TC-Helicon - Mixer Setup, Gain Staging and Vocal Processors

One of the most common questions asked by our customers is how to correctly set up a mixer, PA or interface to avoid clipping and distortion for a live performance or recording.
Craig runs down how to connect a TC-Helicon device to a mixer or audio interface.

[@spontaneousgroovincombusti2902]

As a lifelong musician, I've never come up with anything more clever to say when soundchecking than "Check, Check 1, Check 1, 2." Thanks to Craig, I can now add "Hey, Hey-Hey" to my repertoire! ;-)

[@shawnebrown]

Craig, if you ever see this, just know you are still appreciated!

[@colinc3292]

Hi Craig, ....well better (7yrs) late than never ! I just want to say that this video has ABC .... Alcarity, Brevity, and Clarity .... so thank you for such a comprehensive and well presented run-through for connecting up the TC to an audio interface . :)

[@ghostpicker]

Thx Craig! Finally a video that explains this in simple terms. I've watched dozens of videos "explaining" gain staging and yours is the first one that makes it easy to understand. Good job. Side note: Can't wait to get my hands on the new Play Acoustic from TC-H.

[@tchelicon]

Thanks Ghost Picker! Glad to help :)

[@moristar]

"Good luck with getting the band turned down" Liked immediately just for this phrase :)

[@willing2live]

This is a good, useful video. Thanks for including the PA from start to finish.

[@tchelicon]

Thanks for watching Mary Ann!

[@kaywoodparsons5307]

So happy tonight! I ordered the play GTX tru sherwood systems in kitchener. It arrived today with a bigger surprise.I guess the GTX is not made anymore so they sent me the voicelive play electric instead. So basically got the GTX with added features! lovin it!

[@cirommmm]

I've discovered a whole new world right now... Never knew the difference between the trim and the channel levels. Thanks for your dedication , Craig.

[@tchelicon]

Woot! Glad to help :) I have learned a ton on the fly from working here so I'm really happy to share anything I can that will help.

[@wil69kar]

Thx Craig..It helped me a lot to understand why I didnt get enough volume on my PA because I connected only 1 cable from my Tc. helicon to the Mixer. Soon I will be trying to connect the way u showed in your video.... will update u after I m once done..

[@somefuckinguy7107]

This guy has a good way of explaining things.

[@useeatruplaya]

appreciate the video my mixer has pres that needed to be to hot to get the proper levels and I was losing quality. This helped me to get the levels I wanted without having my gain so hot

[@mongocalvin]

Fantastic! Great information and well explained. This answered a lot of questions for me I greatly appreciate it.

[@tchelicon]

You're most welcome!

[@BARNDOO]

Excellent -thanks Pal .

[@davidapgar3036]

Thanks for the video. I'm about to add a Duplicator to my Mackie ProFX12v3 and was looking for this info. I was wondering about experimenting with the Duplicator through an INSERT on the mixer just to see, but this makes sense.

[@Cameron-gx9ds]

Awesome video thanks mate! (even though I'm 2 years out of the loop)

[@sanjeez103]

awesome !!! Thanks for the tips

[@AussieOutlaw]

Thank you for your help

[@KeremPARLAKGUMUS-uc4xb]

it was awesome, useful for me, thank you very much

[@ginza63]

Hey thank you for that, I was getting clipping on my own rig... Cheers!

[@simonwilliams2109]

Thanks Craig

[@nortru]

Thank you so much , you are helping us a lot

[@tchelicon]

@Oğuzhan It's possible to "post-process" using Play. You'll need to set up your dry vocal track to send to the USB Left output. Then, on the Play, set your INPUT to USB. Next, create a NEW track in your DAW with the Play's USB as the source. Record it as you normally would. If you want the track to be effects only and no lead vocal, go into the Play Setup menu and turn LEAD MUTE: ON.

[@mrdiamond7778]

im trying to record with out the music on my pc can go into drtils about this

[@mrdiamond7778]

can i record separately dry voice from the music on a track

[@mrdiamond7778]

O i got the voicelive play

[@7hevan]

thank you so much ....

[@ernestlawsonjr.5669]

Good Job!

[@SLEEPINGJIANTS]

Very helpful. Cheers

[@screight2]

Excellent

[@SHAYNAxmusic]

Thanks for the video. Just wondering if there's a way to separate the guitar and vocals to different channels at your mixing desk when using the Voicelive 2 so that you can adjust the levels separately at your desk? i.e. turn up the guitar on your mixing desk rather than through the voicelive 2 to adjust the levels between guitar and vocals?

