TC-Helicon has debuted the VoiceLive 2, an easy-to-use and powerful floor processor designed to offer singers smooth studio tone, rich harmonies and ear-catching effects.
VoiceLive 2 offers many advancements including new NaturalPlayTM harmonies with up to eight harmony voices controlled from a guitar, MIDI keyboard or MP3 player.
Simultaneous stompbox-style or preset foot-switching allows vocalists to easily engage and layer the six effect blocks, which include a new, more lush reverb, tap tempo delay, natural doubling, T-Pain-like pitch shifting, distortion and megaphone effects.
The one-touch adaptive Tone algorithm automatically controls studio-quality compression, EQ and de-essing to produce the perfect vocal sound quickly and effortlessly. A unique digitally-controlled mic-preamp allows singers to set mic gain while standing.
A widescreen LCD display and ergonomically designed extruded aluminum curve chassis keeps singers connected to their effects without strain or discomfort.
“VoiceLive 2 is a giant leap forward in the evolution of vocal effects,” says TC-Helicon CEO Kevin Alexander. “There have never been more compelling reasons for singers who have experienced the benefits of controlling vocal harmony and effects in performance to upgrade. Also, because it’s so easy to use, any singer can go to entirely new levels of creativity and control.”
Vocalists who make use of effects to captivate their audience have numerous new features available to them with VoiceLive 2. Wide vocal harmony pads can be created through a combination of eight harmony voices, four additional overdub voices and the live Choir effect that emulates large vocal ensembles.
The NaturalPlay algorithms are specifically designed to analyze real-world playing styles and arrange musically appropriate harmonies. Vocalists who don’t play an instrument have the option of controlling harmonies from MP3 tracks sent through the stereo auxiliary input or they can easily select the key and scale during performance and store them for use later.
Ease of use was paramount in designing VoiceLive 2 for real world performance situations. Performers can choose between stompbox-style control of the six effect blocks, or recall complete one of 250+ presets via the illuminated metal footswitches. A wizard feature helps vocalists find a specific vocal sound by using description tags such as “distorted lead”, and “2 voice harmony”.
The DSP processor in VoiceLive 2 has five times the processing power of a typical floor effect. This allows simultaneous use of all the effects including adaptive EQ, compression, de-ess, gate, pitch correction, μMod (micromod), delay, reverb, eight voice harmony, four voice doubling, choir, T-pain style pitch effect, transducer, and distortion.
Even with the heavy processing requirement of this vocal signal path, there is still room for a dedicated guitar effects block that provides compression, EQ, reverb, and detuning for acoustic guitar players.
VoiceLive 2 makes use of TC-Helicon’s acclaimed adaptive Tone feature found in several of its VoiceTone products. The Tone algorithm listens to the singer and automatically adjusts EQ, compression, and de-essing to make their individual voice sound smooth and studio-produced.
A new Auto-Gate feature removes background noise and gives singers more gain before feedback. VoiceLive 2’s back panel includes professional level stereo XLR and one-quarter-inch TRS outputs, digital I/O, MIDI, an auxiliary input, a headphone output, and USB for back-up, upgrades, and interactive support.
To ensure a comfortable and low-effort integration into a singer’s performance, VoiceLive 2 includes several new ergonomic industrial design features. The extruded aluminum curve is designed to place footswitches at angles natural to performers’ feet. Push buttons are recessed for protection and accidental foot presses.
Finally, an integrated soft-touch handle on the bottom of VoiceLive 2 makes for easy carrying to and from performances.
VoiceLive 2 ships in May 2009 at a US retail price of $995 MSRP.
TC-Helicon Website