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Audiofanzine FR
Published on 12/07/08 at 10:43
(Originally written by Jhq/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
First post: May 2008
The Digitech Vocalist Live 2 is conceived to create vocal harmonies using a technology based on guitar chord recognition.
It has a 10" x 10" aluminum housing with two expression pedals and several controls on the top panel. The rear panel provides different 1/4" jack and XLR inputs for guitar and mic.
The unit provides 48 volt phantom power for condenser mics, and also a guitar tuner.
UTILIZATION
It's very easy to use and effective:
- Plug your guitar or your bass (previously tuned otherwise it won't work) as well as the vocal mic;
- When you play your instrument, the MusiQ technology recognizes its melodic component and analyzes it;
- The vocals are then doubled or tripled and harmonized to the third or the fifth depending on the settings and the chords or notes being played. It's magic!
SOUND QUALITY
I've been using the Live Vocalist for six months and I just can't get enough. The ease of use and especially the results are addictive.
Another important point is that this pedal allows you to become a better singer because it systematically reproduces every pitch inaccuracy, so it forces you to always give your best
The sound quality is good: the harmonized signals are the exact copy of your voice so if you have a nice sounding voice, the harmonization will sound nice, but If you have an unpleasant voice the harmonies will also sound unpleasant... Nature is not fair!
If you want to listen to some samples here is a song where the lead vocals are tripled by a Vocalist and then each of those voices is tripled again (unbeatable time/effectiveness ratio): https://fr.audiofanzine.com/compos/titres/index,idproduit,124592.html
Here's another sample where you can listen to the harmonization with only one voice! https://fr.audiofanzine.com/compos/titres/index,idproduit,122899.html
As you can surely notice I don't have a nice voice, however although the unit doesn't enhance the singer's performance it does help a lot when it comes to the PITCH of the chorus.
Update December 2008: I'm still very satisfied with my Live Vocalist and I don't want to change my previous review. However I've discovered its weak points, under particular conditions. When I record only the harmony notes (without the root) and also with some augmented chords, where the third or the fifth are more present than the root, the technology has some problems to choose the right harmonization notes. Take the chorus at the end of the following song as an example where the B minor with augmented fifth is followed by a C add9 (very similar chords) making the generated voices to "trill"!
https://fr.audiofanzine.com/compos/titres/index,idproduit,136882.html
Incredible but true...
OVERALL OPINION
For all this reasons I give it the best possible mark because it's a product which really changed my life (like Bob Moog synths or Fender electric bass had done before). I rerecorded all the vocals of my songs with the Live Vocalist and it makes a huge difference!
Don't hesitate to listen to them, you can find them here: https://mp3.audiofanzine.com/jhq
Update June 2008: I just read on the Digitech website that the rack-mounting Live Vocalist version is now available and is compatible with Midi and keyboards ! http://www.digitech.com/products/Vocalistlivepro/index.php
The device is more expensive but provides a lot more functions...
First post: May 2008
The Digitech Vocalist Live 2 is conceived to create vocal harmonies using a technology based on guitar chord recognition.
It has a 10" x 10" aluminum housing with two expression pedals and several controls on the top panel. The rear panel provides different 1/4" jack and XLR inputs for guitar and mic.
The unit provides 48 volt phantom power for condenser mics, and also a guitar tuner.
UTILIZATION
It's very easy to use and effective:
- Plug your guitar or your bass (previously tuned otherwise it won't work) as well as the vocal mic;
- When you play your instrument, the MusiQ technology recognizes its melodic component and analyzes it;
- The vocals are then doubled or tripled and harmonized to the third or the fifth depending on the settings and the chords or notes being played. It's magic!
SOUND QUALITY
I've been using the Live Vocalist for six months and I just can't get enough. The ease of use and especially the results are addictive.
Another important point is that this pedal allows you to become a better singer because it systematically reproduces every pitch inaccuracy, so it forces you to always give your best
The sound quality is good: the harmonized signals are the exact copy of your voice so if you have a nice sounding voice, the harmonization will sound nice, but If you have an unpleasant voice the harmonies will also sound unpleasant... Nature is not fair!
If you want to listen to some samples here is a song where the lead vocals are tripled by a Vocalist and then each of those voices is tripled again (unbeatable time/effectiveness ratio): https://fr.audiofanzine.com/compos/titres/index,idproduit,124592.html
Here's another sample where you can listen to the harmonization with only one voice! https://fr.audiofanzine.com/compos/titres/index,idproduit,122899.html
As you can surely notice I don't have a nice voice, however although the unit doesn't enhance the singer's performance it does help a lot when it comes to the PITCH of the chorus.
Update December 2008: I'm still very satisfied with my Live Vocalist and I don't want to change my previous review. However I've discovered its weak points, under particular conditions. When I record only the harmony notes (without the root) and also with some augmented chords, where the third or the fifth are more present than the root, the technology has some problems to choose the right harmonization notes. Take the chorus at the end of the following song as an example where the B minor with augmented fifth is followed by a C add9 (very similar chords) making the generated voices to "trill"!
https://fr.audiofanzine.com/compos/titres/index,idproduit,136882.html
Incredible but true...
OVERALL OPINION
For all this reasons I give it the best possible mark because it's a product which really changed my life (like Bob Moog synths or Fender electric bass had done before). I rerecorded all the vocals of my songs with the Live Vocalist and it makes a huge difference!
Don't hesitate to listen to them, you can find them here: https://mp3.audiofanzine.com/jhq
Update June 2008: I just read on the Digitech website that the rack-mounting Live Vocalist version is now available and is compatible with Midi and keyboards ! http://www.digitech.com/products/Vocalistlivepro/index.php
The device is more expensive but provides a lot more functions...