[@michael_leclezio]

love how you just plonk the mackie on top of the other mixer!! 😂😂😂

[@robertailman5092]

Just listened to this for the first time...,the stereo idea is intriguing...,I take it that stereo is primarily done for the Efx in the VLPlay, you want a wide sound stage but you also have chorus, etc to consider and that, to my mind always sounds better in stereo....,obviously you need a stereo mixer and then stereo into your DAW channel/track. (BTW - I've heard it's not good to hot-wire your inputs into the mixer, it harms the pre-amps)

[@UnKnownGK]

Hello Craig, just a quick question. assuming that my guitar and vocal levels on the pedal have been set and are ok what is the correct way to use the output level knob on voicelive 2? if for example i have it on -20db and the signal going to the mixer is weak, is it better to raise the output of the pedal or raise the gain knob of the console? thanks in advance

[@WilliamKitchens]

Nicely done video and great teaching style. You should however add that it’s better to set the master fader at unity allowing headroom on each channel for mixing... if all individual channels are set at unity then you’re not mixing anything but the master volume.

[@rickkalil4669]

Feedback is not the issue for me. Getting a blended harmony through a PA is/was my issue. It takes a lot of experimenting to get it right especially with my wireless Sennheiser. I would typically "red light" the Voice Live Play with its gain turned almost all of the way down so I had to go into the wireless receiver and back the AF down to -12 or -18. I then go into my output on the TC unit and boost it to low or medium depending on the board. (usually Mackie ). At that point get my harmony at a nice level. I can then adjust the gain on the board adjust the sliders on both channels to get a natural sounding harmony out front. Hopefully this helps some of you. Since some sound engineers throw a hissy fit about using my Voice Live Play or even any mic other than a Shure 58, I often find myself tethered to a 58 without additional doubling or effect of my choosing. They would never tell a guitar player that he has to play "Eruption" with the house's Fender Mustang and no effect pedals but unless the sound engineer is a singer, he doesn't quite get it.

[@CassioHungria85]

Hi please! I need so much to understand what have you done to achieve good results live. I got a TC helicon voice live play but when I use it, I have to turn gain on the mixer way up.

[@cpr2450]

Great presentation! Can you do a ver.2 of this video by adding the ‘usb mixer to recorder connection’ into the signal chain. Thanks!

[@HanlonBrothers]

Thanks for your video you are very helpful... I have one question, I am running my mp3 backing tracks through the TC helicon (via the aux in) In order to get the key for harmonies, but I find it a pain that both vocals and track are running through the same channel and I want to be able to have this in two separate channels in my mixer one for vocals the other for the tracks so that i can have separate control. Please tell me there is a way of doing this? Thanking you!!!

[@tchelicon]

Sanya Blender I'd definitely plug the mic into the TC-H unit and then go to the mixer. Otherwise, you're very likely to overload the TC-H mic input.

[@larryforlifeable]

hey hey... great attitude!

[@coversongs5284]

A very thorough & excellent demo. Thanks ! Can I use TV Helican in between Mic and JBL Eon All in One Line Array PA system? Or JBL Eon PA is better off without it ?

[@leanbrazy3907]

Can I plug one into a audio interface for studio recording some of the helicon pedals seem great for that like reverb and harminizer

[@MrMissingClue]

Thanks, helped me a lot ;)

[@musicjameskavanagh1690]

Hey Craig, great video. I use the tc Play Acoustic directly into an RCF EVOX 12 speaker. I was considering getting the Presonus AR12 to add to my setup and and open more versatility for others to join in during sessions. Would the AR12 improve my sound quality and would I need to switch off the tone and fx of the Play Acoustic in order to avoid doubling up on reverb etc.? Cheers 👍

[@tchelicon]

HanlonBrothers Unfortunately, the Aux information will always travel with the vocals. You can control the Aux level within the TC-H unit though, so I'd do your track vs. vocal mixing there.

[@tchelicon]

Hi Shanya, Yep, you want to use Dual Mono mode, which you configure in the setup menu. It'll send all of your effected vocals out one XLR and the guitar out the other. Since most PA's are mono, the loss of stereo usually isn't a big deal.

