TC-Helicon VoiceWorks Plus User Manual

User’s manual
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.
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 are 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 the 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 anyway, such as 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.
Warning!
To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose this apparatus to dripping or splashing and ensure that no objects filled with liquids, such as vases, are placed on the equipment.
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. See table below:
To completely disconnect this equipment from the AC mains, disconnect the power supply cord plug from the AC receptacle.
The mains plug of the power supply cord shall remain readily operable
The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the product.
The lightning flash with an arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated "dangerous voltage" within the product's enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.
This equipment should be installed near the socket outlet and disconnection of the device should be easily accessible.
Do not install in a confined space.
Do not open the unit - risk of electric shock inside. Caution:
You are cautioned that any change or modifications not expressly approved in this manual could void your authority to operate this equipment.
Service There are no user-serviceable parts inside. All service must be performed by qualified personnel.
Voltage Line plug according to standard
110-125V UL817 and CSA C22.2 no 42. 220-230V CEE 7 page VII, SR section
107-2-D1/IEC 83 page C4.
240V BS 1363 of 1984.
Specification for 13A fused plugs and switched and switched socket outlets.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
EMC / EMI.
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:
• 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.
For the 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.
Certificate Of Conformity
TC Electronic A/S, Sindalsvej 34, 8240 Risskov,Denmark, hereby declares on its own responsibility that the following product:
VoiceWorksPlus
Harmony | Modeling | Effects Processor
- is covered by this certificate and marked with CE-label conforms with following standards:
EN 60065 Safety requirements for mains
(IEC 60065) operated electronic and related apparatus for household and similar general use
EN 55103-1 Product family standard for audio,video, audio-visual and entertainment lighting control apparatus for professional use. Part 1: Emission.
EN 55103-2 Product family standard for audio, video, audio-visual and entertainment lighting control apparatus for professional use. Part 2: Immunity.
With reference to regulations in following directives:
73/23/EEC, 89/336/EEC
Issued in Risskov, 03 - 2004 Mads Peter Lübeck Chief Executive Officer
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing VoiceWorksPlus, a vocal processing powerhouse designed to enable the singing musician to produce captivating vocals in recording and live performance. Everything from exciting harmony parts to evocative character impersonations to simply better vocal sound is possible with VoiceWorksPlus.
Features:
Generates up to 4 additional harmony “voices” with a variety of musical input methods
Exclusive TC-Helicon pitch, timing and energy humanization that effectively mimics singing groups
Vocal modeling effects such as breathiness, growl, and resonance help create alternate voice “personalities”
Vocal pitch correction block
TC Electronic Reverb, chorus, tap delay effects & more
Distortion, megaphone and telephone effects
3 band EQ, compressor and gate
Handy top level edit knobs
100 Factory / 100 User presets and MIDI control
Microphone preamp, stereo analog and digital input/output
Optional footswitch control
We update our manuals and various support materials on a regular basis. For the most up to date information we encourage you to visit our website at:
www.tc-helicon.com
We hope you and your fans enjoy VoiceWorksPlus,
The TC-Helicon Team
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Product Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Front Panel Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Back Panel Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Quick Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Editing Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Harmony Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Harmony Background and Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Lead Voice Model Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Pitch Correction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Reverb, Mod and Delay Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
The Transducer Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
The Setup Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Signal Flow Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
MIDI Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Manual version 1.2 Software version 1.01
VoiceWorksPlus English Version
Prod No.: 606131011
VoiceWorksPlus can be thought of as a rack full of vocal processing in one single rackspace unit with a couple of specialty effects thrown in for good measure. The specialty effects, vocal harmony and modeling, offer you the advantages of:
- Producing rich harmony vocals and doubling from one voice during live performance
- Saving time when recording vocal harmonies
- Changing the characteristics of your singing voice with modeling to create interesting vocal hooks and effects
The remaining processing blocks, including the multieffects, dynamics and EQ add to your list of advantages allowing you to :
- Make your live performances sound more like a fully-produced CD
- Make your recordings sound more professional
- Save time preparing for mixes or performances by using factory presets and settings
See the diagram at right for a rough algorithmic path overview.
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
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FRONT PANEL DESCRIPTIONS
1. Power Switch
Press to turn the unit on or off.As the unit shuts down, it saves any setup data you may have changed.
