TC Helicon Perform-VK User manual

PERFORM-VK

Ultimate Mic Stand-Mount Vocal Processor for
Studio-Quality Sound with Expandable Eects and
Keyboard I/O

2 PERFORM-VK User Manual

Table of Contents

Important Safety Instructions ................................................ 3

Legal Disclaimer ....................................................................... 3

Limited warranty ...................................................................... 3

Introduction ......................................................................................4

Read the Quick Start! .......................................................................4

Connection Diagram ........................................................................4

Eects .................................................................................................5

Turning Eects On and O .............................................................6

Editing Eects ...................................................................................6

Preset .................................................................................................6

Importing (Beaming) a preset ........................................................7

HIT ......................................................................................................7

Editing a Beamed preset .................................................................7

Editing HIT .........................................................................................7

Tone ....................................................................................................8

Anti-Feedback ...................................................................................8

Pitch Correction ................................................................................8

Pitch Guide ........................................................................................9

+48V (Phantom Power) ....................................................................9

Mic Control ........................................................................................9

Talk ...................................................................................................10

Lock/Mute ........................................................................................10

Tap (Tempo) .....................................................................................10

RoomSense .....................................................................................10

AUX Input ........................................................................................10

Aux to Main Out ..............................................................................11

Dimming the Buttons ....................................................................11

USB Audio ........................................................................................11

MIDI Implementation ....................................................................12

Factory Reset ...................................................................................14

Support ............................................................................................14

3 PERFORM-VK User Manual

9. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized

20. Please keep the environmental aspects of battery

Important Safety Instructions

Terminals marked with this symbol carry
electrical current of su cient magnitude

to constitute risk of electric shock.
Use only high-quality professional speaker cables with
¼" TS or twist-locking plugs pre-installed. Allother
installation or modi cation should be performed only
by quali edpersonnel.

This symbol, wherever it appears,

alertsyou to the presence of uninsulated

dangerous voltage inside the
enclosure-voltage that may be su cient to constitute a
risk ofshock.

This symbol, wherever it appears,

alertsyou to important operating and

maintenance instructions in the
accompanying literature. Please read the manual.

Caution

To reduce the risk of electric shock, donot

remove the top cover (or the rear section).
No user serviceable parts inside. Refer servicing to
quali ed personnel.

Caution

To reduce the risk of  re or electric shock,

do not expose this appliance to rain and
moisture. The apparatus shall not be exposed to dripping
or splashing liquids and no objects  lled with liquids,
suchas vases, shall be placed on the apparatus.

Caution

These service instructions are for use

by quali ed ser vice personnel only.
Toreduce the risk of electric shock do not perform any
servicing other than that contained in the operation
instructions. Repairs have to be performed by quali ed
servicepersonnel.

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 dry cloth.

7. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in

accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

8. Do not install near any heat sources such as
radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus
(including ampli ers) that produce heat.

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 are provided for your safety. Ifthe
provided plug does not  t 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. Use only attachments/accessories speci ed by
themanufacturer.

12. Use only with the
cart, stand, tripod, bracket,
or table speci ed 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.

14. Refer all servicing to quali ed 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.

15. The apparatus shall be connected to a MAINS socket
outlet with a protective earthing connection.

16. Where the MAINS plug or an appliance coupler is
used as the disconnect device, the disconnect device shall
remain readily operable.

17. Correct disposal of this
product: This symbol indicates
that this product must not be
disposed of with household
waste, according to the WEEE
Directive (2012/19/EU) and

your national law. This product
should be taken to a collection center licensed for the
recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment
(EEE). The mishandling of this type of waste could have
a possible negative impact on the environment and
human health due to potentially hazardous substances
that are generally associated with EEE. At the same time,
your cooperation in the correct disposal of this product
will contribute to the e cient use of natural resources.
For more information about where you can take your
waste equipment for recycling, please contact your local
city o ce, or your household waste collection service.

18. Do not install in a con ned space, such as a book
case or similar unit.

19. Do not place naked  ame sources, such as lighted
candles, on the apparatus.

disposal in mind. Batteries must be disposed-of at a
battery collection point.

21. Use this apparatus in tropical and/or
moderate climates.

LEGAL DISCLAIMER

MUSIC Group accepts no liability for any loss
which may be su ered by any person who relies
either wholly or in part upon any description,
photograph, or statement contained herein.
Technical speci cations, appearances and other
information are subject to change without notice.
All trademarks are the property of their respective
owners. MIDAS, KLARK TEKNIK, LAB GRUPPEN, LAKE,
TANNOY, TURBOSOUND, TC ELECTRONIC, TC HELICON,
BEHRINGER, BUGERA and DDA are trademarks
or registered trademarks of MUSIC Group IP Ltd.
© MUSIC Group IP Ltd. 2017 All rights reserved.

