digi-tech VOCALIST LIVE 4 User manual

1
Owner’s
Manual
Vocal Harmony and
Effects Processor

Manufacturer’s Name: DigiTech
Manufacturer’s Address: 8760 S. Sandy Parkway
Sandy, Utah 84070, USA
declares that the product:
Product name: Vocalist Live 4
Product option: all (requires Class II power adapter that conforms to the requirements of
EN60065, EN60065, EN60742, or equivalent.)
conforms to the following Product Specifications:
Safety: EN 60065
EMC: EN 55103-1
EN 55103-2
Supplementary Information:
The product herewith complies with the requirements of the Low Voltage Directive 73/23/EEC and the EMC
Directive 89/336/EEC as amended by Directive 93/68/EEC.
Vice-President of Engineering-MI
8760 S. Sandy Parkway
Sandy, Utah 84070, USA
Date: February 1, 2007
European Contact: Your local DigiTech Sales and Service Office or
Harman Music Group
8760 South Sandy Parkway
Sandy, Utah 84070 USA
Ph: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
WARNING FOR YOUR PROTECTION
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING:
KEEP THESE INSTRUCTIONS
HEED ALL WARNINGS
FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS
THE APPARATUS SHALL NOT bE ExPOSED TO DRIPPING OR SPLASHING LIqUID
AND NO ObjECT FILLED WITH LIqUID, SUCH AS vASES, SHALL bE PLACED ON
THE APPARATUS
CLEAN ONLY WITH A DRY CLOTH.
DO NOT bLOCK ANY OF THE vENTILATION OPENINGS. INSTALL IN ACCORDANCE
WITH THE MANUFACTURER’S INSTRUCTIONS.
DO NOT INSTALL NEAR ANY HEAT SOURCES SUCH AS RADIATORS, HEAT REGISTERS,
STOvES, OR OTHER APPARATUS (INCLUDING AMPLIFIERS) THAT PRODUCE HEAT.
ONLY USE ATTACHMENTS/ACCESSORIES SPECIFIED bY THE MANUFACTURER.
UNPLUG THIS APPARATUS DURING LIGHTNING STORMS OR WHEN UNUSED FOR
LONG PERIODS OF TIME.
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 third prong are provided for your
safety. If the provided plug does not fit your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement
of the obsolete outlet.
Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs, conve-
nience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus.
Refer all servicing to to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the appa-
ratus 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.
MAINS DISCONNECT: The plug shall remain readily operable. For rack-mount or instal-
lation where plug is not accessible, an all-pole mains switch with a contact separation
of at least 3 mm in each pole shall be incorporated into the electrical installation of
the rack or building.

Introduction ...........................................................................................................1
The Vocalist®Live 4 Features .....................................................................1
Included Items ...............................................................................................1
A Guided Tour of theVocalist Live 4 ................................................................2
Overview ........................................................................................................2
About musIQTM Technology........................................................................ 2
Quick Start.....................................................................................................2
Front Panel ..................................................................................................... 3
Store Button .......................................................................................... 3
Numeric Display .................................................................................3
Alphanumeric Display.......................................................................... 3
Stereo Out LED ................................................................................... 3
Guitar Signal LED.................................................................................3
Key Up/Down Buttons........................................................................3
Phantom Power LED........................................................................... 3
Key Display ............................................................................................4
Major/Minor Button ............................................................................4
Vocal Signal LED ................................................................................... 4
musIQ Button .......................................................................................4
Level Knobs...........................................................................................4
Up/Down Footswitches...................................................................... 4
Harmony LED ....................................................................................... 4
Harmony Footswitch...........................................................................4
Effects LED ............................................................................................4
Effects/Tuner Footswitch.................................................................... 4
Effects Matrix ........................................................................................4
Edit Up/Down Buttons .......................................................................4
Parameter Knobs .................................................................................4
Rear Panel....................................................................................................... 5
Phantom Power ....................................................................................5
Guitar In.................................................................................................5
Guitar Thru............................................................................................5
Stereo/Mono ......................................................................................... 5
Mic/Line Input Level.............................................................................5
Mic In ......................................................................................................5
Expression Pedal...................................................................................5
Line In .....................................................................................................5
Aux In .....................................................................................................5
Guitar Ground Lift............................................................................... 5