2.Alphanumeric LED display
This 15 segment LED display shows the current preset number whenever the EDIT and SETUP buttons are not lit. There are dots on the bottom line indicating whether the current preset is in the Factory or User bank. The legend below the display indicates which dot represents which bank.When you press the EDIT or SETUP buttons, this display shows a letter and a number making up the address of the current edit screen.
3. Metering LED displays
There are several conditions indicated by these LEDs and they are described in the following paragraphs.
Output Clip
This LED will light showing the output of the product has clipped due to internal level overload, possibly causing audible distortion. This LED can light even though the Input Clip LED has not. This is because VoiceWorksPlus has effect blocks such as Harmony for example, that can potentially add significant level to the input signal.
Input Clip
Steady flickering of this LED with audio input shows that the level of the signal received at the input to VoiceWorksPlus is too high given the input sensitivity setting. To correct this, reduce the send level to VoiceWorksPlus from the upstream mixer or enter the Setup menu to reduce the LineSens (Line input sensitivity).
Input LED Stack
These LEDs allow you to gauge how much level to
send to VoiceWorksPlus from your mixer. They use PPM (Peak Program Meter) weighting which is a way to view signal level when using digital processors. The range shows logarithmic steps down from 0 dB which is the maximum allowable level.It's important to adjust the send level from your mixer within the proper range shown by these meters. Sending too little audio signal level contributes to noise buildup and unsatisfactory performance of the voice algorithms.Too much input signal level causes distortion. If your mixer is sending its maximum level and these meters show insufficient level, or vice versa, you can adjust the Input Sensitivity setting by pressing the SETUP button and entering the Setup menu.
MIDI IN indicator LED
This will light to confirm the MIDI data is received by VoiceWorksPlus on the correct MIDI channel. To ensure that it will respond correctly to the incoming data, check to see that both your sending device and VoiceWorksPlus are set to the same MIDI channel.
4. Main LCD display
During normal operation (none of the EDIT, SETUP or STORE buttons are pressed), this display shows the name of the current preset on the top line and the main harmony or modeling parameter values on the lower line. A slight turn of any of the soft knobs will change the display to show master mix levels. While the mix levels are shown, the four soft knobs allow editing of the mix.After a few seconds the display will revert to preset name. After the EDIT, SETUP or STORE buttons have been pressed, this display shows up to four editing parameters on the top line and their associated values on the bottom. After a parameter value has been changed, an asterisk (*) will be shown to the left of the name when you return to normal operation. This is to warn that you will lose any changes should you recall another preset unless it is saved first.
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5. Soft knobs overview
During normal operation these controls act as a mixer, allowing you to quickly modify the global mix levels without entering an edit menu. Moving any of the knobs will momentarily switch the LCD display so that it shows the levels before reverting to the preset name and the information line.When either the EDIT, SETUP or STORE buttons have been pressed, the soft knobs control up to four editing functions from left to right in the editing menus.
Global LEAD LEVEL control
This adjusts the level of the "Lead" voice.This path is called Lead because it has no Harmony or Modeling processing applied. Note that this path may have Pitch Correction enabled if the Correction switch from the upper switch group is lit.
Global HARMONY / MODEL LEVEL control
Adjusts the overall level of any harmony voices that are turned on or the level of the modeled voice depending on which configuration is chosen in the current preset. Make sure the Harmony / Model switch above this knob is lit or this control will have no effect.
Global FX LEVEL control
Adjusts the master level of the Mod , Delay, Reverb and Transducer effects blocks for all presets. The individual effects blocks have their own level adjustment controls which may be turned down preventing you hearing them when you turn the FX Level control.Make sure the FX switch above this knob is lit or the FX Level control will have no effect.
Global OUTPUT LEVEL control
This control raises, lowers or mutes the master output of VoiceWorksPlus.
6. Block On/Off button group
These 3 buttons allow selective muting of blocks in each preset to simplify editing.
HARMONY / MODEL button
When this LED is lit, the current preset is configured to produce harmony or a modeling effect. You can press this button to disable the current effect and see what other effects are enabled in the preset.
CORRECTION button
This button allows you to quickly disable pitch correction when needed.If this button is off in a preset, turning it on will enable pitch correction with default settings which may or may not be optimum for your purpose. In this case you can edit the settings in the Edit menu at location C0.
