A guided tour 40
There’s no place like Home 41
Using the Control knob 42
Using the Arrow buttons 43
What is a Preset? 44
Using Steps 45
Using Preset Genres and Favorites 46
What is NaturalPlay? 47
Using Global Key/Scale 48
Setting Key/Scale manually 49
Let’s try Harmony! 50
Using the HIT footswitch 51
Using individual effects 52
Change a button from Latched to
Momentary mode 53
Remapping a footswitch 54
Talk/Tuner Mode 56
Guitar Effects 57
Editing HIT 58
Using ALL HIT 59
HIT – Dynamic versus Snapshot 60
Storing Presets 62
Tapping tempo 64
Using Global Tempo 65
Editing an Effect 66
Defining and using Global Effects 68
MIDI Sync 71
USB Audio 72
Using the Mix Controls 75
Tips and tricks for working with layers
and effects 77
Footswitch tab: Remapping footswitches 78
Expression Pedal tab: Getting the
most out of your expression pedal 79
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.
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.
► 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.
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.
About this document (VoiceLive 3 reference 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/support/manuals/
To get the most from your TC-Helicon pro duct,
please start by reading the printed quick guide
that came with the product. Then proceed with
this reference manual. Read it from start to finish, or you may miss important information.
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► Drag & drop Preset management► Customizable content about your products► Firmware upgrades► Account management► Access to TC-Helicon support
You can download VoiceSupport for Microsoft
Windows and Mac OS X from:
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
VoiceLive 3 will fundamentally change your performances.
As you discovered in the Quick Start Guide (the
short manual that came in the box), VoiceLive 3
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.
Before we dive into the countless features of
VoiceLive 3, let’s establish some basic terms
and concepts.
Layers & footswitch mapping
VoiceLive 3 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.
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.
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
VoiceLive 3 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
Setting Global to on links an effect to the
settings defined in the Global Preset
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
Preset. With great power comes great responsibility!
For more information, see “Defining and using
Global Effects”.
Multi-track looper
Looper – Main view
Having access to multiple, independent loops al-
lows 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 record-
ing different “sections” of a song, (like a verse
and chorus) and quickly moving between them.
the “beat box” segment in order for there to be
“enough” 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.
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.
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. VoiceLive 3
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!
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.
If you are working with pre-produced stems or
backing tracks, you can even record them into
the looper and use VoiceLive 3 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!
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!
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
VoiceLive 3, 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
VoiceLive 3’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.
This monitoring capability can literally eliminate
Below is a brief description of the top panel controls and buttons. Full functionality for each will
be described in more detail later.
Genre button
Use the Genre button to find
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.
Use the knob right under the genre indicator to
select the desired Genre (e.g. Rock), and press
the Genre button again. When browsing Presets, you will only see Presets assigned to this
Genre, and the name of the selected Genre will
be shown in the lower left corner of the display.
To remove the filter, tap the Genre button, set
Genre to “All” and tap the Genre button again
Setup button
Press the Setup button to access all system setup settings,
including Input, Output, MIDI,
Tone, Guitar and more.
For more information, see “Setup”.
Press and hold the Setup button to enter the
automated microphone and guitar gain setting
mode.
Store button
Use the Store button to store
Presets. Tap once to activate
the store procedure. Tap again
to confirm. For more informa-
tion, see “Storing Presets”.
Home button
Use the Home button to return
to the “top level” interface. The
screen will show the number of
the current Preset and any ef-
fects associated with the current Layer.
Control knob
Use the Control knob to move
through Presets and scrolls up/
down when in an edit screen.
When the “Home” screen is
shown, you can press the Control knob to add
or remove the current Preset from the Favorite
genre. For more information, see “Using Favor-
ites”.
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”.
Guitar button
Use the Guitar button to enter
the 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”.
Looper button
Use the Looper button to enter
the Loop options screen. Here
you can control several general
Loop options.
When you’re in the Vocal or Guitar layer and have
a Loop playing, the small red LED next to the
Looper button will flash. This gives a visual indication that a loop is running.
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.
Step footswitch
► To move to the next Step with-
in the current Preset (e.g. from
1 to 2), 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 the Step footswitch.► To delete the current step, tap the Layer
footswitch.
► To cancel, press the Home button.
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.
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.
This effect can be configured and used sepa-
rately for the Vocal and Guitar layer. For more
information, see “Editing the Vocal Layer” and
“Editing the Guitar Layer”.
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.
This effect can be configured and used separately for the Vocal and Guitar layer. For more
information, see “Editing the Vocal Layer” and
“Editing the Guitar Layer”.
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.
For more information about Steps, see “Using
Steps”.
Tap the Reverb footswitch to turn
the Reverb effect on or off.
The Reverb block encompasses effects such as Hall, Club, Room and Plate.
This effect can be configured and used separately for the Vocal and Guitar layer. For more
information, see “Editing the Vocal Layer” and
“Editing the Guitar Layer”.
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”.
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.
For more information, see “Double effect
block / t ab”.
On the Guitar Layer, tap the Double/Comp
footswitch to turn the Compressor on or off.
For more information, see “Comp(ression) effect
block / t ab”.
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.