My Impressions of the "VoicePrism"
I currently own a Digitech brand "Vocalist Workstation EX" so was extremely anxious to checkout the new competition from TC Helicon at the NAMM show.
The "VoicePrism" is a 2 space rack mountable vocal processor. You can also purchase an optional "Voicecraft" human modeling upgrade card which adds additional DSP vocal processing capabilities. Then there is the newest model: the "VoicePrism PLUS" which is a "VoicePrism" with the "Voicecraft upgrade card" and digital ins/outs features included. The "VoicePrism" does not included digital ins/outs.
The VoicePrism allows you to add up to 4 additional vocal harmonies to your voice (the Digitech provides up to 5). Here is where where the VoicePrism & VoicePrism PLUS leave the Digitech Vocalist Workstation "in the dust":
The VoicePrism allows you to easily adjust each harmony individually (eq, delay,chorus, flange, reverb, timbre, pitch, vol). With the Voicecraft card you can also add breathiness, growl, (head & chest) resonance, inflection, rasp, vibrato to your lead voice. VERY COOL!! The lead vocal and harmonies sounded CLEAN and the harmony voices the best (most realistic & natural) I've heard yet. The other BIG thing I LOVE about the VoicePrism is that it supplies mic power to allow you to plug a phantom power condenser mic (like my AKG C2000) directly into it. Even better, the VoicePrism features Mic Pre-EQ, a feature I really missed on the Digitech brand vocalizers. In conclusion, the VoicePrismPLUS is definitely a WINNER! and a BIG STEP forward. I'm planning to purchase a "VoicePrism PLUS" even before deciding on a new arranger keyboard.
One pressing reason I want the VoicePrism right away is because I realized that I need a "vocal compressor" (the VoicePrism includes this) in order to balance (compress the dynamic 'range') of my vocals to match the synth keyboard/arranger backup parts which in turn produces a more polished sounding recording. Apparently this is used on all professional recordings.
I had noticed that my vocals on my demo song "Route66" seemed 'out of balance dynamically' in relation to my instrumental keyboard playing and arranger backup (bass,drums) parts. I was recommended to use a vocal compressor to achieve a more polished sounding recording. Uncle Dave, DonM, Donny, Fran, and John Smies, did any of you guys use any type of vocal compression on your demo songs? If so, which brand/model? I know that the Yamaha PSR9000/9000pro includes a vocal compression feature built in. The Technics KN5000 does not. How about the other brand/model arranger keyboards?
Checkout the pictures I took at NAMM. It includes a picture of the TC Helicon booth which includes a shot of the "VoicePrism" unit mounted on a stand above the keyboard (Roland VA7). Go to my website
http://scottyee.tripod.com/scottyee/ and then click on the "NAMM pictures" page link.
Scott
[This message has been edited by Scottyee (edited 01-23-2001).]