English Manual VoiceLive 3
Important safety instructions Caution Service Warning EMC / EMI Explanation of graphic symbols 1 2 2 2 3 3 Before you begin About this manual Getting support VoiceSupport Please register your VoiceLive 3 4 5 5 5 5 Introduction Design concepts Top panel overview Footswitches overview Back panel inputs and outputs Diagram legend Diagrams 6 7 12 14 19 21 22 VoiceLive 3 overview Getting started – setting up Quick troubleshooting tips Getting to know VoiceLive 3 Tips and tricks for working with layers
Important safety instructions Important safety instructions VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 1
Important safety instructions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. Read these instructions. Keep these instructions. Heed all warnings. Follow all instructions. Do not use this apparatus near water. Clean only with a dry cloth. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
Important safety instructions EMC / EMI For customers in Canada Electromagnetic compatibility / Electromagnetic interference This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003. This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC rules. Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.
Before you begin Before you begin VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 4
Before you begin About this manual Getting support Please register your VoiceLive 3 This reference manual will help you learn understanding and operating your VoiceLive 3. If you still have questions about the product after reading this reference manual, please get in touch with TC-Helicon Support: tc-helicon.com/support/ To register your VoiceLive 3 using the VoiceSupport software, launch VoiceSupport and click on the ACCOUNT button.
Introduction Introduction VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 6
Introduction Welcome to the VoiceLive 3 reference manual! Design concepts Layers & footswitch mapping You can even remap footswitches within a layer or from one layer to another. This approach solves one of the most common requests from our massively popular VoiceLive 2 unit: “I love it – but I want the ‘X’ footswitch to be where the ‘Y’ footswitch is”. First, thank you so much for taking the leap and purchasing VoiceLive 3.
Introduction Global effects Another common request from TC-Helicon users has been for “global effects”. VoiceLive 3 allows you to define a specific Preset as the “Global” Preset. This defines all of the effects and parameters within that Preset and allows them to be easily applied to other Presets. Global effects are available for each and every effect in the Vocal and Guitar layers.
Introduction Multi-track looper to play your guitar part over. Now, you can record unequal length phrases! Record your 1 bar “beat box” on one loop Track, then record your 8 bar guitar section on another. Looper – main view Having access to multiple, independent loops allows for a lot of flexibility and functionality when looping. Our multi-track looper has some really amazing performance features that will help you to make great loops.
Introduction If you are using backing tracks, you can even record them into the looper and use VoiceLive 3 as your complete playback system! Complete guitar effects Advanced monitoring With VoiceLive Play GTX, we introduced our first “complete” guitar effects suite. Previously, we had provided Chorus, Reverb, EQ and Compression blocks. VoiceLive Play GTX added Amp/ Distortion and Delay to the options, greatly expanding the sound possibilities for guitar players.
Introduction This monitoring capability can literally eliminate the need for expensive belt packs, transmitters, secondary mixers and other gear required for a custom IEM solution.
Introduction Top panel overview 1 6 2 7 3 8 4 9 5 10 Below is a brief description of the top panel controls and buttons. Full functionality for each will be described in more detail later. 12 11 1. Genre button Use the Genre button to sort Presets based on their musical genre or featured effects. For example, you may want to restrict the Presets “visible” to you in VoiceLive 3 to those that are defined as “Rock” or “Country” in nature. 2.
Introduction 4. Home button 8. Looper button 12. Level LEDs Use the Home button to return to the “top level” interface. The screen will show Preset Number and any effects associated with the current layer. Use the Looper button to enter the Loop options screen. Here you can control several general Loop options. The Level LEDs show input level for the Mic input. The red LED also lights if any other input – for example your guitar – clips (too much signal). 5.
Introduction Footswitches overview 2 4 5 6 Below is a description of the footswitches on VoiceLive 3. Some switches will be discussed in more detail later in the manual. 1. Preset up / Preset down footswitches 1 3 7 8 9 – Tap the Preset Up/Preset Down footswitches to move through Presets. – Hold the Preset Up/Preset Down footswitches to quickly scroll through Presets. – Tap both footswitches simultaneously to enter Talk/Tuner mode.
Introduction 2. Layer footswitch – Tap the Layer footswitch to swap between the Vocal and Guitar effects layers. – Vocal layer active: Layer footswitch LED lights blue. – Guitar layer active: Layer footswitch LED lights red. – Hold the Layer footswitch to access the Loop layer. – Loop layer active: Layer footswitch LED lights purple. – To return from the Loop layer to previously active layer (Vocal or Guitar), hold.
Introduction 3. Step footswitch – To move to the next Step within the current Preset (from 1 to 2 etc.), tap the Step footswitch. ! Not all Presets have Steps. If it is a different Preset, enter Step management and then use the Preset Up and Preset Down footswitches to locate the Preset you would like to add as a Step. – To move to the previous Step in the current Preset (e.g. from 2 to 1), tap the Preset Down footswitch. – To enter the Step management screen, hold the Step footswitch. 4.
Introduction 5. Delay footswitch 6. Reverb footswitch 7. HIT footswitch Tap the Delay footswitch to turn the Delay effect (also known as echo) on or off. Tap the Reverb footswitch to turn the Reverb effect on or off. Tap the HIT footswitch to activate or deactivate HIT. HIT can control: The Reverb block encompasses effects such as Hall, Club, Room and Plate. – Vocal HIT (blue) – Guitar HIT (red) – All HIT (purple) The Delay block encompasses effects such as ¼ Note, Multi-Tap and Ping Pong.