FX button
If the FX (effects) button is lit, pressing it will mute all signal from the Mod, Delay and Reverb blocks .The Transducer effect will not be muted. If this button is not lit in a preset, pressing it will patch in a default effects setting.
7. Mode Button Group
EDIT button
Press this button to enter and exit the preset Edit menu. All settings relating to the current preset only are accessed here. The last edit screen you accessed with the Data Wheel is remembered to reduce time required to locate specific edit menus.
SETUP button
Press this button to access all of the global audio settings, MIDI functions, the EQ and Dynamics processors and preset backup and restore. Press again to return to recalling presets.
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FRONT PANEL DESCRIPTIONS
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FRONT PANEL DESCRIPTIONS
BYPASS button
Pressing BYPASS mutes all processing blocks of VoiceWorksPlus. Any audio signal that is received at the line or mic input is passed directly to the left and right audio outputs.
STORE button
Pressing STORE initiates the storing sequence and presents the preset name and target user preset number in the main display. In Store mode, you can edit the name of the new preset by turning the EDIT 1 knob to highlight the letter positions and then using EDIT 2 to change the letter.You can press either EDIT or SETUP to cancel a Store operation or press STORE or the Data Wheel to complete.
8.The Data Wheel
The Data Wheel has two actions: you can turn it and you can press it. When the display shows a preset name, turning the Data Wheel allows you to browse through the available presets. You can then press the Data Wheel to load the preset of your choice.
If you’ve pressed the EDIT or SETUP buttons, this wheel cycles up and down through the menus available in these modes. Pressing it has distinct functions in some menus.
When the STORE button is lit, turning the Data Wheel allows you to choose a user bank preset number in which to store your edited preset and pressing it completes the Store operation
9. Mic Input control group
MIC GAIN knob
The MIC GAIN knob allows you to tailor VoiceWorksPlus’s input gain to match your combination of microphone sensitivity and singing level.
MIC IN button
The Mic In switch controls which of VoiceWorksPlus's inputs: Mic In or Line In, will drive the unit.This switch must be lit before any adjustment of the MIC GAIN and phantom power will have any effect.
48V button
You must press and hold this button for approximately 1 second to send DC voltage to condenser
microphones requiring phantom power. When using non-phantom powered mics, leaving this off is best.
-20 dB switch
This switch reduces the sensitivity of the mic input when you use mics that have a high output level. You would press this switch when you notice that even though the MIC GAIN knob is set to minimum (fully left), the Input Clip LED shows clipping during singing. In this case, press the -20 dB switch and you will have more range adjustment with the Mic Gain control.
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BACK PANEL DESCRIPTIONS
1. Mic Input
When the MIC IN switch on the front panel is lit, this becomes the main analog input. It accepts a balanced mic level XLR cable carrying a monophonic vocal source.
2. Line Input
When the MIC IN switch is not lit, this 1/4” jack becomes the main analog input.You can connect either a balanced (3 conductor TRS) or unbalanced (2 conductor TS) -equipped cable here. The input sensitivity for the line input is located in the Setup menu.
This jack can alternately be used as an auxilliary input to the Mod, Delay and Reverb effects blocks in VoiceWorksPlus. This allows VoiceWorksPlus to do double duty as both a harmony processor for your voice and also a multieffect for other instruments or vocals in your mix.To use this input, the MIC IN must be set as the main vocal input.The effects level settings are located in the Edit menu.
3. Balanced Outputs
These are the balanced analog, line level stereo output of VoiceDoubler. You can connect either a balanced (3 conductor TRS) or unbalanced (2 conductor TS) ­equipped cable here. You can sum the left and right outputs to mono by changing the Output parameter in the Setup menu.
4. Digital I/O
Sends and receives digital audio. Using digital I/O instead of the analog I/O bypasses VoiceWorksPlus’ converter circuitry for enhanced audio clarity when used with compatible systems.The digital output (DO) is configured to always produce the same audio as the main outputs.The Input parameter in the Setup menu
must be set to Digital for the digital input (DI) to receive audio. Also, the ClockSrc must be set to Ext(ernal) for proper audio synchronization when using the digital input.
5. MIDI
This is the standard MIDI In, Out and Thru interface used to allow editing, preset selection, preset dump and restore functions.
