Tc-Helicon Voicelive 3 Reference Manual English

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The manual provides an overview and instructions for setting up and using the features of the TC Helicon VoiceLive 3 vocal processor.

The VoiceLive 3 has XLR and 1/4" inputs for voice, 1/4" input for guitar, 1/4" headphone output, and XLR outputs for voice.

The VoiceLive 3 allows editing of effects for the vocal and guitar layers separately. It includes effects like reverb, delay, pitch correction, and more. Presets are also included.

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 VoiceLive3

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

VoiceLive3 overview
Getting started setting up
Quick troubleshooting tips
Getting to know VoiceLive3
Tips and tricks for working with
layers and effects

23
24
29
30
48

Editing the Vocal layer


Harmony block/tab
Double block/tab
Vocal Delay block/tab
Vocal Reverb block/tab
HardTune block/tab
Synth block/tab
Transducer block/tab
Vocal Mod block/tab
Choir block/tab
Vocal Rhythmic block/tab
Stutter block/tab
Vocal Buttonmap block/tab

52
53
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65

Editing the Guitar layer


Amp block/tab
Drive block/tab
Guitar Delay block/tab
Guitar Reverb block/tab
Comp(ression) block/tab
Wah (Wah-Wah) block/tab
Mod block/tab
Octaver block/tab
Guitar Rhythmic block/tab
Guitar Buttonmap block/tab

67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77

The Looper
Basic Loop concepts and terms
Entering and exiting Loop mode
Your first loop
The Utility menu
Loop limits

78
79
80
80
84
88

Setup
Input tab
Output tab
Guitar tab
MIDI tab
Tone tab
System tab
Buttonmap tab
Pedal Calibration tab
Product info tab

89
90
94
96
98
102
108
111
116
116

Appendix
MIDI CC List
System Maintenance/Factory Reset

117
118
119

Technical Specifications
Features
Design
Connections
Details
Included with VoiceLive 3

120
121
121
122
123
123

Product

VoiceLive 3

Product (firmware) version

1.0 R55

Document

Reference manual

Document version/date

2014-01-30

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) a

Important safety instructions

Important safety instructions


VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 1

1. Read these instructions.


2. Keep these instructions.
3. Heed all warnings.
4. Follow all instructions.
5. Do not use this apparatus near water.
6. Clean only with a dry cloth.
7. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturers
instructions.
8. Do not install near any heat sources such
as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other
apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
9. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A polarized
plug has two blades with one wider than
the other. A grounding-type plug has two
blades and a third grounding prong. The
wide blade or the third prong is provided for
your safety. If the provided plug does not fit
into your outlet, consult an electrician for
replacement of the obsolete outlet.
10. Protect the power cord from being walked
on or pinched, particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where
they exit from the apparatus.
11. Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.
12. Use only with a cart, stand, tripod,
bracket, or table specified by the
manufacturer, or sold with the apparatus. When a cart is used, use
caution when moving the cart/apparatus
combination to avoid injury from tip-over.
13. Unplug this apparatus during lightning
storms or when unused for long periods of
time.

Important safety instructions

14. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way,
such as power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects
have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture,
does not operate normally, or has been
dropped.

Caution
You are cautioned that any change or modifications not expressly approved in this manual
could void your authority to operate this equipment.

Service
All service must be performed by qualified
personnel.
There are no user-serviceable parts inside.

Warning
To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do
not expose this apparatus to rain or moisture
and objects filled with liquids, such as vases,
should not be placed on this apparatus.
This apparatus must be earthed.
Use a three wire grounding type line cord like
the one supplied with the product.
Be advised that different operating voltages
require the use of different types of line cord
and attachment plugs.
Check the voltage in your area and use the
correct type.
Voltage

Line plug according to standard

110 to 125V UL817 and CSA C22.2 no42.


220 to 230V CEE7 page VII, SR section 1072-D1/IEC83 pageC4.
This equipment should be installed near the
socket outlet and disconnection of the device
should be easily accessible.
To completely disconnect from AC mains, disconnect the power supply cord from the AC
receptacle.
The mains plug of the power supply shall remain readily operable.
Do not install this device in a confined space.
For use at an altitude of 2000m or lower.
Do not open the unit risk of electric shock
inside.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 2

Important safety instructions

EMC/EMI

For customers in Canada

Explanation of graphic symbols

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 numrique de la classe B est


conforme la norme NMB-003 du Canada.

The lightning bolt triangle is used to


alert the user to the presence of uninsulated dangerous voltages within
the units chassis that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of
electric shock to humans.

The exclamation point triangle is used


to alert the user to presence of important operating and service instructions
in the literature accompanying the
product.

These limits are designed to provide reasonable


protection against harmful interference in residential installations. This equipment generates,
uses and can radiate radio frequency energy
and, if not installed and used in accordance with
the instructions, may cause harmful interference
to radio communications. However, there is no
guarantee that interference will not occur in a
particular installation.
If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can
be determined by turning the equipment off and
on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the
interference by one or more of the following
measures:
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is
connected.
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 3

Before you begin

Before you begin


VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 4

Before you begin

About this manual

Getting support

Please register your VoiceLive3

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 VoiceLive3 using the VoiceSupport software, launch VoiceSupport and click on
the ACCOUNT button.

You can download the most current version of


this reference manual from
tc-helicon.com/products/voicelive-3/support/
To get the most from this reference manual,
please read it from start to finish, or you may
miss important information.

VoiceSupport

! Please note that registration of your product is


NOT required to use VoiceSupport, download
presets, update firmware or contact support.

VoiceSupport is the application that allows you


to fully unlock the potential of your TC-Helicon
product and stay in touch with the latest news,
tips and tricks.
VoiceSupport key features include:
Professionally authored preset libraries
Direct access to product manuals
Update messaging helping you stay up to
date with the latest software
Drag & drop preset management
Customizable content about your products
VoiceCouncil feeds for the latest advice for
singers
Firmware upgrading
Account management
Access to support.
You can download VoiceSupport for Microsoft
Windows and Mac OS X from
tc-helicon.com/products/voicesupport/

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 5

Introduction

Introduction
VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 6

Introduction

Welcome to the
VoiceLive3 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. We at TC-Helicon are
honored that you chose to spend your hardearned money on our vocal, guitar and loop
processing system and we are confident that
VoiceLive3 will fundamentally change your performances.
As you discovered in the Quick Start Guide (the
short manual that came in the box), VoiceLive3
is easy to use at the top level but offers unprecedented depth in both control and editing. We
recommend you treat your VoiceLive3 like any
other new instrument and dedicate some time to
learning how to use it.
Yes, that means RTFM!

VoiceLive3 is built on the fundamental concept


of layers. From a design perspective, there are
thee layers to work with:

We also recognize that layers and remappable


footswitches can be a bit daunting to learn.
This is why we have designed the system to be
consistent and straightforward. Once you have
learned how to remap one footswitch, you know
how to remap them all.

Vocal
Guitar
Looping

Read the full manual.


You may switch between layers using the Layer
footswitch, which we will discuss in more detail
later in the manual.
Essentially, when you tap the Layer footswitch,
the effects associated with the six effect footswitches (labeled Mod, Delay, Reverb, HIT,
Double/Comp, Harmony/Drive) will change from
vocal effects to guitar effects or looping controls.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 7

Introduction

Global effects
Another common request from TC-Helicon users
has been for global effects. VoiceLive3 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. There are
endless possibilities for Global effects handling,
but here are a couple we think you might like:

What does that mean for you? Easier, quicker Preset creation and access to consistent
sounds!

Use the same guitar effects


across all Presets
This essentially turns VoiceLive 3s Guitar layer
into a series of stomp-boxes that you only need
to set up once.

Here is an example:

How do I do that?

I want to use this great reverb on a whole bunch


of Presets. How do I do that?

Simply edit ANY Preset until all of the guitar


effects and footswitch assignments are how
you like them.
Enter the Setup menu and navigate to the System tab using the horizontal Arrow buttons.
Dial the Control knob until the line saying All
Guitar FX Global: Off is highlighted.
Turn Mix knob 3 or Mix knob 4 under the display until Off changes to on.
Done! Every Preset will now have the same
guitar sounds.

First, edit the guitar reverb on your Global Preset (by default, this is Preset no. 491). Editing
guitar settings is explained in greater detail in
Editing the Guitar layer on page 67.
Then go to each Preset where you would like
to use the same Reverb, go to the Reverb
settings and change the Global parameter to
On.

Just edit the Global Presets Delay setting.


Go to each Preset where you would like to use
the same Delay, go to the Delay settings and
change the Global parameter to On.
Always use the same guitar amp model,
but have everything else change
Easy! Adjust the Global Presets Amp setting
the way you want it.
Go to each Preset where you would like to use
the same Amp, go to the Amp settings and
change the Global parameter to On.
Updating Global settings
The Global system is opt in. This means each
Preset carries its own individual settings until
you change an effect to Global. Once that happens, the current Preset and Global Preset settings become shared.
Once you have changed an effect to Global
ON, any edits you make within that Preset affect the Global settings as well. This means
you dont have to bounce back and forth between the Global and current Preset to make
changes to Global effects.

Done! This Preset will now use the Reverb settings from the Global Preset.

Set All Guitar FX Global to On to use the


same guitar effect in all Presets
Setting Global to on links an effect to the settings defined in the Global Preset

Make sure a particular effect


always sounds the same
Want a certain Delay available in every Preset?
No problem.

It also means that you need to be aware of the


above, so you dont accidentally edit a Global
setting, thinking you are only editing the current
Preset. With great power comes great responsibility!

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 8

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.

There are a few different Sync modes in the


Looper so be sure to read the The Utility
menu on page 84 to familiarize yourself with
the way they affect your loops.

Store loops
Those of you who have jumped on board with
looping have likely made a really, really good
loop in the past only to see it vanish into thin
air when you power off the device. VoiceLive3
allows you to store your creations right in
the box!

Loop Utility menu with Save function


The Swap feature allows you to record two loops
and alternate between them with the push of a
footswitch. This is particularly useful for recording different sections of a song, (like a verse
and chorus) and quickly moving between them.

Not only can you store your loops you can


assign a stored loop to a Preset. This, in our
opinion, is a game changer.
Imagine recording a really cool ambient loop,
synced to the tempo of your song, while you are
at home and then fire it off at your gig. If the
band is using a click track, everything will line up
perfectly with what you are playing, including all
of your time-based vocal and guitar effects!

Looper Swap feature


Loop length no longer matters. In some loopers, your longest loop track will dictate the length
of all others, which can be a big hassle. Imagine
a beat box style rhythm that is 1 bar long and a
guitar progression that is 8 bars long. In the past,
you would have to record 8 bars of the beat
box segment in order for there to be enough

This storage ability removes a lot of the repetitive


nature of building loops live in front of an audience. Sure, its neat the first time you see someone build a loop live, but then it gets a bit boring.
It often takes a while to get all of the bits of the
loop recorded. You can do that work in advance
and then add to things in real-time during performance.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 9

Introduction

If you are using backing tracks, you can even record them into the looper and use VoiceLive3 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.

More and more people are jumping into the In


Ear Monitor (IEM) pool. Its a great thing to do
but it can often require a fairly complex setup.
VoiceLive 3 offers two features that make custom monitor mixing really easy for you.

VoiceLive 3 takes that ball and runs with it. In


fact, it pulls a Forrest Gump and runs straight out
of the stadium and across the country!

Guitar effects in VoiceLive 3


The guitar effects in VoiceLive3 come from some
of TC Electronics most successful effects, like
Corona Chorus, Hall of Fame Reverb, Vortex
Flanger and Flashback Delay!
When you couple those beautiful effects with
great amp modeling, Drive/Boost, Compression,
Rhythm/Tremolo, Wah-wah and Octave Down,
you can truly manipulate your guitar and vocal
sounds as a cohesive unit.

Monitor IN
Using the Monitor IN XLR connection, you can
bring a monitor or cue mix into your VoiceLive3, blending it with your own vocal, guitar and
loop sounds. The incoming monitor IN does not
get passed back out of the unit so you can rest
assured that it wont cause feedback.

Headphone Mix
VoiceLive 3s headphone mix is independent of
the output mix allowing you to hear what you
want in your headphones or IEMs, without affecting what comes from the main outputs.

Headphone Mix

Imagine your time-based vocal and guitar effects


being perfectly in sync, without having to set up
complex timing systems or tapping tempo on
multiple devices. Everything just lines up!

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 10

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. Using our included Guitar/
Headphone cable, you only use one cable to
connect your guitar and headphones/IEMs to
the unit!

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 11

Introduction

Top panel overview

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. Setup button
Use the setup button to access
to all system setup settings,
including Input, Output, MIDI,
Tone, Guitar and more.
Push and hold the Setup button to enter the
automated microphone and guitar gain setting
mode.

3. Store button
Use the Store button to store
Presets. Tap once to activate
the store procedure. Tap again
to confirm.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 12

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. Control knob
Use the Control knob to move
through Presets and scrolls up/
down when in an edit screen.
When in the Home screen,
press to add or remove the
current Preset from the Favorite genre.

6. Vocal button
Use the Vocal button to enter
the Vocal edit screens. This is
where you can make changes
to the vocal effects for the current Preset. For more information, see Editing the Vocal layer on page 52.

9. Mix knobs
From the Home screen, turning any mix knob enters the
Mix screens (Main, Headphones and Effects).
Within an Edit page, the mix knobs adjust values
and settings.

10. Arrow buttons


When you are on the Home
screen, you can use the Arrow buttons to move through
Presets.
When you are on an Edit screen, use the Arrow
buttons to move between pages.

7. Guitar button

11. NP LED

Use the Guitar button to enter Guitar edit screens. This is


where you can make changes
to any of the guitar effects for
the current Preset. For more
information, see Editing the Guitar layer on
page 67.

The NP LED lights when NaturalPlay (chord) information is


received via Guitar, MIDI, Aux
or RoomSense.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 13

Introduction

Footswitches overview

Below is a description of the footswitches on


VoiceLive3. Some switches will be discussed in
more detail later in the manual.

1. Preset up/Preset down footswitches

1
3

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.
Talk/Tuner mode mutes guitar
output, activates the guitar tuner and bypasses all vocal effects so you can speak to your
audience.
You can still tap the Preset Up and
Down Preset buttons while in Talk/Tuner mode
to change presets. This is great for changing
presets while addressing the audience to queue
sounds for your next song.
To exit Talk/Tuner, press any button other than
Preset Up or Preset Down.
For more information, see Talk/Tuner Mode on
page 38.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 14

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.

Here are a couple of examples showing how the


effects footswitches might look when each layer
is active:

Vocal Layer with Reverb, Double and Harmony


activated.