[@alimacpherson7745]

Hi, really enjoyed your video. Couldn’t find many videos explaining set up. I have a question though wondering whether you know what to do? Ive just bought a Voicelive extreme 3 and want to play my Taylor guitar and shure 57beta through the VL3X. Do I need to buy a mixer and a set of speakers to use it properly. Originally I thought I could play it through my Fishman loudbox performer but it doesn’t work for some reason. Any advice on equipment mid to low price that would help me?

[@LoveVibrationNation]

Craig, I have been trying to figure out which TC Helicon to purchase. I make electronic/dance music with R and B flavor vocals. I want to use the TC in my recording and live performances for consistency's sake. I'm using Ableton Live 10 Suite so can I use the TC as an external EFX plug-in type of thing and record the audio into LIve and moreover, can I route the TC so it becomes an external Efx plug into vocals I have already recorded? Sorry, this sounds confusing but we are just doing our own vocals for the first time in 8 years as we don't want to fight with sample packs and be stuck in the remix world all the time. Tried communicating with Sweetwater and American Musical (we buy gear from both) but they really didn't have people properly trained enough on your line to get me real answers. I just don't want to buy the wrong unit. Thanks in Advance-Marco

[@mainaknandy6636]

Hi Craig, I am planning to buy vl3 extreme very soon. Just let me know how I can route my backing vocals through an individual output so that my reverb and delays don’t come out on the harmonies. I need effects on the main vocals only and the harmonies need to be dry . And I want to send harmonies and main vocals to separate channels to PA so that I can have little diff eq settings. Waiting for a response from you and tchelicon.

[@andreshermosillo7465]

quick question, i just ordered the TC Helicon Voicelive Play and was wondering I am able to record with it. Am i able to plug into my laptop and record a vocal track?

[@jakshacksdiys7919]

I have the TC Helicon play acoustic As far as guitar effects go can I have a different guitar effect on every preset or is the guitar effects Global and I would have to change it it's time I want a different effect

[@kai6424]

I can't believe you put the Mackie right on top of the PreSonus! I would love to have that PreSonus. Treat it like that....somebody must have access to much better equipment.

[@daprincehwc]

hellllooooo!!!!!!! you are the best best best best i've been looking for someone to do A to Z setup like you did on the video, i love you man, please you have just improve my experience about audio setup, please i will like you to do video on the best or most efficient way of hocking up .. Ananlog mixer (Mackie) to dbx rack mount and eq. .. i work as a volunteer audio engineer for a local church. thanks.

[@TheOne-dc8bo]

Great video thanks, I have been getting the red light on the play when I usr my Neuman live condenser mic? might have to use SM58. any help would be appreciated

[@Hipster315]

Can I pair voicelive play with mic mechanic 2, to allow for stomp echo Fx while using boost? Or should I be programming my VLP to support on-demand echo Fx, help!?

[@sineadbales2801]

Hi Craig, why do you need to input two xlrs into the mixer if you're only using one mic and one pedal? Thanks

[@monicamomney8756]

What up Craig. I have a Focusrite Scarlett hooked up to tc helicon. It sounds beautiful but at certain points I get very powerful clipping in streaming services and DAW. Wondering if you have any advice? Cheers!

[@pennyeachusmusic8714]

Hi! I'm trying to use my VLP to cover Cannonball. It has a medium reverb on the main part and heavy distortion on the HIT button. I'm having a hard time once I get to rehearsal and we plug it into the mixer. The main part is really loud and the distortion part is too quiet. Maybe what's happening there is what you're talking about in this video. Any suggestions? Also, in general, is there a song setting that is similar to Cannonball?

[@greendrinkguy1882]

At the end when U "SLOWLY TURN UP YOUR MAIN" were u aiming the microphone into the speakers on purpose? R we supposed to aim the mic at the speakers while we slowly turn up the main to determine maximum volume? or.. was that serious mistake?

[@boltonwanderersremembrance903]

Hi Craig could you kindly help me with a preset i am looking for a ub40 / ska sound can extra presets be purchased as well as the onesthat come with box

[@clarkoh]

where do you plug the tc-helicon if the mixer board is not on the stage with you at the venue?

[@alialtuntas5374]

You awesome my friend..it works and blow my neighbours away ! Hahah thanks

[@sharonlenoreanderson]

Small room and I’m just going into a little fender amp that accommodates vocals too- I can only turn amp volume up to one and a half- wouldn’t it be better to have more amp sound.. what should I do??

