Reverb/delay effects

[Ryan Oceros]

I play tenor (and maybe a little alto) in an acoustic folk rock band (that sounds a little like Dave Matthews). I recently got a Shure Beta 98H/C (clip on condenser mic), and I'm looking to get some sort of reverb/delay (and maybe a compressor), because as much as I like the mic, the sound is fairly raw and dry.

My local music store recommended a TC Helicon Voicetone Create, which looks pretty impressive, and I'm thinking about getting it. It has phantom power, which is a real plus. But it's designed for vocals, and I'm wondering if there are any effects units designed specifically for wind instruments, and if there are, whether it really makes a difference. If anyone has any suggestions re a decent quality unit for around $400ish, I'd be glad to hear them.

They also said they stock Digitech products for about $100 cheaper than the TC Helicons, but apparently the TC's put out a much higher quality sound. Comments?

[Matt Otto]

This Tc Helicon Voicetone reverb sounds fantastic on Sax (and voice). It has a mic input with a built in pre-amp. It's fairly affordable and has worked well on many gigs. Having tried many reverbs for live shows, including a costly vintage lexicon, this one's the best hands down.
http://www.zzounds.com/item--TCECREATE

[sleepless]

I use a Boss RE-20 space echo, often times just the verb alone. The delay can be tapped on and off to open up your sound for the right material. It sounds nice with a vanilla mic on a stand, but I also tried it with my condenser and it's okay (not as good as the vanilla mic on the stand, but acceptable maybe.) I paid about $220 for it with a discount at Guitar Center.

BTW I have stopped using my condenser mic these days and just stick with the old-fashioned mic approach. One band actually banned me from using the condenser, saying it wasn't appropriate for our style of music. They wanted me to "work the mic like a vocalist." Then a few months later they asked me to start using the pedal... go figure...

SJ

[Daniel Clohesy]

The TC Helicon Voicetone Create is definatly the way to go; I've got an effects setup using a mixing desk and an FX rack, but the TC Helicon would have much better sound quality, and it's far smaller and easier to use than mine and you don't need to DI the signal or anything. I'm planning on ordering one. After researching heaps of different units, the TC Helicon looks like the perfect device. The only reason why I didn't buy one before was because the postage to Australia was like 150 bucks

[Dean Mongerio]

If you're just looking for a killin verb sound, I use and highly recommend the TC Electronics M-One XL (http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/TC-Electronic-MOne-XL-Effects-Processor?sku=183024). It has two engines, and I've got it running a warm reverb into a slight parametric eq. Full XLR ins and outs. It also has compression as well.

But if you're looking for something a little more fun, check out the Digitech vx400 (http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/DigiTech-Vx400-VocalModeling-Floor-Processor?sku=150845&src=3WFRWXX&ZYXSEM=0&CAWELAID=26018407). I use that as well, and it has verb and echos in addition to lots of other fun things (the envelope filter rocks! It's an easy way to sound like this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWNiFw_W3mA):headbang:)

[chknbon]

I've not tried the above mentioned products, but I use an Alesis Pico Verb with satisfaction. 3 plate verbs, 3 halls, 3 rooms, delay, chorus, flange, rotary. $89.00. No phantom power, 1/4" in & out only.

[nan00kia00]

If you're just looking for a killin verb sound, I use and highly recommend the TC Electronics M-One XL (http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/TC-Electronic-MOne-XL-Effects-Processor?sku=183024). It has two engines, and I've got it running a warm reverb into a slight parametric eq. Full XLR ins and outs. It also has compression as well.

But if you're looking for something a little more fun, check out the Digitech vx400 (http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/DigiTech-Vx400-VocalModeling-Floor-Processor?sku=150845&src=3WFRWXX&ZYXSEM=0&CAWELAID=26018407). I use that as well, and it has verb and echos in addition to lots of other fun things (the envelope filter rocks! It's an easy way to sound like this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWNiFw_W3mA):headbang:)
.
You mentioned the digiTech. Would any other vocal pedal work as well. My brother has some similar guitar pedals and I can't ever really get what I want from it without feedback and such. I'm looking for an all around effects unit. Verb and other funky things. Would a vocal pedal like the DigiTech be a good choice for a decent price?

[SuperAction80]

.
You mentioned the digiTech. Would any other vocal pedal work as well. My brother has some similar guitar pedals and I can't ever really get what I want from it without feedback and such. I'm looking for an all around effects unit. Verb and other funky things. Would a vocal pedal like the DigiTech be a good choice for a decent price?

The DigiTech Vocal-300 or VX-400 would work very nicely. They're fairly easy to work with, extremely versatile, and they're fairly inexpensive.

[nan00kia00]

The DigiTech Vocal-300 or VX-400 would work very nicely. They're fairly easy to work with, extremely versatile, and they're fairly inexpensive.


I'm and def leaning towared the 400 for what I want. I play a Audio Technica AT8538 - not wireless. Right now I just plug straight into my band's board. I really wanna get some good Verb and fill it out. I would like to play with harmonies and wahs as well. Are there any major problems with setting up the VX-400 ... possibly with what I'm doing? I know it has phantom, so that's cool. Just wondering if there would be any more suggestions for what I'm trying to do.

[nan00kia00]

Does anyone have any audio to even better VIDEO of a sax and a DigiTech 300 or 400? The only that I have seen is Bruce Lamont of Yakuza. But actually showing the machine is limited. If there isn't one out... could someone actually make one that has the pedal?!??
I WOULD LOVE IT! hhahaha

[SuperAction80]

I'm and def leaning towared the 400 for what I want. I play a Audio Technica AT8538 - not wireless. Right now I just plug straight into my band's board. I really wanna get some good Verb and fill it out. I would like to play with harmonies and wahs as well. Are there any major problems with setting up the VX-400 ... possibly with what I'm doing? I know it has phantom, so that's cool. Just wondering if there would be any more suggestions for what I'm trying to do.