Introduction 8. Double/Comp footswitch 9. Harmony/Drive footswitch On the Vocal layer, tap the Double/ Comp footswitch to turn the Double effect on or off. On the Vocal layer, tap the Harmony/Drive footswitch to turn the Harmony effect on or off. Double encompasses effects such as 1 Voice Tight, 2 Voices Wide and 4 Voices Wide. Harmony encompasses effects such as High (3rd up), Low (4th below) and Low & Lower (4th below and 6th below).
Introduction Back panel inputs and outputs VoiceLive 3 offers extremely robust input and output routing. Using the Monitor IN/THRU and dedicated Guitar outputs effectively, you can greatly reduce the amount of gear you need to take to a performance. 1. 2. 3. 4. DC Power connector XLR & ¼” Combo jack ¼” Guitar input 1/8” Stereo Aux input jack. Please note that Aux input and Monitor input are mutually exclusive. Only one may be used at a time. 5. MIDI In 6. Footswitch (for Switch-3) In.
7 Introduction Outputs VoiceLive 3 outputs overview VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 1. Guitar THRU: If you only need chord detection and want to pass your dry guitar signal onto a different processor or record a dry guitar track, use the THRU jack to pass your guitar signal to your amp. 2. Monitor THRU: The Monitor THRU jack allows you to receive an incoming Monitor IN signal from a mixer and pass it on to another monitor. 3.
XLR FemalePower XLR Male Power Input 1/8 inch jack GRND Lift Mini USB USB Type A Input Combo 1/8Jackinch jack MIDI Jack GRND Lift USB Type B 1/4 inch jack USB Type A Introduction Power Input 1/8 inch jack GRND Lift Mini USB USB Type A USB Type B Diagram legend The following icons are used in the diagrams in this manual.
Introduction Diagrams On the following pages, you will see some connection diagrams. We have set things up to give you clear and concise representations of what goes where. There are a few things we would like you to keep in mind as you look at the diagrams: 1. Inputs to VoiceLive 3 will be to the left of the back panel image. 2. Outputs from VoiceLive 3 will be to the right of the back panel image. 3. There are two boxes on the bottom of each diagram.
VoiceLive 3 overview VoiceLive 3 overview VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 23
VoiceLive 3 overview Getting started – setting up Instead of jumping directly into a whole bunch of descriptions of parameters and fine tuning controls, now is a good time to back up a bit and approach VoiceLive 3 from a “Let’s use this thing!” perspective. If you would prefer to use VoiceLive 3 via your PA, you will need one or two additional XLR cables to connect VoiceLive 3’s XLR outputs to inputs at your mixer. A lot of PAs are mono and only require one XLR connection.
VoiceLive 3 overview Stereo PA connection for vocals (and guitar if applicable) This diagram shows a “Stereo” output mode. Stereo sends a Left and Right signal via the XLR outputs to your PA or mixer. This allows you to enjoy the full benefits of stereo audio effects. Setting Output Mode to Stereo Changing VoiceLive 3 from Mono (default) to Stereo output: – Press Setup. – Use the < or > Arrow buttons to move to the Output page.
VoiceLive 3 overview Dual Mono PA connection for vocals (& guitar if applicable) This diagram shows a “Dual Mono” output mode. Dual Mono sends two mono signals from the XLR outputs on VoiceLive 3. One XLR carries the vocal sounds and the other XLR carries the guitar sounds. This allows you to balance the vocal and guitar levels via your mixer. Dual Mono can be especially effective at a venue with a sound tech.
VoiceLive 3 overview Stereo vocals and a guitar amplifier You may want to make a quick adjustment to the guitar output if you are connected to an amp. It might be desirable to turn off VoiceLive 3’s speaker simulations while preserving all of the other guitar effects. This will allow the “character” of your amp to stay the same from Preset to Preset. Follow the Stereo PA connection instructions to change your output mode to Stereo. Turning speaker simulation off – Press Setup.
VoiceLive 3 overview The kitchen sink – everything hooked up It’s unlikely that you will have absolutely everything seen here hooked up to VoiceLive 3 – but the above diagram can serve as a general connection diagram that you can use to configure your personal setup. The 1. 2. 3. 4. Aux Send SWITCH-3 Computer or DAW Stage Monitor PA Speakers setup shows: Microphone Guitar Music Player Incoming Monitor (or cue) mix from the Front Of House mixer 5. Monitor THRU to another monitor 6.
VoiceLive 3 overview Quick troubleshooting tips “I’m not hearing my voice!” “I’m not hearing my guitar.” After following the VoiceLive 3 Quick Start Guide and referring to the diagrams in “Getting started – setting up”, you should hear your voice and instrument(s) via your VoiceLive 3. Do the Level LEDs near the Control Knob light up when you sing? Here are a few troubleshooting ideas if you are not hearing sound. – Try a different cable. – Try a different microphone.
VoiceLive 3 overview Getting to know VoiceLive 3 There’s no place like Home Using the Control knob While some product manuals take a path through all of the functions and features, we are going to lead you on a tour of VoiceLive 3 from a practical use standpoint. If you follow along on your VoiceLive 3 while reading the following pages, you will get a good grasp of most of the key features in the box.
VoiceLive 3 overview Using the Arrow buttons What is a Preset? Using Steps Use the two small Arrow buttons located beneath the Control knob to move through Presets and edit pages. VoiceLive 3 and many other TC-Helicon devices are based on the concept of “Presets”. Essentially, a Preset is a record of all the settings for a group of effects that you can recall quickly and easily. A Step is, at its core, a Preset within a Preset. Here’s how it works… The Preset concept is extremely flexible.
