TC-Helicon Voicelive 2 User manual

USER’S MANUAL
Ver. 1.2

WARNING
To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose this appliance
to rain or moisture.
CAUTION
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for
a Class B digital device pursuant to Part 15 of FCC Rules. Operation is
subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause
harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
The lightning symbol within a triangle means, “Electrical
caution!” It indicates the presence of information about
operating voltage and potential risks of electrical shock.
The exclamation point within a triangle means, “Caution!” Please
read the information next to all caution signs.

Introduction.............................................................. 7
Front Panel................................................................ 9
Back Panel ............................................................. 12
Quick Start ............................................................. 14
Overview ................................................................. 14
Step 1: Pre-Flight Check .......................................... 14
Step 2: Inputs ........................................................... 15
Step 3: Outputs ........................................................ 16
Step 4: Set Mic Level ............................................... 17
Step 5: Quick Start Settings..................................... 17
First Impressions ................................................... 18
How To Audition Presets.......................................... 18
Finding Presets With The Wizard............................. 18
Using Harmony Presets ........................................... 18
Using The Effect On/Off Switches............................ 19
The SHORTCUT Footswitch.................................... 19
The STEP Footswitch............................................... 20
Programming Your Own Steps ................................ 20
Tone, Pitch And Guitar FX Buttons.......................... 21
Activating Bypass + Tuner Mode ............................. 22
Changing The Mix .................................................... 22
Basic Editing Concepts ............................................ 23
VoiceLive 2 for the Guitarist/Singer .................... 24
Overview................................................................... 24
Acoustic Guitar ......................................................... 24
Electric Guitar........................................................... 25
Tuning Your Guitar..................................................... 25
Guitar Performance Tips .......................................... 25
Table of Contents: Basics Section
TC Helicon Vocal Technologies Ltd.
[email protected]
Manual revision: 1.2 MARKUP English Version

VoiceLive 2 for the MIDI keyboardist/Singer....... 26
Overview................................................................... 26
MIDI Hookup And Channel Selection....................... 26
MIDI IN And USB ..................................................... 26
MIDI Controlled Harmony......................................... 26
MIDI Performance Tips ............................................ 27
Alternate Harmony Method ...................................... 27
VoiceLive 2 for the Lead Singer ........................... 28
Overview................................................................... 28
Using A Fixed Key (aka “Scale”).............................. 28
Singing To Music Playback ...................................... 29
“Borrowing” From Another Player ............................ 30
General Usage Tips................................................ 31
Connecting VoiceLive 2 To A Computer ............. 32
The USB Connection................................................ 32
The VoiceSupport Application.................................. 32
VoiceLive 2 And Digital Audio.................................. 33
USB Audio And ASIO Applications .......................... 35
Selecting The Audio Device ..................................... 35
USB and MIDI Control.............................................. 35
Table of Contents: Basics Section
4

The Tone Button..................................................... 38
The Tone Tab........................................................... 38
The Adaptive Check Boxes...................................... 39
The Shape Control ................................................... 39
The Compress Control ............................................. 40
The De-Ess Control.................................................. 41
The Gate Control...................................................... 42
The EQ Tab With Adaptive On ................................ 42
The EQ Tab With Adaptive Off ................................ 43
The Compress Tab With Adaptive On ..................... 45
The Compress Tab With Adaptive Off ..................... 45
The Gate Tab ........................................................... 46
The Pitch Button..................................................... 48
The Guitar FX Button............................................. 49
The Guitar FX Tab ................................................... 49
The EQ Tab.............................................................. 51
The Compress Tab................................................... 52
The Edit Menu Overview........................................ 53
The μMod Tab.......................................................... 54
The Delay Tab.......................................................... 57
The Reverb Tab ....................................................... 60
The Harmony Tab .................................................... 63
The Double Tab........................................................ 72
The FX Tab .............................................................. 74
The Rhythmic Tab.................................................... 79
The Preset Tab......................................................... 82
The Setup Menu .................................................... 83
I/O Tab ..................................................................... 83
The MIDI Tab ........................................................... 86
Table of Contents: Details Section
5