[@Simon-80]

Top!!!😊😊

[@musicmantrainstitute1449]

I need some help 1] how to use Tc helicon voice live 2 as harmonizing by using the Yamaha PSR series keyboard / Roland FA 06 model as a midi controller in Cubase 8 2] If I use MTK 12 mixer, then how to use Tc helicon voice live 2, with the keyboard as a midi controller to get harmony?

[@kingstonkeys]

hi one more important question. I know H1 can be used with piano as well. but my doubt is im using yamaha psr s 910 keyboard to play in my church. i use the in built rythms during worship. Will i be able to assist my pastor with H1's harmony while im still using the keyboard's rythm. i mean will H1 do harmonies by detecting the chord from accompaniment section of my rythm in keyboard. Hope u understand my question. Pls reply i'm very much looking forward to buy this thing for my church. regards from India ....

[@ytfbms]

Thank you for your prompt response. When you talk about setting up the input correctly....are you meaning to set the gain up correctly? Ie: hold the reverb button down and sing your loudest to set it up? Just want to clarify. Thanking you.

[@tchelicon]

ytfbms Yep, that's it. :)

[@vilecorrupt]

Is a mixer needed for both live performances and home recording/experimenting ?

[@AnfieldAfter9]

looked for this info

[@JoeOrsak]

@TC HELICON ok. I feel like an idiot for having to ask this but... I hooked up my TC Helicon C1 (Mic in to the in and XLR out to the snake which runs to my board.). I hear the pitch corrected vocal and the out of pitch vocal simultaneously. I only want to hear the correct pitch. How do I accomplish that?

[@IndigoProd]

I know this is old, but I'll take a shot. If I'm between getting the new Voicelive play OR both the Correct XT & Create XT, what would give me a more "professional" sound and a better anti feedback response? Also, is the Tone button "effect" the same in both devices?

[@tchelicon]

Jonathan Luisi The Correct XT is the only unit that will give you anti-feedback. In terms of professional sound, the algorithms are very similar between Create and Play. That said, Play is MUCH easier to edit than Create XT. If you're looking to have lots of presets for your songs, I'd certainly go with Play. You could run Correct into Play, but Play has pitch correction and Tone. You just wouldn't get the anti-feedback. To be perfectly honest, getting rid of feedback is something you can do on your own with speaker/mic placement, levels etc. Here's a vid on that: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJ2xYoWAacyWd9E

[@alexchubbymclynn6060]

Craig Hi! Thanks a lot for another great video of yours! All of them are of great help! I have just one question with regard to how to connect VL3X to a mixer. Just to make sure that I am not doing anything wrong. I did manage, frankly, to read the manual but still have some doubts. The question is pretty simple: where do the outputs from VL3X go? To mixer line inputs or mic inputs? Using Mic Mechanic and Harmony Singer I plug them into the mic inputs and it works fine. Sorry for a stupid question but, still, it is better to check it seven times rather than to burn down some circuits.))) Lots of regards and thanks/ Alex (Russia)

[@tchelicon]

Not a stupid question at all! Mixer line inputs are what you'll want to connect your VL3X to! That way, whoever is mixing will have control over how your VL3X is balancing with other Inputs on the mixer!

[@user-xr4sx1xg3b]

Александр и как в результате вы подключили? Ничего не спалили? У меня vl3ex beringer flow8.

[@rickbendel]

Very nicely done...explained well, and hardly any unnecessary fluff. I did have one question...I recently bought a "powered" dynamic mic (Blue enCORE200 w/phantom), and I use the TC Helicon Harmony G. Is there something special i'll need to do because after plugging it in as I normally would with my typical dynamic..I get nothing. Thanks..

[@tchelicon]

+Rick Bendel On Harmony-G I believe you need to press the Manual + Double buttons together to turn on and off Phantom Power.

[@rickbendel]

+TC-Helicon Thank you for the quick response. I did a bit of looking around after i'd sent my question here, and was able to figure it out, regardless.. I thank you. If I may..my pa/mixer has global phantom, and 1 other member of my band is using the same mic I use that needs the 48v phantom so it will have to be turned on at the board for him..will this be okay? I'm concerned that i'll be doubling the 48v by turning it on at the pedal, and cannot omit my channel from the global phantom once its on. Again, I thank you for the response, and for the record I love my Harmony G! :)

[@tchelicon]

+Rick Bendel Yep, you'll be fine. We protect our mic inputs from phantom coming in. It's good to be wary of though. I've blown up several audio interfaces by forgetting to turn phantom off in our devices before connecting an output to our mic input during testing. D'oh!