Vocal Layer with some guitar effects remapped


to vocal effect footswitches. You may find that
you would like to hang out on a particular layer
(Vocal or Guitar) and have access to a key effect
or effects from another layer. Remapping footswitches allows you do to just that. This is best
referred to as a mixed layer. This is a more advanced operational mode that we will cover later.

Guitar Layer with Mod (lets say its Flanger for


this example), Delay and Drive activated. If you
were previously on the Vocal Layer, you would
tap the Layer footswitch to move to the Guitar
Layer, changing the footswitch LED color from
blue to red.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 15

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. Mod footswitch
Tap the Mod footswitch to turn the
micro-modulation (Mod) effect on
or off.

The Mod block encompasses effects such as


Chorus, Flange, Detune and Rotor.

Adding a different Preset as a Step


Step management
To accept changes, tap Step.
To delete the current step, tap the Layer footswitch.
To cancel, press Home.

Step management
You can use the current Preset or a different Preset as a Step.
If you are using the current Preset, make sure
that it sounds the way you want it to before you
enter Step management.

The Step footswitch can be Globally reassigned


to several different functions such as Tap Tempo, HIT, Set Key, any Vocal or Guitar effect and
more. We have found that remapping Step to
enter/leave the Looper can be incredibly useful
in performance, when you need quick access in
and out.
For more information about Steps, see Using
Steps on page 31.

Adding a Step to a Preset

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 16

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


Note, Multi-Tap and Ping Pong.

HIT is covered in greater detail in Using the HIT


footswitch on page 35.

Tempo tapping
To access tempo tapping, hold the Delay footswitch.
Tap the footswitch in time with your song.
A few taps are enough.
When you are happy with the tempo, stop tapping.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 17

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).

On the Guitar layer, tap the Double/Comp footswitch to turn the Compressor on or off.

On the Guitar layer, tap the Harmony/Drive footswitch to turn the Drive effect on or off.
Drive encompasses effects such as Boost, Boost
& Drive and Drive.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 18

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. DC Power connector
2. XLR & Combo jack
3. Guitar input
4. 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.
You can also connect a second expression
pedal here see Working with a second expression pedal on page 50.
7. Expression (pedal) In

Inputs

4
SWITCH-3

VoiceLive 3 inputs overview

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 19

Introduction

Outputs

VoiceLive 3 outputs overview

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. Headphone out: Connect headphones or
IEMs to the Headphone out and use the Headphone Mix to set up your personal mix.
4. Main Outputs: The Main Outputs carry Vocals & Effects. If nothing is connected to the
Guitar outputs, Main outputs also carry Guitar
signals.
5. Guitar Outputs: The Guitar outputs carry the
Guitar signal. If only one output is connected,
guitar output is automatically in MONO. When
you connect the Guitar Out(s) to your amp(s),
guitar sounds will be removed from the Main
outputs.
6. MIDI Out: The MIDI Out jack sends MIDI Control Change messages (MIDI CCs) related to
footswitches and buttons pressed on VoiceLive 3. If no CC is sent, there is likely no CC
assigned to that particular action.
Currently, Vocal & Guitar effects ON/OFF and
their respective levels are represented by MIDI
Control Change messages.
If you experience hum from your guitar amp or
PA, try pressing the GRND LIFT switch, located between the Headphone out and the Left
XLR output.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 20

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

1/4 inch jack

USB Type A

USB Type B

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.

XLR Male

Mixing Board
XLR Male

1/8 cable (guitar cable)


MIDI Jack

Combo Jack

XLR Female

XLR Male

MIDI Jack

Combo Jack

XLR Female

1/4 inch jack

1/4 inch jack

Power Input

Microphone
Power Input

1/8 inch jack

P.A.

Power Input

XLR Male

Acoustic Guitar

Power Input

1/8 inch jack

1/8 inch jack

MIDI Jack

GRND Lift

USB Type A

USB Type A

Mini USB

Mini USB

1/4 inch jack

MIDI Jack

Combo Jack

Guitar/Keyboard
amp
Mini USB

USB Type A

1/4 inch jack

XLR Female

GRND Lift

GRND Lift

USB Type B

MIDI Jack

Combo Jack

1/8 inch jack

USB Type B

Mini USB

USB Type A

Combo Jack

XLR Female

XLR Male

Mini USB

USB Type A

GRND Lift

XLR Female

XLR Male

Power Input

GRND Lift

1/8 inch jack

Combo Jack

XLR Female

1/4 inch jack

USB Type B

USB Type B

Electric Guitar
Power Input

1/8 inch jack

GRND Lift
XLR Male

XLR Male

Mini USB

USB Type A

Combo Jack

XLR Female
Combo Jack

XLR Female

MIDI Jack

MIDIBJack
USB Type

1/4 inch jack

1/4 inch jack

Keyboard or other instrument


XLR1/8cables
inch jack

Power Input
Power Input

1/8 inch jack

GRND Lift

USB Type A

GRND Lift
Mini USB

USB Type A

Mini USB

USB Type B

USB Type B

Monitor Mix

TRS and TS cables

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 21

USB

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 VoiceLive3 will be to the left of the
back panel image.
2. Outputs from VoiceLive3 will be to the right of
the back panel image.
3. There are two boxes on the bottom of each
diagram.
The VoiceLive3 box shows what you hear
from your VoiceLive3 headphone output.
The P.A. box shows what you hear from
the P.A. speakers.
4. We dont account for other inputs/instruments
when showing what you hear from the P.A.,
so you wont see pictures of drums etc.
5. In a lot of cases, what you hear will be the
same for both VoiceLive3 headphone output
and P.A. but it can also be different.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 22

VoiceLive3 overview

VoiceLive3 overview
VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 23

Getting started setting up

VoiceLive3 overview

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 VoiceLive3 from a Lets 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 VoiceLive3s XLR outputs to
inputs at your mixer. A lot of PAs are mono and
only require one XLR connection. If you have a
stereo PA, you will want to connect both VoiceLive3 XLR outputs to your mixer.

First, if you havent read through the VoiceLive3


Quick Start Guide that came in the box, we suggest you do so now.

Connecting VoiceLive3 to your mixer/PA

The minimum gear you will need from here is:


Your VoiceLive3
A microphone either
Dynamic (MP-75, SM58, OM5 etc.)
Condenser (Beta 87A, enCore 300 etc.)
An XLR cable (microphone cable) to connect
your microphone to VoiceLive3
A guitar or MIDI keyboard, if applicable
Headphones
The Guitar/Headphone cable that came with
your VoiceLive3.

Determine whether your mixer/PA is stereo or


mono.
Connect the appropriate number of cables
from VoiceLive 3s XLR outputs to the mixer/
PA inputs (1 for mono, 2 for stereo).
! If your P.A. is Stereo, you will need to pan one
channel left and the other one right in order to
receive the benefits of VoiceLive3s stereo effects.
Watch the Craigs Corner episode about connecting to a mixer:
youtube.com/watch?v=qq0AOtafIjs

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 24

VoiceLive3 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 VoiceLive3 from Mono


(default) to Stereo output:
Press Setup.
Use the < or > Arrow buttons to move to the
Output page.
Use the Control Knob to move the selection
bar until Output Mode is highlighted (white).
Turn the Mix Knob directly below the Output Mode box on the screen until the mode
changes to Stereo.
Press Home to exit.
When choosing Stereo, ensure the PA is actually outputting a stereo signal. Its common for
a PA to have 2 speakers but still be mono.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 25

VoiceLive3 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 VoiceLive3. 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. The
guitar and vocal signals are separated and can
be controlled independently, making the techs
mixing job easier.

Setting Output Mode to Dual Mono

Changing VoiceLive3 from Mono


(default) to Dual Mono output
Press Setup.
Use the < or > Arrow buttons to move to the
Output page.
Use the Control Knob to move the selection
bar until Output Mode is highlighted (white).
Turn the Mix Knob directly below the Output Mode box on the screen until the mode
changes to Dual Mono.
Press Home to exit.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 26

VoiceLive3 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 3s
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.
Use the < or > Arrow buttons to move to the
Guitar tab.
Use the Control Knob to move the selection
bar until Speaker Sim Enable is highlighted.
Turn the Mix Knob directly below the display until the setting for Speaker Sim Enable
changes from On to Off.
Press Home to exit.

Turning speaker simulation off


This setup is great if you have got a guitar amp
and want to send VoiceLive3s guitar sounds to
that amp instead of to the PA.

For Mono vocals via the PA and guitar sounds


via a guitar amplifier, follow the diagram above,
but connect only the Left XLR output from VoiceLive 3 to your PA and set the output mode to
Mono.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 27

VoiceLive3 overview

The kitchen sink everything hooked up

Its unlikely that you will have absolutely everything seen here hooked up to VoiceLive3 but
the above diagram can serve as a general connection diagram that you can use to configure
your personal setup.

Aux
Send

SWITCH-3

Computer
or
DAW
Stage
Monitor

PA
Speakers

The setup shows:


1. Microphone
2. Guitar
3. Music Player
4. Incoming Monitor (or cue) mix from the
Front Of House mixer
5. Monitor THRU to another monitor
6. Headphone out (possibly using the headphone/guitar cable and In Ear Monitors)
7. XLR Outputs carry stereo vocals to the P.A.
8. Guitar Outputs carry stereo guitar sounds
to amps
9. Switch 3 and Expression pedal for extra
controls
10. MIDI IN for NaturalPlay chord information
from a keyboard (NaturalPlay will listen to
Guitar/Keyboard over the AUX input and will
automatically switch between Guitar/Keyboard if they are both plugged in)
11. MIDI OUT to control a DAW, perhaps with
backing tracks and/or show control software
Loop and Metronome sounds generated by
VoiceLive3 are not shown, but any Vocal Loops
will be sent out via the XLR outputs and Guitar
loops will be sent out via the Guitar outputs.
The Metronome can be heard in the XLR Main
Mix and headphone mix or just the headphone
mix, depending on your mix settings.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 28

VoiceLive3 overview

Quick troubleshooting tips

Im not hearing my voice!

Im not hearing my guitar.

After following the VoiceLive3 Quick Start Guide


and referring to the diagrams in Getting started
setting up on page 24, you should hear your
voice and instrument(s) via your VoiceLive3.

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.
Did you go through the Auto-Gain procedure
described in the Quick Start Guide?
Press and hold the Setup button.
Follow the on-screen instructions.
Are you using a condenser microphone?
Press Setup.
Navigate to the Input tab.
Change the Input Type parameter to Condenser.

Check that your guitar is turned all the way up.


Are you connected to an amp?
Is it turned on?
If you are in Dual Mono mode, make sure both
of the channels on your PA/mixer are turned
up and unmuted according to your PA/mixer
manual.
Are you in Tuner mode?
Accidentally pressing the Preset up/Preset
down footswitches simultaneously will enter
Tuner mode, muting guitar output.
If you see a guitar tuner on the screen and the
Preset up/Preset down LEDs are lit solid red,
you are in Tuner mode. Press Preset Up or
Preset Down to exit.
OK back to performing!

No?

Yes?
Is your PA receiving signal?
Check your PA manual for details on how to
check input levels.
Turn up channel input trims until you see
signal.
(If you have a separate mixer/amplifier) Is the
PA turned on?
Are the speakers connected?

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 29

VoiceLive3 overview

Getting to know VoiceLive3

Theres 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 VoiceLive3 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.

Using all the features described on the following pages, you might find yourself deep in some
sub-menu or parameter list. Dont panic! Just
press the Home button, and you will return to
VoiceLive3s Home screen. The Home screen
shows

While on the Home screen, the Control Knob


moves through Presets.
Turning the knob clockwise (right) will move
up through Presets.
Turning the knob counterclockwise (right)
will move down through Presets.
Pressing the control knob while on the Home
screen will set the current Preset as a Favorite. For more information, see Using Preset
Genres and Favorites on page 32.
On an Edit or System screen, the Control
Knob acts as a vertical scroll control. Use it to
navigate up or down through parameters and
settings.

It may seem as though we jump around through


various menus and operations but trust us that
this is a good way to get to know the unit while
making practical changes in the process. Stick
with us!

The number of the current Preset.


The name of the current Preset.
The effect blocks currently assigned to the
six footswitches labeled Mod, Delay, Reverb,
Hit, Double/Comp and Harmony/Drive on the
currently active layer (Guitar or Vocal).

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 30

VoiceLive3 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.

VoiceLive3 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.


Heres how it works

The Preset concept is extremely flexible. A Preset can be general purpose like a simple Reverb or Harmony sound. But a Preset can also
represent a specific song or portion of a song via
multiple effects and settings.

Verse
Chorus
Verse
Chorus
Bridge
Chorus

While on the Home screen, use the Arrow buttons to move through Presets.
To select the next Preset, press the right Arrow button.
To select the previous Preset, press the left
Arrow button.
On an Edit or System screen, the Arrow buttons allow you to move left and right through
the tabs in that menu.
For example, the Vocal edit screen has a separate tab or page for each vocal effect. The
Arrow buttons move from left to right through
these tabs.

A good modern analogy for a Preset is a user account on a computer. Even though each user has
access to the same hardware (CPU, RAM etc.)
each user can change their desktop wallpaper,
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 and turn effects on and off
manually during your performance. 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. Or you may
be somewhere in between. Any amount of editing or Preset manipulation is fine! You can get as
programmer or seat of the pants as you like.

Lets use a typical song pop song structure as


an example.

Now, lets assume that you want a completely different sound for your Verse, Chorus and
Bridge sections. The HIT function is great if you
need two variations within a song but here,
youll obviously need more.
Now the easiest way to accomplish this is to
make a separate Preset for each song section.
This means that on stage, you now have to remember where those presets are and move between them for each part of the song. Its totally
doable but a bit more work that necessary.
Enter the STEP.
If you treat the Verse Preset as your starting
point (perhaps name it simply with your song
name), you can add Steps to that initial preset to
cover the other sections of your song, in the order that they are needed.
So, lets assume that you have created the three
different presets that represent your three song

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 31

sections. Youd 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. Its 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
on page 16.

VoiceLive3 overview

Using Preset Genres and Favorites


If you are playing classical pop,
you may not care much for Presets that have been optimized
for Alternative rock and vice
versa. And if you have created
or fine-tuned ten Presets for your show, you may
now want to scroll through the hundreds of other
Presets that you are working with in the studio.
Genres to the rescue!
As described earlier, the Genre feature allows
you to filter the Presets in VoiceLive 3 based on
the musical genre or primary effect.

Using Genres
Tap the Genre button.
Use the Mix Knob to scroll through available
Preset Genres.
When you have found a Genre you would like
to explore, tap the Genre button again to confirm and exit.
Pressing any other button like HOME to
exit Genre selection mode will not select the
current Genre. Make sure you use the Genre
button to exit the menu and confirm your selection. The Genre button will be flashing to
remind you to press it.
After selecting a Genre, you will notice that
scrolling through Presets gives you fewer options than before. Presets are now filtered and
only show options contained in your chosen
Genre.
To return to seeing all Presets:

Use the Mix Knob to change the Genre to All.