The System Tab....................................................... 88
The Expression Tab ................................................. 89
The Store Menu ..................................................... 91
FAQ and Troubleshooting..................................... 92
MIDI Implementation .............................................. 96
Factory Preset List................................................. 99
Effects Path Diagram........................................... 101
Warranty................................................................ 102
Specifications....................................................... 103
Table of Contents: Details Section
6

Introduction
7
Welcome to VoiceLive 2
Thank you for stepping into the evolution of what it
means to be a singer. VoiceLive 2 was conceived and
engineered during a time in history when singers took
control of their vocal sound with the advent of vocal
effects pedals and rack mount units. The significance for
you, the singer using VoiceLive 2, is being able to benefit
from a wave of innovation that makes production of
your vocal sound effortless and creative.
We encourage you to give a quick scan of the Quick
Start and First Impressions section. You likely don’t need
much help getting started with VoiceLive 2, but these
sections can help you get the most from VoiceLive 2
and your voice. Also, please install the VoiceSupport
application from the CD in your product’s packaging.
This web-enabled application connects you to the latest
updates, tips and tricks for your VoiceLive 2.
Features:
o Stompbox access to six effect blocks
o Easy editing of all parameters
o Simple effect chaining with Step feature
o Control harmonies with guitar, MIDI or MP3 input
o Up to 8 voices of new NaturalPlay harmonies
o New reverb, delay, μMod, and double
o FX block for HardTune, megaphone, distortion
o Global tone, correction, and guitar effects
o Digital mic-gain control is engaged by your feet
o USB for updates, back-ups and audio streaming

About This Manual
You’ve no doubt noticed that the Table of Contents has
two sections: the Basics section and the Details section.
This manual is divided into sections so that users who
prefer to get right into using the product can do so
quickly with a minimum of detailed text. Users who want
to learn the detailed operation of every parameter can
use the Details section.
Product Firmware Version
Feature descriptions in this manual represent VoiceLive
2 firmware version 1.2 and newer. Product version is
temporarily visible when the product is powered on.
You can check for the latest firmware version by running
the VoiceSupport application and checking the items in
its HOME tab.
8
About TC-Helicon
At TC-Helicon we truly believe that the voice is the
world’s most beautiful instrument. We don’t mean to
degrade other beautiful instruments, but the singing
voice is the anthropological source for all things melodic.
You should know there is a dedicated group of
engineers, researchers and product specialists based in
Victoria BC, Canada, who spend every waking moment
of their working lives listening, talking, singing, and
interacting with singers and those who have passion for
the singing voice.
All this knowledge and experience is used to design
products respecting and empowering the modern
vocalist. Our products focus on removing barriers and
inspiring creativity in performance. That’s why our
products range from near-field personal vocal monitors
to floor-based vocal multi-effects pedals.
Enjoy!
The TC-Helicon Team
Introduction