I could not find information regarding the AT8538. I take it that it is a condensor microphone? If so, and if it does not already have a power pack, you will need a phantom pack in order to get power to the microphone. Phantom power from the board will not travel through the pedal. If your mic is a dynamic microphone, you will not require the power. You shouldn't have any issues tweaking the effects. The one fault in the unit is that the factory preset levels are all over the place. This is corrected by adjusting the gain in each effect. It isn't that hard to tweak, but you'll want to work with it before taking it out on a gig.


Does anyone have any audio to even better VIDEO of a sax and a DigiTech 300 or 400? The only that I have seen is Bruce Lamont of Yakuza. But actually showing the machine is limited. If there isn't one out... could someone actually make one that has the pedal?!??
I WOULD LOVE IT! hhahaha

Follow the link in my signature to my youtube channel. All of the saxophone tracks in the videos were recorded with the Vocal-300 as were the flute and bass guitar tracks. The "tube preamp" patch works very well with basses. If you listen to the last minute of "The Tres Part 2", I used the "envelope filter" effect. Everything else, saxophone wise, are just basic reverbs. If I get a minute next week, I'll throw together a video featuring some of the pedals other features. BTW, the "whammy" effect makes a fairly convincing Baritone sax sound.

[nan00kia00]

Yes. It is a condenser mic. I thought that the 400 had phantom power. If so I would not need the power pack for the mic. But It is 150$ more than the 300.

[nan00kia00]

Vids are great!! Thankx
I love the envelope. I just gotta learn the solo from Scratch and Sniff - Jeff Coffin w/ Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. haha

[SuperAction80]

Yes. It is a condenser mic. I thought that the 400 had phantom power. If so I would not need the power pack for the mic. But It is 150$ more than the 300.
To the best of my knowledge, the only difference between the 300 and the 400 is that the latter is MIDI capable. I do not think that the 400 is phantom capable.


Vids are great!! Thankx
I love the envelope. I just gotta learn the solo from Scratch and Sniff - Jeff Coffin w/ Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. haha
No problem.
...and you don't know Scratch and Sniff until you can pull off Paul Hanson's bassoon solo. :lol:

[nan00kia00]

Haha. Yeah yeah, One day, I will get chords outta my alto! hahaha. Has to be the coolest thing ever. And I say that after it being YEARS since I first discovered it! Timeless

[Rockplayer]

for awhile I was using a Hughes and Kettner Replex, tube driven analog delay and reverb effects, very natural sounding - the delay will do a great "tape delay" effect as well. It has a gain control which when turned up starts to compress the signal, use sparingly though as it will add some grain to the sound of the sax. It might get you what your looking for without going digital, I find the all digital effects "dry" out the sound of the sax. I'm using a digitech vocalist 4 now, it's okay, I'm using it mostly for the harmonizing effects - however, I felt the reverb and delay in the H&K sounded much better.

[nan00kia00]

But how much $$$$ are we looking. I agree with possibly losing some quality going digital, but as I'm just a student with gigs on the weekends and a part time job, I gots to deal with the $$$ unfortunately.

[Rockplayer]

the H&K units aren't cheap, used they run about $350. You might want to check out a TC G Major unit, its a great sounding unit and you can program delay, reverb, compression in any combination you want. Can be controlled by an inexpensive midi footswitch as well. These run under $400 new.

[Selmer80]

Fellow Saxes,


I am getting back into the gigging scene and I am trying to get my rig together. Any suggestions on a wireless mic system/harmonizer? My main axes are the soprano and alto. Any help would be greatly appreciated, currently living outside of Heidelberg Germany.

Selmer80 (nick name is for my first MK VI, brought in 1980 for $500.00)

[gelika]

Hello selma80

this is a late reply I'm sorry but I only just joined up to the forum...you may or may not have the setup you want already but for what its worth I offer you my story.

i also play alto & soprano and it has taken me many years getting together a rig that i am happy with so i will gladly share my existing setup with you.

i am in a duo >mettaphor @ myspace.com/mettaphor< after being in many other various sized groups & like so many others have decided >regretfully< it is much more affordable to be a duo when you >live< from your music.

for our duo we still want to sound like a full funk soul jazz band so we have embrace technology. we play to a laptop with our self recorded band we have a studio where we do this, then trigger the band through ableton live. check out, >myspace.com/livevibemusicstudio<

This band in the laptop aspect of our setup provides a great platform to perform our original music from & i have found that it in no way does it effect my ability to improvise as we have the way to make room for this. Playing in click track like time has improved my sense of timing immensely in fact i now feel time has opened up a whole new perception of space in music quite profoundly.

For my personal techo. set up, to answer your initial query, I use two x Airline 77 samson UHF wireless systems with the wind instrument transmitter >microphone that clips to your horn bell< for each of my horns. I did use one mic. for both horns at one stage but because the response and EQs are so different for each horn I decided on having separate mics.
I send the mic signal to a Joe Meek processor with two inputs & outputs so that I can also individually EQ the dry signals of each horn on stage. This is great as you have more control over the sound you want to come from your horns.

From the Jo Meek I send the signal to a TC-Helicon VoiceTone create unit, check out this site for a demo on how it works as a vocal effect unit....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=AU&hl=en-GB&v=0DVmjyg56Bs
I have found it really works nicely on my horns & is easy to use on the fly as you can preset it, also you get to hear the effects on stage through your monitors giving you a more enjoyable playing experience and more of an idea of what the audience is hearing.....

This set up helps make our duo sound as full as possible giving us complete control over our sound cause we know what we want to sound like.

I hope this has been of some use to you......
Much joyful playing to you
Gelika