitch is provided.
PAGE 13
PRESET FOOTSWITCH / LED Press and release the PRESET footswitch to load a preset into the presently selected mode. If a preset is already loaded into the presently selected mode, pressing the PRESET footswitch will select the next mode and load its preset. The PRESET LED will light solid when a preset is loaded. While a preset is loaded, if a black knob is turned, the PRESET LED will blink rapidly telling you that though a preset is loaded, one or more knobs have been turned.
PAGE 14
INST INPUT ¼” Jack In the vocoder modes of the V256, the instrument signal can be used as the carrier signal for the vocoder effect. In INSTRUMENT CTRL mode, the instrument signal is used to determine the note that will replace the pitch of the sung note. In REFLEX-TUNE mode, with the PITCH knob set fully CCW, the instrument signal will determine the diatonic key and the V256 will quantize to notes in that key scale. In TRANSPOSITION mode, the instrument input has no function.
PAGE 15
MIDI Input Jack The V256 has a standard 5 pin MIDI input jack. You can play the V256’s internal synthesizers using a MIDI keyboard or sequencer. Out of the INST output jack, the internal synthesizers will be heard the same way an instrument input will be heard. If the INST output jack has the blend set 100% dry, only the dry internal synthesizer, “played” by a MIDI controller, will be heard.
PAGE 16
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Mic Pre-Amp Gain: LO Mode = 15db; HI Mode = 25dB (XLR out into High Z load) LO Mode = 4.