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Front Panel
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1. GLOBAL GROUP - When activated, these three
effects stay on independent of preset changes. Press any
to activate or hold to enter a specific edit menu. TONE
applies EQ, compression and more to improve the core
sound of your voice. PITCH adds subtle, chromatic pitch
correction to help you sing more in tune. Press GUITAR
FX to add modulation and reverb effects to the guitar
connected to the GUITAR IN jack. The GUITAR THRU
jack must be empty for GUITAR FX to be heard.
2. HOME - Press this to return to the main performing
mode from SETUP, WIZARD, STORE or EDIT modes.
3. MAIN DISPLAY - All text and graphics feedback is
shown here. The Contrast adjustment is in the SYSTEM
tab of the SETUP menu.
4. SETUP - Press this to access the I/O, MIDI, SYSTEM
and EXPRESSION pedal edit tabs.
5. WIZARD - This helps you find presets on the basis of
factory-assigned tags or to sort alphabetically by name.
6. STORE - Press to enter a menu to name, assign a
destination and commit edited presets to memory. To
cancel and exit, press HOME.
7. EDIT - Press to enter EDIT menu and make changes
to the μMOD, DELAY etc effects parameters via their
tabbed menus. HOME exits EDIT mode.
8. MIX / EDIT - When HOME is lit, turning any of
these will temporarily present the MIX screen allowing
control of the relative levels of the VOICES (harmony
and doubling), DELAY/REVERB, GUITAR and OUTPUT
level. In EDIT mode, these controls adjust the highlighted
parameters immediately above them.
9. NAVIGATE CONTROLS - The Data Wheel scrolls
through presets when HOME is lit or through editing
rows when EDIT is lit. The left and right arrow buttons
increment presets up and down respectively when
HOME is lit or through edit tabs when EDIT is lit.
10. PRESET UP/DOWN - The UP Sarrow advances
through presets and the DOWN Tarrow reverses.
Holding either will accelerate in its direction.
Front Panel
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Front Panel
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11. SHORTCUT - Press to access the effect extension
that is listed in the MAIN DISPLAY under SHORTCUT.
This can include TEMPO,HARMONY HOLD and more.
12. μMOD ON/OFF - Press to enable or disable
modulation effects including chorus, flange, detune, tube
resonance and more.
13. DELAY ON/OFF - Press to enable or disable timed
echo, tempo-based echo, slapback effects and more.
Hold to enter a temporary tap tempo setting mode then
tap at the tempo of your song.
14. REVERB ON/OFF - Press to enable or disable
reverberation effects such as Hall, Room, Plate and
Ambience. Hold to access MIC GAIN setting.
15. STEP - When the COUNT legend in the
MAIN DISPLAY shows a number greater than one,
tapping this will advance to the next step in the chain.
Holding STEP enters the STEP programming menu.
16. HARMONY ON/OFF - Tap to add or mute the
Harmony voices created by your voice and VoiceLive
2. Hold this footswitch to enter a temporary key setting
mode then tap the Preset Up/Down, Shortcut and Step
footswitches to set a fixed key and scale. See Using A
Fixed Key in VoiceLive 2 for the Lead Singer section for
more detail on using fixed key to guide harmonies.
17. DOUBLE ON/OFF - Adds or mutes the Doubling
voices assigned to the current preset. The Doubling
voices are constrained to unison intervals only.
18. FX ON/OFF- Press to add the serial effects of
Transducer (megaphones, distortion, hi-pass etc.) and
/or Hard Tune including scale-based Pitch Correction.
Each preset may be set to enable either or both effects.
Holding the FX footswitch enters BYPASS + TUNER
mode which mutes all effects except TONE and allows
silent guitar tuning.

1. MIC and LINE inputs - Connect your microphone or
line level audio device’s output here. Only one should
be connected at a time. Hold the REVERB footswitch
to set gain when changing back and forth between MIC
and LINE ins.
2. GUITAR IN and THRU - Connect a guitar to the
GUITAR IN to guide harmony and mix the guitar signal
into the main output. Connect the THRU to your guitar
amp and remove the guitar from the main mix output.
3. AUX In - An audio signal received here can be mixed
into the main output or used to control harmony.
4. HEADPHONE Out - The main output is mirrored
here to drive headphones. Adjust the headphone
and main output volume with the OUTPUT setting
controlled by turning the MIX knobs.
5. OUTPUTS - The XLR and TRS (1/4”) produce
the same balanced audio output. Both can be used
simultaneously if required. Mono/Stereo configuration is
found in the I/O tab of the SETUP menu.
6. DIGITAL IN/OUT - The S/PDIF-formatted DIGITAL
OUT is always active. Selecting this DIGITAL IN instead
Back Panel
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Back Panel
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of the USB digital input is done in the I/O tab of the
SETUP menu.
7. PEDAL Input - A standard expression pedal can be
connected here to control the level of the Harmony and
Doubling voices. Calibration is done in the EXPRESSION
tab of the SETUP menu.
8. MIDI Connectors - A computer or controller
keyboard connected to the MIDI IN offers preset
control, realtime parameter control, and guidance of the
harmony voices. MIDI IN and OUT can also be used as
an alternative to the USB connection for backup and
restore operations.
9. USB I/O - USB is a standard computer connection
allowing transfer of digital audio to and from VoiceLive
2 as well as for MIDI control and MIDI preset backup.
Configuration of the digital audio and MIDI settings is
done in the SETUP menu.
10. POWER In - Connect only the supplied adaptor or
one with the exact specifications shown on the back of
VoiceLive 2.
11. POWER Switch - Press to turn VoiceLive 2 on and
off.