[@johnnyweep59]

Hi,probably asking a dumb question but here goes- Im looking at purchasing a TC Helicon Mic Mechanic 2, and and was wonderin,once set up to a PA Mixer, does the MM2 take control over PA mixer settings? ie EQ, compression, de-essing and gating so all settings on mixer which I would normally use are just turned completely down/off? hope this makes sense.

[@tchelicon]

Totally makes sense. I'd start by removing every effect and flattening the EQ completely. Treat the signal coming from the Mic Mechanic as closer to a mixed track or other "complete" source. Ideally, the MM2 does the work and you just ride the channel fader to mix it into the rest of the music.

[@noelbulls8628]

I believe the Outputs on tc helicon are line level it would work better if you go line in.

[@MarkandeyaCollective]

Hi! Thanks for posting the video. Im trying to figure out how to lower the overall compressor in the voicelive play 2, (the white one). Where do I find that? just looked through the manual without any luck. Thanks/M

[@tchelicon]

Compression takes place in the Tone settings in the Setup menu. You can't individually control the compression as it's adaptive and part of Tone. You'd have to turn tone off.

[@MarkandeyaCollective]

Thank you!! I have two TC voicelive´s, and enjoy the easy and user friendly design. etc.. Although, I have to ask, why not label compressor as "compressor" and why not label the harmony after their right position, like a 5th or a 3rd etc rather then "high" "higher"..?

[@tchelicon]

For compression, we wanted to simplify what can be quite a mystifying set of controls for the less technical users. Since it's auto adapting anyway, there's not a lot we could offer for control without exposing stuff like threshold and ratio, so we offer the "More Comp" Tone style. I think in VL4 and other future (more complex flagship style) products we might offer a compression or EQ block per preset, but it does lend a lot of complexity and room for changing to a preset that becomes a feedback machine if not set correctly. It's a bit of a minefield. For the "high", "higher" etc. the harmony output isn't directly shifted a 3rd or 5th up. It's doing that a lot of the time, but it makes intelligent note choices based on the chords you're playing and the lead note that you're singing, which may not always be that strict shift.

[@PokiBG]

Aren't you supposed to connect the VoiceLive outputs into the mixer JACK inputs, in order to bypass the mic preamps on the mixer, since the signal is already at line level?

[@Nguyen12121]

Thanks for replying Craig. How do i hook it up? I was thinking Post Aux Send -to- Mic input. 1/4 out L/R -to- ST1 L/R in. Is that correct?

[@tchelicon]

Kent Nguyen Here's a super quick and dirty diagram. I only had an image of a VL3 back panel, but it's the same idea with your VL2. dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/40864719/VL3-Aux-Loop.jpg Make sure to watch the gain staging. Set the input trim for each mic on the board. Then, the SEND level will be the signal level to the VL2, so make sure you're sending enough to not overload the VL2 input. Then, you'll probably want the VL2 to send back Line level output. Also, you may want to use LEAD MUTE turned on in the setup menu of the VL2 so that you only get back the actual effects, not the original mic sounds. An alternate way to do things is to come back to two channels on the mixer rather than the aux returns. That will give you "fader" style control over the effects coming back to VL2. Hope that helps!

[@kendallartworks8786]

I use the same Mackie mixer in the video. One question I still have is do you always set the channel faders to Unity or is there a way to know what the right level for this is, similar to the way you know what the right level is for the trim and master based on the meter and feedback?

[@tchelicon]

+Kendall Artworks I set the channel faders to unity at first, but then adjust as necessary when mixing the actual show. The main thing is getting the gain correct at the trim knob so that you're not clipping the input. The fader can then be manipulated knowing that your incoming level is clean.

[@jeremyjamesmusic]

Really like this vid! And I get how you put the mic at Unity it Zero and increase the Mains. What I don’t understand is how do you do that with multiple inputs? You can’t put drums, guitars, bass, all at unity then turn up the Mains, right? Or is that the idea behind the trim, to allow you to get the inputs all to unity then just up the Mains? Please help!