VoiceLive 3 overview sections. You’d now create “Steps” within your Verse preset like this: – – – – – – Step Step Step Step Step Step 1: Verse 2: Chorus 3: Verse 4: Chorus 5: Bridge 6: Chorus As you perform, you simply press the STEP button once for each song section as it comes along. It’s a much simpler way to manage several presets in a song! For more information about creating and deleting Steps within a preset, see “Step management”.
VoiceLive 3 overview What is NaturalPlay? Using Global Key/Scale Setting Key/Scale manually “Wait! Wait! What key is it in? What key is it in?” If you do not have an instrument or backing tracks that can guide VoiceLive 3’s Harmony and HardTune features, you may want to make a small change to the System setup so you can define the key and scale for the song you are singing and change Presets without having to change the Key setting each time.
VoiceLive 3 overview Depending on the song you are singing, “Major 2” (MAJ2) may not be right for you. To learn which scale Harmony notes are generated based on your input note, check out our Scale Chart. support.tc-helicon.com/entries/21051886Scale-chart-for-TC-Helicon-products Let’s try Harmony! Navigate to Preset No. 2 (“Classic 3rd up”) using the Preset up/Preset down switches or the Control Knob. – Make sure that you are on the Vocal Layer. The LEDs around the footswitches should be blue.
VoiceLive 3 overview Using the HIT footswitch As you sing your song, with guitar or without, try tapping the HIT footswitch. In this Preset, HIT will activate and deactivate the Harmony effect each time you press the button – once on and once for off. essential for using the effects “in time” with your music. It may take a while to get the hang of things if you have never used footswitch based effects before.
VoiceLive 3 overview Change a button from Latched to Momentary mode When you are turning effects on and off using the footswitches, the default behavior for each switch is to work in “latched” mode. This simply means that you press the button once to turn the effect on and again to turn the effect off. Latched mode works for a lot of cases, but there are probably times when you would like an effect to be active as you hold the button down – and inactive as soon as you release it.
VoiceLive 3 overview Remapping a footswitch Here are some Buttonmap examples: Since you have just seen the Buttonmap page, this is a good time to remap a footswitch to a different effect. – Remap a Guitar effect to Shift, so you have easy access to the Octaver effect. Since there are 11 vocal effects and 9 guitar effects in VoiceLive 3, but only 6 footswitches, the ability to assign new functions to these footswitches gives you a lot of flexibility. Let’s remap µMod to HardTune.
VoiceLive 3 overview rent layer, you can assign Vocal HIT to the HIT footswitch and Guitar HIT to the footswitch right next to it (Double) Talk/Tuner Mode Guitar Effects Before you get too far into playing your guitar through VoiceLive 3, it’s a good idea to become familiar with the Talk/Tuner mode. For those of you playing guitar, this is a good time to try out the various guitar effects in VoiceLive 3.
VoiceLive 3 overview you can move to the Buttonmap screen from there. There is a separate Buttonmap screen for both the Vocal and Guitar layer – but that’s a can of worms we can open later. Editing HIT Return to the Vocal layer by pressing Home. If you are on the Guitar Layer (indicated by red LEDs), press the Layer button until the Vocal layer is active. You can easily edit the effects contained within the HIT function. It is possible to have effects active when HIT is on or off.
VoiceLive 3 overview Tips and tricks for using HIT effectively – If you would like an effect to be ON regardless of the HIT button’s state, just activate it for both HIT ON and HIT OFF. For some effects such as Reverb, it is common to leave them on all the time. – HIT can control any or all of the effects for both guitar and vocals, or guitar/vocals simultaneously. – Use the process described above while on the Guitar layer to change the effects associated with Guitar HIT.
VoiceLive 3 overview HIT – Dynamic vs. Snapshot VoiceLive 3’s default HIT behavior is “dynamic”, which means you can make edits to the effects contained within the HIT variation of the Preset by simply turning them on and off as described under “Editing HIT”. It’s a very quick and intuitive way of combining effects – especially while editing a Preset.
VoiceLive 3 overview – If you want to save the Preset where it currently is, do not change this value. – If you would like to save the Preset to another location, change “Store To” to another number. The name of the selected Preset slot will be displayed in the upper part of the screen. Using Store To is handy when you would like to make several Presets with similar sounds. You can create a “master” Preset and store it so a few different locations using Store To.
VoiceLive 3 overview Using Global Tempo Editing an Effect Depending on how you would like to manage tempo within VoiceLive 3, you can choose whether tempo information is recalled from each individual Preset or managed globally. Now that we have heard some sounds, let’s edit an effect in a Preset. You can choose to edit either the Vocal or Guitar effects, whichever you like.
VoiceLive 3 overview The concept of “HIT on” and “HIT off” can be a little confusing at first – but you will soon get the hang of things. A user suggested this analogy: “It can be useful to think of HIT on as “throwing a bunch of effects onto a table” and HIT off as “knocking or wiping a bunch of effects off of the table”. Effects that are on simply can’t be knocked off the table – and effects that are off can’t be put onto it using HIT.
VoiceLive 3 overview you may recognize some or all of the advanced controls. If you don’t recognize anything, there are two paths you can take: 1. Don’t touch anything you don’t recognize. Slowly back away from the advanced menu. There be dragons in that cave! 2. Turn every parameter as far as it will go in each direction and see what happens! Whether you choose #1 or #2: It’s totally fine. We can’t tell you how fast or far to venture into the depths of VoiceLive 3.
VoiceLive 3 overview Global set to Off in the Delay block – Change it to “On” using the mix knob right below the parameter. Important: The link between the Global Preset and other Presets goes both ways Before you make any tweaks to the effect you have just made Global, there is something you should know.
