English Manual Play Acoustic
Important safety instructions 1 Before you begin About this manual Getting support VoiceSupport Please register your Play Acoustic 4 5 5 5 5 Introduction Diagram legend Diagrams 6 7 8 Basics Inputs and outputs Gain settings Switches and operation Control knob and arrow buttons Soft buttons 9 10 12 14 16 18 Connection diagrams Mixer setup Play Acoustic back panel inputs and outputs Stereo (or mono) vocals and guitar Mono vocals and guitar amp Mono vocal and guitar with a TC-Helicon FX150 Mono voc
Important safety instructions Important safety instructions Play Acoustic – Reference manual (2014-07-16) 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 Electromagnetic compatibility / Electromagnetic interference 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. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in residential installations.
Before you begin Before you begin Play Acoustic – Reference manual (2014-07-16) 4
Before you begin About this manual Getting support Please register your Play Acoustic This manual will help you understand and operate your Play Acoustic. If you still have questions after reading this reference manual, please read the FAQs, visit the user forums and get in touch with support at: support.tc-helicon.com/ To register your Play Acoustic using the VoiceSupport software, launch VoiceSupport and click on the ACCOUNT button.
Introduction Introduction Play Acoustic – Reference manual (2014-07-16) 6
XLR M Introduction Welcome to the Play Acoustic manual! Diagram legend First, thank you so much for purchasing Play Acoustic. We at TC-Helicon are confident that your vocal and acoustic guitar performances will be positively impacted with this great effects processor. 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 Play Acoustic will be to the left of the back panel image. 2. Outputs from Play Acoustic will be to the right of the back panel image. 3. There are two boxes on the bottom of each diagram.
Basics Basics Play Acoustic – Reference manual (2014-07-16) 9
Basics Play Acoustic – rear panel GUITAR IN connector Connect your guitar to this input. Inputs and outputs Connectors are described from right to left. For setup examples, see “Connection diagrams”. MIC connector This is where the magic happens! Plug your dynamic, condenser, MP-75, or e835 fx microphone in here. Remember to set the microphone type and level correctly, as described in the Play Acoustic Quick Start Guide.
Basics PEDAL connector Use a TRS cable to connect a Switch-3 (optional) to the PEDAL connector. If you use the Switch-3, you have direct access to looping and other effect control. See the Switch-3 menu section for details on assigning controls to each Switch-3 button. USB connector Connect to your computer with the included cable. Use the VoiceSupport software to manage presets and update the product’s internal software (firmware). You can download VoiceSupport here: tc-helicon.
Basics Gain settings How the Input LED Level Meter Works input to light the LED green. It’s OK if the LED sometimes lights yellow – but it should never turn red. If it does turn red, reduce the level. Red means that a) the input is overloading and b) you’ve got powerful lungs! The LED on the top of your Play Acoustic is used for both vocal and guitar level metering. Preset Number The unique preset number – i.e., the number of the slot where the preset is stored. In the screen shot above, it is 1.
Basics scale on the fly. “NP” is only shown when a change in key/scale is detected – so don’t panic if you don’t see it all the time. “LOOP” indicator The “LOOP” indicator is shown in the lower right corner of the display when a loop is running, but you are currently not on the Loop mode screen. GB (Guitar Boost) indicator The GB (“Guitar Boost”) indicator is shown in the lower left corner of the display when guitar boost is active.
Basics Switches and operation output is muted to allow tuning, but the dry voice is still passed to the output, allowing you to tune your instrument and still entertain the crowd with witty banter. Activating Loop mode To enter Loop mode, press and hold the DOWN and UP footswitches simultaneously. For more information on the Looper, see “The Looper”.
Basics To exit Loop mode, tap the HIT footswitch. You may exit Loop mode while a loop is still playing. That means you can choose a new vocal sound – and then re-enter Loop mode to add a new overdub to the loop. Loop Undo/Redo To undo a loop overdub, press and hold the DOWN footswitch. To restore the overdub (Redo), press and hold the DOWN footswitch again. Restoring a loop overdub this way is only possible if you have not recorded another overdub after using Undo.
Basics Control knob and arrow buttons icons on the desktop, program behaviors and much more. When each user logs in, the computer recalls all of their custom settings. Depending on how you like you to work with effects, you may find that you like to use a few general purpose Presets. Or you might be the kind of guy or girl who likes to spend a bit more time in advance of the performance to create Presets for all sorts of things.