Line Out L/R..........................................................................................6
Left/Mono Out and Right Out ..........................................................6
Phones ....................................................................................................6
Power...................................................................................................... 6
Getting Started......................................................................................................7
Connect the Microphone, Guitar, and P.A. or Mixer............................. 7
Set the Vocalist Live 4 Controls.................................................................7
Adjust Levels and TuneYour Guitar.......................................................... 7
Set up the Mixer for Stereo Operation
(If Using Two Channels of a Mixer)...........................................................8

Common Setups....................................................................................................9
Guitar and Microphone In/P.A. Out (Mono or Stereo)........................9
Guitar and Microphone In/Guitar Amp and P.A. Out (Mono) ............9
Guitar and Microphone In/P.A. and Powered Monitor Out (Mono). 10
Guitar and Mixer or Preamp in/P.A. Out (Stereo) ................................10
Using the Vocalist®Live 4 ....................................................................................11
Editing, Storing and Copying User Presets..............................................11
Level Knobs....................................................................................................12
Effects Matrix................................................................................................. 12
musIQTM Button ............................................................................................12
Key Display, Key Up/Down Buttons, and Major/Minor Button........... 12
Effects Footswitch......................................................................................... 12
Harmony Footswitch ...................................................................................12
Guitar Tuner...................................................................................................12
Mono and Stereo .......................................................................................... 13
Regarding External Effects Pedals..............................................................13
Setting Levels on the Vocalist Live 4 .........................................................13
Effects and Parameter Descriptions .................................................................14
Preamp ............................................................................................................ 14
Comp/Gate ....................................................................................................15
EQ ....................................................................................................................15
Pitch Correction ........................................................................................... 16
Lead Effects ....................................................................................................18
Harmony......................................................................................................... 19
Reverberation................................................................................................21
Delay................................................................................................................21
Guitar Mix ......................................................................................................22
Utility Parameters.........................................................................................23
Factory Reset.........................................................................................................24
Troubleshooting..................................................................................................... 25
Preset List ...............................................................................................................25
Specifications..........................................................................................................29

Warranty
We at DigiTech®are very proud of our products and back up each one we sell with the following
warranty:
1. The warranty registration card must be mailed within ten days after purchase date to validate this
warranty.
2. DigiTech warrants this product, when used solely within the U.S., to be free from defects in materials and
workmanship under normal use and service.
3. DigiTech liability under this warranty is limited to repairing or replacing defective materials that show
evidence of defect, provided the product is returned to DigiTech WITH RETURN AUTHORIZATION,
where all parts and labor will be covered up to a period of one year.A Return Authorization number may
be obtained from DigiTech by telephone.The company shall not be liable for any consequential damage as
a result of the product’s use in any circuit or assembly.
4. Proof-of-purchase is considered to be the burden of the consumer.
5. DigiTech reserves the right to make changes in design, or make additions to, or improvements upon this
product without incurring any obligation to install the same on products previously manufactured.
6. The consumer forfeits the benefits of this warranty if the product’s main assembly is opened and tam-
pered with by anyone other than a certified DigiTech technician or, if the product is used with AC voltages
outside of the range suggested by the manufacturer.
7. The foregoing is in lieu of all other warranties, expressed or implied, and DigiTech neither assumes nor
authorizes any person to assume any obligation or liability in connection with the sale of this product. In
no event shall DigiTech or its dealers be liable for special or consequential damages or from any delay in
the performance of this warranty due to causes beyond their control.
NOTE:The information contained in this manual is subject to change at any time without notification.
Some information contained in this manual may also be inaccurate due to undocumented changes in the
product or operating system since this version of the manual was completed.The information contained in
this version of the owner’s manual supersedes all previous versions.