VoiceLive 3 overview Use the Mix knobs to adjust the levels of the signals shown on screen. Keep in mind that if you are connecting the Guitar Out jack to a guitar amplifier, you likely want a fixed output level. In the Guitar tab of the Setup menu, you will find a parameter called Output Mode that controls this. – If you set Output Mode to Unity Gain (this is the default), this will set one master output volume for the guitar signals coming from the Guitar Out jack.
VoiceLive 3 overview Tips and tricks for working with layers and effects General Vocal & Guitar layer usage The basic concepts of accessing effect settings and going from simple to advanced editing are explained in “Editing an Effect”. As we discussed in “Design concepts” and “Footswitches overview” , VoiceLive 3 is comprised of three “Layers”: Vocal, Guitar and Looper. In addition to the effects tabs in the Vocal and Guitar edit screens, you will find the Buttonmap, Expression and Preset tabs.
VoiceLive 3 overview Buttonmap tab: Remapping footswitches We have already made some changes on the Buttonmap tab in “Remapping a footswitch” – so you have seen it before. Let’s dig a little deeper into it now. – Enter the Vocal or Guitar edit screen. – Navigate to the Buttonmap tab. Earlier in the “VoiceLive 3 overview”, we remapped a footswitch and changed the Mode from Latched to Momentary. On the Buttonmap tab, each effect footswitch is represented by sets of two two lines.
VoiceLive 3 overview Exp. Pedal tab: Getting the most out of your expression pedal If you have connected an expression pedal to your VoiceLive 3, you can define what the expression pedal should control in each Preset. (try something like 50 or 70%). This allows you to make large (easy to perform) movements with the pedal without changing the level of the harmonies too drastically. – To enter the calibration screen, press the Setup button.
VoiceLive 3 overview When you are adding effects to the (Vocal or Guitar) signal path, each of these effects inevitably adds some gain (volume) to the signal chain. This means that after adding several effects, your Preset may end up louder than it started. At this point, you may want to compare the apparent level of the current Preset to other Presets in VoiceLive 3 – and then use the Level Trim controls on the Preset tab for Vocal or Guitar to make adjustments.
Editing the Vocal layer Editing the Vocal layer VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 52
Editing the Vocal layer Press the Vocal button to enter the Vocal edit screen. For more information about editing Style, Level, Control and other parameters associated with each effect, see “Editing an Effect”. Harmony block / tab Harmony is TC-Helicon’s most popular effect – and some might argue the most impressive one, too. The Harmony effect creates harmony vocals from your lead voice.
Editing the Vocal layer To further expand, try adjusting the Smoothing and Humanization parameters for each of the four voices, so that each voice ends up a bit different from the other. – On the Buttonmap tab of the Setup menu, you can remap the Step footswitch to various controls. Try remapping the Step footswitch to Harmony Hold. When the Harmony effect is active, press the Step footswitch (now assigned to Harmony Hold) to “fix” the current harmony note and hold it.
Editing the Vocal layer Double block / tab Often referred to as “Doubling” or “Double Tracking”, the Double effect mimics a singer recording multiple versions of the same vocal passages and playing them back simultaneously. The small differences in timing and pitch that result from the two recordings create a more full and “doubled” sound. It’s quite common in contemporary music for some sort of Double effect to be active during the entire song, albeit with varying intensity.
Editing the Vocal layer Vocal Delay block / tab Delay is often referred to as “echo” and emulates sound “bouncing” or repeating at regular intervals. As opposed to Reverb – whose reflections of sound can be somewhat chaotic in the representation of a physical space – Delay is much more consistent in its sound output. Typically, Delay is used either as a special effect, with levels high enough to be clearly heard, or as a more subtle companion to Reverb.
Editing the Vocal layer Vocal Reverb block / tab Reverb is one of the most basic effects. You will probably find some form of Reverb at every live performance and on every recording. Essentially, Reverb simulates a physical space and how the sound of your voice is positioned in it. Typically, Reverbs are defined by the space they are trying to replicate or the device/processor/medium used to generate the reverb effect.
Editing the Vocal layer HardTune block / tab This effect has become very, very common in recent years. Most people remember when Cher released the song “Believe”, featuring the first commercially represented use of heavy and robotic-sounding pitch correction. Since the release of “Believe”, there have been many advances in pitch correction technology, allowing both extreme and subtle or transparent vocal correction. It’s a misnomer to only equate vocal pitch correction with AutoTune™ and TPain™.
Editing the Vocal layer Synth block / tab Synth effects are created when a “carrier” sound modifies a signal (your voice) to create an interesting combination of the two elements. Common use includes the classical guitar “talk box”, where the notes played on an electrical guitar dictate the pitch and sound of the voice output, regardless of what you sing. You don’t have to use a guitar though – it could also be sounds from a keyboard or other instrument.
Editing the Vocal layer Transducer block / tab The Transducer effect is often referred to as “Megaphone” or “Distortion”, but it really covers any manipulation of gain structure and EQ filters. Distortion and filter effects are common across Rock, Pop, Country, Hip Hip, EDM and other genres.
Editing the Vocal layer Vocal µMod block / tab Pronounced “Micro Mod”, the µMod block includes effects like micro-pitch shifting (hence Micro Mod), Flanger, Chorus, Rotor and more. These effects can be subtle, like “Thicken”, or quite extreme with “Tube Up” or “Alien Voiceover”. Tips and tricks for working with the Vocal µMod effect – Try combining µMod set to one of the “Clone”, “Wider” or “Thicken” styles with your Harmony or Double effects to increase the depth of sound.