[@topdazzle]

I know your question is 2 years old but I only just saw it when I was reading the comments, saw that you had no response and thought I'd try and help you out. This video assumes that all you are putting through the PA is the vocals. If you are putting other instruments, etc. through the PA then yes - you are right, you wouldn't put them all to unity on their individual faders / level knobs - you would adjust these to get a pleasing mix so that nothing is too dominant or, if it is, that it's meant to be (such as your vocals) and then control the overall level (or volume / loudness) with the master fader / master level knob. The gain or trim knob is to ensure a good strong signal through the desk without clipping and has nothing to do with loudness or volume (although higher gain will increase the volume) - once the gain is set correctly you leave it be and adjust volume from either the individual channel faders (for each input) or the master fader (for the overall volume of the entire mix). It makes me cringe when I see people messing with the gain / trim knobs after they have been set because they want things louder! I hope this makes sense but if you need extra help then check out the video on my channel - "Mixing Desks for Noobs" and this should help with the explanation. It's not great video quality but it might help you out. Best wishes, Darren

[@jeremyjamesmusic]

@@topdazzle thank you so much! I’ve actually learned a bit in the 2 years since I’ve posted my question, it I truly appreciate you getting back to me! And I will check out the recommended video! Thank you again! -Jay

[@ed.t.hansen6499]

why not any comparisons of this vs the Boss sy-300 guitar synth; different or same sounds on what they can do; or nOT ?

[@AlatheaReese]

Hi! I'm have this vocal pedal and usually just use the left channel for singing live but I am wondering if there is a way to send a dry mix (right channel?) to my monitor while sending the wet to the house?

[@tchelicon]

If you have a unit with 2 XLR outs, there's typically a "MONO" output mode that sends Dry/Wet (full mix mono) from one XLR out and DRY from the other. I think you could achieve what you're looking for in that case.

[@oguzhanakgul3874]

Hi , I bougt voicelive play and i want to use in my studio not live performance . I mean , when i'm recording with cubase and mix a track . After that , Can i give echo or any effect on my vocal with voicelive play ? Please answer me ..

[@MrTechTime]

Hi, great video, my question is i have a voicelive 3 and a macky 8 channel mixer - for the purpose of letting several people use the voicelive, can you go from the mixer into the voicelive then then out of voicelive to your amp - that way anyone using the mixer microphones will be going through the Voicelive 3 - is this possible or am i missing something..?

[@tchelicon]

You can use the voicelive on an Aux send from the board, but there's a catch. Anything that uses pitch correction/detection (adaptive tone, harmony, pitch correction, doubling, choir, vocoder) all need a single, monophonic input to work correctly. You could use Transducer, Reverb, Echo, uMod for more than one voice at a time, but that'd be it. If you're wanting to have the VL3 available to several different channels on the board, but only use it with one at a time, that would have the more "full" functionality. You'd just have to manage who's being sent via the auxes on the board as you change singers using the VL3.

[@francoismostert7130]

Is there a video how to process pre recorded tracks with VL3X + Scarlett 6I6 + Macbook Pro - setup etc. ? Thx for all your nice videos!

[@tchelicon]

Hey Francois! Unfortunately no, we aren't able to make tutorial videos for all possible gear setups. I would encourage you to head over to our website forum to explore how other users have setup their systems using pre-recorded tracks! forum.musictribe.com/search.php?searchid=1990385

[@leonidkivulon2038]

I bought this . I received it today . I remember asking someone who did a video on it and I asked a question of what is everything that is needed for me to be able to use it. And I was told the voiceliveplay and a mic (and I got the mp-75 mic) and I don’t know but I’m trying to use it and it’s not working for me.. what am I missing . All I have is the voiceliveplay and the mic and the wire connector for mic to the pedal. And the power cord that’s all . What am I missing please help

[@skippy4246]

Leonid, you also have to have some type of amplified speaker. Whether that's a powered mixer to speakers, unpowered mixer to powered speakers, Analog/Digital interface to computer with powered monitors, or an amp or headphones.

[@caleb5533]

Anyway I can use a VoiceTone R1 on PC, like just using it as a microphone almost as a XLR microphone adapter. I have a microphone and have a USB cord plugged into my PC and all that but I do not know how to set it up.

[@MatthewChambersMusic]

Hey Craig, I discovered you while reading my Play Acoustic manual and you seem to be the right guy to ask this question. Can you give specific information on setting up the Play Acoustic with a Bose L1 Model 2 p.a. with the Tonematch mixer? I have mine hooked up...however I want to be sure that I'm correctly set up. Any information you might provide would be greatly appreciated by me and the folks at the Bose forum as well.

[@tchelicon]

Matthew Chambers Sure thing. Turn tone match off on the Play Acoustic channels. Any of the Tone and Bodyrez processing done in Play Acoustic doesn't need further processing by ToneMatch. Just connect direct in stereo or vocal/DI (PA's default output mode) and set the gains at the Bose so that you're not overloading the inputs. You're all set.