1
Introduction
Congratulations on your purchase of the Vocalist®Live 4. The Vocalist Live 4 is a breakthrough
processor that automatically generates live multi-part vocal harmony by analyzing guitar chord
progressions. Armed with patent pending musIQ™ Harmony Technology (which includes both
musIQ note detection and musIQ harmony generation), the Vocalist Live 4 gives you accurate
vocal harmonies even with complicated songs because only Vocalist Live tracks guitar chords,
along with your voice.
The Vocalist®Live 4 Features
musIQ harmony technology
One, two, three, or four voices of automatic harmony with selectable voicings (Unison, a
3rd up or down, a 5th up or down, and an octave up or down), generated based on incom-
ing music from your guitar, or a manually selected key and scale/mode
Selection of lead voice effects (Preamp, Reverb, Echo/Delay, Compressor, EQ, modulation
and pitch effects)
Next-generation vocal pitch detection, pitch shifting, and humanization processing.
Built-in guitar tuner
Built-in microphone preamp
Stereo XLR balanced and 1/4” unbalanced line outputs
50 factory presets and 50 user (editable) presets
Expression pedal input for real-time control of most performance parameters
Guitar ground lift function
External 1/8” audio input for MP3 and CD players
Headphone output
+48V phantom power
24-bit/44.1kHz audio quality
Included Items
Before you get started, please make sure that the following items have been included:
The Vocalist®Live 4
PS0913B Power Supply
This owner’s manual
Warranty Card
The utmost care was taken while your Vocalist Live 4 was being manufactured. Everything should
be included and in perfect working order. If anything is missing, contact the factory at once.
Please help us become acquainted with you and your needs by completing your warranty card
or registering online at www.digitech.com. It is your safeguard should a problem arise with your
Vocalist Live 4.
Important safety tip: Always turn on amplifiers AFTER all other connections are made to the
Vocalist Live 4 and AFTER the Vocalist Live 4 is powered up.
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A Guided Tour of theVocalist®Live 4
Overview
The Vocalist®Live 4 is a revolutionary voice processor that creates musically correct harmonies
for your singing voice that automatically change to fit with the current guitar chord and key of
the music you have been playing.
About musIQTM Technology
musIQ is a revolutionary technology that eliminates the need to enter key and scale informa-
tion into the product as it listens to the notes/chords played on a guitar and makes sure that the
harmony voices fit with the music. Real-time processing discerns the individual notes and key
signatures that are played to automatically generate appropriate vocal harmonies that comple-
ment the lead vocal. With musIQ, you can focus on your live singing and playing performance,
and discard song programming once and for all.
Quick Start
It’s a good idea to read this brief manual completely, but if you want to start using the Vocalist
Live 4 right away, go to the Getting Started section on page 7.
For more information on what the knobs and buttons do, refer to the Using theVocalist Live 4
section on page 11.
To find out about using the tuner, see the Guitar Tuner section on page 12.
To locate and identify the various controls, inputs, and outputs, see the Front Panel and Rear
Panel sections on pages 3 and 5.

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Front Panel
Store Button
Press to store changes you make to a preset. For more information on storing and editing
presets, see page 11.
Numeric Display
Shows the number (location) of the selected preset.While editing, it also shows the value
of the parameter being edited.
Alphanumeric Display
Shows the name of the selected preset or parameter names and values (when editing a
preset).
Stereo Out LED
Indicates stereo output from the Line Out and XLR outputs is enabled (you can change
this with the Stereo/Mono button on the rear panel).
Guitar Signal LED
Turns green when a guitar signal is detected in the Guitar In input, amber when the guitar
signal is approaching levels that may clip, and red when the signal may be clipping and may
degrade the ability of the Vocalist®Live 4 to detect the guitar notes.
Key Up/Down Buttons
Use these to select a key for the harmonies that will be generated (when the musIQTM but-
ton is not lit).
Phantom Power LED
Indicates the Phantom Power switch is engaged, and phantom power is being applied to
the Mic In XLR input.
Note: Phantom power is normally only needed with condenser microphones and should
never be used with ribbon microphones.To avoid damaging the microphone, please consult
your microphone documentation to ensure phantom power is applied only when appropri-
ate.