6. Pedal
This input accepts a single function footswitch or a triple function footswitch. Any normally-open passive footswitch will work for the single function footswitch. A triple function footswitch is available from TC­Helicon called Switch 3. The switch type or volume pedal is detected automatically on power up. If you plug your footswitch in after power up, you may get unexpected operation.
Footswitch (Pedal) features:
1 button footswitch: Bypass only
3 button footswitch: individually selectable in Setup menu
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Getting set up
There are several ways to connect and use VoiceWorksPlus, including using a microphone, analog line input and output or digital input and output, but in order to speed things up during this quick start, we’ll assume you’re using analog connections between either a mic and PA system or a computer setup with a couple of monitors.
Unpack
1. Remove the product from the packaging. Store the box and documents that came with it.
2. Place the product on a non-skid surface or in a rack. It’s best to have easy access to the rear panel connectors for the first few days while you sort out which I/O scheme you prefer.
Prepare
3. Before connecting power or turning the unit on, set up your mixer or computer interface to receive audio from VoiceWorksPlus.
4. Set your PA or monitoring levels to zero before powering up the unit! This is just good practice when setting up new gear or even the same gear in a new situation.
Back panel connections
5. Connect the power cord to VoiceWorksPlus and plug the other end into an AC outlet.You can turn the unit on now because you’ve safely set your monitoring levels to off right?
6. Connect the audio cable from your source to VoiceWorksPlus.This can either be an XLR cable from your mic or the line level 1/4” connector from your computer’s audio interface.
7. Connect the VoiceWorksPlus outputs to your mixer or computer inputs. Stereo is best, as this delivers the sounds as they were programmed. If you can only connect in mono, you’ll have to enter the Setup menu and adjust this parameter.
8. You can optionally connect a MIDI keyboard which allows you to check out the harmony methods using MIDI input for selecting harmony intervals.
Note: When connecting the unit to a computer, you’ll need to know how to route your dry vocal track to a separate, auxilliary output.
Demo setup #1: Mic input and analog mixer
Demo setup #2:Analog to computer interface
Front panel setup
9. Press the BYPASS button so it lights.We’ll check that audio is flowing properly in Bypass first and then move on to checking out the effects.
10. If you’re using a mic for input, press the MIC IN button so it lights.You’ll need to adjust the MIC GAIN knob so that no red shows on the LED stack when you sing.Apply 48V phantom power if needed and press the
-20 dB button if the lowest setting of the MIC GAIN knob still causes peaks while you sing.
11. If you’re using the Line Input, make sure the MIC IN led is not lit. Start playback on your computer.There is no front panel input level knob so adjust the send from your mixer or computer so the LED stack shows no red on peaks.
QUICK START
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12. Hopefully, you’ve waited until now to raise your monitoring/PA levels and if you have, you should be greeted by a voice that sounds nice and dry at a reasonable level.
13.Turn off BYPASS by pressing the button so the LED is off.Turn the DATA WHEEL to preset number 1 and press the wheel to load this preset.You’re now ready to explore the factory presets in VoiceWorksPlus.
Making front panel tweaks
Before you get to exploring the presets, here are some tips that will help you.
Browsing presets
When you first turn on VoiceWorksPlus,the last preset loaded will be loaded for you.Turn the Data Wheel to browse through the preset list. As you do so, the name and information fields of the next preset will be previewed in the main LCD and the effect buttons will flash indicating which effects will turn on. An “H:” on the lower line indicates a harmony preset. An “M:” indicates a modeling preset.
To load presets, push the Data Wheel.
Adjusting the mix
You can vary the global mix (all presets will be affected in the same way) by adjusting the soft knobs. As you turn one of them, the LCD display will temporarily change to show the value of all four levels before returning to the main display. Note that a value of “0” denotes full level, not Off.You can use the soft knob on the far right as a master volume instead of your mixer if that is more convenient. Any adjustment of these settings will remain through subsequent power up sessions.
Enabling and disabling the effects blocks
The three block on/off buttons above the soft knobs allow you to temporarily enable or disable:
1. the Harmony or Modeling block in the preset. (In a harmony preset this is the Harmony Mute button).
2. the Pitch Correction block in the preset
3. the Reverb, Delay or Mod effect blocks in the preset
Reloading the preset or loading another will return the block on/off status to what was stored.
QUICK START
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