Press Genre again to exit.
Using Favorites
There is a special Genre called Favorite which
you can assign Presets to. Favorites can be
used to quickly make a set-list or showcase of
Presets, helping you to navigate more quickly
through VoiceLive3.
To add a Preset to the Favorite Genre, simply press the Control Knob down while on the
home screen.
A small FAV tag will be shown in the bottom
right corner of the display, indicating that the
current Preset is now flagged as a Favorite.
If you now enter the Genre menu and select
the Favorite Genre, only Presets that you
have selected as Favorites will be available
as you change Presets just as with other
Genres.
To remove the Favorite flag from a Preset, simply press the Control Knob again.

Tap the Genre button.


VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 32

VoiceLive3 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 3s 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.

If you are a singer without an instrument, you


may not want to rely on sone external input.
Instead, well set the Key/Scale for your song
manually.

Press Setup.
Use the < and > Arrow buttons to navigate to
the System tab.
Using the Control Knob to highlight Global
Key/Scale.
Change the Global Key/Scale to ON.
This will set one global key/scale for all Presets in VoiceLive3.
You can change this global key/scale on the
fly later.
Press Home to exit.

You will need to find C as your starting note (unless you have perfect pitch then you are awesome).

A device creating harmony voices and correcting


what you are singing to the right scale is a wonderful thing. But how do you tell that device what
key the next song is in? Do you have to program
it as part of a Preset? Do you have to set it up for
each song? What if you get it wrong on stage?
NaturalPlay to the rescue! If you have a guitar
connected to VoiceLive 3, it will automatically
guide key and scale for any Harmony voices or
HardTune effects. You dont need to make any
changes to the system for this to work. Just play
your guitar normally (chords work best) and sing!
Similarly, if you connect a MIDI-enabled keyboard using a MIDI cable, VoiceLive3 will follow
your playing to determine key/scale for Harmony
voices and HardTune.
If you sing to backing tracks and dont have a
guitar or MIDI keyboard connected, VoiceLive3
will read key/scale information from a music
signal present at the Aux jack this might be
a backing track from an MP3 player or smartphone. Finally, VoiceLive 3 can also read key/
scale information from the Monitor In jack.
As you see, NaturalPlay has you covered no
matter what your setup is.

For simplicity, lets sing Happy Birthday in C


using our Major 2 scale.

To set the key/scale:


If it isnt selected, select the Vocal layer by
pressing the Layer footswitch.
Press and HOLD the Harmony footswitch until
the Set Key/Scale screen appears.
Press the Preset up/Preset down footswitches
until the key reaches C.
If the scale is not already Maj 2, tap the Step
button repeatedly until the display shows Maj
2.
Let the Key/Scale screen time out and disappear (by not doing anything for a few seconds).

Using Global Key/Scale


Once you get more familiar with VoiceLive3, you
may want to turn Global Key/Scale off in order to
save a different Key/Scale per Preset.

Setting Key and Scale

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 33

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

VoiceLive3 overview

Lets 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. If they are not, press the Layer button.
You should see the Reverb, HIT and Harmony
footswitch lit in blue.
If Harmony and HIT are not lit, press the HIT
button.

key/scale manually. Why? The manual settings


can give a slightly different harmony output than
the one you get when playing chords (NaturalPlay). You may prefer one or the other depending
on the song you are playing and singing. It is not
uncommon for advanced users to utilize NaturalPlay for some Presets and Key/Scale for others.

Preset 2 (Classic 3rd up)


If you are a guitar playing singer, you can play
your guitar and sing now. You should hear a harmony following your lead vocal and also hear
some guitar effects.
If you are a singer, and if you have set the key/
scale correctly in the previous step, the harmonies should follow your lead melody correctly.
Even if you play an instrument that could be used
for NaturalPlay, you may want to try setting the
VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 34

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.

VoiceLive3 overview

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. Dont worry if you are not very
good at it right away!

Using individual effects


Next, turn off Harmony using the HIT button. Try
tapping the Double button to add the Double effect to your voice. Do the same with Delay and
Mod. Try a few of the effects together and see
what it sounds like.

HIToff

HITon. Note the additional (highlighted) effects


Practice using HIT to turn the Harmony on and
off at interesting points in the song. This skill is
VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 35

VoiceLive3 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. This is called
Momentary mode.

while you hold the button down? Thats Momentary mode.

Buttonmap menu
Use the Control Knob to scroll down and highlight the line starting with HIT.

Try singing the same song again, pressing/holding the HIT footswitch when you want harmonies
to activate. Practice activating harmony for a
single word or short phrase. Its much easier in
momentary mode!
Before you move on, go back into the Vocal Buttonmap screen and change HIT back to Latched
mode.

Since we just experimented with turning effects


on and off, lets change the way one of those effect footswitches operates.
Selecting HIT in the buttonmap menu
Press the Vocal button.
Press and HOLD the right Arrow (>) to jump
all the way to the last Vocal tab.
This is a common behavior for the Arrow buttons. If you press and hold, you will jump to
the far side of the effects/Preset pages. This
can save you some time while editing.
Curious about all those tabs and their parameters? Dont worry we will cover all the Vocal
effects later!
Now press the left Arrow (<) to navigate to the
Buttonmap tab.

Use the Mix Knob right below Mode to


change the mode of the HIT footswitch from
Latched to Momentary.

Changing Mode back to Latched

Changing Mode to Momentary


Press the Home button.
This will take you back to the main (or home)
screen.
Now, press the HIT button, just like you did before. Notice how the blue light only comes on

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 36

VoiceLive3 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 VoiceLive3, but only 6 footswitches, the
ability to assign new functions to these footswitches gives you a lot of flexibility.
Lets remap Mod to HardTune. Later, you can
remap any footswitch as you wish, for this example, please follow along.
Press the Vocal button.
Navigate to the Buttonmap tab using the <
and > buttons.
Use the Control Knob to highlight the line
starting with Mod. Its at the top of the
page.
As you can see, the Mod is assigned to the
Mod effect.
Use the far left Mix Knob to remap the Mod
footswitch to HardTune.

Mod footswitch remapped to HardTune


When you press the Mod footswitch, you will
see that HardTune is now controlled by that button.
Remapping can be performed for any effect in
VoiceLive3. Vocal and Guitar effects are not restricted to their home layers. This means that
you can remap a vocal effect to the guitar
layer and vice versa.
Since the Buttonmap page is available in each
Preset, for both vocal and guitar layers, you can
create a custom button mapping for every Preset
in VoiceLive3.

Mod footswitch remapped to Octaver


Change a Vocal effect to Synth, so you can
use the Talkbox effect.

Reverb footswitch remapped to Synth

Remapping the Mod footswitch to HardTune


Press Home.
If you look at the top left corner of the screen,
you should see HardTune there, Mod will be
gone.

Move Guitar HIT from the Guitar layer to the


Vocal layer, so you can change multiple guitar
sounds/effects without leaving the Vocal layer.
To control multiple Vocal and Guitar effects simultaneously without having to leave the cur-

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 37

rent layer, you can assign Vocal HIT to the HIT


footswitch and Guitar HIT to the footswitch
right next to it (Double)

VoiceLive3 overview

Talk/Tuner Mode

Guitar Effects

Before you get too far into playing your guitar


through VoiceLive3, its 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. If you are a vocalist without a guitar, go
get a coffee or follow along to learn about the
Guitar layer

The tuner offers a couple of neat features for


both guitar and vocals so non-instrumentalists
might want to read this section, too.

Double footswitch on the Vocal layer remapped


to Guitar HIT
Remember that remapping a Guitar effect to
the Vocal layer needs to be done via the Vocal
Buttonmap.

To enter Talk/Tuner mode, press both the Preset


up and Preset down footswitches simultaneously for two seconds.
When you enter Talk/Tuner mode, the guitar will
be muted, so you can tune without your audience hearing it, and any vocal effects will removed from the signal. The vocal effects are removed so you can talk to your audience without
effects cluttering up what you are trying to say.
While in Talk/Tuner mode, you can still use the
Preset up and Preset down footswitches to
change Presets. This is especially handy if you
are tuning, changing guitars or addressing the
audience between songs and want to have the
next needed Preset loaded when you are finished.
To exit Talk/Tuner mode, simply press both
the Preset up and Down button simultaneously
again. When exiting, there is no need to hold for
two seconds. You can also press any of the effect footswitches to exit Talk/Tuner mode.

Press the Layer footswitch. You should notice


that VoiceLive3s LEDs turn RED indicating you
are now on the guitar layer. Look at the screen,
too. You will see that the effect names have
changed, and there is a small guitar icon in each
of the boxes (there are small microphone icons
in each Vocal layer box).

Guitar layer active


While playing your guitar, tap some of the footswitches to turn the various guitar effects on
and off.
Change a guitar effect to Momentary mode as
described in Change a button from Latched
to Momentary mode on page 36. However,
press the Guitar button instead of the Vocal button to begin the process. You are now in Guitar

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 38

Edit mode, and you can move to the Buttonmap


screen from there.
There is a separate Buttonmap screen for both
the Vocal and Guitar layer but thats a can of
worms we can open later.

VoiceLive3 overview

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. We refer to these two
states as HIT on and HIT off. Think of them
as two variations of a Preset.
Press the HIT button a couple of times.
Take note of which effects come on and off
when HIT is active (HIT on) and inactive (HIT
off).
Now, lets add an effect to the HIT on flavor
of this Preset.
Activate HIT.
Now, turn on an effect that is currently off. For
this example, try Mod.

Preset 2 HIT off


Press HIT again. You will see that Mod
comes back on, in addition to Harmony, which
was previously activated by pressing HIT.

If you save the Preset, your new HIT assignment will be saved and you can control both
Mod and Harmony with the single HIT button
the next time you use the Preset.
Preset 2 HIT on
Press HIT. Notice that Mod (and Harmony)
turns off.
VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 39

Tips and tricks for using HIT effectively


If you would like an effect to be ON regardless
of the HIT buttons 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.

VoiceLive3 overview

Using ALL HIT


Whats better than being able to have separate
HIT footswitches for the Guitar and Vocal layer?
How about one footswitch to rule them all? This
feature is called ALL HIT, and you can easily assign it to a footswitch as described in Remapping a footswitch on page 37.
Press the Vocal button.
Press and HOLD the right Arrow (>) to jump
all the way to the end of the available effects
pages.
Use the < or > button to locate the Buttonmap
page.
Use the Control Knob to scroll down and highlight the line starting with HIT.
Use the Mix Knob to change the HIT assignment from Voc HIT to ALL HIT.

HIT footswitch remapped to ALL HIT

HIT footswitch remapped to ALL HIT


Press Home.
Now the HIT footswitch controls HIT for both
Guitar and Vocal effects in this Preset. When you
press HIT, you will see that it now lights up purple instead of blue, indicating that its controlling
both vocal and guitar hit. Theres also a wrench
icon instead of a microphone showing you that
you are no longer just controlling Vocal effects.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 40

HIT Dynamic vs. Snapshot


VoiceLive3s 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 on page 39. Its a very
quick and intuitive way of combining effects
especially while editing a Preset.
That being said: While on stage, you may want
to turn an effect on or off during the song but
still have HIT activate and deactivate the specific
effects you have defined.

VoiceLive3 overview

Using HIT in Snapshot mode


You might want HIT to ALWAYS turn on/off only
those effects you have saved for HIT within the
Preset.
Thats where Snapshot mode comes in. No
matter what effects are active at the time: HIT will
always override them and just turn on/off what
you have saved.
Typically Dynamic can be a great editing mode,
while Snapshot can be a more fool-proof live
performance mode.

Lets see an example:

Using HIT in Dynamic mode (default)


You have saved the Preset with Reverb active all
the time (ON) and Harmony only when you have
turned on HIT (HIT ON).
You start the song with HIT turned off, so you
just have Reverb (but no Harmony voices) on
your voice. You decide that it would be nice to
have some delay for a particular section, so you
turn Delay on. Then, the chorus section of your
song comes up so you press HIT to activate
Harmony. Reverb stays on and Delay goes off
just as you would expect.
Now when you press HIT again, Harmony turns
off but Delay comes back on with the Reverb.
This may not be what you want.

Changing HIT mode from


Dynamic to Snapshot
Press the Setup button.
Use the < or > buttons to navigate to the System page.
Use the Control Knob to scroll down to the HIT
Behavior parameter.
Change HIT Behavior from Dynamic to Snapshot.

Changing HIT Behavior from Dynamic to Snapshot

Storing Presets
Since we are talking about storing a change to
your Preset lets do it.
Tapping the Store button accesses the Store
screen, where you may name, assign and save
your Presets.
In the upper part of the Store screen, you will
see the current name of the Preset. Use the Mix
Knobs under the display to control the following
functions:

Cursor (assigned to Mix Knob 1)


Use Mix Knob 1 to move the cursor (the currently selected character). This is handy for quickly
navigating to a position in the Preset name.

Letter (assigned to Mix Knob 2)


Use Mix Knob 2 to select the letter, number or
symbol for the current cursor position.

Ins(ert) / Del(ete) (assigned to Mix Knob 3)


Turn Mix knob 3 clockwise (right) to insert an
empty character (a blank) to the left of the currently highlighted character.
Turn Mix knob 3 counter-clockwise (left) to the
left to delete the currently highlighted character.
Store to (assigned to Mix Knob 34)
Use Mix Knob 4 to select the Preset number
where the current Preset will be stored.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 41

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. You can
then edit those copies further if you wish.

VoiceLive3 overview

Press the Store button twice.


Turn HIT on.
Turn the effects on that you would like to use
when HIT is on.
Press the Store button twice.

Tapping tempo
You can use Tap Tempo to have the tempobased effects align with the tempo of your song.
Press and HOLD the Delay footswitch.
You should see the Delay footswitch pulse
with a purple LED, and the current tempo (in
beats per minute) will be displayed.
Tap the Delay footswitch in time with the song
you are performing (or about to perform).
After a few beats, stop tapping the footswitch
and wait for the Tempo display to disappear.
If it is not already on, activate the Delay effect
with its footswitch.
You should hear your Delay taps trail off in
time with the music.
There is another function in the tap tempo window that you may find handy. Lets try it.

Store menu
When you are finished naming and assigning
your Preset, simply press Store again to complete the operation.

Storing Presets and HIT Behavior


When you have set HIT Behavior to Snapshot
mode, you must save the Preset for each HIT
state on and off in order for your changes to
be stored. Prepare both variations of the Preset
(on and off) and store them, like this:
Turn HIT off.
Turn the effects on that you would like to use
when HIT is off.