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Overview:
This chapter will help you get set up in the typical live
performance setting with a microphone. You will learn
how to connect external devices and how to set the
microphone gain properly. At the end you will be ready
to move on to experimenting with the vocal effects in
the First Impressions chapter.
In this section we cover:
1. Initial connections
2. Setting microphone gain
See the section on Basic Editing Concepts for more
information on VoiceLive 2’s tabbed, style-based edit
menus.
Step 1: Pre-Flight Check
Assemble the gear you need to get started. For now,
leave your VoiceLive 2 and PA system turned off.
1. Vocal microphone
2. PA system or headphones
3. Harmony control instrument. This can be a Guitar,
MIDI keyboard, external audio source such as an
MP3 player or none if you plan to enter Key and
Scale with the footswitches.
4. You will need a selection of cables listed below
depending on your harmony control instrument
and monitoring.
o XLR cable for your microphone
o 1/4” cable from your guitar
o MIDI cable from your keyboard
o 1/8” mini from an MP3 player
o XLR or 1/4” cables to feed your PA system
Quick Start

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Step 2: Inputs
First, connect the XLR cable from your microphone to
the MIC input jack on VoiceLive 2.
Next, connect the instrument or device you will
use to control harmony. On power-up, VoiceLive 2
will automatically configure all harmony presets to
recognize which instrument is connected. Only one of
the following should be connected for this Quick Start.
o Guitar. Connect the 1/4” cable directly from your
guitar (no pedals between the guitar and VoiceLive
2) to the input jack labelled GUITAR IN. If you
want your guitar to go through pedals and an amp,
connect another 1/4” cable from the GUITAR
THRU to either your first effect pedal or your
amplifier.
o MIDI keyboard. Connect a MIDI cable to
VoiceLive 2’s MIDI IN from your keyboard’s MIDI
OUT. Set your keyboard’s MIDI OUT channel to
channel #1 if it is not already.
o MP3 player (AUX Input). Connect the output of
an MP3 player or another music source to the
AUX input using a stereo 1/8” connector.
If you do not connect an instrument to the GUITAR IN,
MIDI IN or AUX input, most of the harmony presets in
VoiceLive 2 will default to global Scale mode in the Key
of A Major (for this, see the section entitled VoiceLive 2
for the Lead Singer)
Quick Start

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Step 3: Outputs
The typical setup for monitoring the output of VoiceLive
2 is to connect two 1/4” cables to a stereo channel in a
PA mixer. VoiceLive 2 can be set to output in mono if
preferred in the I/O tab of the SETUP menu.
If you are using a snake to connect to an offstage mixer,
then the XLR outputs can be connected without the
need for DI boxes. The output of the XLR jacks is the
same as the 1/4” jacks: line level (maximum +16 dBu).
Both the XLR and TRS output jacks can be used at the
same time when required.
If you prefer to monitor with headphones, the output
labelled with the headphones graphic will drive most
headphone types that are equipped with an 1/8” jack.
Now you can connect the power adaptor and press the
POWER switch to turn on the unit. NOTE: keep your
PA level off until you set the mic gain level in Step 4.
Quick Start

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Step 4: Set Mic Level
This step informs VoiceLive 2 how loud you plan to
sing with your particular mic. We’ll use VoiceLive 2’s
automatic MIC GAIN feature to quickly set the optimum
level.
1. Press and hold the REVERB footswitch
2. If you need to activate phantom power for your
condenser mic, adjust the onscreen PHANTOM
parameter which will restart the level test
2. Sing for five seconds with peaks that are as loud as
you plan to sing
3. Follow the prompts in the display to finalize mic
level setting, cancel or redo the procedure
During performance, if you see the CLIP indicator light
in the HOME screen, you can return to the automatic
MIC GAIN feature to adjust the input level.
Step 5: Quick Start Settings
Ensure that the HOME and TONE buttons on the front
panel are lit. Load preset #1 with the PRESET up or
down footswitches. Ensure that the FX footswitch is
not flashing. Tap it once if it is flashing to exit Bypass/
Tuner mode.
Sing as you carefully raise your PA level or put on your
headphones. You should now hear your voice clearly
with Preset #1’s effects added. If you would like to
adjust the headphones level, turn the furthest right Mix/
Edit knob to adjust the OUTPUT level.
Now you’re ready for the next chapter: First Impressions.
There you’ll learn how to explore the presets in
VoiceLive 2.
Quick Start