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Key Display
Shows the currently selected root key for generating harmonies (when the musIQTM button
is not lit). The Key display includes accidental symbols (sharp and flat) as well as the scale
modes major or minor.
Major/Minor Button
Toggles between major and minor when the musIQ button is not lit.
Vocal Signal LED
Turns green when a vocal signal is detected at the Mic In input, amber when the vocal
signal is approaching its limit, and red when the built-in limiter is active.The limiter generally
prevents clipping unless a very large input is applied.
musIQ Button
Turns automatic harmony generation on or off. When turned off, you can select the root key
and modes for harmonies using the Key Up/Down buttons and the Major/Minor button.
This can be used, for example, to manually set a key and scale when no guitar is available to
trigger the musIQ-based harmony generation.
Level Knobs
Vocal Level
Controls the lead vocal level in the mix being sent from the Vocalist®Live 4.
Harmony Level
Controls the harmony vocal level in the mix being sent from the Vocalist Live 4.
Guitar Level
Controls the guitar level in the mix being sent from the Vocalist Live 4.
Up/Down Footswitches
Use these to step through the presets. Hold either footswitch down to quickly scroll
through the presets.
Harmony LED
Indicates harmonies are turned on.
Harmony Footswitch
Enables or disables the vocal harmonies. You can configure the Harmony Footswitch to be
a toggle (press and release to turn harmonies on or off) or momentary (harmonies are active
when you hold it down). See the Utility Parameters menu on page 23 for more information.
Effects LED
Indicates the vocal and guitar effects are turned on. Some effects may still be enabled when
the LED is off; see the Utility Parameters menu on page 23 for more information.
Effects/Tuner Footswitch
Press to enable or disable any selected effects (reverb, compressor, etc.). See page 23 for
more information about what effects can be enabled or disabled. Press and hold this foot-
switch for at least one seond to enable the guitar tuner. Press the Effects/Tuner footswitch
again to disable the guitar tuner. See page 12 for more information about the guitar tuner.
Effects Matrix
The Effects matrix is used to customize the sound and parameters of theVocalist Live 4.
Use the Edit Up/Down buttons to navigate the matrix rows. As the Edit Up/Down but-
tons are pressed, an LED illuminates indicating the currently selected effects row, and the
VL4’s main display shows the row name. Use the five Parameter knobs above the display
matrix columns to edit the parameters for the selected effect row. For more information
about the Effects matrix, see page 12.
Edit Up/Down Buttons
Use these buttons to navigate through the Effects matrix rows. Press and hold both buttons
simultaneously to access the Utility Parameters menu (see page 23).
Parameter Knobs
Use these to adjust parameters for the selected row in the Effects matrix.
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Rear Panel
Phantom Power
Enables 48 volt phantom power on the XLR mic input.
Note: Phantom power is normally only needed with condenser microphones and should
never be used with ribbon microphones.To avoid damaging the microphone, please consult
your microphone documentation to ensure phantom power is applied only when appropri-
ate.
Guitar In
Connect a guitar directly to this high-impedance input. Note that there is no loss of quality
between the Guitar In and Guitar Thru jacks.
Guitar Thru
Connect this output to the input of a guitar amplifier or powered speaker.
Stereo/Mono
When Stereo is selected (Stereo Out LED is lit), the harmony voices are panned slightly
left and right, and certain effects (chorus, flanger, and reverb, for example) operate in stereo.
When Mono is selected (Stereo Out LED is not lit), the output mix is mono and the
outputs carry the same signal.
Mic/Line Input Level
This knob adjusts the gain of the Mic and Line inputs.Turn clockwise to increase gain, or
counter-clockwise to decrease gain. If the Vocal Signal LED is turning red while you sing,
you need to decrease the Mic gain.
Mic In
Connect a dynamic or condenser microphone to this XLR input.This input is the lead voice
for the Vocalist®Live 4.