Enter Tap Tempo mode the same way you just


did.
You will notice that the Preset up and Preset
down footswitches are lit solid blue.
These footswitches allow you to increase or
decrease the tempo in 1 BPM increments.
For example, press the Preset down footswitch to decrease the tempo.
Manually adjusting the Tap Tempo can be handy
if you want to set a specific tempo, e.g. when you
have to follow a click track. And of course, both
methods can be combined: Use tapping to get
close to the desired tempo and use the Preset
footswitches for fine-tuning.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 42

VoiceLive3 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, lets edit


an effect in a Preset. You can choose to edit either the Vocal or Guitar effects, whichever you
like.

If you would like to store specific tempos within


your Presets, simply set the tap tempo as described in Tapping tempo on page 42 and
save the Preset.

To edit the Vocal effects within a Preset, press


the Vocal button.

If you would like to set one tempo and have all


Presets follow it, you will need to head into the
System menu.
Press the Setup button.
Use < or > to navigate to the System tab.
Use the Control Knob to scroll down to the
Global Tempo option.
Use the Mix Knob to change the value to ON.
Press the Home button.

Editing Vocal effects


To edit the Guitar effects within a Preset, press
the Guitar button.

Editing Guitar effects


Global Tempo on
Now, any tempo you tap will immediately be effective and be used for whatever Preset you
choose.

Both effect layers (Vocal and Guitars) have a series of tabs. There is a tab for each effect within
a Preset, and there are a couple of extra tabs for
other Preset options like Button Mapping and
Expression Pedal assignment.

easy-to-use controls, while scrolling down using the Control Knob will show more parameters
that offer more advanced parameters for deeper
editing.
On the top level, most effects have four main parameters:
1. Style: Style sets the sound of the effect. For
example, you might choose a Hall or Studio reverb type.
2. Parameter 1: The first parameter shown varies
from effect to effect and will have a different
name it will not be called Parameter 1. To
continue with the Reverb example, Decay time
is located here.
3. Parameter 2: Again, this control will vary from
effect to effect, but is commonly the Level
control, which controls the overall volume of
the effect.
4. Control: control sets the state of the effect
and how it is controlled.
Off: The effect is inactive.
On: The effect is active, regardless of the
status of the HIT button.
HIT On: This effect is active only when the
HIT button is ON.
HIT Off: This effect is active only when the
HIT button is OFF.
You may also change this control by pressing the footswitch associated with this effect
(if it is mapped to a footswitch). This can be a
quick way to set up several effects to come on
or off when HIT is pressed

All the effect edit screens that you can access


using these tabs have a similar structure. On
top of each edit screen, you will find simple and
VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 43

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 cant be
knocked off the table and effects that are off
cant be put onto it using HIT.

VoiceLive3 overview

Change the Style parameter using the Mix


Knob directly below Style on the screen.
Notice how the sound of the effect changes. It
can be a subtle change or a drastic one, depending on the Style.

Back to editing

Navigating to the Delay tab

Turn off ALL effect blocks but one. It doesnt


matter which effect you leave on, so long as
you can clearly hear the effect. For this example, we assume that you are using the Harmony effect in the Vocal layer.
Press the Vocal button.
Navigate to the Harmony tab.

Use the < or > Arrow buttons to navigate to


the effect you just activated. In the image
above, thats Delay.
Try changing the Style of the newly activated
effect. Find a style that sounds good with the
other effect you had turned on.
Adjust the Level control of the new effect to
blend it with the first.

Changing the Harmony Style parameter


Once you have chosen a Style that you like,
you are 90% of the way there. We will skip
over to the Level parameter now.
Using the Mix Knob directly below the Level
parameter, change the level (volume) of the effect. Find a setting that sounds good to you.
Now, turn on another effect. It still doesnt
matter which one. Notice how the two effects
interact with each other.

From here on in, EVERYTHING is advanced,


specific editing. Try manipulating the other parameter on the screen, be it decay time, lead
level, speed or whatever is shown there. Notice
how it changes the sound of the effect.
Use the Control Knob to scroll down. You will see
many, many different controls and parameters
on each effect tab. DONT PANIC!

Switching off all effect blocks except for Harmony

Typically, advanced parameters are defined and


loaded with the Style you choose and should
sound pretty darned good as they are. If you
have got some audio engineering experience or
own one of our other products, like VoiceLive 2,

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 44

you may recognize some or all of the advanced


controls.
If you dont recognize anything, there are two
paths you can take:
1. Dont touch anything you dont 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: Its totally fine. We
cant tell you how fast or far to venture into the
depths of VoiceLive 3. All we can do is recommend that you treat VoiceLive3 like any other instrument or skill you would try to learn and give
things some time.

VoiceLive3 overview

Defining and using Global Effects


Each effect in VoiceLive 3 can load and use
Global settings. Global settings make editing effects much easier and faster, but you need to understand the concept to use it effectively.
How does it work?
First, you define a Global Preset in the System menu. This Preset is the Preset from which
any other Preset can pull settings for any effect. Think of this Global Preset as a template
or master. In the screen shot below, you will see
that Preset 491 has been defined as the Global
Preset. You can change this Preset if you like.
However, we recommend making yourself familiar with editing the Global Preset and turning
Global ON in other Presets before you reassign
the Global Preset.

From our own experience, you know its a good


time to venture deeper into the menus and controls when you say to yourself: Hmm. This
would sound perfect if only the [X] was a bit
more/less [Y]
Once you start thinking like that, you will know
that your skills have moved beyond using Style,
and you will likely find the experience of editing
advanced parameters more thrilling than daunting.
Remember to go through the Store procedure after you have made changes to a Preset. Changes
are not stored automatically. If you edit a Preset
and switch to another Preset without storing, all
changes you made will be lost.

We suggest placing the global Preset in a location quite far from your other Presets in the box,
so you dont accidentally overwrite it. Any Presets that depend on the information in the Global
Preset will be affected if you delete or change it.

Defining the Global Preset


Press the Setup button.
Use < or > to navigate to the System tab.
Use the Control Knob to highlight Global Preset
Use the Mix Knob below Global Preset to
change its value to represent the Preset number you would like as your Global Preset.
Using an effect from the Global Preset
Select a Preset that you would like to link to
the Global Preset.
Press the Vocal or Guitar button (depending
on which effect you would like to edit).
Navigate to the effect tab for the effect that
you would like to link to the Global Preset
e.g. Delay.

Global Preset set to Preset no. 491


If you invest some time into creating effects that
you like in your Global Preset, you can then access these effects in any other Preset by simply
setting one parameter.
We have defined a Global Preset for you already
(the factory default is 491), but you can make
your own.

Delay effect block settings


Use the Control Knob to scroll down to the
Global parameter. It should say Off.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 45

Global set to Off in the Delay block


Change it to On using the mix knob right below the parameter.

VoiceLive3 overview

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.

Using the Mix Controls

If Global is ON in any Preset and you make


changes to the settings of the respective effect,
this will change the settings of the Global Preset
(and all other Presets where that particular effect
is set to Global on).

As it turns out, you can and you do not even


have to press any buttons.

That can be really handy or a disaster, if you


are not prepared for it.

Setting Global to On for the Delay block


Settings from the Global Preset will be applied
to this effect immediately.
You will also see that the tab name has
changed from Delay to Delay-GBL indicating that this particular effect is using Global
settings.

Using the Global Preset to copy


effect settings into a Preset
As you just read, the link between the Global Preset and other Preset goes both ways. However,
you can also use this feature temporarily to copy
effect settings from the Global Preset to another
Preset and then edit them independently.
Select a Preset.
Select an effect that should use the settings
from the Global Preset as a starting point.
Set Global for this effect to on.
This will copy the settings for this effect from
the Global Preset to the current Preset.
Set Global for this effect to off again.
This breaks the link between Global and
current Preset, allowing you to modify the settings locally.

As you probably have realized by now, there is a


lot going on under the hood of your VoiceLive3.
Wouldnt it be great if you could control the levels
of the signals going in and out of VoiceLive3?

While on the Home screen, touch (move) any


of the four Mix knobs right below the display
to enter the Mix screen.
There are actually three separate mix pages or
tabs:
Main Mix
Headphone Mix
Effects Mix
Select the mix you want to control using the Arrow buttons. The last selection will be remembered, so when you use the Mix knobs later, you
will be editing the previously selected mix.

Main Mix
Main Mix controls the sounds that come from the
XLR Out and Guitar Out jacks.

Main Mix controls

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 46

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.

VoiceLive3 overview

sounds from the XLR outputs and only use them


over your headphones or IEMs.

Effects Mix
Effects Mix allows you to adjust the overall
sound of your presets.

Headphone Mix
Headphone Mix allows you to independently set
the signal levels for the headphones or IEM connected to the Headphone jack. In other words:
You can have a headphone or in-ear-monitoring
mix that is independent of what goes out to the
XLR outputs.

Voices: Controls the overall level of any voices


generated by VoiceLive 3. This includes Harmony, Double and Choir.
Voc Reverb: Controls the overall level of the
Vocal Reverb effect across your presets. If you
find yourself in a venue that has a lot of (or
very little) natural Reverb, you may not have
the time to adjust the Reverb settings in all
your Presets manually. Instead, use this control to better match the Reverb settings in your
Presets to the physical space you are in.
Guitar Reverb: Performs the same function
as Voc Reverb for the Guitar Reverb in all your
Presets.

Headphone Mix controls


Output Mode set to Unity Gain
If you wish to vary the output level of the Guitar
Out (e.g. when you are connecting VoiceLive3
to a mixer or recording interface), change the
setting to Variable Level.

The Guitar and Loop Trim controls allow you to


increase or decrease the levels of Guitar and
Loop, relative to the Main Mix settings. The one
limitation this imposes is that you cannot set the
Guitar or Loop controls in the Main Mix to Off
and still hear them in your headphones.

Output Mode set to Variable Level


You can set the levels of both Aux and Metronome signals to Off if you wish to remove their
VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 47

VoiceLive3 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 on page 43.

As we discussed in Design concepts on page


7 and Footswitches overview on page
14 , 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.

Tapping the Layer button will give you access to


the layer you would like to control: Guitar or Vocal. Press and hold the Layer button to access
the Looper.
Editing Vocal effects while on the Guitar layer
Keep in mind that as we discuss editing Vocal
or Guitar effects, the editing process is independent of the layer you are currently controlling.

As there are no effects linked to the Looper layer, we will cover Looper operations in a separate
section of this manual.

Put another way: You can have the Vocal layer


active (blue LEDs will show that you can use
footswitch to control the vocal effects), but simply press the Guitar button (the blue one on the
top panel) to enter and edit the Guitar effects.

Editing Guitar effects while on the Vocal layer


VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 48

Buttonmap tab:
Remapping footswitches
We have already made some changes on the
Buttonmap tab in Remapping a footswitch on
page 37 so you have seen it before. Lets 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. Use the
Control Knob to select a set, for example Mod.
The first word in the first column is the name of
the effect footswitch, as it is printed on the device. The name of the effect currently assigned
to this footswitch is shown directly below it. For
now, you should see Mod with Mod directly
underneath. If you are on the Guitar edit page,
you will see Mod and G Mod respectively.

VoiceLive3 overview

You will see that the effect you have chosen is


now shown in the top left corner of the screen
and will activate if you press the Mod button.
Typically, remapping footswitches is great for
three situations:
That darn button is in the wrong place! I hate
where it is and want to move it!
I would like footswitch access to an effect
that isnt already assigned to a button.
For example, you might want access to Synth
so you decide to remap the Delay button.
I want access to a guitar effect on the vocal
page.
For example, remapping the Double footswitch to Guitar HIT will give you access to
guitar effects on the Vocal Layer right beside
Vocal HIT.

Parm1 and Parm2


By now, you know how to remap footswitches
and choosing between Latched and Momentary
mode. But what are the other two parameters
Parm1 and Parm2 good for?
Parm 1 and Parm 2 are part of the Loop Trigger Buttonmap. If you assign Loop Trigger to a
footswitch, you need to choose which loop and
which track you would like to trigger when you
tap that footswitch.
Parm 1 defines which Loop slot you are using (see Basic Loop concepts and terms on
page 79
Parm 2 defines which track (or combination of
tracks) you would like to trigger when pressing
the button.
The available options are Loop A, Loop B,
Loop C, A&B or A&C.
Learn more about the Looper in The Looper on
page 78.

Assign another effect to the Mod footswitch


by turning the Mix Knob directly below the parameter.
It doesnt matter if the effect you choose here
is already mapped to another button. For example, if you choose Harmony, you will now
have Harmony mapped to both the Mod button and the Harmony button (default). Thats
OK it just shows how remapping works.
Press the Home button to return to the Home
screen.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 49

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.

VoiceLive3 overview

(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.


Use the < and > arrows to navigate to the Pedal Calibration tab.

Being able to define the expression pedal target in each Preset gives you a lot of flexibility
from one pedal.
Follow the on-screen instructions.
It can be useful to limit the expression pedal
range for parameters such as Guitar Volume,
Harmony Volume, Delay Feedback, Rhythmic
Depth etc.
Use the Expression pedal parameter to choose
from many controllable targets.
Use the Exp MinPos parameter to define the
parameter value that should be associated
with the minimum (down) position of the expression pedal.
Use the Exp MaxPos parameter to define the
parameter value that should be associated
with the maximum (up) position of the expression pedal.
The MinPos and MaxPos parameters can be
useful when you would like to limit the effective
range of the pedal.
For example, if you assign the expression pedal
to control harmony volume, you may want the
harmonies to turn down slightly when you rock
the pedal all the way back but not turn them
off completely. To achieve this effect, you would
set Exp. Minpos to something higher than 0%

Working with a second expression pedal


If you want to, you can use a second expression pedal with your VoiceLive 3. Connect this
second Expression pedal to the Footswitch jack.
As opposed to the expression pedal connected
to the Expression jack (which can be used differently in each Preset), the pedal connected to
the footswitch jack only has a global setting it
will control all Presets in the same way. To use a
second expression pedal:

The Preset tab


The Preset tab allows you to make changes to
the Preset as a whole.
Most importantly, you can adjust the overall level
of the Vocal or Guitar signals within a Preset.
This allows you to balance your Presets so they
all have the same apparent volume.

Preset tab for the Vocal layer

Press Setup.
Navigate to the Buttonmap tab.
Select the Footswitch Jack parameter and set
it from Switch-3 to Expression pedal.
Calibrating your expression pedal
If you are connecting an expression pedal, it
must be calibrated.