Basics Changing preset names To change the name of a preset, press the STORE button once, then press the left blue soft button and use the control knob to modify the letters/numbers. Press the STORE button again to complete the process. Storing a preset to another location To save the current preset to a different preset slot (location), press the store button once, then press the right Blue soft Button and use the control knob to select the destination number for the preset.
Basics Soft buttons Mix button Press the Mix button to open the Mix menu, which allows you to adjust the levels of the signals. This button is described in its own chapter: “Mix button/section” Favorite button You can tag a preset as a “Favorite”. This allows you to e.g. mark all presets you want to use in a show and filter out all others. This means that you can use Favorites to create a set list or simply group all the presets you like, regardless of their Genre.
Basics In the Genre menu, use the control knob to navigate through the available options. Select a Genre. Press the BACK button to return to the main window, where you will see only the presets contained within the Genre that you have selected. Presets can be associated with multiple genres. Setup button Press the SETUP button to open the Setup menu, which controls the general functions of the device.
Connection diagrams Connection diagrams Play Acoustic – Reference manual (2014-07-16) 20
Connection diagrams The following connection diagrams show you some common ways to hook up Play Acoustic. For basic information about audio inputs and outputs, see “Inputs and outputs”. Play Acoustic back panel inputs and outputs Mixer setup For connection to your mixer or PA, check out this Craig’s Corner video: youtube.
Connection diagrams Stereo (or mono) vocals and guitar This diagram shows connections for both Stereo and Mono PA applications. If your Play Acoustic is set to Stereo, you’ll need to pan one channel left and the other channel right (or use a single Stereo channel) on your mixer. Vocal/Guitar level mix is achieved within Play Acoustic. In Mono output mode, you have control over the vocal and guitar sounds independently at the PA mixer. In Mono mode, do not pan the channels left and right.
Connection diagrams Mono vocals and guitar amp This configuration works well when you want to pass your guitar signals to an amplifier and your vocal signals to a mixer or powered PA speaker.
Connection diagrams Mono vocal and guitar with a TC-Helicon FX150 This configuration gives you mic-stand-mount monitoring and control over you vocal and guitar channels, while sending a summed mono signal to a mixer or PA. For additional control, you can opt to plug a music player into the Aux channel on the FX150, instead of Play Acoustic, giving you control of Vocals, Guitar and Aux independently. Signals will still be summed to mono at the output of the FX150.
Connection diagrams Mono vocals via FX150 and a guitar amp Here, you can send the vocal signals to an FX150 and guitar signals to an amplifier.
Connection diagrams Guitar and vocals via FX150 and stereo out to a PA In this setup, you can use the Headphone Out from Play Acoustic to send Guitar, Vocal and Aux signals to your FX150 and send a stereo mix to the PA via the Play Acoustic XLR outputs.
Connection diagrams Stereo PA and TC-Helicon Guitar & Headphone cable If you own our Guitar & Headphone cable (sold separately), you can use an external monitor send to the Aux in on Play Acoustic to create a headphone/IEM mix.
Setup button/section Setup button/section Play Acoustic – Reference manual (2014-07-16) 28
Setup button/section Input page (1/7) Input parameter Use the Input parameter to select the type of microphone you will be using. Dynamic Mic setting Use the Dynamic Mic setting for dynamic microphones (like an SM-58 or OM5). Condenser Mic setting Use the Condenser Mic setting for condenser microphones (like a Beta 87a).
Setup button/section Pressing and holding the button on you Mic Control-enabled microphone will engage TALK mode, bypassing all effects. To exit TALK mode, press the microphone button again. NORM+WARMTH setting The NORM+WARMTH setting is similar to normal, with a small “mid bump” to add some warmth to the voice. PRESET UP setting With the PRESET UP setting, pressing the button on you Mic Control-enabled microphone will cycle through the device’s presets, moving forward.
Setup button/section Output page (2/7) Output parameter Use the Output parameter to set how signals are sent over the XLR outputs of Play Acoustic. Vocal/Guitar (DI) setting With the Vocal/Guitar (DI) setting, vocal (and Aux) signals are sent over one XLR connector, and guitar signals over the other. Stereo setting With the Stereo setting, a stereo mix of Vocal, Guitar and Aux signals is sent over both XLR outputs. Mono setting ►► All effected Vocal and Guitar sounds are sent via the left XLR output.
Setup button/section System page (3/7) LCD Contrast parameter Use the LCD Contrast parameter to set the contrast of the LCD screen. Depending on the ambient light in the room, different settings may have more or less effect. UP/DN Function Use the UP/DN Function parameter to define what should happen when you press the DOWN and UP footswitches simultaneously.