LIMITED WARRANTY

For the applicable warranty terms and conditions
and additional information regarding MUSIC Group’s
Limited Warranty, please see complete details online at
music-group.com/warranty.

4 PERFORM-VK User Manual

Introduction

Thank you for purchasing PERFORM-VK!

Your new mic stand-mounted vocal processor opens up a world of new
performance opportunities.

Starting with our Adaptive Tone (automatic EQ, De-Essing, Gating and
Compression), your voice will punch through the mix and sound great
in any environment.

Add studio-quality Reverb, Harmony and Echo to the party and you’ll easily craft
eardrum pleasing vocal eects that are perfec tly suited to your song.

With the addition of “beamable” presets you can expand the sonic capabilities of
PERFORM-VK and include up to four more vocal eects!

Anti-Feedback tames the annoying high pitched squeals we’ve all experienced at
live shows and keeps your performance sounding its very best.

Our global Pitch Correction gently guides your voice to the nearest note, ensuring
that your pitches are spot on.

The Guide feature lets you see your vocal pitches in real time, letting you know
when you’re accurate and when you might be sharp or at. It’s a great tool for
both live and rehearsal.

Audio and MIDI inputs for your keyboard give you a choice of methods to guide
key and scale for harmony voices and HardTune.

Read the Quick Start!

We’ll assume that you read the Quick Start Guide that came in the box, hooked
everything up, and that you’re able to sing and play through the product. If you

haven’t made it that far, please read the Quick Start Guide now and come back to
this manual when you’re set up. Don’t worry, we’ll wait.

Update Your Device!

It is HIGHLY recommended that you update the rmware on your PERFORM-VK
before rst use. ”Beaming“ presets from the app will not function without
the update.

To update your rmware, you'll need both a USB driver (PC only) and our
VoiceSupport 2 program. Both can be found at tc-helicon.com/products/

perform-vk/support/

PC Users

1. Download both the USB driver and VoiceSupport 2

2. Install the USB driver (restart if prompted)

3. Install VoiceSupport 2 (restart if prompted)

4. Connect your Perform-VK to your computer with the supplied USB cable

5. Power up Perform-VK

6. Star t VoiceSupport 2

7. Follow the prompts to update your rmware

Mac Users

You will not need the USB driver. Download VoiceSupport 2 and follow
steps 3-7 above.

Connection Diagram

MP-75

5 PERFORM-VK User Manual

Eects

There are three eects available to you in PERFORM-VK and up to four more
which are accessed via beamed presets.

Harmony (onboard)

Additional voices, created from copies of your own voice, provide harmony as
your own personal backup singers. Chord information is captured via the
instrument input(s), MIDI or Aux and used to pick the correct key and scale for
your song.

We can also use a combination of the built-in RoomSense microphone and
music coming into the AUX input to automatically pick the right key/scale for the
harmony voices. You’ll need to have a chorded instrument near the RoomSense
mic and/or music with chord information coming into the AUX input for this
to work.

Reverb (onboard)

Echo (onboard)

Otherwise known as “Delay”, echo eects repeat your voice back to you in various
ways and amounts, simulating the eect shouting into a mountain range or very
large space. Some Echoes can have eects applied to the “taps” or repeats of the
echo, like Megaphone or Radio.

Double (Beamable)

Simulates the classic “double tracked” studio sound that’s common on recordings
of all genres. Double can include Octave Up and Octave Down voices too.

Megaphone (beamable)

Anything that lters or distorts your voice falls into the Megaphone category.
You can sound like you’re on an old radio or distort your voice for an edgy attack.
Be careful with Megaphone eec ts when you’ve got a loud PA. We need to adjust
EQ a lot to create these sounds, so they’re a bit more prone to feedback than
other eects.

Reverb creates a simulated physical space for your voice. It can be a small space,
like a shower (where everyone’s best singing takes place), or something as big as
a concert hall. It’s common to use a smaller (shorter) Reverb for faster songs and
a larger (longer) Reverb for slower ones.

HardTune (beamable)

The name of this eect can be a bit misleading, because it covers both subtle and
T-Pain™ style tuning. There are several styles to help you hit the pitch perfec tly,
but some sound much more natural than others. Conveniently enough, our
natural style is called…well… natural. The Pop style covers the other end of
the spectrum. HardTune requires key information to work correctly, so just like
Harmony, you’ll need a chorded instrument, MIDI or AUX input.

µMod (beamable)

Here’s where you’ll nd eects like Flanger, Chorus and other similar eects.
These eects are typically used sparingly, but can add a great point of interest to
your performance.