Preset tab for the Guitar layer

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 50

VoiceLive3 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 VoiceLive3 and then use the Level Trim
controls on the Preset tab for Vocal or Guitar to
make adjustments.
There is also a Pan control available in both the
Vocal and Guitar Preset tabs that allow you to
pan the vocal or guitar signal left or right. The
default setting is C (for Center). It can be
especially useful to assign Guitar Pan to an expression pedal if you would like to create stereo
guitar loops, which we will discuss later.
Additionally, you can create some interesting vocal sounds by panning the lead vocal completely
to one side and then add effects. Theres a Delay Pan control in the Delay edit parameters too.
Try panning the lead vocal to the far right and the
Delay Pan to the far left for interesting results.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 51

Editing the Vocal layer

Editing the Vocal layer


VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 52

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 on page
43.

Editing the Vocal layer

Harmony block/tab
Harmony is TC-Helicons most popular effect
and some might argue the most impressive one,
too.
The Harmony effect creates harmony vocals
from your lead voice. This harmony can contain
up to four voices, each with different intervals,
key/scale sources, pan, humanization and other
settings.
Harmony can be used to add a single voice of
harmony, up to a larger group sound depending on your application.

Tips and tricks for working


with the Harmony effect
Subtle is often better when using any Harmony effect. Typically, when we hear complaints about the created voices sounding robotic or fake, it can be attributed partially to
the Harmony voices being overly loud in the
vocal mix.
Level settings of -6 or dB lower can often yield
great results, even if the voices arent immediately obvious.
High and Low styles are the most commonly used harmonies in popular music. If you
are a male or have a lower voice, try High.
If you are female or have a higher voice, try
Low.
When using a multi-voice Harmony style like
High & Low or High & Higher, try adjusting the Pan and Level parameters in the Vocal
Edit screen to adjust the location and volume
of each voice.
To expand on the above, try turning on Voice
3 and Voice 4. Set each to copy the settings
of the existing two voices. Pan them opposite to the existing voices and reduce their
level slightly. This puts one High & Low pair
on the Left and Right of the stereo field with
High being slightly dominant on one side
and Low on the other.

High Low Lead High Low

Harm. (1) Harm. (2)

Voice

Harm. (3) Harm. (4)

< Left
Right >

Panning Harmony Voices

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 53

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. You can then sing
other notes as the Harmonies continue to sing
the note you held.
We suggest to also changing the Step Button Mode to Momentary to avoid accidentally
turning Harmony Hold on and letting it hold a
note indefinitely. You will find that brief use of
the effect is typically the best approach.

Editing the Vocal layer

NaturalPlay, Scale, Fixed


& Pedal Modes
VoiceLive3 offers a completely new way of combining harmony voice modes that allows you to
make some really great sounds.
In previous products, all harmony voices were
defined by a single type i.e., they were guided by an instrument (NaturalPlay) or defined by a
fixed key and scale. In VoiceLive3, you can define a different method of harmony note output
for each voice!
The new Mixed Mode harmonies allow you to,
for example,
set one voice to follow your guitar (NaturalPlay),
the second voice to follow a key/scale,
a third voice to only sing a single Fixed note
and
a fourth voice to only sing the root note
of any chords you are playing on your guitar
(Pedal).

Mixing NaturalPlay, Fixed, Pedal and Scale


modes in one Preset
! Keep in mind that when you are using mixed
mode harmony, you will need to define the
correct key/scale (Scale) or note (Fixed) and
play your instrument (NaturalPlay/Pedal) in
order for the combination of voices to sound
good together. Otherwise, a Fixed voice could
be singing a completely inappropriate note for
your song.
! Harmony can suffer from warbles when
sound other than your voice is picked up via
your microphone. Check out this Craigs Corner video for a bit of TC-Helicon Harmony history and some advice on reducing warble:
youtube.com/watch?v=pT-CCTmv2ZM

This flexibility allows you to create some very sophisticated setups and vocal arrangements.
Changing Step Button Mode to Momentary
You can mix and match any of the available
modes for the four harmony voices. You could
have three NaturalPlay voices and a fixed voice,
or two scale-based voices, one fixed and one
NaturalPlay voice. Its completely up to you!

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 54

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.
Its 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

Tips and tricks for working


with the Double effect
Tight Double styles will have less pitch and
timing variation than Loose styles will. Tight
styles therefore tend to be a bit more subtle
even at higher effect levels.
Try turning the Lead Level parameter to OFF
when using one of the Wide styles. This will
effectively remove your voice from the middle
of the stereo field and helps recreate the widepanned vocal style that can be heard on many
recent recordings.
Adding some 1 Voice Tight Double effect
when using the Harmony effect can add some
presence to your lead voice, preventing it from
being overpowered by the Harmony.
Adding some 4 Voices Wide Double effect
when using the Harmony effect can significantly enhance the group sound of the Harmony voices, especially when using two or
more Harmony voices.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 55

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.
Using Delay as a special effect can create very
interesting highlights within a performance but
can, like Reverb, become distracting or overwhelming when used too heavily.
Stereo Delays can be especially interesting if you
are performing with a stereo PA or for studio recording.

Editing the Vocal layer

Tips and tricks for working


with the Vocal Delay effect
Make sure to set the correct tempo for any
Preset with Delay, either
via tempo tapping (see Tapping tempo
on page 42 or
on the Delay Edit tab.
Delay timed to your song sounds great, while
off-time delays can sound terrible.
Experiment with different amounts of the
Feedback parameter. More Feedback creates
more echoes, while very low amounts of feedback can create Call and Answer style effects.
Try out the various Filter Style options within
the Delay Edit screen. They allow you to make
the echoes of your Delay sound different.
These filter styles can add interesting effects
to your delays such as megaphone, radio or
lo-fi sounds or mimic the sound of classic
analog and digital hardware delays.

Filter Style parameter


When using Delay on both your guitar and vocals, experiment with using the same OR different divisions on each Delay to crate interesting rhythmic landscapes.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 56

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.
With the above in mind, you will see Reverb
styles in our products with names like Amsterdam Hall or Hockey Arena when representing a physical space. You might see Plate or
Spring when referring to the type of device
used to create a particular kind of Reverb.

Reverb tab

Editing the Vocal layer

Tips and tricks for working with


the Vocal Reverb effect
Timing your Reverb to the song you are performing can really enhance your overall sonic
landscape. Try picking shorter Reverbs (lower decay time) for faster songs and longer Reverbs (higher decay time) for slower songs.
A 1.3 second Decay Time is very common for
mid-tempo popular music.
Timing a Reverb so that it breathes with
your song can sound great. By breathing we
mean that the Reverb ends on a beat, or every
other beat, for example.
Use this calculator to figure out what Reverb
time to set in order to time your effect to the
song:
nickfever.com/delay-calculator/
Use the chart provided on this page to determine which note division to use. If, for example, you would like your Reverb to end on
every other beat, use the note result.
Overuse of Reverb can make your vocals
sound washed out and hard to understand.
Underuse of Reverb can result in a flat sounding vocal. However, its very common in contemporary pop music to use very little or no
Reverb, opting instead for Doubling, HardTune
and other effects. Listen to popular records
from your favorite genre and analyze how they
are using reverb.
When using Reverb on both vocals and guitar,
it can be useful to use the same settings or at
least the same Style for each, so the listener
gets the impression of vocals and guitar being
in the same simulated physical space.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 57

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. Its a misnomer to only equate
vocal pitch correction with AutoTune and TPain. Subtle use of pitch correction is a staple
of almost every recording, and many live performances too.
A neat little bit of music history: The Beatles
used pitch correction on their albums! How?
Back then, a control called VariSpeed on their
tape recorders was used to manipulate the playback speed and therefore the pitch of recorded
material. Often, it was done for effect, but VariSpeed was used for all sorts of purposes.
Its fun to keep that fact in mind when people
disparage modern music for its use of pitch correction or any other effect or recording technique. The Beatles used every tool available to
them at the time, just like todays musicians do!

Editing the Vocal layer

Tips and tricks for working


with the HardTune effect
When you want the HardTune sound, choose
the Pop style.
It takes some practice to sing the right way
and get the most out of HardTune. Practice
sliding and gliding from note to note, in order
to emphasize the jumps in pitch provided by
the Pop setting. After a while, you will be
able to enhance the effect as you sing.
When you are using HardTune with a wedge
monitor or in-ear monitors (IEMs), its totally
normal to hear some phasing type sounds
as your natural voice interacts with the corrected voice output from VoiceLive3.
Check out this Craigs Corner video for more
about phasing:
youtube.com/watch?v=KWrEIuiDXsA
If you would like subtle correction that still respects any key/scale you have set for Harmony, try the Correct Natural style.
To emulate some of the effects used on the
Beatles recordings, try the Gender Bender
style and turn the Gender control down a few
clicks to slightly lower the sound of your voice.
Any time the HardTune effect is active, Global
Pitch Correction settings in the Setup menu
are temporarily overwritten. When the HardTune effect is turned off, any settings from
Global Pitch Correction will reactivate.

Here is an interesting article about the Beatles


and their use of VariSpeed:
ofbuckleyandbeatles.wordpress.com/
2010/12/05/
beatles-production-tricks-part-ii-varispeed/

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 58

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 dont
have to use a guitar though it could also be
sounds from a keyboard or other instrument.
VoiceLive 3 offers polyphonic (more than one
note at a time) Synth effects, so you can play
chords on your instrument and have them act as
the carrier sounds. Its a really great effect to
have fun with!
We have also included several carrier sounds
in VoiceLive3, so you may use the Synth effect
block without an instrument signal.

Editing the Vocal layer

Tips and tricks for working


with the Synth effect
When using the Synth block to generate the
well-known talk box effect of the seventies, it
really pays to know exactly the notes you want
to output and practice them ahead of time. It
sounds great when you play the right melody
but the effect can lose its luster pretty quickly
if you meander around or play the wrong notes
for the song.
With the above in mind, theres nothing wrong
with shredding a crazy solo either!
Synth effects tend to best be used as an accent during a particular passage of a song, not
full-time.
Manipulating the way you sing/speak words
into the microphone while Synth is active
can greatly increase the effectiveness of the
sound. Elongating vowels and/or over-pronouncing consonants will really make the effect stand out.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 59

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

Tips and tricks for working


with the Transducer effect
The first and most important tip is that any
distortion or EQ filter effect can be very prone
to feedback, so bear this in mind when connecting your VoiceLive3 to a 50,000 watt stadium PA or the system at your local pub!
Use of Gate within the Transducer advanced
edit parameters can reduce the chances of
feedback when the effect is active. Set the
threshold such that the gate opens to let
your voice through but closes (mutes) very
soon after you finish singing.
This Craigs Corner video covering feedback
can help a lot for both general PA use and
Transducer effects:
youtube.com/watch?v=VlN1RJ4gcAo

Changing the Buttonmap setting for
the footswitch assigned to the Transducer effect from Latched to Momentary allows you to quickly add doses of the effect to specific words or phrases in your
song. Simply remap one of the Vocal layer
footswitches to Transducer and change its
Mode to Momentary see Buttonmap tab:
Remapping footswitches on page 49.

Mod footswitch remapped to Transducer

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 60

Vocal Mod block/tab


Pronounced Micro Mod, the Mod 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.

Editing the Vocal layer

Tips and tricks for working


with the Vocal Mod effect
Try combining Mod set to one of the Clone,
Wider or Thicken styles with your Harmony or Double effects to increase the depth of
sound.
Songs like Believe by Lenny Kravitz use
Flanger to create its iconic sound.
If you use styles like Cylon or Alien
Voiceover, its probably best to use them for
small sections of a song or for a fun effect
while addressing the audience, rather than a
full-time effect.
The advanced controls allow you to determine
which other effects, like Harmony, are sent to
the Mod block. This allows you to add Mod
effects to whichever components of the signal
you would like and keep other signals clean.

Lead to Mod and Harm(ony) to Mod


parameters
Remember that 0dB means high volume
not no volume!
Most level controls max out at 0dB, but a few
such as Guitar Trim in the Headphone Mix
can go higher.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 61

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. You can use Choir by itself too, which can
give its own unique flavor to the vocal.

Editing the Vocal layer

Tips and tricks for working


with the Choir effect
When using Choir with Harmony, start with a
low level setting and move up from there. Using too much Choir level can make the overall
output sound a bit robotic or effected.
With the above suggestion, keep in mind that
high levels of Choir can be used to create a
very pronounced effect sound which could
be just what you want.
The Speaking style can be used with any
kind of Hip Hop, Rap, Spoken Word etc. to
add a sense of a group saying something together.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 62

Vocal Rhythmic block/tab


Rhythmic effects use VoiceLive 3s 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.

Editing the Vocal layer

Tips and tricks for working with


the Vocal Rhythmic effect
Using Vocal Rhythmic in combination with
Guitar Rhythmic can create some really interesting sounds.
Try increasing and reducing the Depth parameter to alter the relationship between the
lead or harmony voices and the Rhythmic effect.
Setting the Target parameter to Harm Level
and using a long division makes the Harmony
voices swell and fade slowly.
Try changing the Type parameter to create
dramatic variations in the output sound.
Rhythmic can benefit from momentary use,
applying the effect to brief sections of your
vocal. Try remapping the Rhythmic effect to a
footswitch and set its mode to Momentary.

Mod footswitch remapped to Rhythmic,


Mode changed to Momentary

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 63

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

Tips and tricks for working


with the Stutter effect
It takes some practice to learn when to press
the stutter button in relation to your singing
in order to get a good working sample. Take
some time to experiment with the timing of
footswitch pressing and the division parameter to see how the two interact.
There is a Direction parameter that can play a
reversed version of the sample. Try changing
it from Forward to Reverse.
Stutter is much easier to control and integrate
into your performance when the button is set
to Momentary operation. When remapping
Stutter to a footswitch, remember to set that
footswitch to Momentary.
Stutter can be used in a similar fashion to Harmony Hold see Tips and tricks for working
with the Harmony effect on page 53. Try
starting the stutter effect on a note, then sing
around that stutter note with your lead voice
while the stutter runs. It can help to mimic the
stutter sound with your lead voice while you
do this. Phrases like yeah, nah-nah etc.
can work well.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 64

Editing the Vocal layer

Vocal Buttonmap block/tab

Remapping buttons

Buttonmap is probably one of the coolest new


features in VoiceLive3.

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.

Dont like where the Harmony button is?


Remap it!
Want to have direct footswitch access to an
effect that isnt Mod, Delay, Reverb, HIT,
Double (Comp) or Harmony (Drive)?
Remap it!
Dont feel like switching between the Vocal
and Guitar layer?
Remap a Vocal button to a Guitar effect or
vice versa!
Want to trigger a loop with one button from
the Vocal or Guitar layer?
Remap a button to Loop Trigger!