Setup button/section System page 2 (4/7) Global Key parameter Use the Global Key parameter to define if key and scale information for harmony generation and/or pitch correction should be global or preset-specific. Off setting Key can be set per individual preset, via direct key setting (C, D, F# etc ), Guitar IN via NaturalPlay, RoomSense or Aux. On setting When a key is chosen within a preset, that key will remain even when you switch to another preset.
Setup button/section Loop page (5/7) Input parameter Use the Input parameter to set the input source(s) for loop recording. The following settings are available: ►► ►► ►► ►► ►► ►► ►► Guitar Lead Aux Lead + Guitar Lead + Aux Guitar + Aux All: With the All setting, everything you hear will also be recorded as part of the loop. Undo parameter Use the Undo parameter to switch the Loop undo function on or off. On setting Undo is active and may be used to undo the last change made to your loop.
Setup button/section Switch-3 page (6/7) Control parameter Switch-3 is an optional, high-quality remote control which you can use with your TC-Helicon device. Use the Control parameter to set the functionality of connected Switch-3. Loop Mode setting With the Loop Mode setting, the three footswitches on a Switch-3 will control loop functions: ►► ►► ►► Button 1 activates Record / Play / Overdub. Button 2 stops recording/playback and can be used to erase the loop (by holding). Button 3 is used for Undo.
Setup button/section Product Info page (7/7) The System Info page contains information about… ►► ►► ►► the installed firmware version, serial number and manufacture date for your device. If you need to contact support, please have this information handy. See “Support resources”.
Vocal FX button/section Vocal FX button/section Play Acoustic – Reference manual (2014-07-16) 37
Vocal FX button/section Press the VOCAL FX button to open the Vocal Effects menu, which is comprised of seven pages. Each page contains the parameters controlling the respective vocal effect block. There is one parameter common to all effects pages: Control parameter Use the Control parameter to turn an effect block on and off. Off setting The effect block is inactive, no signal processing occurs. On setting The effect block is active and will process the signal according to the selected style.
Vocal FX button/section Harmony page (1/7) ►► ►► +7 & -5 Semitones +12 & +7 Semitones +12 & -5 Semitones -12 & +7 Semitones -12 & -5 semitones Use the Harmony block to create harmonies that accompany your lead vocal, using up to two additional voices. ►► Style parameter Level parameter The Style parameter determines the number of harmony voices and the way those voices relate to your lead vocal. Use the Level parameter to control the overall level of the harmonies.
Vocal FX button/section Harmony Advanced page To enter the Harmony Advanced page, press and hold any of the lit Blue Led soft buttons. To exit the Advanced page, press the BACK button. Scale parameter If the Key is set manually (not auto), the advanced menu will allow you set the scale associated with the Key.
Vocal FX button/section Double page (2/7) The Double effect block creates the impression that one or more vocalists are singing in unison, with small differences in the timing and timbre of each voice. Some refer to doubling as “thickening” or “double tracking”. The latter references a recording studio method of singing the same vocal part on two separate tracks and playing them back simultaneously. soft button to select this parameter and use the control knob to adjust the level.
Vocal FX button/section Delay page (3/7) The Delay effect block repeats the input signal based on the style and the current tempo. Style parameter Select the Style menu by pressing the lower left soft button. It will be the only one lit on the left side of the display. soft button to select this parameter and use the control knob to adjust the level. 0 dB is the maximum volume for the effect.
Vocal FX button/section Delay Advanced page To enter the Delay Advanced page, press and hold any of the lit blue LED soft buttons. To exit the Delay Advanced page, press the BACK button. Dly Filter Style parameter Use the Dly Filter Style parameter to add filters to the delay signal that will simulate different types of delay hardware or sound. Choose from the following styles: ►► ►► ►► ►► ►► ►► ►► ►► ►► ►► ►► ►► ►► Experiment with the styles to find what works for your particular sound.
Vocal FX button/section Reverb page (4/7) ►► ►► The Reverb effect block creates “room” around your voice. Essentially, a reverb puts your dry vocal into a simulated space, small or large, to give a sense of depth and distance. Style parameter Use the Style parameter to determine the size of the simulated space and also the type of material being used to create the simulation.
Vocal FX button/section HardTune page (5/7) Ah – HardTune… Some call it the Cher effect and others refer to it as Auto-Tune™. Whatever you name it: If you are looking for that radio-pop tuned sound, this is your effect. Gender parameter Use the Gender parameter to manipulate the timbre of your voice to sound more male or more female in nature.