Editing the Vocal layer Choir block / tab Formerly a part of the Harmony effect block, Choir was split into its own effect in the TC-Helicon VoiceLive Touch 2. Separating these effects gave us the opportunity to provide more styles and parameters for controlling the Choir sound. We have defined Choir as its own effect block in VoiceLive 3 too, so you have extra control over the way it sounds. Choir makes a great companion to Harmony, especially when you are trying to create a “group” sound.
Editing the Vocal layer Vocal Rhythmic block / tab Rhythmic effects use VoiceLive 3’s tempo to chop, break up, pan or otherwise manipulate your voice in time with the music. Depending on how you set the depth and target controls, Rhythmic can be mild or wild and apply to either your lead vocal or the Harmony voices. Tips and tricks for working with the Vocal Rhythmic effect – Using Vocal Rhythmic in combination with Guitar Rhythmic can create some really interesting sounds.
Editing the Vocal layer Stutter block / tab Stutter is essentially a small sampler, used to make a quick recording of your vocal and play it back repeatedly, in time with the music. Depending on the division setting, the sample used for the Stutter effect can be longer or shorter. Stutter is great for Pop, Hip Hop and EDM genres, but can find a home in any style of music when used creatively.
Editing the Vocal layer Vocal Buttonmap block / tab Remapping buttons Buttonmap is probably one of the coolest new features in VoiceLive 3. – Use the Control Knob to highlight the button you would like to remap. Physical button names are on the top in each selection box, and the mapped button is on the bottom. – Use the Mix Knob on the far left to change the button mapping. – If you wish, set the footswitch to Momentary mode using the Mix Knob under the Mode column.
Editing the Vocal layer Remapping Loop Triggers Loop triggers allow you to map a specific loop to a specific button, PER PRESET. This can be used for a loop you have saved and want to integrate into every performance of a specific song or can even be used to store an entire backing track that you can associate with the Preset. Remapping a Loop Trigger is slightly different from the Vocal or Guitar effects because you need to define a couple of additional parameters.
Editing the Guitar layer Editing the Guitar layer VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 67
Editing the Guitar layer Press the Guitar button to enter the Guitar edit screen. For more information about editing Style, Level, Control and other parameters associated with each effect, see “Editing an Effect”. Amp block / tab The Amp effect not only simulates physical amplifiers, but also provides controls for – EQ (pre and post) – Gain (pre and post) – Tube/Transistor simulation and – speaker emulation.
Editing the Guitar layer Drive block / tab VoiceLive 3’s Drive effect can act as a Boost, Drive or both. Essentially, the Drive block has its own set of PreGain and PostGain parameters, which are independent from the Amp simulation block. When Boost is active, these settings replace the currently active Amp settings, changing your sound. There are a few preconfigured Drive styles – make sure you give them a try.
Editing the Guitar layer Guitar Delay block / tab The Guitar Delay block works in the same manner as the Vocal Delay block. Please see “Vocal Delay block / tab” for an overview of the Vocal Delay block. VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) Tips and tricks for working with the Guitar Delay effect – There are benefits to using the same Delay division for both guitar and vocal effects. You can sync up the “taps” of the echoes on both signals and create some very interesting effects.
Editing the Guitar layer Guitar Reverb block / tab The Guitar Reverb block works in the same manner as the Vocal Reverb block. Please see “Vocal Reverb block / tab” for an overview of the Vocal Reverb block. Using surgical skills that would make Victor Frankenstein green with envy, we have transplanted TC-Electronic’s popular Hall of Fame Reverb pedal into VoiceLive 3’s Guitar layer.
Editing the Guitar layer Comp(ression) block / tab Compression is used across almost all modern music production styles, from studio to live. In a nutshell, Compression “brings the loudest bits and quietest bits” of the music closer together in apparent volume, creating a more even sound. For guitar, using compression can – enhance sustain or attack, – limit levels and/or – smooth out your overall sound.
Editing the Guitar layer Wah (Wah-Wah) block / tab If you haven’t heard “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” by Jimi Hendrix (or later Stevie Ray Vaughan) go listen to it now. That’s Wah in a nutshell. youtube.com/watch?v=d81fdU8EP28 (In fact, there’s also some interesting delay effects and reverb in there, too.) Wah is basically a carefully constructed EQ filter that you can sweep up and down the frequency spectrum with a foot-operated pedal.
Editing the Guitar layer µMod block / tab Similar to the Vocal version of this effect, µMod provides micro-pitch shifting and timing effects for your guitar. Some of the most famous µMod effects include Flanger, Chorus and Detune. We have conspired with TC-Electronic’s guitar pedal gurus – namely Tore Mogensen – to recreate two of their best modulation effects for VoiceLive 3: Vortex Flanger and Corona Chorus.
Editing the Guitar layer Octaver block / tab When we released VoiceLive Play GTX, lots of folks loved the guitar processing, but kept on asking for a single guitar effect addition: an Octaver. The ability to “play bass” on your guitar opens up a whole new world of song composition, especially when looping. The Octaver is a monophonic pitch shifter that allows you to play single-line guitar parts and have them shifted to another note.
Editing the Guitar layer Guitar Rhythmic block / tab The Guitar Rhythmic block basically works in the same manner as the Vocal Rhythmic block. Please see “Vocal Rhythmic block / tab” for an overview of the Vocal Rhythmic block. For the Guitar Rhythmic block, we have included an improved “tremolo” sound to better replicate the classic effect.
Editing the Guitar layer Guitar Buttonmap block / tab The Guitar Buttonmap works in the same manner as the Vocal Buttonmap. Please see “Vocal Buttonmap block / tab” for an overview of the Vocal Buttonmap. Keep in mind that the Vocal and Guitar Buttonmap settings are independent of each other, representing the Vocal and Guitar layers respectively. To learn how you can create inter-layer mappings, see “Remapping a footswitch”.
