TC-Helicon VoiceLive 3 Reference Manual
English Manual
VoiceLive 3
Important safety instructions 1
Caution 2
Service 2
Warning 2
EMC / EMI 3
Explanation of graphic symbols 3
Before you begin 4
About this manual 5
Getting support 5
VoiceSupport 5
Please register your VoiceLive3 5
Introduction 6
Design concepts 7
Top panel overview 12
Footswitches overview 14
Back panel inputs and outputs 19
Diagram legend 21
Diagrams 22
VoiceLive3 overview 23
Getting started – setting up 24
Quick troubleshooting tips 29
Getting to know VoiceLive3 30
Tips and tricks for working with
layers and effects 48
Editing the Vocal layer 52
Harmony block / t ab 53
Double block / tab 55
Vocal Delay block / tab 56
Vocal Reverb block / tab 57
HardTune block / t ab 58
Synth block / tab 59
Transducer block / tab 60
Vocal µMod block / tab 61
Choir block / tab 62
Vocal Rhythmic block / tab 63
Stutter block / tab 64
Vocal Buttonmap block / tab 65
Editing the Guitar layer 67
Amp block / ta b 68
Drive block / tab 69
Guitar Delay block / tab 70
Guitar Reverb block / tab 71
Comp(ression) block / tab 72
Wah (Wah-Wah) block / tab 73
µMod block / ta b 74
Octaver block / tab 75
Guitar Rhythmic block / tab 76
Guitar Buttonmap block / tab 77
The Looper 78
Basic Loop concepts and terms 79
Entering and exiting Loop mode 80
Your first loop 80
The Utility menu 84
Loop limits 88
Setup 89
Input tab 90
Output tab 94
Guitar tab 96
MIDI tab 98
Tone tab 102
System tab 108
Buttonmap tab 111
Pedal Calibration tab 116
Product info tab 116
Appendix 117
MIDI CC List 118
System Maintenance/Factory Reset 119
Technical Specifications 120
Features 121
Design 121
Connections 122
Details 123
Included with VoiceLive 3 123
Product VoiceLive 3
Product (firmware) version 1.0 R70
Document Reference manual
Document version / date 2014-03-29
VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) a
Important safety instructions
Important safety instructions
VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 1
Important safety instructions
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 manufacturer’s
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.
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 107-
2-D1 / IEC83 page C4.
– This equipment should be installed near the
socket outlet and disconnection of the device
should be easily accessible.
– To completely disconnect from AC mains, dis-
connect the power supply cord from the AC
receptacle.
– The mains plug of the power supply shall re-
main 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 (2014-03-29) 2
Important safety instructions
EMC / EMI
Electromagnetic compatibility /
Electromagnetic interference
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.
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:
For customers in Canada
This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est
conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.
Explanation of graphic symbols
The lightning bolt triangle is used to
alert the user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltages” within
the unit’s 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.
– Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
– Increase the separation between the equip-
ment and receiver.
– Connect the equipment into an outlet on a cir-
cuit different from that to which the receiver is
connected.
– Consult the dealer or an experienced ra-
dio / TV technician for help.
VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 3
Before you begin
Before you begin
VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 4
Before you begin
About this manual
This reference manual will help you learn understanding and operating your VoiceLive 3.
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.
Getting support
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/
VoiceSupport
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.
Please register your VoiceLive3
To register your VoiceLive3 using the VoiceSupport software, launch VoiceSupport and click on
the ACCOUNT button.
! Please note that registration of your product is
NOT required to use VoiceSupport, download
presets, update firmware or contact support.
You can download VoiceSupport for Microsoft
Windows and Mac OS X from
tc-helicon.com/products/voicesupport/
VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 5
Introduction
Introduction
VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 6
Introduction
Welcome to the VoiceLive3 reference manual!
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 VoiceLive 3 like any
other new instrument and dedicate some time to
learning how to use it.
Yes, that means RTFM!
Read the… full manual.
Design concepts
Layers & footswitch mapping
VoiceLive3 is built on the fundamental concept
of “layers”. From a design perspective, there are
thee layers to work with:
– Vocal
– Guitar
– Looping
You may switch between layers using the Layer
footswitch, which we will discuss in more detail
later in the manual.
You can even remap footswitches within a lay-
er 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”.
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.