[@aaroneinhorn380]

why do you have two cabels coming out of voice live , is that a must is one cable not enough????

[@SoulStationOz]

I've recently puchased a VL3 and I'm wondering if there is are thoughts about adding a master 31 band eq to the firmware? What prompts my question is when you said turn the master up til feedback then turn back. I've worked as a live engineer for over 20yrs and as we all know there are good ones and others not so good so it would be nice to be able to address the frequencies that feedback other than just turning down. Generally speaking you will get a better sound addressing them even if there is no feedback

[@tchelicon]

SoulStationOz Heya, an EQ that expansive is a bit more than we want to offer. We're more likely to look at anti-feedback in future products than a very fine band EQ.

[@EddyDean]

Hello Craig, When playing MP3's/Music/Tracks etc. Which is the best way to do it? Run 1/8 plug from your player ie Laptop, Cellphone etc through the TC-H or my Soundboard/Mixer? Great explanation of a lot of things by the way!! Thanks!!

[@tchelicon]

If you want the TCH product to ever use the music signal for key/scale for harmony/hardtune, you'd want to run music into the Aux so it can be analyzed by the chord detection algorithm. It's also handy if you're using the headphone output for in-ears or otherwise wanting the TCH product to have control over the relative mix between your voice/guitar and tracks. If you just want to send tracks to front-of-house and don't need the other stuff I mentioned, you can just go direct and then get some track back in your monitors.

[@dmet5810]

Thank you for the excellent video-live application seems pretty straight forward. How would one go about setting up a Voiceworks plus in a studio setting? Would you position the TC Helicon between the mic and interface or would you set it up through an aux channel on the interface?

[@tchelicon]

+Derek Met I'd go direct from mic to VW and then into an interface. It's the simplest way to get going.

[@derikcorl3245]

+TC-Helicon Hey, so I have the AKG c214 coming in the mail soon and been thinking of turning to the voicetone create and the correct for live and hopefully recording use. This answers my question on it's accessibility as far as a means to use it through an interface (mine being the Scarlett 8i8) . Can these TC products serve to "pre-amp" the mic or cleaning boost the signal?

[@derikcorl3245]

+Derik Corl cleanly*

[@Nguyen12121]

Can i use the Voicelive2 as an effects processor to 2 or more microphones? or does it have to be 1 Voicelive for 1 mic?

[@tchelicon]

Kent Nguyen It's a bit dependent on the effects you want to use. If you stick to reverb/delay you can use more than one (in an Aux loop from the mixer). As soon as you want to produce voices like harmony/double or use tuning, it needs to be a single voice.

[@ryancohenmusic]

Craig - quick question. I was trying to do an online show on concert window and wanted To bypass the mic on my MacBook Pro (obviously). Is there a way to use my condenser mic into the acoustic play and have the audio sent to the live stream? What would be the best way to do this? Thanks Craig !

[@tchelicon]

Sure. Play Acoustic supports USB audio. Plug your condenser into the mic input on Play Acoustic and connect the Play to your Mac via USB. Choose the Play as your recording and playback device. Monitor via headphones connected to the Play.

[@ryancohenmusic]

TC-Helicon you're the best !

[@sghlefty]

I have a singer who uses a wireless mic, and in ear monitors. She wants to use the vocal effects pedal but does not want to hear the effects in her in ear monitor.. how do I go about hooking that up?

[@SisterSandoz]

Question we have a small practice space. Ive just received some EV ZLX 15P 1000 watt powered speakers. In reheasal we dont mic anything. Our singer uses the Voicelive play. We have always just run in mono left out to the stage snake. But in our small rehearsal space could I just run the VLP stereo directly to the powered EVs? Want to make rehearsals simple.

[@tchelicon]

6l6rock Yep, sure could! Just put it into stereo mode and run an XLR to each powered speaker.

[@jrrdmoore]

First, thanks for the great video! Second, to make harmonies more reliable in live use without depending on guitar, I'd like to pipe output from the mixer into both my VLT2 and Play Acoustic. The simplest option for mt is to split off a monitor signal into the aux in. I know splitting can present complications, but my main concern is that the monitor signal is coming from the amp. Can these units hand a powered input like that, or will it fry the units? I know im not acknowledging all of obstacles depending which unit I'm working on, but I think I can sort that all out. I just dont want to damage these awesome tools in an unfortunate round of trial and error. Thanks!