Expression Pedal
Connect an expression pedal here to control any parameter in the Effects matrix with your
foot. See the Utility Parameters menu on page 23 for more information.
Line In
Connect a line input source (mixer, mic preamp, etc.) to this input. When connected to a
source, this input is the lead voice for the Vocalist Live 4, and disables the Mic In XLR input.
Aux In
Plug in a CD or MP3 player to this 1/8” jack to add recorded music to theVocalist Live 4
mix. Control the level with the CD or MP3 player’s volume control.
Guitar Ground Lift
Eliminates most “hum” problems. If you hear a humming sound or buzz coming from your
amp or P.A., try pressing this button.
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Line Out L/R
Connect both these balanced/unbalanced outputs to a mixer, powered speakers or P.A. sys-
tem. If only a single output is to be used, be sure the Stereo Out LED is not lit (use the
Stereo/Mono Out button to change this, if necessary).
Left/Mono Out and Right Out (XLR Outputs)
Connect these XLR balanced outputs to a powered speaker or mixer. If a mono mix is
desired, use only the Left/Mono XLR jack and be sure the Stereo Out LED is not lit (use
the Stereo/Mono Out button to change this, if necessary).
Phones
Use this jack to hear the Line Out L/R mix through headphones.
Power
Connect only the DigiTech®PS0913B power supply to this jack.
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Getting Started
Before connecting the Vocalist®Live 4 to your amplifier, make sure that the power to your ampli-
fier is off and that the Vocalist Live 4 is plugged into the wall and powered on.There is no power
switch on theVocalist Live 4.To turn the Vocalist Live 4 on or off, connect or disconnect the
included PS0913B power supply from the Power Input jack.
Connect the Microphone, Guitar, and P.A. or Mixer
Make sure the Mic/Line Input Level knob (located on the back panel) is turned all the
down (counter-clockwise).
Plug a microphone into the Vocalist Live 4 Mic In jack.
If you need phantom power, press the Phantom Power switch on theVocalist Live 4 back
panel.The Phantom Power LED will illuminate.
Note: Phantom power is normally only needed with condenser microphones, and should
never be used with ribbon microphones.To avoid damaging the microphone, please consult
your microphone documentation to ensure phantom power is applied only when appropri-
ate.
Plug your guitar into theVocalist Live 4 Guitar In jack.
Make sure your guitar amplifier is turned off and the volume level is turned all the way
down.
Make sure your P.A. or mixer is turned off and the volume levels are turned all the way
down.
Connect the Vocalist Live 4 Guitar Thru to your amplifier’s input or the P.A. system.
Plug the Vocalist Live 4 Left and Right Line Outputs into your P.A. system or mixer. Or, if
you are only using a single channel or mono amplification system, connect the Vocalist Live
4 Left/Mono Out to the P.A. system or mixer, and press the Stereo/Mono button so the
Stereo Out LED is not lit.
Set the Vocalist®Live 4 Controls
Select preset 1 (3RD ABOVE) with the Up/Down footswitches.
Turn the VOCAL LEVEL, HARMONY LEVEL,and GUITAR LEVEL knobs to their
12 o’clock positions.
Press the musIQTM button so that it is lit.
Press the HARMONY FOOTSWITCH so that the HARMONY LED just above it is
lit.
Adjust Levels and Tune Your Guitar
Observe the Guitar Signal LED while playing your guitar. Adjust the output level of your
guitar until the Guitar Signal LED lights green or amber most of the time. (For more
information about setting levels, see page 13.)
Sing into the mic while gradually turning up theVocalist Live 4 Mic/Line Input Level knob
until the Vocal Signal LED lights amber most of the time. (For more information about
setting levels, see page 13.)
Press and hold the EFFECTS/TUNER FOOTSWITCH until the display reads TUNER.
Tune each string until a star (*) without arrows (>> or <<) appears in the center of the
display for each string, indicating it’s in tune.The note being played appears in the Key
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display. The built-in guitar tuner works optimally with a strong guitar signal, so don’t turn
down your guitar to tune. The guitar output will automatically be muted when you’re in
tuner mode.