Vocal FX button/section Transducer page (6/7) The Transducer effect block modifies the sound by adding various filters and overdrive components. Style parameter Use the Style parameter to define the Transducer effect style. Choose from the following styles: ►► ►► ►► ►► ►► ►► ►► ►► Megaphone Radio On The Phone Overdrive Buzz Cut Stack Tweed Combo Drive parameter Use the Drive parameter to control the amount of overdrive applied to the signal.
Vocal FX button/section Transducer Advanced page To enter the Advanced Transducer page, press and hold any of the lit blue LED soft buttons. For more information about feedback and tips on how to reduce or eliminate it, check out this Craig’s Corner video: youtube.com/watch?v=VlN1RJ4gcAo Routing parameter Use the Routing parameter to define which signal components should be affected by the Transducer effect. Gain parameter Use the Gain parameter to control the overall level of the transducer effect.
Vocal FX button/section µMod page (7/7) ►► ►► µMod stands for “micro modulation”. The µMod effect block is used for creating effects that modulate the signal, such as flanger, phaser, panning or chorus. Style parameter Use the Style parameter to select the style of the µMod effect.
Guitar FX button/section Guitar FX button/section Play Acoustic – Reference manual (2014-07-16) 49
Guitar FX button/section Press the GUITAR FX button to open the Guitar Effects menu, which is comprised of five pages. Each page contains the parameters controlling the respective vocal effect block. Guitar effects are handled in the same way as vocal effects – see “Vocal FX button/section”. Guitar sounds in Play Acoustic are global – meaning you only need to adjust them once. As you change presets, your guitar sound will remain the same.
Guitar FX button/section Guitar Reverb page (1/7) ►► ►► Reverb creates “room” around a signal. Essentially, it puts your dry guitar into a simulated space, small or large, to give a sense of depth and distance. ►► ►► ►► ►► ►► ►► Style parameter Use the Style parameter to determine the size of the simulated space and also the type of material being used to create the simulation.
Guitar FX button/section Guitar µMod page (2/7) Just like the vocal effect of the same name, the µMod effect block in the Guitar section applies minute pitch and timing variations to add depth or thickness to the sound. µMod stands for “Micro Modulation”. Depth parameter Use the Depth parameter to adjust the intensity of the modulation effect. Slower speeds often result in more noticeable effects. Style parameter Use the Style parameter to select the style of the µMod effect.
Guitar FX button/section BodyRez EQ page (3/7) Exclusive to Play Acoustic, BodyRez combines equalization, compression and ambience to give your guitar mounted pickup a more natural “mic’d in a room” sound. Style parameter Low Gain parameter Use the Low Gain parameter to control the “bass” range of frequencies within the BodyRez style. Hi Gain parameter Use the Hi Gain parameter to control the “treble” range of frequencies within the BodyRez style.
Guitar FX button/section BodyRez Shelf EQ page (4/7) BodyRez Parametric EQ page (5/7) BodyRez Compressor page (6/7) This page is hidden by default. To access it, enter the Setup menu and change the “BodyRez Editing” parameter from “Basic” to “Advanced”. This page is hidden by default. To access it, enter the Setup menu and change the “BodyRez Editing” parameter from “Basic” to “Advanced”. This page is hidden by default.
Guitar FX button/section Ratio parameter Use the Ratio parameter to define the amount of compression applied to the signal. The signal at the input of the compressor has to exceed the threshold by the number of decibels (dB) set with this parameter to raise the signal at the output by 1 dB. Here is an example: ►► ►► ►► Set the Threshold parameter to -10 dB. Set Ratio to 4.0.
Guitar FX button/section Guitar Anti-Feedback page (7/7) Notch Filter section In live environments, the open body style of acoustic guitars is especially prone to feedback from nearby sound sources such as stage monitors or PA speakers. To assist you with feedback management, there are some controls to address the most common feedback culprits. This very narrow band equalizer can help “hone in” on feedback-causing frequencies and reduce their gain.
Mix button/section Mix button/section Play Acoustic – Reference manual (2014-07-16) 57
Mix button/section Press the MIX button to enter the Mix menu, where various audio signal levels within your Play Acoustic can be adjusted. Mix page (1/2) Harmony parameter Use the Harmony parameter to control the overall level of all voice-generating effect blocks like Harmony and Double. Guitar Level parameter Use the Guitar Level parameter to adjust the output level of the guitar signal. This control is also dependent on the Guitar input level, set in the Setup menu.