The Looper The Looper VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 78
The Looper Basic Loop concepts and terms VoiceLive 3 has a three-track Looper, which is an extremely powerful performance tool. We have taken our experiences from past products – including VoiceLive Touch 2 and VoiceLive Play – to create our most exciting and flexible Looper ever. VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) Let’s make sure that you understand the basic concepts and the terminology used in this chapter.
The Looper Entering and exiting Loop mode Your first loop Setting up the metronome To enter Loop mode, press and hold the Layer button. The LED of the Layer footswitch will turn purple, and the screen will display loop tracks and other information. Just to get you started, let’s make a quick loop. – Let’s turn on the Metronome (MET) so you can make your loop to a consistent beat. As you can see, there are six segments in the display, which correlate to the six footswitches.
The Looper If you are connected to a PA, you should hear a Kick Drum Metronome. – If you don’t hear a metronome sound over your P.A.: – Press the Home button. – Move any of the MIX knobs to access the Mix page. – Navigate to the Main Mix page using the Arrow buttons. – Turn up the Metronome Level. – Press and hold the Layer button to re-enter the Looper. – The flashing HIT button now represents Tap Tempo, so you can tap in a new tempo now if you wish.
The Looper Overdubbing Recording Loop track B – For this example, let us end your first basic loop recording by tap the footswitch associated with Set+Play (Harmony / Drive). You should hear your loop (Loop track A) playing back. – Now, while Loop track A is still playing back, we will record something else onto Loop track B. Yes, it’s another cake! – When you are ready, press REC B (Reverb footswitch). Next, let’s overdub something on Loop track A.
The Looper – If you chose Set+Odub, continue to record overdubs until you are finished, then tap END ODUB. Understanding loop track length To get a better understanding of how loop tracks of different lengths are played back in SMART Sync mode (see “SMART”), start by recording a simple loop of just counting numbers. – Loop track A: Record the words “one, two, three, four” as close to the metronome beats as you can.
The Looper – Now, tap Swap. You will see in the display that Loop track C continues to play until it reaches its end, then VoiceLive 3 automatically switches to Loop B! The Utility menu Back We will now explore the UTIL(ity) menu, where you will find many of the Looper options. Tap BACK (µMod footswitch) to move “up” from the Utility menu or one of its sub-menus until you are back on the main loop screen. – Tap the footswitch linked to the Utility menu (the µMod footswitch) to enter the Utility menu.
The Looper Input sub-menu Save Metronome sub-menu Tap INPUT (Delay footswitch) to open the Input sub-menu. In the Input sub-menu, you choose which input(s) the Looper will record. This feature allows you to use a specific input or inputs for various loops (e.g. your microphone for a beatbox section and your guitar for a chord progression), while preventing sound from other inputs entering your loop. – Tap SAVE (Reverb footswitch) to store your loop to the current Loop slot.
The Looper – TAP: Tap TAP (HIT footswitch) rhythmically to define a new tempo. While you are tapping a tempo, the Preset Up and Preset Down footswitches will be lit in blue, indicating that you can use them to fine-tune the tempo in BPM steps. – SOUND: Tap SOUND (Reverb footswitch) to open a new sub-menu where you can choose which sound the metronome should make. When you have chosen a sound you like, press BACK.
The Looper SERIAL When you choose SERIAL in the Sync submenu, Loops are played back one after the other, waiting for each loop to finish before proceeding to the next. In SERIAL mode, Loop tracks A, B and C play independently and cannot be played at the same time. This mode is useful if you have three song sections or progressions and want to alternate between them. Of course, you do not have to progress from Loop A to B to C in that order – you may play back loops in any order.
The Looper FREE This one’s easy to explain: No metronome or other sync. Loops are all recorded completely independently and can take any form/length. Go crazy! Erase sub-menu Loop limits Tap ERASE (the Harmony / Drive footswitch) to enter the Erase sub-menu. In the Erase submenu, you will find options for erasing your Loops: – The total loop time available in VoiceLive 3 is 45 minutes. – Individual loop Tracks can be up to 8 minutes.
Setup Setup VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 89
Setup Setup contains all of the system-wide parameters for VoiceLive 3. Each page or tab is described in its own section of this chapter. – Tap the Setup button to enter the system menu. – Tap the Arrow buttons to switch between the tabs of the system menu. Input tab Input Type parameter The Input page contains settings for all of the inputs in VoiceLive 3. Use the Input Type parameter to select your microphone type. Choose the one that best matches your setup.
Setup Global Pitch Correct parameter RoomSense Auto-Detect parameter Lead Delay parameter Use the Global Pitch Correct parameter to apply auto-chromatic pitch correction to your incoming microphone signal. This feature is separate from the HardTune effect block and will be overridden when HardTune is active. Use the RoomSense Auto-Detect parameter to add the RoomSense microphones built into your VoiceLive 3 to the available NaturalPlay sources.
Setup Lead Mute parameter Aux Level parameter Aux Vocal Cancel parameter Use the Lead Mute parameter to mute all incoming lead vocal signals. Use the Aux Level parameter to control the level of the signal received at the Aux input jack. If you are getting distortion when connecting an external music source to the Aux input, try turning this control down. When you activate Aux Vocal Cancel, VoiceLive 3 will attempt to remove vocals from recorded stereo music coming into the Aux input.
Setup Monitor Level parameter Use the Monitor Level parameter to control the level of the signal received at the Monitor input jack. If your incoming monitor mix is distorting, try turning this parameter down.