NOTE: It is important that your guitar is properly tuned in order for the
musIQTM technology to generate the best sounding harmonies. Alternate tun-
ings (for example, DADGAD, or tuning down a half step) are fine, as long as the
built-in tuner shows each string as “in tune”. If you are using an external tuner,
just make sure the reference is set to 440 Hz.
Turn on your amplifier and gradually turn it up until you reach a comfortable listening level.
Turn on your P.A. system and gradually turn it up until you reach a comfortable listening
level.
While playing a chord on your guitar, sing a note.You should hear your guitar and your
voice, plus a harmony voice. If not, repeat the steps above or consult the Troubleshooting
section on page 25.
Set up the Mixer for Stereo Operation (If UsingTwo Channels of a Mixer)
Turn the Vocalist®Live 4 Mic/Line Input Level knob completely counter-clockwise.
Set the mixer channels’ faders to 0dB.
Set the mixer’s master fader to its minimum position (no output signal).
Set the pan controls on the selected mixer channels hard left and hard right.
While singing, gradually turn up the Vocalist Live 4’s Mic/Line Input Level knob until the
Vocal Signal LED lights amber most of the time, and red during the loudest parts only.
(For more information about setting levels, see page 13.)
Gradually bring the mixer’s master fader up until you reach your desired level.
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Common Setups
There are many ways to set up the Vocalist®Live 4. Some useful setups are shown here.
Guitar and Microphone In/P.A. Out (Mono or Stereo)
This is a basic setup for stereo or mono ouptut. For stereo output, press the Stereo/Mono
button so the Stereo Out LED is lit. For mono output, press the Stereo/Mono button so the
Stereo Out LED is not lit. Note that the XLR outputs could also be used for stereo output.
Express on
Pedal
Mixer/
P.A. system
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Stereo
Mono
or
Guitar and Microphone In/Guitar Amp and P.A. Out (Mono)
This setup bypasses theVocalist Live 4 guitar effects via the Guitar Thru output. A mono vocal
and guitar signal is sent to the mixer. Press the Stereo/Mono button so the Stereo Out LED
is not lit.
Express on
Pedal
Guitar amp
Mixer/
P.A. system
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Guitar and Microphone In/P.A. and Powered Monitor Out (Mono)
This setup sends guitar and vocals to the mixer as well as an onstage monitor. Press the Stereo/
Mono button so the Stereo Out LED is not lit.
Expres ion
Pedal
Mixer/
P.A. system
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Powered monitor
Guitar and Mixer or Preamp In/P.A. Out (Stereo)
This setup includes a preamp or mixer between the microphone and the Vocalist®Live 4. Press
the Stereo/Mono button so the Stereo Out LED is lit.
Exp ession
Pedal
Mixer/
P.A. system
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Using the Vocalist®Live 4
In addition to creating vocal harmonies, the Vocalist Live 4 also offers a wide variety of effects
you can apply to your voice. You can quickly change the harmonies and effects by changing
presets. Each preset has a name and a number, as well as a set of harmonies and/or other effects
assigned to it.
You can cycle through all the different presets by pressing the Up/Down Footswitches,
located on the lower right side of the Vocalist Live 4.
You can turn a preset’s harmonies on or off with the Harmony Footswitch.
You can turn a preset’s effects on or off with the Effects Footswitch.
There are two kinds of presets: User and Factory. You can change User presets (numbers 1-
50), but you can’t change Factory presets (numbers 51-00).When the Vocalist Live 4 ships from
the factory, the User and Factory presets are identical
Use the Effects Matrix, Edit Up/Down buttons, and Parameter knobs to edit User presets.
Editing, Storing and Copying User Presets
To edit a User preset
Select a User preset with the Up/Down footswitches. User presets are numbered 1-50.
Press one of the Edit Up/Down buttons to select a row in the Effects Matrix. Each row
controls one effect, named in the leftmost column.When a row is selected, the display
briefly shows each of its five parameters.