Tips and tricks for working


with the Buttonmap
There are separate Buttonmap tabs on the Vocal and Guitar edit screens. They are independent of one another, so you can remap footswitches for each layer.
When you have remapped a footswitch, the
Home display will show you which effect has
been remapped. If you forget where you have
remapped a button, look there.
Vocal effects have a small microphone image
next to them, Guitar effects have a small guitar, and system controls have a small wrench.
This can help you to see what the remapped
footswitch will affect.
When remapping footswitches from one layer
to another, footswitches from another layer
(Guitar effects used on the Vocal layer and
vice versa) will be dimly lit in either blue (Vocal) or red (Guitar) when they are off to remind
you that pressing that footswitch will activate
an effect from a different layer. This is a good
reminder showing you at a glance which interlayer remappings you have made.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 65

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.
For more information about the Looper, see The
Looper on page 78.
First, you need to set which particular Loop (slot)
the trigger will use tracks from.
Next, you determine which track or tracks that
particular footswitch will trigger when pressed.
Essentially the Loop Trigger acts as a simple
start/stop for the tracks you have recorded.
The available options are Track A, Track B, Track
C, Track A&B and Track A&C.

Delay footswitch remapped to triggering Loop


track B from Loop Slot 3
Keep in mind that tempo/metronome settings
are saved with each Loop. Accordingly, triggering a Loop using a remapped footswitch will invoke these settings. This means that when you
have mapped Loop tracks from two different
Loop slots to two footswitches and they have
different tempos, the other tempo-dependent
effects in your VoiceLive3 such as Delay and
Rhythmic will change tempo to follow the newly
activated loop.
A footswitch remapped to a Loop trigger has a
special loop icon and shows which loop slot
and track is associated with it in the display.

! You can assign multiple footswitches to different loop triggers and switch between them at
will.

Mod footswitch remapped to Loop Slot 3 /


Tracks A and C, Delay footswitch remapped to
Loop Slot 3 / Track B

Mod footswitch remapped to triggering Loop


tracks A and C from Loop Slot 3
VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 66

Editing the Guitar layer

Editing the Guitar layer


VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 67

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 on page
43.

Editing the Guitar layer

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.
The level of EQ control in the Amp block is huge,
providing controls for both the pre-gain and
post-gain stage parametric EQ something that
most real-world amplifiers dont offer.
There are multiple controls for each low, mid and
high EQ including bandwidth (commonly known
as Q) and frequency.

Tips and tricks for working


with Amp simulation
On some amplifiers, what is called PreGain
and PostGain in VoiceLive3 is called Gain
and Volume respectively.
More PreGain results in more distortion at
high levels. If you want a crunchy or distorted sound, turn down the PostGain, adjust
PreGain until you reach the amount of distortion you like, then turn up PostGain until the
output volume is similar to that of other guitar
Presets. You can do this by ear.
Styles that have Clean, Crunch etc. in their
names can still be adjusted to have more, less
or no distortion using the PreGain and Post
Gain controls.

If you dont like one or more of the factory Amp


Styles, the EQ options allow you to change it to
suit your particular taste and tone requirements.

Adjusting Amp EQ settings

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 68

Drive block/tab
VoiceLive 3s 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

Tips and tricks for working


with the Drive effect
Since the Amp settings are replaced by the
Boost settings when Boost is active, its possible to make your amp quieter or less distorted when Boost is active.
You should probably avoid setting PreGain
and PostGain for the Amp and Boost blocks to
wildly different values. You may encounter unwanted feedback or drastic volume changes.
Test settings in rehearsal before trying them
out at a gig.
Boost can be used when playing acoustic guitar, simply to raise the level slightly for a solo
etc.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 69

Guitar Delay block/tab


The Guitar Delay block works in the same manner as the Vocal Delay block. Please see Vocal
Delay block/tab on page 56 for an overview
of the Vocal Delay block.

Editing the Guitar layer

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.
With the above in mind, using similar but different Delay divisions can also be very effective. For example, try note on your Vocal
and 1/8 note on the Guitar.
Slap echo is a very common guitar setting
for classic country music sounds.
Using Delay effectively can make a very simply played guitar passage sound much more
complex. The Edge from U2 makes heavy
use of Delay.
Using Delay briefly can highlight a portion of
a song quite effectively. Listen to Tangerine
by Moist. In the verses, they use a brief Ping
Pong type delay to expand a mono guitar to
the stereo field. (0:42 into the video)
youtube.com/watch?v=6tkY81YGB44
(Sorry for the less-than-awesome video quality on this one.)

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 70

Guitar Reverb block/tab


The Guitar Reverb block works in the same manner as the Vocal Reverb block. Please see Vocal
Reverb block/tab on page 57 for an overview
of the Vocal Reverb block.
Using surgical skills that would make Victor
Frankenstein green with envy, we have transplanted TC-Electronics popular Hall of Fame
Reverb pedal into VoiceLive3s Guitar layer. Now
you can enjoy the classic HoF sound alongside
your vocal effects!

Editing the Guitar layer

Tips and tricks for working with


the Guitar Reverb effect
Try using same style of Reverb for both Vocal
and Guitar. This helps glue the two sounds
together into a shared physical space.
Using a very obvious Reverb during a solo
section can help differentiate the solo from the
rest of the song.
If you are playing very fast, heavy music you
may be tempted to use no Reverb at all. Typically, if you listen to a recording of this type of
guitar sound, there will be a small amount of
Reverb used. Try one of the Cozy Corner or
Wool type Reverbs for a very subtle addition
of the effect.

Guitar Reverb block set to TC Electronics


Hall of Fame Plate reverb

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 71

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

Tips and tricks for working with


the Compression effect
Threshold is the level at which the Compressor begins to affect the sound. The lower the
Threshold (-30 dB is lower than -20 dB), the
sooner the Compressor will engage.
Ratio determines how much Compression
takes place. Ratio is typically defined as 1:X
ratio where X is the number of decibels (dB)
of reduction in level for every 1 dB over the
Threshold value. This can sound confusing,
but simply try to think of lower Threshold and
higher Ratio as more Compression.

For acoustic guitar, it is common to use some


compression full-time, while compression is often used during solos and boosted sections
for electric guitar. That being said: Like with any
other effect, there are really no rules. Use what
sounds good to you!
In studio recording, Compression is common on
almost every track or group of tracks.
Compression can raise the output level of your
guitar so be aware that it can also contribute
to feedback.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 72

Wah (Wah-Wah) block/tab


If you havent heard Voodoo Child (Slight
Return) by Jimi Hendrix (or later Stevie Ray
Vaughan) go listen to it now. Thats Wah in a nutshell.
youtube.com/watch?v=d81fdU8EP28
(In fact, theres 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

Tips and tricks for working


with the Wah-wah effect
Our Wah effect block also includes a few
Touch Wah styles that simulate moving a
foot pedal based on your playing volume and
pace. If you dont have an expression pedal,
try one of the Touch styles.
Playing with Wah can increase your chances
of feedback, since this effect is boosting a
range of frequencies. Of course, Jimi would
have a great argument for feedback being a
good thing!
Try combining the Wah effect with Octaver for
a Wah-Bass sound.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 73

Mod block/tab
Similar to the Vocal version of this effect, Mod
provides micro-pitch shifting and timing effects
for your guitar. Some of the most famous Mod
effects include Flanger, Chorus and Detune.
We have conspired with TC-Electronics guitar
pedal gurus namely Tore Mogensen to recreate two of their best modulation effects for
VoiceLive3: Vortex Flanger and Corona Chorus.

Editing the Guitar layer

Tips and tricks for working


with the Guitar Mod effect
Modulation effects arent just for electric guitars. Styles like Silky Detune and Medium
Detune can really enhance the sound of an
acoustic guitar.
Flanger creates a very obvious effect and
can make an electric guitar part stand out
from the rest of the song.
Chorus sounds great for both acoustic and
electric guitar.

Guitar Mod block set to


Corona Chorus Fast style

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 74

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. The most
common use, as we mentioned above, is to simulate a bass guitar but there are other implementations as well. You can blend your original
guitar signal with a shifted signal to create some
great sounds!

Editing the Guitar layer

Tips and tricks for working


with the Octaver effect
When using the Octaver effect, remember to
play one note at a time. Unlike some of our
other pitch shift processing, Octaver is monophonic, not polyphonic.
Try turning the Mix % control up or down to
blend some of your regular guitar sound with
the shifted effect.
When simulating a bass line, it helps to play
like a bassist . Your bass parts will sound
much more convincing if you approach them
with a bass players ear.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 75

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 on page
63 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

Tips and tricks for working with


the Guitar Rhythmic effect
Using Chopper or Pan based Rhythmic effects can add a lot of flavor to your sound, especially when used as a special effect.
Similar to the suggestions for Delay, experiment with using the same Delay and Rhythmic
divisions for guitar and vocals. Conversely,
try different divisions to create more exotic
sounds.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 76

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 on page 65 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 on
page 37.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 77

The Looper

The Looper
VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 78

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.

The Looper

Basic Loop concepts and terms

Loop slots and Presets

Lets make sure that you understand the basic


concepts and the terminology used in this chapter.

As you have just read, the Loop slot is the highest level of VoiceLive3s Loop hierarchy. You can
associate a Loop slot with a Preset. This allows
you to select a Preset that will not only contain
your Vocal and Guitar settings, but also the basic
building blocks for a song, all previously stored
in a Loop slot.

Loop: A loop or loop track is a basic recording of music (or any kind of audio, for that
matter) that can be recorded and then played
back repeatedly.
Overdub: Something that is recorded while
another, previously recorded piece of audio/
music is being played back. In theory, you
could pile up hundreds of overdubs, turning
one basic loop into a complex piece of music.
Loop track: In each Loop slot (see below),
VoiceLive3 allows you to store three separate
Loops: Loop track A, Loop track B and Loop
track C. Depending on the setting you choose
made in the Sync sub-menu (see Sync submenu on page 86), you can either switch
between these three tracks or play them in
certain combinations (Loop tracks A and B or
Loop tracks A and C).
Remember that each of these Loop tracks can
encompass one or many overdubs.
Loop slot: A Loop slot is a place where you
can store the Loops you have recorded. Each
Loop slot contains Loop tracks A, B and C.

Linking Presets and Loop slots is simple:


Select a Preset (see 1. Preset up/Preset
down footswitches on page 14).
Create your Loop (see Your first loop on
page 80).
Store the Preset (see Store loops on page
9).
The Loop slot number is saved with your other Preset information and is automatically recalled when you later recall your Preset.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 79

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, lets make a quick loop.

Lets 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 lower left segment is labeled MET
and represents the HIT footswitch.
Tap the HIT footswitch.

The loop screen shows a combination of controls, which relate to the six footswitches, and
track thumbnails that show you what you have
recorded.

If you are not already on the Looper layer, go


there now by pressing and holding the Layer
button.

To exit Loop mode and return to the previously


active layer (Vocal or Guitar), press and hold the
Layer button.

Metronome settings

Loop mode activated

The HIT footswitch will begin flashing purple,


indicating that the Metronome is now active.
If you are using headphones, you should hear
a Kick Drum Metronome.
If you dont hear a metronome sound over
your headphones:
Press the Home button.
Move any of the MIX knobs to access the
Mix page.
Navigate to the Headphone Mix page using
the Arrow buttons.
Turn up the Metronome Level.
Press and hold the Layer button to re-enter
the Looper.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 80

If you are connected to a PA, you should hear


a Kick Drum Metronome.
If you dont 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. While you are tapping, the current
tempo will be displayed.
When you stop tapping, the unit will return to
the main Loop screen.
If you haven not tapped a new tempo, press
BACK (Mod footswitch) to return to the main
Loop screen.

The Looper

Start recording

Set + Overdub vs. Set + Play

When you are ready to start recording, press


the footswitch associated with REC A (the
Harmony/Drive footswitch) to begin recording
your first loop track. You can sing, play your
guitar, or do both.
When you reach the end of the segment you
want to record, try to press the REC A footswitch as close to the beat as you can. Our
LoopAssist feature helps with this, but try to
be as accurate as possible.

While recording your first basic loop, you will


see two new options on the screen:

Set + Play and Set + Overdub


To finish recording the current loop and immediately have it played back, tap the footswitch
associated with Set+Play (Harmony/Drive).
Your new loop will be played back.
To finish recording the current loop and immediately go into overdub mode (allowing you
to record additional takes over the first one),
tap the footswitch associated with Set+ODub
(Double/Comp).
Your new loop will be played back, and you
can record additional takes. This is a great
feature to use if you have rehearsed your loop
performance and want to quickly build up loop
components on top of one another

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 81

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, its another cake!
When you are ready, press REC B (Reverb
footswitch).

Next, lets overdub something on Loop track A.


If you think of your Loop track A as a cake, that
first recording is the base layer of the cake, and
overdubs are more layers of cake, or jam, or
whipped cream Mmm. Cake.
When you are ready, press ODUB A (Harmony/Drive footswitch) and record an overdub.
When you are finished, press END ODUB
(Harmony/Drive footswitch).

Recording an overdub
If you would like to add several different overdubs, you can keep the overdub recording
running and add new parts each time the loop
begins again.
Recording Loop track B

Ready for overdubbing

Now what makes working with separate Loop


tracks so interesting is that your second Loop
track (Loop track B) can be longer than Loop
track A. Still, you will get the best results when
Loop track B is a multiple of the number of
beats in Loop track A.
For example, if Loop track A is four beats (one
bar), make Loop track B 8 or 16 beats (two or
four bars).
If you record longer than one multiple, but less
than two, silence will fill in the gap.
You will see the same Set+Play and Set+ODub
options you saw when recording Loop track A.
Choose one, and press it when you are finished recording.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 82

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 on page 86), 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.
Loop track B: Record the words one, two
three, four, five as close to the metronome
beats as you can.
When playing back, you will notice that the
two tracks Low
line up for the first
four, then
High
High Harmony
Lead Voice
Low Harmony
Harmony
Loop B says
Five and goesHarmony
silent for three
more beats, then repeats.
ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

Undo and Redo

Using Swap

Have you made a mistake, maybe in your fourth


or fifth overdub? No reason to throw away the
whole track. You can easily undo your last overdub (i.e., remove it from the Loop track) and if
you change your mind, you can restore it.

Swap is a great new feature that allows you to


maintain your Loop track A, while moving seamlessly between two additional tracks (Loop track
B and Loop track C).

To undo the last overdub, tap the Looper footswitch.


To redo (undo the undo, thereby restoring
the last overdub), tap the Looper footswitch
again.

We are still following our Your first loop example, and at this point, you should have recorded
Loop track A and Loop track B. Lets move on to
recording Loop C.
When you are ready to record a new Loop
track as Loop C, tap Swap.
Loop track B will stop playing, and you will
begin recording LOOP C.

FIVE

LOOP B
ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

Other Sync modes are discussed in more detail


later see Sync
sub-menu on page
86.
LOOP C
LOOP B
Next, lets try Swap.
LOOP A

LOOP A

Using Swap
You will see the same Set+Play and Set+ODub
options you saw when recording Loop track A
( see Set + Overdub vs. Set + Play on page
81).
Choose one, and press it when you are finished recording.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 83

If you chose Set+ODub, continue to record


overdubs until you are finished, then tap End
ODub.
Now, tap Swap. You will see in the display that
Loop track C continues to play until it reaches
its end, then VoiceLive3 automatically switches to Loop B!