Mix button/section Mix page (2/2) USB In Level parameter Use the USB In Level parameter to adjust the level of the incoming USB audio signal (such as backing tracks). This control has no effect if Input is set to USB and you are post-processing the received signal via a DAW. The track controls within the DAW itself will determine the output level (and therefore the Play Acoustic USB input level).
The Looper The Looper Play Acoustic – Reference manual (2014-07-16) 60
The Looper What is looping? Using the Play Acoustic looper Recording your first loop ►► At its core, looping is the simple process of taking a small audio recording and playing it over and over seamlessly. When coupled with creativity and musical ability, the results can be astonishing. Activating Loop mode ►► To enter Loop mode, press and hold the DOWN and UP footswitches simultaneously.
The Looper 4. At the end of the chord progression, press REC again. Play Acoustic will immediately begin to play back the guitar chord progression you just recorded. 5. Begin playing your guitar solo over the recorded chord progression. 6. When the solo section ends, simply stop the loop by pressing the Stop/Era(se) footswitch and play/sing again. This is a very basic example of how a loop can be seamlessly incorporated into your performance.
The Looper Using a Switch-3 for looping Connecting a Switch-3 (optional) to your Play Acoustic will give you permanent access to looping without having to use the DOWN and UP footswitches. It frees up those footswitches, so you can assign them to key/scale selection. This will also allow you to change presets without having to go in and out of Loop mode.
Troubleshooting Troubleshooting Play Acoustic – Reference manual (2014-07-16) 64
Troubleshooting Sometimes, things just aren’t working the way you expect them to. Here are a few things to keep an eye on. ►► General troubleshooting “I’m singing, but I can’t hear anything!” ►► ►► ►► ►► ►► Make sure you have turned up the input gain, so that the input LED is lighting green. Have you plugged in your headphones or connected to a PA? Is the PA turned on, connected to its speakers and receiving signal? If not, check your PA manual to make sure everything is set up correctly.
Appendix Appendix Play Acoustic – Reference manual (2014-07-16) 66
Appendix TC-Helicon scales reference chart Scale Maj 1 Maj 1 Maj 2 Maj 2 Maj 3 Maj 3 Min 1 Min 1 Min 2 Min 2 Min 3 Min 3 Sung Note Chosen voicing/interval 3rd (High/Lower) 5th (Higher/Low) 3rd (High/Lower) 5th (Higher/Low) 3rd (High/Lower) 5th (Higher/Low) 3rd (High/Lower) 5th (Higher/Low) 3rd (High/Lower) 5th (Higher/Low) 3rd (High/Lower) 5th (Higher/Low) Harmony notes in the Key of C C Db D Eb E F Gb G Ab A Bb B E G E G E G Eb G Eb G Eb G nc nc nc nc nc nc nc nc nc nc nc nc F A F A F A
Links Links Play Acoustic – Reference manual (2014-07-16) 68
Links Support resources TC-Helicon on… There is a large FAQ Knowledge base and forum for you to use. Please make sure to search for your particular issue there before submitting a support ticket. It’s likely that someone has already addressed the question and posted an answer. ►► the web: tc-helicon.com/ ►► Facebook: facebook.com/tchelicon ►► ►► Twitter: twitter.com/tchelicon ►► YouTube: youtube.com/tchelicon TC-Helicon Support: tc-helicon.com/support/ ►► TC-Helicon user forum: support.
Technical specifications Technical specifications Play Acoustic – Reference manual (2014-07-16) 70
Technical specifications Features Vocal Effects µMod, Delay, Reverb, Harmony, Double, Transducer, Tone, HardTune & Correction Guitar Effects Reverb (including TC Electronic Hall of Fame Reverb), µMod (including TC Electronic Corona Chorus), BodyRez EQ, Compression, Ambience, Anti-feedback (manual control) VLOOP™ Control Preset Up/Down and HIT footswitches Graphic LCD display Bump-protected Mic Level knob Dual-color backlit buttons Dedicated Effect Block On/Off buttons Design Size and weight Height Wi
Technical specifications A to D Conversion Analog Outputs D to A Conversion Connectors, balanced 24 bit, 128 x oversampling bitstream, 110 dB SNR A-weighted Output Impedance Balanced/ Unbalanced XLR Output 0 dBFS Dynamic Range Frequency Response Headphone Out 300/150 Ohm +2 dBu > 109 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz +0.
Technical specifications Play Acoustic – Reference manual (2014-07-16) 73
