One more month of suffering with the S900

I'm hearing shipping is in May for this unit....can't wait.
http://www.tc-helicon.com/VoiceToneHarmonyM.asp


it will be nice to have quality Vocal Harmony again

Too bad we don't live nearer to each other, I'd lend you my Digitech Vocalist IV.

Intriguing...

So how does this thing hook up to the PSR-S900 as far as cables are concerned? Do you need an outboard mixer besides the keyboard's internal mixer?

Beakybird

oops

[This message has been edited by cassp (edited 03-29-2008).]

Larry,

The way it looks is you plug your mic into the vocal processor, then plug the output of the vocal processor into the keyboard's Mic/Line-In--that's all there is to it.

Gary

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Travlin' Easy

http://www.digitech.com/products/Vocalist_Live2/Vocalist_LIVE2_Video.php http://www.digitech.com/products/Vocalist_Live4/Vocalist_LIVE4_Video.php


Nice demo videos

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 03-29-2008).]

I got your email

Don't you have to use midi cables? It says midi capable??

Of course ...whats your point?

Mike was referring to Gary's post..he didn't mention the midi connection...

Fran is right, sorry I should have made myself clear. I was wondering if this one used the midi or if you used it like that other one that you just play a guitar through. But I see it uses midi. I might have been thinking of the new digitech.
Obviously I haven't done any research on these newer harmonizers, so I know just enough to look foolish when I ask a question.

I think it would be worth twice the price just for the "live engineer effects that automatically optimize your vocals with adaptive compression, EQ, de-essing as well as reverb and delay effects."



[This message has been edited by mikeathome1 (edited 03-29-2008).]

"The way it looks is you plug your mic into the vocal processor, then plug the output of the vocal processor into the keyboard's Mic/Line-In--that's all there is to it."

Then how does the device know what key to create harmonies in? You must have to plug a midi out of the keyboard into the midi in of the vocal processor. Anything else?

I asked what cables are needed. I would imagine you need a power cable - or does the device work on batteries? You need an extra mic cable. I would imagine you need at least one midi cable. Anything else?

Beakybird

I would have thought the limited MIDI output options on the S900 might be a bit of a buzzkill, as far as hooking up ANY external MIDI gear...?

Sorry to get back to this post so late. yes, you'll need midi a cable. And, no limitations are far as I know of Diki.

Gary

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Travlin' Easy

It works in 2 ways..You can drive the harmoniser from data contained in a MIDI track, or you can have it produce live harmonies based on the audio input from your mic. It also has a footswitch that can be used to bypass the harmony/effects or not.
The difference between the G and the M is that the G cannot be used by sending it midi data it only uses the live audio data coming from a mic.
It will be a great unit if you only want/need 2 harmony voices. It continues with the great helicon effects though.

Diki, all you need is a midi file on the s900 with a harmony track in it and then set that tracks midi # to the same as whatever channel you set the helicon unit to rx on. Assuming you want to drive it from midi data.
If the s900 is anything like the Tyros, then the midi editing is quite comprehensive.

Midi ddata from a seq track only tells the unit the harmony pitches, it still has to have a live signal from your mic in real time to work. Using seq data frees up your chord hand, or arranger track, and allows more specific harmonies.

With any harmonizer, you still have to sing in real time into the unit.

I do enjoy using the PSR-S900's harmonizer. I use it about 30% of the time. I agree that it is limited in effectiveness, and sometimes is doesn't track my singing voice correctly. I have been able to edit some of the harmony settings to better suit my voice.

Even though this might be far superior to the PSR-S900's harmonizer, one big disadvantage is that you cannot save settings to the S900's registrations. Each time you want to use a different harmony setting, you have to remember to do it before you start the song - or you might be in trouble.

Maybe I'll wait a couple of years until the PSR-Sxxx comes out.

Beakybird

Beaky you'll be waiting till the Cows come home unless Yamaha TOTALY changes the Vocal harmonizer unit in ALL their keyboards & get up to par with the quality processors like the TC Helicon, Roland, Digitech, etc, etc, ...maybe they dont think its that important like 76 keys ?

I know several professionals happily using the S900/3k/Tyros vocalizer...it works well for them, although it did require some adjustments.

And, they love the convenience of having everything in one unit.

Ian

That is a HUGE determining factor for many, many working musicians. Set up is time spent and time CHARGED for ..... use it to your advantage!

Gary's right ... jazz isn't limited to song choices. Is the "Flintstones Theme" a jazz tune? If it's PLAYED like one, it is !
You can change the style of most anything to adapt to a new style. If you want a cool example of a few Jimmy Buffett tunes that cross the "jazz border" try:
Pencil thin mustasche(Swing), Volcano (Latin), Pirate Look at 40 (Bossa)
Jazz is a feeling and an interpretation, and while I am no expert, I can get the feeling accros to most people. Look at all the Broadway show tunes that get "jazzed up" .... I think Buffett has proven himself enough to the many generations of adoring fans that maybe it's time to educate the jazzers of his worth !

Most Jimmy fans won't like Coltrane .... I don't either for that matter, but I still appreiciate the talent and vision he showed. I just hated his tone.

Sorry Dave I took it as a given that everyone would realise that!!

Beakybird all you would have to do is create a "mini" midi file to link to the style you are playing via a registration with the CC # to change the preset on the Helicon unit.

I had a Tyros for a brief while and I seem to remember this was possible, (but someone correct me if you can't).In fact this method works with all midi capable harmonisers, as long as your keyboard can load and store smf's.


On the subject of the Yamaha harmoniser, I have used the expansion board PLG100VH, and the harmoniser built into the PSR3000 and the Tyros (they are in fact all the same) and with it tweaked properly, to suit your own voice, you can get very acceptable results.

They are not as bad as some believe, imo. They just need a little more tweaking to get a good result. As long as you don't expect the MTC they are fine.

After all, people can see you don't exactly have a backing trio behind you .

So it's more to add just that little bit of variety once in while.
Well thats my opinion anyway

Dnj,

Why bother with this, just purchase another Korg keyboard and you won't have to carry around all kinds of gear; it will all be integrated into the keyboard.

The TC-Helicon in the Pa2xpro sounds fantastic!

I still don't get why you got rid of the PA800. Was it because UD uses one? LOL

I got rid of the Pa800 because it didnt have enough styles for my work...I hated the difficult navagational OS folder system with all the folders, sets, etc, & very difficult to audition converted styles.....its all brought back My Pa80 days....the fills stink also...with that said...pretty much the rest of the features were very good,live sound,TC VH, Songbook w/transpose save, sliders, touch screen,etc.....the what I mentioned above was a deal breaker for me....right now I use NO VH.....its better then then using the kazoo in the s900....Im biding my time patiently & will wait for the next few Arrangers to hit the market....Roland, Yamaha, etc....

stay well

You ever TRY to hook up any other MIDI gear to a Yamaha? Ever want a module to play the drums, but use the internal sounds for SOME parts? You ever want to control the Yamaha's arranger functions (Variations and fills, In/Outs etc.) from another arranger or a remote keyboard (only way you'll ever get to play a 76 Yamaha arranger!)...?

It's easy to not find limitations, if you don't look for them (because you don't need them)...