The Looper

The Utility menu

Back

We will now explore the UTIL(ity) menu, where


you will find many of the Looper options.

Tap BACK (Mod 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 Mod footswitch) to enter the Utility
menu.
If you see SWAP in the top left menu segment, press and hold the Mod footswitch to
enter the Utility menu. This press/hold action
is designed to allow the Swap button to do
double duty, depending on whether you have
a B and C loop recorded.
Once you have entered the UTIL menu, you
will see several new menu options.

Press ALL STOP to stop recording


Stop loop playback by pressing ALL STOP
(HIT footswitch).
This completes our tutorial.

Utility menu

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 84

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 current Loop slot number is shown below
the UP and DOWN arrows on the far left of the
Loop display.
To switch to another Loop slot, press the Preset up and Preset down footswitches.
The Loop slot number is saved with your other Preset information and is automatically recalled when you load a Preset.
Undo/Redo information is NOT stored with the
Loop when saved.

Tap MET (the HIT footswitch) to enter the Metronome sub-menu. In the Metronome sub-menu,
you can turn the metronome on or off and
change its sound.

With the above in mind, you could be playing


guitar and singing simultaneously, while only recording your voice or your instrument into the
Looper. This gives you a lot of flexibility.
The available input options are:
Voc+Guit: For recording your vocals (with effects) and your Guitar.
Guitar
Aux: (for recording the signal at your VoiceLive3s Aux jack).
Voc: For recording your vocals (with effects).
All: For recording vocals, guitar and the Aux
signal.

Saving your Loop to the current Loop Slot

Loop input sub-menu


Select the option you want to use by tapping
the respective footswitch.
Press BACK to exit the INPUT menu.

Metronome sub-menu
The options in the Metronome sub-menu are:
MET ON: Tap MET ON (Double/Comp footswitch) to turn on the metronome and all related sync features.
The Metronome is more than a simple click
track. It generates an audio signal guiding
you when you are recording loops but it also
syncs with and controls the tempo.
MET MUTE: Tap MET MUTE (Harmony/Drive
footswitch) to mute the audio output for the
Metronome. If you mute the Metronome, it will
still be active for tempo and LoopAssist, but
it wont make any sound.
MET OFF: Tap MET OFF (Delay footswitch) to
turn off the metronome and all related sync
features.
Please note the difference between MET OFF
and MET MUTE: When you turn the Metronome off, VoiceLive 3s LoopAssist no longer guides your recordings, and the Loop may
fall off time with other time based effects like
Delay or Rhythmic.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 85

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.

Metronome sound sub-menu

Metronome level
As you can adjust the audio output for the Main
Mix and Headphone Mix independently (see 9.
Mix knobs on page 13), its your choice if the
audience hears the metronome or not.

Tempo and Metronome


As long as you havent recorded anything into
a Loop slot, you can freely define the tempo for
your loop using the TAP button.

The Looper

you would have to delete the Loop completely or


switch to another Loop slot.
If you record a Loop with the Metronome OFF,
you can still change the tempo later.

Sync sub-menu
Tap SYNC (the Double/Comp footswitch) to enter the Sync sub-menu. In the Sync sub-menu,
you can define how VoiceLive3s Looper should
sync to a given tempo.
The options in the Sync sub-menu are described
below.

SMART
Select SMART to use all features of VoiceLive3s
LoopAssist. LoopAssist chooses how and
when to trim and extend loops, based on what
you have already recorded.
Pressing the SWAP button will toggle between
Loop track B and Loop track C, making the
change when you reach the end of the current
loop. Loop tracks A and B or Loop tracks A and
C can play simultaneously.
SMART enforces a relationship between the primary Loop track (track A) and Loop tracks B and
C. In other words: Loop tracks B and C can exist
as a multiple (in bars) of Loop track A, but they
cannot be shorter.
See the QUANTIZE section below for a step-bystep comparison between SMART and QUANTIZE. Its much easier to hear and see than to
read about!

Once you have recorded a Loop with the Metronome ON, the tempo will be locked meaning it
cannot be changed later. To change the tempo,

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 86

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.

The Looper

QUANTIZE
Just like SMART, QUANTIZE uses VoiceLive3s
LoopAssist feature. It will make your loops fall
onto the nearest beat of the current tempo. But
other than SMART, QUANTIZE does not extend
or trim Loops.

In SERIAL mode, Loop tracks A, B and C play independently and cannot be played at the same
time.

For a good example of the difference, try this:

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.

In the Sync sub-menu, select SMART.


Record a short loop on Loop track A.
Record a longer loop on Loop track B.
Let them play back and take note of how it
sounds (and looks in the display).
Delete both loops from Loop tracks A and B
(see Erase sub-menu on page 88).

Our apologies for such a long list of steps but


its probably best to see and hear the differences in action to fully understand how Smart and
Quantize modes work.

Now, record a longer Loop on Loop track A.


Record a shorter Loop on Loop track B.
Notice that the shorter B loop is automatically extended with empty space to match
Loop track A.
Once again, delete both Loops.
In the Sync sub-menu, select QUANTIZE.
Record a longer loop on Loop track A.
Record a shorter loop on Loop track B, and
try to make it divisible into Loop track A.
For example, if Loop track A is four bars long,
make Loop track B two bars.
Notice how Loop track B now loops multiple
times for each loop of Track A.
This is a better mode if you would like to record a longer Loop track A (perhaps a chord
progression) and a shorter Loop track B (perhaps a beatbox section).

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 87

FREE
This ones easy to explain: No metronome or
other sync. Loops are all recorded completely
independently and can take any form/length. Go
crazy!

The Looper

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 VoiceLive3 is


45 minutes.
Individual loop Tracks can be up to 8 minutes.

Erase
Erase
Erase
Erase

Loop track A
Loop track B
Loop track C
All Loop tracks

Erase sub-menu

Erasing loops directly


You can easily delete a single loop without having to go to the Erase sub-menu.
While you are on the main Loop screen, simply
press/hold the ODUB button for a Loop track
(Reverb or Harmony footswitches respectively).

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 88

Setup

Setup
VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 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 VoiceLive3.

Use the Input Type parameter to select your microphone type. Choose the one that best matches your setup.

Input Gain parameter

The available options are:

Use the Input Gain parameter to adjust the input


level for the Mic input.
If you have completed the Auto-Gain procedure
from the Quick Guide, you likely wont need to
adjust this.

Dynamic Mic E.g. SM58, OM5, MP-70 etc.


Condenser Mic Activates +48V phantom
power
MP-75 Mic enables Mic Control
E835 FX Mic enables Mic Control

To adjust the gain manually, do the following.


Plug in your microphone.
If you have a condenser microphone, change
Input Type to Condenser.
Sing at your loudest.
Turn the Input Gain parameter up until only the
green and yellow LEDs of the Level indicator
light up.
If you see the red LED light, turn Input Gain
down until the red LED no longer lights.
This is your optimal Input Gain setting.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 90

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.

Use the Lead Delay parameter to apply latency


compensation between your lead voice and effects.

Parameter settings:

Parameter settings:

We like to think of Global Pitch Correction as a


little help, gently guiding you to the next nearest
semitone at all times. Since this correction is always chromatic, you can still sing a wrong note
(relative to the current key/scale of your song),
but it does help with your overall pitch.

On: VoiceLive3 will listen to the RoomSense


microphones for Key/Scale information if no
Guitar, MIDI or Aux signal is present.
Off: VoiceLive 3 will ignore any music heard
by the RoomSense microphones.

None: Your lead voice is passed through the


unit as quickly as possible, regardless of the
number of effects and their latency.
Voice Sync: Your lead voice is dynamically
delayed (ever so slightly) so that any generated voices such as Harmony are lined
up together perfectly. The amount that your
lead voice can be delayed is dependent on the
number of generated voices.
Auto: Similar to Voice Sync, Auto delays your
lead voice relative to the overall latency of all
active effects, not just generated voices.
While this mode is the most accurate in terms
of timing, it can also introduce the most significant feeling that what you sing comes
out of the box a split second later. For some,
this latency is unnoticeable, for others, its distracting.

Parameter range: 0 to 100%


Try a setting of circa 40% for a transparent
sound.
If you hear phasing between your natural voice
and corrected voice, this is totally normal.
Check out this Craigs Corner video for more information on pitch correction phasing:
youtube.com/watch?v=KWrEIuiDXsA

Try the various modes to determine which one


works best for the feeling and the resulting
sound output.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 91

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.

Parameter settings: on/off.


When Lead Mute is on, it mutes either microphone or line level signals, whichever is plugged
into the combo jack. Lead Mute is great for post
processing prerecorded dry vocals.

Please note that the ability for Voice Cancel to


work its magic is highly dependent on the mix
of the incoming music. Stereo recordings with
vocals directly in the middle and instruments
panned far to the left and right tend to work the
best.

Post processing prerecorded dry vocals:


Send the dry vocal from your DAW to the
Mic/Line input.
Turn Lead Mute on.
Record the resulting effects-only signal to a
new track in your DAW.
Blend the original dry vocal track and new
wet vocal tracks together in the mix.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 92

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.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 93

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 VoiceLive3.

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.
Mono:
The left XLR output jack carries the summed
(with effects) mono vocal & guitar channel
signals.
The right XLR output jack carries the
summed (without effects) mono vocal &
guitar channel signals.
The dry channel includes Tone and AutoChromatic Pitch Correction (if applicable).
The dry channel does not contain HardTune
effect(s).
Dual Mono:
The left XLR output jack carries the summed
(with effects) mono vocal channel.
The right XLR output jack carries the
summed (with effects) mono guitar channel.

Mic Level: Typically the best setting when


connecting to a mixer/PA. This level closely
replicates that of a microphone going directly
into the mixer.
Line Level: When connecting to a mixer/PA
line inputs, this setting is a good choice.

Links:
For a tutorial on PA basics, Yorkville has an
extremely useful PA Primer guide (PDF):
yorkville.com/downloads/other/basicpaprimer.pdf
There is also a great Craigs Corner video episode covering Mixer Setup with TC-Helicon
devices:
youtube.com/watch?v=qq0AOtafIjs
And another with tips on eliminating feedback:
youtube.com/watch?v=VlN1RJ4gcAo

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 94

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. Its 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 0dB (-3dB etc) will restrict
or limit the maximum potential headphone output. When using in-ear monitors, you may want
to set the limiter in order to prevent hearing damage by transient loud noises such as feedback.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 95

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 guitars volume control to maximum.
Play the loudest you normally would.
Turn the Input Gain parameter up until only the
green and yellow LEDs of the Level indicator
light up.
If you see the red LED light, turn Input Gain
down until the red LED no longer lights.
This is your optimal Input Gain setting.

Parameter settings:
Parameter settings:
Normal: Signal phase is maintained as it is at
the guitar input.
Inverted: Incoming signal phase is reversed.
It can sometimes be beneficial to invert the
phase of a guitar to prevent feedback from
stage monitors. This is especially applicable
to acoustic guitars

On: Speaker simulations are active. This is a


good setting for use with a PA or FRFR (Full
Range, Flat Response) speaker.
Off: Speaker simulations are turned off. This is
a good global setting if you are plugging into a
nice amplifier and want to maintain its sound
relative to the guitar effects.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 96

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.
If you have an expression pedal connected
and have it set to control guitar volume, the
guitar output level will be affected.
Variable Level: Changes to the guitar level on
the Mix screen will affect the level of the guitar
outputs.
This parameter is only applicable to the guitar
outputs, not the XLR outputs. The XLR outputs
always allow variations of guitar level via the mix
screen, as long as no guitar outputs are connected.

To set the gate effectively, play a note or chord,


letting it ring out for a while. You will notice that
it reaches a certain volume and then goes completely silent. This indicates that the gate has
closed, effectively muting the output. The key
is to find a gate threshold setting that allows for
your instrument to naturally ring and sustain, but
still reduces noise when you are not playing. You
will need to experiment to find the optimal setting for your personal style and needs.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 97

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.
This is helpful if you would like VoiceLive3 to respond to certain types of information like program changes but not others, such as Continuous Controller (CC) messages. The parameter
setting you choose here tells VoiceLive 3 what
NOT to respond to.

Use the MIDI Channel parameter to set the MIDI


Channel that VoiceLive3 listens to for incoming MIDI information. This parameter is useful if
you have multiple MIDI devices and want to send
specific commands to individual devices.

Parameter settings:
None: All incoming MIDI data is responded to,
if applicable.
PrgChange: All incoming Program Change
messages are rejected.
SysEx: Any incoming System Exclusive (SysEx) data is rejected.
PC + SysEx: All incoming Program Change
messages and SysEx data are rejected.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 98

Setup

CC Channel parameter

Transpose parameter

Split Note parameter

Use the CC Channel parameter to set the MIDI


Channel that VoiceLive3 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. Use the Split Direction parameter to control whether notes above or below that note are
included.

The MIDI Channel and CC channel can be different. This means that you can have VoiceLive 3
respond to Program Change information on one
channel and to CC information on another.

If the output note after transposition falls outside


the available MIDI notes (i.e., if it is really high or
really low), the nearest octave note will be used
instead. For example, if you have set Transpose
to -4 octaves, but the note falls too far outside of
the acceptable MIDI note value range, the system will try the next nearest transposition octave
of -3. If -3 is also too low, it will try -2 etc.

Parameter settings: C-1 to G9

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 99

Setup

Split Direction parameter

Vibrato Boost parameter

Pitchbend Range parameter

It is possible to define a specific area of your


keyboard for VoiceLive3 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


VoiceLive3 should process incoming MIDI modulation data.

Use the Pitchbend range parameter to define the


range that pitch bend information can affect the
current note(s). This value is represented in semitones. The default value is 12 (1 octave).

Above: Any notes above the Split note are


listened to for MIDI note information.
Below: Any notes below the Split note are listened to for MIDI note information.

Boost: The modulation data received via MIDI


is added to the vibrato already applied to Harmony voices.
Manual: The modulation data received via
MIDI is directly controlling the Vibrato amount.

Parameter settings:

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 100

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.
Slow: Reduces the data transfer rate. If you
are having trouble with failed Preset syncing
or firmware updates using VoiceSupport software, try this setting.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 101

Setup

Tone tab

De-ess parameter

Compression mode parameter

VoiceLive3s 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.

Use the Compression Mode parameter to choose


between adaptive (automatic) and manual compression.

We recommend using the Adaptive settings for


Compression, EQ, and Gating as a starting point
and only adjust these components of the Tone
block manually if you run into specific issues.