Turn a Parameter knob to change the parameter listed below it in the selected Effects
Matrix row. The parameter’s name and value appear in the Alphanumeric display when you
turn its Parameter knob. Repeat this step for each parameter you want to change.
Repeat steps 2 and 3 for each effect you want to edit.
To store your changes to a User preset
Warning: Do not disconnect the power from the Vocalist Live 4 when storing a preset
(when the Alphanumeric display reads Storing... .) Doing so may erase your user
presets. In the event that this happens, perform a Factory Reset, described on page 24.
Press the Store button.The Alphanumeric display briefly reads Store to, then the
currently selected preset name and number appear. The first letter in the preset’s name
flashes.
Press the Store button again to store the preset to the current preset number (or press
any button other than Store or Key Up/Down to cancel).
To copy a User preset to a different preset number
Select a User preset with the Up/Down Footswitches (presets 1-50).
Press the Store button.The Alphanumeric display reads Store to.
Turn the leftmost Parameter knob to select a User preset number (1-50).
Press the Store button again to complete the copy procedure (or press any button other
than Store or Key Up/Down to cancel).
To rename a User preset
Select a User preset with the Up/Down Footswitches (presets 1-50).
Press the Store button.The Alphanumeric display reads Store to.
Turn the second-from-left Parameter knob to select a letter in the Alphanumeric display (or
use the Key Up/Down buttons).The selected letter flashes.
Turn the third-from-left Parameter knob to change the selected letter.
Press the Store button again (or press any button other than Store to cancel).
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Level Knobs
These three knobs let you adjust the mix being sent from the Vocalist®Live 4 to the P.A. or
mixer.The mix includes your lead vocal, the harmony vocals, and your guitar signal.
Turn a knob clockwise to increase its respective level, or counterclockwise to decrease its level.
Effects Matrix
This table lists the effects you can add to a preset (listed in the left column), and the parameters
you can adjust for each effect (listed in the columns below the Parameter knobs).
For descriptions of the effects and their parameters, see page 14.
musIQTM Button
Press this button to turn automatic key detection on or off.When this button is lit and harmo-
nies are active, the Vocalist Live 4 determines the proper key based on the guitar chords being
played.When this button is not lit, active harmonies are produced in the key shown in the Key
Display (selected with the Key Up/Down and Major/Minor buttons).
Key Display, Key Up/Down Buttons, and Major/Minor Button
When the musIQ button is not lit, you can select the key in which harmonies will be produced.
Use the Key Up/Down buttons to select a key (C - B), and press the Major/Minor button to
cycle through major and minor modes for the selected key.
Effects Footswitch
This footswitch turns some or all effects in a preset on or off. It does not affect the harmonies.
While effects can be turned on or off and adjusted individually within a preset, the EFFECTS
footswitch activates or deactivates some or all of them simultaneously.
When the LED above the EFFECTS footswitch is illuminated, the effects are on. When the
LED is turned off, the effects are turned off.
Note that when the Vocalist Live 4 ships from the factory, the EFFECTS footswitch is config-
ured to turn ALL effects (Preamp, Comp/Gate, EQ, Pitch Correction, Lead Effects, Reverberation,
Delay, Guitar Mix) on or off, but you can select which effects are turned on or off via the FX
Footswitch Control setting in the Utility parameters. For example, you can configure the EF-
FECTS footswitch to turn all effects on or off, or all effects except distortion, or all effects
except reverb. See the Utility Parameters menu on page 23 for more information.
Harmony Footswitch
This footswitch turns the harmonies on or off. While multiple harmonies can be selected within
a preset, the HARMONY footswitch activates or deactivates any selected harmonies simulta-
neously.
When the LED above the HARMONY footswitch is illuminated, the harmonies are on.When
the LED is turned off, the harmonies are turned off.
Guitar Tuner
Since the Vocalist Live 4 relies on accurate incoming notes to generate its harmony voicings, it is
imperative that your guitar be in tune.The integrated digital tuner of the Vocalist Live 4 makes
tuning your guitar fast and easy.