Setup Output tab XLR Out Level parameter Output Mode parameter Use the XLR Out Level parameter to set the relative level of the signal going to the XLR outputs. Use the Output Mode parameter to selects the output mode for VoiceLive 3. Parameter settings: Parameter settings: – Stereo: – The left XLR output jack carries the left stereo channel. – The right XLR output jack carries the right stereo channel.
Setup Headphone Limiter parameter Talk Trim parameter Use the Headphone Limiter parameter to set the limiter level for the headphone output. Use the Talk Trim parameter to adjust the volume of your lead voice when “Talk/Bypass” mode is engaged. It’s not uncommon for performers to want a little bit more or less volume through the PA when effects are bypassed. 0 dB allows for maximum potential headphone output. Levels below 0 dB (-3 dB etc) will restrict or “limit” the maximum potential headphone output.
Setup Guitar tab Phase parameter Speaker Sim Enable parameter Input Gain parameter Use the Phase parameter to invert the phase of the guitar signal. Use the Speaker Sim Enable parameter to switch the speaker simulation portion of the guitar Amp effect block on or off. Use the Input Gain parameter to adjust the input level for the Guitar IN. To set this correctly, do the following: – – – – Plug in your guitar. Turn your guitar’s volume control to maximum. Play the loudest you normally would.
Setup Output Mode parameter Gate Threshold parameter Use the Output Mode parameter to specify if guitar output levels should be variable or fixed. Use the Gate Threshold parameter to set the threshold for the guitar gate. A gate “closes” or mutes the sound when it reaches a specific low volume threshold. Parameter settings: – Unity Gain: Maintains a constant guitar level output, regardless of Mix settings.
Setup MIDI tab Source parameter Use the Source parameter to determines which MIDI input VoiceLive 3 should use. Parameter settings: – USB: VoiceLive 3 receives MIDI information from the USB port. – MIDI: VoiceLive 3 receives MIDI information from the hardware MIDI IN port. Filter parameter MIDI Channel parameter Use the Filter parameter to filter out specific MIDI information from the incoming MIDI data stream.
Setup CC Channel parameter Transpose parameter Split Note parameter Use the CC Channel parameter to set the MIDI Channel that VoiceLive 3 “listens to” for incoming MIDI Continuous Controller (CC) information. Use the Transpose parameter to shift incoming MIDI note data up or down by up to 4 octaves. It is possible to define a specific area of your MIDI keyboard for VoiceLive 3 to respond to. Use the Split Note parameter to define a split point.
Setup Split Direction parameter Vibrato Boost parameter Pitchbend Range parameter It is possible to define a specific area of your keyboard for VoiceLive 3 to respond to. Use the Split Note parameter to define a split point. Use the Split Direction parameter to control whether notes above or below that note are included. Use the Vibrato Boost parameter to set how VoiceLive 3 should process incoming MIDI modulation data.
Setup Sysex ID parameter SysEx Dump Rate parameter Use the SysEx ID parameter to set the Sysex ID that is used for addressing devices. Use the SysEx Dump Rate parameter to set the “speed” of MIDI data transfers for firmware updates and Preset management. ! If you are using VoiceSupport for firmware updates and/or Preset management, you need to set the SysEx ID to 0. Parameter settings: – Normal: The default value. It is advised to keep this setting unless you are encountering problems.
Setup Tone tab De-ess parameter Compression mode parameter VoiceLive 3’s is equipped with a voice-optimized Tone block that applies Compression, EQ, Gating and a De-esser to the lead voice. The settings for these components are not stored as part of Presets, they are applied globally. Use the De-ess parameter to adjust the amount of adaptive de-essing (removal of “sss” sounds) that should be applied to your voice. The default setting is 50.
Setup Compress parameter (Adaptive Compression mode only) Threshold parameter (Manual Compression mode only) Ratio parameter (Manual Compression mode only) Use the Compress parameter to control the amount of adaptive compression applied to your voice. 50 is the default. Use the Threshold parameter to set the signal level where compression should be applied. Use the Ratio parameter to set the amount of compression that should be applied when the signal level is over the Threshold.
Setup Gate parameter The gate turns down the volume of the microphone/line signal when the input signal falls under a certain threshold. Use the Gate parameter to choose between adaptive (automatic) and manual compression. Lead Atten(uation) parameter (Adaptive and Manual Gate mode only) Harm(ony) Atten(uation) parameter (Adaptive and Manual Gate mode only) Use the Lead Atten(uation) parameter to set the attenuation of the lead voice once the signal falls under the threshold.
Setup Threshold parameter (Manual Gate mode only) Use the Threshold parameter to set the threshold for the Gate. When the signal level falls under this value, the gate is activated and attenuates the signals as specified by the Atten(uation) parameters. VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) EQ Mode parameter Use the EQ Mode parameter to choose between adaptive (automatic) and manual equalization.
Setup Warmth parameter (Adaptive EQ mode only) Low / Mid / High gain parameters (Manual EQ mode only) Low / Mid / High Freq(uency) parameters (Manual EQ mode only) Use the Warmth parameter to adjust the character of adaptive equalization. When you set it to On, the equalization will sound warmer. Use the Low, Mid and High Gain parameters to set the amount of signal boost (gain) or attenuation that should be applied to the low, mid and high bands of the EQ.
Setup Mid BW parameter (Manual EQ mode only) Use the Mid BW parameters to set the bandwidth of the EQ’s mid band. Parameter range: Narrow, 0.11 to 8,77, Wide.
Setup System tab Contrast parameter Use the Contrast parameter to set VoiceLive 3’s display contrast. Depending on the angle that you view the screen from, different contrast settings may make things easier to read. Global Preset parameter Global NatPlay Source parameter Use the Global Preset parameter to define a Global Preset that should be used as a starting point/reference for all Presets where effect blocks are set to Global ON.