Parameter settings:
Adaptive: Automatically adjusts compression
settings as you sing.
Manual: Compression settings are static and
manually set.

Tone parameter
Use the Tone parameter to switch the Tone block
on or off.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 102

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. The Ratio is
defined as a 1:X ratio, where X is the number
of decibels (dB) of reduction in level for every 1
dB over the Threshold value.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 103

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.

Use the Harm(ony) Atten(uation) parameter to set


the attenuation of the harmony voices once the
signal falls under the threshold.

Parameter settings:
Off: No Gate is applied.
Adaptive: The Gate is adjusted automatically.
Manual: The Gate threshold can be set by the
user.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 104

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.

EQ Mode parameter
Use the EQ Mode parameter to choose between
adaptive (automatic) and manual equalization.
Parameter settings:

Shape parameter (Adaptive


EQ mode only)
Use the Shape parameter to control the amount
of adaptive equalization applied to your voice.
The default setting is 50.

Adaptive: Automatically adjusts equalization


settings as you sing.
Manual: Equalizer settings are static and
manually set.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 105

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.

Use the Low, Mid and High Freq(uency) parameters to set the frequencies of the low, mid and
high bands of the EQ.
Parameter range: 20 to 20480Hz.

Parameter range: -12 to 12dB.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 106

Setup

Mid BW parameter (Manual


EQ mode only)
Use the Mid BW parameters to set the bandwidth of the EQs mid band.
Parameter range: Narrow, 0.11 to 8,77, Wide.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 107

Setup

System tab
Contrast parameter
Use the Contrast parameter to set VoiceLive 3s
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.

Use the Global NatPlay Source parameter to define a global signal source for the NaturalPlay
feature. Use this parameter if you want to make
sure that only audio or control data from a specific source is used to determine key/scale. For
more information, see What is NaturalPlay? on
page 33.

Usually, you will find the Global setting at the


bottom of every effect block edit screen. As
soon as you change Global from OFF to ON
within an effect block, the corresponding effect
settings from your the Global Preset will be applied to that effect.
For more information, see Important: The link
between the Global Preset and other Presets
goes both ways on page 46.

Parameter settings:
Auto: VoiceLive3 listens to any audio or control data coming from the Guitar input/MIDI
or USB port/Aux input/RoomSense microphones to determine the key/scale that should
guide Harmony voices and HardTune.
Guitar: Audio received at the Guitar input is
used to determine key/scale.
MIDI: MIDI note messages received at the
MIDI IN jack are used to determine key/scale.
Aux: Audio received at the Aux input input is
used to determine key/scale.
RoomSense: Audio received by the built-in
RoomSense microphones is used to determine key/scale.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 108

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.

Use the Global Tempo parameter if you want to


use one global tempo setting instead of using
the tempo settings stored as part of each Preset.

Use the Global Key/Scale parameter if you want


to use one global key/scale. When Global Key/
Scale parameter is set to On and you set the
Key and Scale parameters in a Presets Harmony
block edit screen, this key and scale will apply
to all Presets and the effects that utilize key and
scale information.

When Global Tempo parameter is set to On, any


tempo set via
Tempo Tapping (see Tapping tempo on page
42),
the Delay effect edit screen or
Loop Metronome (see Metronome submenu on page 85)
will apply across all Presets. The tempo values
stored in Presets will be overridden as long as
Global Tempo is On.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 109

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 on page 41.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 110

Setup

Buttonmap tab

Step Button Function parameter

Every VoiceLive 3 preset has its own Buttonmap tab, allowing you to remap the six effect
footswitches (Mod, Delay, Reverb, HIT, Double/Comp and Harmony/Drive) both for the Vocal and the Guitar layer. For more information,
see Remapping a footswitch on page 37.

Use the Step Button Function parameter to remap the Step footswitch to another function.

In addition to these Preset-specific Buttonmap,


the parameters on the Setup menus Buttonmap
tab allow you to remap the Step button and the
Mic Switch on your Mic Control-enabled microphone.

One of the following functions can be mapped


to the Step footswitch. This setting is not stored
as part of your Presets, it is applied globally. The
Step footswitch LED will light in blue (Vocal), Red
(Guitar) or Purple (Loop/System), depending on
what you have assigned to it.
Parameter settings:
Step
Pitch Cor
All Mute
Mod
Delay
Reverb
Voc HIT
Double
Harmony
Transducer
HardTune
Rhythmic
Stutter
Choir
Synth
Harm(ony) Hold*
Set Key
Tap Tempo
Bypass
G Mod (G= guitar)
G Delay
G Reverb
G HIT
G Comp

G Drive
G Amp
G Rhythm
G Octaver
G Wah
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.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 111

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.

Latched: Tap the Mic switch to activate the


assigned effect, tap it again to deactivate it.
Momentary: The assigned effect is on only
when you keep the Mic switch pressed.

Latched: Tap the button to activate the assigned effect, tap it again to deactivate it.
Momentary: The assigned effect is on only
when you hold down the footswitch.

Parameter settings:
For more information, see Change a button from
Latched to Momentary mode on page 36.

Off
Mod
Delay
Reverb
Vocal HIT
Double
Harmony
Transducer
HardTune
Rhythmic
Stutter
Choir
Synth
Harm(ony) Hold
Step
Tap Tempo
Bypass
All HIT
Preset Up / Preset Down**
Preset Step

For more information, see Change a button from


Latched to Momentary mode on page 36.

* Harmony must be active for this to have an effect.


** Tapping the Mic switch will switch to the next
or previous Preset. Holding the Mic switch will
reverse direction (increment/decrement).

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 112

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 on page 50.

Expr(ession) Pedal
Function parameter
If you have connected a second expression pedal to the Footswitch jack, use the Expr(ession)
Pedal Function parameter to assign a function to
this expression pedal.
The second expression pedal can be assigned
to one of the following controls:

Guitar Rhythmic Division


Guitar Amp Post Gain
Guitar Amp Pre Gain
Guitar Level
Guitar Pan
Looper Level
Headphone Level
Guitar Delay Send
Guitar Reverb Send

Off
Lead Octave Down
Lead Octave Up
Harmony Octave Down
Harmony Octave Up
Harmony + DoubleLevel
Delay + Reverb Level
Harmony Level
Double Level
Vocals Mod Level
Vocals Delay Level
Vocals Reverb Level
Synth Level
Lead Level
Vocal Mod + Delay + Reverb Level
Vocal Level
Aux Level
Vocal Delay Sends
Vocal Reverb Sends
Rhythm Depth
Rhythm Division
Stutter Division
Guitar Mod Level
Guitar Delay Level
Guitar Reverb Level
Guitar Delay + Reverb Level
Guitar Rhythmic Depth

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 113

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.

If you have connected a second expression pedal to the Footswitch jack, use the Exp(ression)
Max(imum) Pos(ition) parameter in the Setup
menu to define the parameter value that should
be associated with the maximum (up) position of
this second expression pedal.

For more information, see Exp. Pedal tab: Getting the most out of your expression pedal on
page 50.

For more information, see Exp. Pedal tab: Getting the most out of your expression pedal on
page 50.

SW3-1 / SW3-2 / SW3-3 parameters


These parameters are only available when the
Footswitch jack parameter has been set to
Switch-3.
Each Switch-3 footswitch can be assigned to
one of the following controls:
Step
Pitch Corr(ection)
All Mute (Guitar and Vocal mute)
Mod
Delay
Reverb
Vocal HIT
Double
Harmony
Transducer
HardTune
Rhythmic
Stutter
Choir
Synth
Harm(ony) Hold*
Set Key
Tap Tempo
Bypass
G Mod
G Delay
G Reverb
G HIT
G Comp
G Drive
G Amp
G Rhythm
G Octaver
G Wah

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 114

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.
Latched: Tap the footswitch on your Switch-3
to activate the assigned effect, tap it again to
deactivate it.
Momentary: The assigned effect is on only
when you hold down the footswitch.
For more information, see Change a button from
Latched to Momentary mode on page 36.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 115

Setup

Pedal Calibration tab

Product info tab

For more information on pedal calibration, see


Calibrating your expression pedal on page
50.

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.
Make sure you provide this information when
creating a support incident!

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 116

Appendix

Appendix
VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 117

Appendix

MIDI CC List
For effects that can be switched on or off:
Value 1-63 = off, 64-127 = on

CC No.
1
16
17
19
21
23
25
27
29
30
31
46
47
50
51
56
104
110
111
112
113
115
116
117
118
119
123

Harmony Vibrato Boost


Guitar Rhythmic
Guitar Delay
Guitar Compressor
Guitar Mod
Guitar Octaver
Guitar Amp
Guitar Wah
Guitar Boost
Vocal Harmony Key (C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B) values
0-11 respectively
Vocal Harmony Scale (MAJ1, MAJ2, MAJ3, MIN1, MIN2, MIN3, CUST)
values 0-7 respectively
Guitar Reverb
Guitar HIT
Vocal Vocoder/Synth
Vocal Rhythmic
Vocal HIT
Vocal Choir
Vocal Harmony
Vocal Double
Vocal Reverb
Vocal HardTune
Step value represents Step Number, i.e. 1 = Step 1, 2= Step 2 etc.
Vocal Mod
Vocal Delay
Vocal Transducer
Harmony Hold
ALL NOTES OFF

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 118

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.

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. The
button is small and at the very end of the inside of the jack. You dont need to use much
force so please be gentle. You will feel a
small click when the button presses.
With the button held down, press the power
switch on your VoiceLive 3.
Wait until you see the System Maintenance
Screen.
You should see the System Maintenance
screen immediately. If you see the normal
VoiceLive 3 screen (without the System Maintenance banner on top), you havent pushed
the button inside the headphone jack correctly. Try again.
Choose the desired option from the menu using the Control Knob.

Updating the firmware


using a USB flash drive
If you cannot update the firmware of your VoiceLive 3 using VoiceSupport software, you can
perform a firmware update with a USB flash
drive.
Format the USB flash drive to the FAT32 file
system (see the manual of your computer/operating system for instructions).
Reformatting a USB flash drive will erase all
data on it.
Copy the .syx file containing the firmware
update to the USB flash drive.
Insert the USB flash drive into the USB host
port on your VoiceLive 3.
Boot your VoiceLive 3 in System Maintenance
as described in.
Select the Update from USB drive option.

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 119

Technical Specifications

Technical Specifications
VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 120

Features
Vocal Effects
Mod
Echo & Delay
Reverb
Harmony
Double
Transducer
Rhythmic
HardTune & Correction
Choir
Stutter
Vocoder
Adaptive Tone

Looper
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

Technical Specifications

Control




250 factory presets


Memory for 500 presets
10 steps per preset
10 footswitches
6 preset-assignable footswitches for enabling/disabling FX blocks
Detailed editing
Genre and Styles preset categories

Design
Size
Height: 3 inches (76 mm)
Width: 13.8 inches (350 mm)
Depth: 8.5 inches (261 mm)

Weight
Weight: 5 lb. (2.3 kg)

Construction
Anodized extruded aluminum and steel chassis
Rubberized edit/mix knobs
Recessed rubberized handle
192 x 64 Blue STN LCD, White Back light display
Tri-colored Footswitch Light ring
Capacitive touch edit controls with LED indicators

Guitar Effects
Amp Modeling
Drive
Delay
Reverb
Compression
Resonant Filter
Wah
Mod (Flange, Chorus, De-tune)
Shifter
Rhythmic/Tremolo
Talkbox (part of Vocoder)

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 121

Connections
Analog Inputs
Voice
Connector: Combo Balanced XLR/Balanced
TRS 1/4 phone jack
Input Impedance Balanced: 3.08kOhm
Mic Input Level @ 0dBFS: -52dBu to +7dBu
Line Input Level @0dBFS: -40dBu to
+19dBu
EIN @ Max Mic Gain Rg = 150Ohm:
-127dBu
Mic SNR >100dB at typical Mic Input gain
Phantom Power: +48V
(on/off via setup menu)
A to D Conversion 24Bit, 128x oversampling
bitstream, 110dB SNR A-weighted
Guitar
Connector: 1/4 phone jack
Guitar Input Impedance: 1MOhm
Guitar Input Level @ 0dBFS: -2dBU to
14dBu
Guitar Input SNR >108dB
A to D Conversion 24Bit, 128x oversampling
bitstream, 110dB SNR A-weighted
Monitor
Connector: Balanced XLR
Input Impedance Balanced: 25kOhm
Monitor Input Level @ 0dBFS +16dBu
Aux
Aux: 1/8 stereo mini jack
Aux Input Level @ 0dBFS +2dBu

Technical Specifications

Analog Outputs
Voice
Connectors: balanced XLR
Output Impedance Balanced/Unbalanced:
300/150Ohm
Output Range 0dBFS Line Level: +14dBu;
Mic Level: -2dBu
Dynamic Range >109dB, 20Hz to 20kHz/li>
Frequency Response +0/-0.3dB, 20Hz to
20kHz
D to A Conversion 24Bit, 128 x oversampling
bitstream, 115dB SNR A-weighted

Control



USB: USB A, Mini-B


MIDI: In/Out: 5 Pin DIN
Pedal: 1/4 TRS phone jack
Mic Control using
TC-Helicon MP-75 Microphone or
Sennheiser e 835 fx mic

Guitar
Connectors: 1/4 TRS phone jack
Output Impedance Balanced/Unbalanced:
442/221Ohm
Output Range 0dBFS Line Level: +14dBu;
Mic Level: -2dBu
Dynamic Range >101dB, 20Hz to 20kHz
D to A Conversion 24Bit, 128 x oversampling
bitstream, 106dB SNR A-weighted
Headphone
1/8 Mini stereo jack, 50Ohm, +14dBu max
Guitar Thru
Buffered Guitar Input
Connector: 1/4 TRS phone jack
Output Impedance Bal/UnBal: 270/540Ohms
Monitor Thru
Direct connection to Monitor input
Connector: Balanced XLR

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 122

Details
Power
External Power Supply Mains Voltage:
100 to 240 VAC, 50 to 60 Hz (auto-select)
Power Consumption: < 14 W

Technical Specifications

Included with VoiceLive 3





Region specific power supply


USB cable
Quickstart guide
Guitar/Headphone combo cable

Safety
EMC Complies with:
EN 55103-1:2009, EN 55103-2:2009, FCC
CFR 47 Part 15B and ICES-003:2004 4th Ed
Safety certified to:
IEC 65, EN 60065, UL6500 and CSA IEC 65,
EN 60065, UL6500 and CSA

Operating Requirements
Operating Temperature:
32 F to 122 F / 0 C to 50 C
Storage Temperature:
-22 F to 167 F / -30 C to 70 C
Humidity: Max. 90 % non-condensing

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 123

Technical Specifications

VoiceLive 3 Reference manual (2014-01-30) 124

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