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How To Audition Presets
The best way to sample VoiceLive 2’s effects is to
start with preset #1, sing, and then tap the PRESET up
footswitch to audition the next preset. These factory
presets contain collections of settings that affect your
voice in different ways.
Holding PRESET up or down will automatically cycle in
that direction. When working close to the unit, you can
also use the DATA WHEEL to cycle through presets.
Finding Presets With The Wizard
Press the WIZARD button to search for presets by
“Tags” which are preset attributes. Choosing a single
tag will result in a broad search; adding successive tags
(up to 3 total) will narrow your search. When you edit
and store presets, you can assign tags yourself to assist
in searching later.
The Wizard can also list the presets in alphabetical order
when you change the Sort setting.
First Impressions
Using Harmony Presets
Most presets that have the HARMONY footswitch lit
require that you play your guitar, keyboard or music
source (AUX input) to arrange the harmony intervals
musically around your voice. There are, however,
presets where the HARMONY footswitch can be lit but
that do not require musical input from you such as when
the harmony intervals are unisons, octaves or fixed shifts
used to create doubling and special effects.
If you want to audition presets without a music source,
simply press the HARMONY footswitch to mute this
effect each time you load a new preset.
You can read more about using harmony in the
following sections:
o VoiceLive 2 for the Guitarist/Singer
o VoiceLive 2 for the MIDI Keyboardist/Singer
o VoiceLive 2 for the Lead Singer

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First Impressions
Using The Effect On/Off Switches
The Effect On/Off footswitches give you the option
to modify the sound without changing to another
preset. You can do so by tapping any of the 6
effects footswitches which include μMOD (pronounced
“micromod”), DELAY, REVERB, HARMONY, DOUBLE
AND FX.
Tapping an effect that’s off will add it to the effects
mix and vice versa. All effects have default settings so
you can merely press their associated footswitches to
add them to your preset without editing. When you
advance to the next preset, your on/off settings will be
lost unless stored.
The SHORTCUT Footswitch
This footswitch extends the capabilities of the current
preset. Depending on the preset, it could allow you to
engage Harmony Hold, set the tempo for the Delay or
turn on the Choir effect. The shortcut assignment for
the current preset is clearly shown in the HOME screen.
Some shortcuts require holding the footswitch (e.g.
Harmony Hold) and some require tapping it (e.g. Delay
tempo). Every preset has a shortcut, so be sure to
familiarize yourself with them all while exploring the
product.

The STEP Footswitch
The Step feature allows you to create a series of up to
10 linked effect changes associated with a preset. In a
preset that has steps, for example, tapping STEP could
toggle to another preset’s effects, turn on all of the
effects at once, increase the Delay level by 6 dB or all
of the above.
Some factory presets have been programmed with
examples of steps. You can see that a preset has steps
when the COUNT (graphic) item in the HOME screen
is a number greater than 1. When you see this, you
can press the STEP footswitch to cycle through the
pre-programmed effect changes.
The STEP footswitch cycles forward through any steps
present. The PRESET (down arrow) cycles backwards
towards step 1 after which it will cycle backwards
through presets again. When the Step count is 2, the
STEP footswitch can be used toggle between the two
settings.
Programming Your Own Steps
1. Select a preset as the starting effect in your chain.
2. Hold STEP for a moment to enter Step
programming mode. Segments of the main display
will change color.
3. To insert another preset’s effect as the next step,
use the PRESET footswitches to locate the desired
preset.
4. If you want to change which effect blocks are on
press the desired effect footswitches.
5. If you want to make an edit, press the EDIT button
and make your changes. Edits made in Step insert
mode before accepting are stored automatically to
the new step.
6. Tap STEP to accept your new step and exit Step
programming mode. The COUNT legend in the
main display will increment by one and the STEP
footswitch will light.
To cancel and exit Step programming mode, hold STEP.
First Impressions
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