Setup All Guitar FX Global parameter Global Tempo parameter Global Key/Scale parameter Use the All Guitar FX Global parameter to “lock” the guitar effects in their current state. This is a great feature if you would like to use one “set” of guitar effects across all Presets, much like individual stomp boxes instead of having guitar effects change with every Preset.
Setup Tuner Reference parameter Hit Behavior parameter Use the Tuner Reference parameter to set the reference frequency for the built-in tuner. The default setting is 440 Hz. Use the Hit Behavior parameter to define how manually switching effect blocks on or off should affect the HIT function. For more information, see “HIT – Dynamic vs. Snapshot”.
Setup Buttonmap tab Step Button Function parameter Every VoiceLive 3 preset has its own Buttonmap tab, allowing you to remap the six effect footswitches (µMod, Delay, Reverb, HIT, Double / Comp and Harmony / Drive) both for the Vocal and the Guitar layer. For more information, see “Remapping a footswitch”. Use the Step Button Function parameter to remap the Step footswitch to another function.
Setup Step Button Mode parameter Mic Switch Function parameter Mic Switch Mode parameter Use the Step Button Mode parameter to set the operation mode of the Step button. Use the Mic Switch Function parameter to activate Mic Control and assign a function to the switch on your microphone. Use the Mic Switch Mode parameter to set the operation mode of the switch on your Mic Control-enabled microphone. Activates microphone control and sets its function.
Setup Footswitch jack parameter You can use the Footswitch jack on your VoiceLive 3 to connect either a TC-Helicon Switch-3 or a second expression pedal. Parameter settings: – Switch-3: Use this setting if you have connected a Switch-3 to the Footswitch jack. – Expression Pedal: Use this setting if you have connected an expression pedal to the Footswitch jack. Fore for information, see “Working with a second expression pedal”.
Setup Exp(ression) Min(imum) Pos(ition) parameter Exp(ression) Max(imum) Pos(ition) parameter If you have connected a second expression pedal to the Footswitch jack, use the Exp(ression) Min(imum) Pos(ition) parameter in the Setup menu to define the parameter value that should be associated with the minimum (down) position of this second expression pedal.
Setup – G Mute – All HIT – Looper** * Harmony must be active for this to have an effect. ** Toggles the Loop layer. You may find this a more convenient way of entering the Loop layer quickly, compared to holding the Layer button. SW3-1 / SW3-2 / SW33 Mode parameters Use the three SW3 Mode parameters to set the operation modes of the three footswitches on a TC-Helicon Switch-3 connected to your VoiceLive 3.
Setup Pedal Calibration tab Product info tab For more information on pedal calibration, see “Calibrating your expression pedal”. The Product Info tab contains important information about your VoiceLive 3, including: – Installed Firmware Version – Serial Number – Manufacture Date This information is valuable if you ever need to contact TC-Helicon support.
Appendix Appendix VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 117
Appendix MIDI CC List For effects that can be switched on or off: Value 1-63 = off, 64-127 = on CC No.
Appendix System Maintenance/ Factory Reset You can boot VoiceLive 3 in a special System Maintenance that will allow you to perform several system maintenance functions, including a factory reset. VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) Entering System Maintenance Mode – Turn off your VoiceLive 3. – Unplug headphones (if attached) – Using a toothpick or a small wire (we recommend a straightened paperclip), press the button that is inside the Headphone jack.
Technical Specifications Technical Specifications VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 120
Technical Specifications Features Vocal Effects Looper Guitar Effects Presets / Storage Footswitches Preset management µMod, Echo & Delay, Reverb, Harmony, Double, Transducer, Rhythmic, HardTune & Correction, Choir, Stutter, Vocoder, Adaptive Tone Multi-track looper Layered for verse/chorus (B/C) over base loop A with infinite overdubs 10 x three track loop storage 45 minutes total loop time Amp Modeling, Drive, Delay, Reverb, Compression, Resonant Filter, Wah, µMod (Flange, Chorus, De-tune), Shifter, R
Technical Specifications EIN @ Max Mic Gain Rg = 150 Ohm Mic SNR Phantom Power A to D Conversion Guitar Connector Guitar Input Impedance Guitar Input Level @ 0 dBFS Guitar Input SNR A to D Conversion Monitor Connector Input Impedance Balanced Monitor Input Level @ 0 dBFS Aux Connector Aux Input Level @ 0 dBFS -127 dBu >100 dB at typical Mic Input gain +48 V (on/off via setup menu) 24 Bit 128 x oversampling bitstream 110 dB SNR A-weighted 1/4“ phone jack 1 MOhm -2 to 14 dBu > 108 dB 24 Bit 128 x oversamp
Technical Specifications Output Range 0 dBFS Dynamic Range D to A Conversion Headphone Connector Impedance Output Range Guitar Thru Input Connector Output Impedance Bal/UnBal Monitor Thru Signal flow Connector Line Level: +14 dBu Mic Level: -2 dBu > 101 dB 20 Hz to 20 kHz 24 Bit 128 x oversampling bitstream 106 dB SNR A-weighted 1/8“ Mini stereo jack 50 Ohm +14 dBu max Buffered Guitar Input 1/4“ TRS phone jack 270/540 Ohms Direct connection to Monitor input Balanced XLR Control USB MIDI In/Out Pedal Mic
Technical Specifications Included with VoiceLive 3 VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) Region specific power supply USB cable Quickstart guide Guitar/Headphone combo cable 124
Technical Specifications VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 125
