TC Helicon Talkbox Synth User manual

TALKBOX SYNTH

Studio-Quality Stompbox for Guitar Talkbox Eects
and Vocal Tone Polishing

User Manual

2 TALKBOX SYNTH User Manual

9. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized

20. Please keep the environmental aspects of battery

or statement contained herein. Technical speci cations,

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 service 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 Direc tive
(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,

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.

3 TALKBOX SYNTH User Manual

1. Controls

(1) (2) (3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

(1) STYLE knob selects from the range of Talkbox and Synth sounds.

See Chapter 2: Using the Style Knob for details.

(2) CORRECTION knob adjusts the amount of pitch correction. With the knob

at the center 12:00 position, the eect will provide subtle pitch support
without noticeable or unnatural artifacts. Turn the knob all the way up for
a more aggressive eect, or fully counterclockwise to turn the eect o.
Correction is inactive while Talkbox or Synth eects are engaged.

(3) REVERB knob selects the type and amount of reverb eec t on your voice.

The 3 types of reverb appear in order from the smallest space (Room) to the
largest (Hall). Adjusting the knob within your preferred reverb
space determines how pronounced the eect will be.
Turning the knob fully counterclockwise turns the reverb o.
Reverb is active regardless of the on/o status of the Talkbox Synth eect.

(4) BATTERY LED indicates the battery level, with green showing full life,

yellow being partial life, and red to alert that the batteries
should be changed.

(8)

(13)

(14)

(9) (10) (11) (12)

(6) ON/OFF LED lights when the eect is engaged.

(7) FOOTSWITCH bypasses the Talkbox or Synth eect,

but does not aect the reverb or Tone status.

(8) USB input accepts a micro USB cable for connec tion to a computer. Use the

VoiceSupport application to install rmware updates, and for other features
depending on your product.
Download VoiceSupport from www.tc-helicon.com/products/voicesupport/

(9) ON/OFF switch powers the pedal on and o. To prevent audible thumps,

ensure PA level is down before powering o unit.

(10) POWER input accepts a 9V power cable (not included).

(11) OUT jack accepts a balanced XLR cable for connection to a

mixer or active speaker at approximately mic output level.

(12) MIC input jack accepts a balanced XLR cable to connect your microphone.

(13) GUITAR IN jack accepts a ¼" TS cable to connect your guitar.

(5) TONE button engages a preset combination of adaptive EQ, compression,

de-essing, and noise gate. “Normal” and “Less Bright” settings can be
toggled by holding the Tone button and pressing the footswitch.

(14) GUITAR THRU jack sends your guitar signal out via ¼" TS cable.

4 TALKBOX SYNTH User Manual

2. Operation

Connection

Power cable

Micro USB cable

MP-75 microphone

Mixing board

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• Connect a microphone to the MIC jack

• Connect the OUT jack to a mixer, interface or active speaker

• Connect a guitar to the Guitar Input jack on the right side of the pedal

• Connect the left Guitar Output jack to an amplier or mixing console

Optional:

• Connect a micro USB cable to a computer

• Connect power cable

Using the Pedal

Vocalize into the mic while playing guitar to hear the eect. Don’t worry about
singing in tune; the pitch of the eect comes from your guitar.

Over-enunciate your vowels to get more interesting and expressive eec ts.

You can play guitar chords with Styles 1-4 but only monophonically (one note at
a time) using Styles 5-8. A light picking touch helps with tracking.

Classic, Modern and all Synth st yles mute the guitar output to INST THRU. The
guitar is unmuted only on the Classic+ and Modern+ styles.

Using the Style Knob

Turn the knob to select which eect you want. There are two sets of styles:
Talkbox (1-4) and Synth (5-8). See the table below for descriptions.

1. Classic – This most closely imitates the sound of a saturated (distorted) horn
driver piping your guitar sound into your mouth.

2. Modern – This style is clean and clear to mimic a vocoder eect.

3. Classic + – This produces the same sound as Classic but unmutes the dry
guitar sound from the Guitar output for a duo eect.

Momentary Mode

The standard func tion of the footswitch is a latching style, meaning that each
press of the footswitch turns the eect on and o. Alternatively, the pedal can
operate in momentary mode, meaning that the eect is only active while the
footswitch is held down. As soon as you release the footswitch,
the eect is bypassed.

To switch the unit to momentary mode, hold the Tone button down while
powering the unit on. Repeat the process to return to latching mode.

Changing the Batteries

Talkbox Synth can operate on 4 AA batteries. Remove the single screw on the
bottom of the pedal to open the battery door. Make sure to observe correct
polarity when inserting the batteries.

Auto Gain

Talkbox Synth will automatically adjust the gain set ting for your microphone,
eliminating the need for manual adjustments and ensuring that a good signal is
passed to the mixer without any unwanted distortion.

24 V Phantom Power

Phantom power is always active on the Talkbox Synth. This will power
condenser microphones, but will not aect dynamic mics either.

Mic Control

Mic Control allows you to control the eect's on/o status via an
MP-75 microphone. Press and hold the footswitch while powering up the unit
to toggle Mic Control.

Note that when using a condenser microphone, Mic Control should be disabled to
prevent unwanted on/o switching.

4. Modern+ – This produces the same sound as Modern but also unmutes the
guitar sound.

5. Synth 1 – Two synthesizer voices triggered by your guitar are slightly
detuned for a chorused mono synth sound.

6. Synth 2 – A single fat, square wave synth voice produces a rich sound almost
like a totally saturated distorted guitar tone.

7. Synth 3 – A pair of detuned, octave down synth voices make a bassy,
chorused eect.

8. Synth 4 – A unison voice with a fth above make a classic synthy sound.

Adjusting Style levels

You are able to raise or lower individual style levels to suit dierent guitars and
sound requirements. Load the style you want to adjust then hold the Tone button
while turning the Correction knob. The middle detent on the Correction knob
represents the factory level adjustment; to the left (counterclockwise) is quieter
and to the right (clockwise) is louder. Releasing the Tone button stores your new
level until the next time you require a change.

After setting, re-adjust the Correction knob to where you want it when singing
without the Talkbox or Synth eects.

Guitar Connection Tip:

Guitar – Placing Talkbox Synth as the rst device in your pedal chain will give it
the cleanest signal with which to drive the synth sounds. If you prefer to have
other pedals before, optimum synth tracking is derived when their eects are o.

6 TALKBOX SYNTH User Manual

3. Specications

Input

Mic Input Impedance: Balanced: 2.68 kOhm

Mic Input Level @ 0 dBFS: -42 dBu to +1 dBu

EIN @ Max Mic Gain Rg = 150 Ohm: -126 dBu

Mic input SNR: >104 dB

Guitar Input impedance: 1 MOhm

Guitar Input Level @ 0 dBFS: -7 dBU to 17 dBu

Guitar Input SNR: >115 dB

Output

Output Impedance, Bal./Unbal.: 200/100 Ohm

Output Full Scale: +1 dBu

Dynamic Range: >104 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz

Frequency Response: +0/-0.3 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz

Power

Power Supply (Optional): 9 V / 670 mA

Power Consumption: 6 W

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

Size & Weight

Dimensions: 5.4" x 3.5" x 2.3" (140 x 90 x 60 mm)

Weight: 0.92 lb. (420 g)

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.

Due to continuous development, these specications are subject to change
without notice

7 TALKBOX SYNTH User Manual