Essentially, when you tap the Layer footswitch,
the effects associated with the six effect footswitches (labeled µMod, Delay, Reverb, HIT,
Double/Comp, Harmony/Drive) will change from
vocal effects to guitar effects or looping controls.
VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 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.
What does that mean for you? Easier, quicker Preset creation and access to consistent
sounds!
Here is an example:
“I want to use this great reverb on a whole bunch
of Presets. How do I do that?”
– First, edit the guitar reverb on your Global Pre-
set (by default, this is Preset no. 491). Editing
guitar settings is explained in greater detail in
“Editing the Guitar layer”.
– 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”.
Done! This Preset will now use the Reverb settings from the Global Preset.
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:
Use the same guitar effects
across all Presets
This essentially turns VoiceLive 3’s Guitar layer
into a series of stomp-boxes that you only need
to set up once.
“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 Sys-
tem 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 dis-
play until “Off” changes to “on”.
Done! Every Preset will now have the same
guitar sounds.
Make sure a particular effect
always sounds the same
Want a certain Delay available in every Preset?
No problem.
– Just edit the Global Preset’s 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 Preset’s 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 don’t have to bounce back and forth between the Global and current Preset to make
changes to Global effects.
Set All Guitar FX Global to “On” to use the
same guitar effect in all Presets
It also means that you need to be aware of the
above, so you don’t accidentally edit a Global
setting, thinking you are only editing the current
Setting Global to on links an effect to the settings defined in the Global Preset
VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 8
Preset. With great power comes great responsibility!
Introduction
Multi-track looper
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.
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.
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.
There are a few different Sync modes in the
Looper – so be sure to read the “The Utility
menu” 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
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 loop-
ers, 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”
VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 9
This storage ability removes a lot of the repetitive
nature of building loops live in front of an audience. Sure, it’s 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.
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
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.
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 VoiceLive 3 come from
some of TC Electronic’s most successful effects,
like Corona Chorus, Hall of Fame Reverb, Vor tex
Flanger and Flashback Delay!
Advanced monitoring
More and more people are jumping into the In
Ear Monitor (IEM) pool. It’s 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.
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 won’t cause feedback.
Headphone Mix
VoiceLive3’s 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.
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.
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 (2014-03-29) 10
Headphone Mix
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/IEM’s to
the unit!
VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 11
Introduction
9
10
Top panel overview
1 2 3
4
5
Below is a brief description of the top panel controls and buttons. Full functionality for each will
be described in more detail later.
6 7 8
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 VoiceLive3 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 (2014-03-29) 12
Introduction
4. Home button
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.
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”.
8. Looper button
Use the Looper button to enter
the Loop options screen. Here
you can control several general
Loop options.
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.
12. Level LEDs
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).
7. Guitar button
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”.
VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 13
11. NP LED
The NP LED lights when NaturalPlay (chord) information is
received via Guitar, MIDI, Aux
or RoomSense.
Introduction
Footswitches overview
1
2
3
4 5 6
7 8 9
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
– Ta p 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 simul-
taneously 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”.
VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 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 lay-
er 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.
Guitar Layer with µMod (let’s say it’s 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.
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.
VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 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.
– 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.
Step management
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.
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.
Adding a different Preset as a Step
– To accept changes, tap Step.
– To delete the current step, tap the Layer foot-
switch.
– To cancel, press Home.
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”.
4. µMod footswitch
Tap the µMod footswitch to turn the
micro-modulation (µMod) effect on
or off.
The µMod block encompasses effects such as
Chorus, Flange, Detune and Rotor.
Adding a Step to a Preset
VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 16
Introduction
5. Delay footswitch
Tap the Delay footswitch to turn the
Delay effect (also known as echo) on
or off.
The Delay block encompasses effects such as ¼
Note, Multi-Tap and Ping Pong.
Tempo tapping
– To access tempo tapping, hold the Delay foot-
switch.
– Tap the footswitch in time with your song.
A few taps are enough.
– When you are happy with the tempo, stop tap-
ping.
6. Reverb footswitch
Tap the Reverb footswitch to turn
the Reverb effect on or off.
The Reverb block encompasses effects such as Hall, Club, Room and
Plate.
7. HIT footswitch
Tap the HIT footswitch to activate or
deactivate HIT. HIT can control:
– Vocal HIT (blue)
– Guitar HIT (red)
– All HIT (purple)
HIT is covered in greater detail in “Using the HIT
footswitch”.
VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 17
Introduction
8. Double/Comp footswitch
On the Vocal layer, tap the Double/
Comp footswitch to turn the Double
effect on or off.
Double encompasses effects such as 1 Voice
Tight, 2 Voices Wide and 4 Voices Wide.
On the Guitar layer, tap the Double/Comp footswitch to turn the Compressor on or off.
9. Harmony/Drive footswitch
On the Vocal layer, tap the Harmony/Drive footswitch to turn
the Harmony effect on or off.
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 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 (2014-03-29) 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.
Inputs
4
1. DC Power connector
2. XLR & ¼” Combo jack
3. ¼” 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”.
7. Expression (pedal) In
SWITCH-3
2 3 6 57 1
VoiceLive 3 inputs overview
VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 19
Introduction
7
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 VoiceLive3. 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 (2014-03-29) 20
Introduction
XLR Male XLR Female
Combo Jack
MIDI Jack
1/4 inch jack
XLR Male XLR Female
Combo Jack
MIDI Jack
1/4 inch jack
Power Input
Mini USB
1/8 inch jack GRND Lift
USB Type A
USB Type B
XLR Male XLR Female
Combo Jack
MIDI Jack
1/4 inch jack
Power Input
Mini USB
1/8 inch jack GRND Lift
USB Type A
USB Type B
XLR Male XLR Female
Combo Jack
MIDI Jack
1/4 inch jack
XLR Male XLR Female
Combo Jack
MIDI Jack
1/4 inch jack
Power Input
Mini USB
1/8 inch jack GRND Lift
USB Type A
USB Type B
XLR Male XLR Female
Combo Jack
MIDI Jack
1/4 inch jack
Power Input
Mini USB
1/8 inch jack GRND Lift
USB Type A
USB Type B
XLR Male XLR Female
Combo Jack
MIDI Jack
1/4 inch jack
Power Input
Mini USB
1/8 inch jack GRND Lift
USB Type A
USB Type B
XLR Male XLR Female
Combo Jack
MIDI Jack
1/4 inch jack
Power Input
Mini USB
1/8 inch jack GRND Lift
USB Type A
USB Type B
Combo Jack
MIDI Jack
1/4 inch jack
Mini USB
USB Type B
Combo Jack
MIDI Jack
1/4 inch jack
Mini USB
1/8 inch jack GRND Lift
USB Type A
USB Type B
Diagram legend
The following icons are used in the diagrams in
this manual.
Microphone
Acoustic Guitar
Electric Guitar
Keyboard or other instrument
Mixing Board
P.A.
Guitar/Keyboard amp
XLR cables
1/8” cable (guitar cable)
Monitor Mix
VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 21
TRS and TS cables
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 don’t account for other inputs/instruments
when showing “what you hear” from the P.A.,
so you won’t 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.
3
5 5
4
VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 22
VoiceLive3 overview
VoiceLive3 overview
VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 23
VoiceLive3 overview
Getting started – setting up
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 “Let’s use this thing!”
perspective.
First, if you haven’t read through the VoiceLive3
Quick Start Guide that came in the box, we suggest you do so now.
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.
If you would prefer to use VoiceLive 3 via your
PA, you will need one or two additional XLR
cables to connect VoiceLive3’s 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.
Connecting VoiceLive3 to your mixer/PA
– Determine whether your mixer/PA is stereo or
mono.
– Connect the appropriate number of cables
from VoiceLive3’s 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 VoiceLive3’s stereo effects.
– Watch the Craig’s Corner episode about con-
necting to a mixer:
youtube.com/watch?v=qq0AOtafIjs
VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 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 Out-
put Mode box on the screen until the mode
changes to Stereo.
– Press Home to exit.
– When choosing Stereo, ensure the PA is ac-
tually outputting a stereo signal. It’s common
for a PA to have 2 speakers but still be mono.
VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 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 tech’s
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 Out-
put Mode box on the screen until the mode
changes to Dual Mono.
– Press Home to exit.
VoiceLive 3 – Reference manual (2014-03-29) 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 3’s
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 dis-
play 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 VoiceLive3’s 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 (2014-03-29) 27
VoiceLive3 overview
The kitchen sink – everything hooked up
Stage
Monitor
Aux
Send
SWITCH-3
PA
Speakers
Computer
or
DAW
It’s 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.
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 head-
phone/guitar cable and In Ear Monitor’s)
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 (2014-03-29) 28
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