To activate the guitar tuner, simply press and hold the EFFECTS footswitch until the display
reads TUNER. Tune each string until a star (*) without arrows (>> or <<) appears in the center
of the display for each string, indicating it’s in tune.The note being played appears in the Key
display. The built-in guitar tuner works optimally with a strong guitar signal, so don’t turn down
your guitar to tune. The guitar output will automatically be muted when you’re in tuner mode.

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Tip: The Vocalist®Live 4 “remembers” about 30 seconds of music while you play to determine
the proper harmonies. Entering and exiting the tuner clears this memory.This can be useful
when you’re switching between songs with radically different chord progressions.
Mono and Stereo
You can output the lead vocal and harmonies in either mono or stereo. To use a mono signal,
press the Stereo/Mono button so the Stereo Out LED is not lit, and connect the Line Out
Left or Left/Mono Out XLR output to your P.A.
To use a stereo signal, press the Stereo/Mono button so the Stereo Out LED is lit, and con-
nect both XLR or Line outputs to your P.A.
Regarding External Effects Pedals
Do not hook up any other effects pedals to your guitar prior to plugging it into theVocalist Live
4, as this could affect vocal harmony generation.The only thing between your guitar and the
Vocalist Live 4 should be the guitar cable. Use the Guitar Thru to connect your effects and
stomp boxes.
Setting Levels on the Vocalist®Live 4
Setting the Vocal Level
It is recommended you set your vocal level by adjusting the Mic/Line Input Level knob on the
rear panel so that the Vocal Signal LED is amber during loud vocal sections and only briefly
turns red on the very loudest vocal sections. The Vocalist®Live 4 will normally prevent the vo-
cal harmonies from clipping, even when the LED is red, but for optimum voice quality the LED
should turn red only briefly or not at all.
Once the overall vocal level is set with the Mic/Line Input Level knob, you can increase or
decrease the amount of lead vocals in the mix with the Vocal Level knob.You can increase or
decrease the amount of harmonies in the mix with the Harmony Level knob.
Setting the Guitar Level
Ideally the Guitar Signal LED should be green or amber while playing. Most electric and
acoustic/electric guitars send their signal at a level appropriate for theVocalist Live 4. If you have
a volume control on your guitar (for example, an acoustic guitar with a pre-amp built in), you
should adjust the volume so that the Guitar Signal LED is green or amber most of the time
while playing.
Some older guitars send a very low signal. If your guitar doesn’t send a strong enough signal
to turn the Guitar Signal LED green, try setting the Guitar Sensitivity (located in the Utility
Parameters, see page 23) to gtrsens hi.
Once the guitar level is set with your guitar’s volume control, you can adjust how much guitar is
heard in the mix with the Guitar Level knob.

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Effects and Parameter Descriptions
Preamp
The Preamp row includes a model of a tube-based preamp, a de-esser and audio frequency band
limiting.The preamp is controlled by the Type and Gain parameters.The de-esser is controlled
by the De-Esser parameter, and band limiting is controlled by the Resonance and Band Center
parameters. In order to turn the preamp row off, you need to set Type to Pre Bypass, De-
esser to 0, and Band Resonance to 0.
Type pre BYPASS
PRE TUBE
PRE harsh
1
2
3
Bypasses the preamp model (turns it off).
Selects a tube preamp model, which provides
mild distortion to give your vocals more
warmth.
Selects a preamp with heavy distortion and low
susceptibility to feedback.
Gain PRE GAIN Adjusts the preamp’s gain. Range: 0-99
De-esser DE-ESSER Increasing this value applies more gain reduction
to sibilant sounds. Range: 0-99
Band
Resonance
BAND RES Controls the narrowness of the selected audio
frequency band (see Band Center, below). All
frequencies outside the band are attenuated
while all frequencies inside the band have no
attenuation. There is no band limiting applied
when this parameter is set to 0. As this
parameter is turned up, the band becomes
narrower, and the effect of the band limiting
becomes more prominent. Range: 0-99.
Band Center BNDCENxxxx Controls the location of the audio frequency
band center, where XXXX is the band center in
Hz. Range: 80-7650 Hz