[@tchelicon]

+jrrdmoore The Aux input can handle a line level input but not the powered type electrical signal you'd connect directly to a speaker. Is it an Aux send from the board or the actual speaker output from an amplifier?

[@jrrdmoore]

+TC-Helicon This kind of customer service why I have quickly become loyal to you guys! Yes the feed I was hoping to use would be coming from the amp. common sense told me it probably wouldnt work. I just didn't want to underestimate you or your products. I will have to work on an alternative setup. Does it matter if the input is balanced or unbalanced? I can probably grab the signal before the amp, but the signal from the board to the monitor is a balanced signal. If that messes with things, I will probably have to pick up a hub to run things through before it leaves the stage and hits the mixer.

[@tchelicon]

+jrrdmoore Thanks for checking! I think a powered signal would probably have created some unwanted pyro for your show. ;) It's a stereo TRSS input, which I believe are typically unbalanced, but there won't be any harm sending a balanced signal. It may just come in on "one side" of the stereo input.

[@Unplugged704]

I recently bought the GTX. I'll only use it for singing and acoustic guitar (no electric) on stage. I read somewhere that for my use it's best to upgrade the "No Amp" presets of the 500 megapack. Is that correct? If so will I have settings like chorus/delays/reverb for those presets? Not sure how many presets there are for acoustic guitar.

[@tchelicon]

Hi Yakman NC, the No Amp pack simply sets all of the Amp Type controls to No Amp, so you don't have to do it manually in each preset. All of the other EQ, Delay, uMod and Reverb settings are still the same and totally configurable. It was just a convenience pack, since it's a lot of manual labor to go through every preset and change that single setting.

[@KevsGuide]

hi can you connect the TC to the FX send so that multiple mics would be processed?

[@tchelicon]

Our units are intended for a monophonic input. You can use Reverb, Echo, Transducer on multiple voices, but anything requiring pitch detection (Harmony, Doubling, Correction, Tone) can't work on more than one voice.

[@kingstonkeys]

could somebody please help me?? jus wanted to know... i want to buy a H1 pedal that has harmony but not reverb n delays... but i have a mackie mixer with effects like delay n reverb... can i combine them to get my harmony with reverb ? confused pls help...

[@tchelicon]

Hi, an H1 can definitely be used with board reverb and delay. If you are looking for your own reverb, you can go with our newer Harmony Singer pedal which give harmony and reverb in one pedal!

[@kingstonkeys]

TC-Helicon thank u so much. you saved my day ...

[@colinwade2423]

Hi Craig, I have just bought aVL3. I play a lot of the Shadows songs, and i wondered if i can get Hank Marvins guitar sound from my VoiceLive3. If i can could you please tell me how to achieve it. I hope you can help me, many thanks Colin.

[@tchelicon]

+colin wade Heya Colin, I'd suggest heading over to the forums. There's a fair number of users there who have been messing with guitar sounds and might be able to chime in. If you give some audio examples/links to what you want to sound like and some examples of where you are currently with the VL3 sounds, we/they can probably give some pointers. support.tc-helicon.com/categories/20073491-User-Forum

[@lcpowell]

Craig is awesome. Did I hear an "out" and "not" Canadian accent?

[@K1KLASSIC]

I jus purchased a voicelive play...i want to connect it in my existing setup...my condenser mic goes into art pro channel 2 preamp (phantom on)and out into 18i8 scarlett interface (phantom off)can u explain how i should insert voicelive play and correct SETUP options....THANKS

[@GoldstripesMusic]

mic -> voice live (choose condenser in page 1 of setup at *input* , ensure you have dual Mono on page two of setup *output* and you are going out of left out on voicelive) -> art pro (phantom off) -> 18i8 scarlett (phantom off) -> Studio Monitors

[@K1KLASSIC]

@@GoldstripesMusic oh ok thanks...as of now i hav mic into Art (phantom on)out into Vlp (phantom off)out into 18i8 3/4 (phantom off)gain down...tryin to get levels jus right...hardtune really not HITTING how i like/thought it would...hoping i dont need to return it.

[@mollym4616]

Question: Using a condenser microphone and the mixer has a separate 'phantom power' button.. Will the mixer's 'phantom power' button need to be pushed, or will my TCLive3 Extreme do the work?

[@tchelicon]

Hi Molly, if you are running the Mic through the VL3X first and VL3x has phantom power enabled, then the mixer shouldn't need it.