How to get vocal distortion/megaphone effect live
-
- Alpaca
- Posts: 129
- Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2006 10:14 pm
How to get vocal distortion/megaphone effect live
Hello, helpful songfight community.
I've playing live a lot recently and I was wondering what would be the best way to get vocal distortion/a megaphone effect live.
This wouldn't be constantly used the entire time while singing, just something I could turn on and off. Is there a certain pedal I should use? Should I just bring a megaphone up there?
Thanks
I've playing live a lot recently and I was wondering what would be the best way to get vocal distortion/a megaphone effect live.
This wouldn't be constantly used the entire time while singing, just something I could turn on and off. Is there a certain pedal I should use? Should I just bring a megaphone up there?
Thanks
- Billy's Little Trip
- Odie
- Posts: 12090
- Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2006 2:56 pm
- Instruments: Guitar, Bass, Vocals, Drums, Skin Flute
- Recording Method: analog to digital via Presonus FireBox, Cubase and a porn machine
- Submitting as: Billy's Little Trip, Billy and the Psychotics
- Location: Cali fucking ornia
Ive tried to find a good megaphone sound for studio, and I have one called FULL CANADA that I think came with my Cubase. I use it in many songs for vox and bass guitar, its crazy, but still not quite a megaphone. I think Ken recommended distortion and a mono setting with bass cut and reverb. Makes sense, but Ive never tried it.
But for live distortion vox, Ive ALWAYS used a guitar distortion peddle with a strong gate setting. It works really good.
But for live distortion vox, Ive ALWAYS used a guitar distortion peddle with a strong gate setting. It works really good.
-
- Grok
- Posts: 1194
- Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 2:35 pm
- Location: Gainesville, Florida
In the studio, I have some pretty good soft simulation, and the equipment that allows you to do it live is out there too. But I don't know anything about it. The distortion pedal will produce a ton of feedback if you don't get a gate to tame it, as Chris said. I recommend just using a megaphone.
Watch the master at work.
Watch the master at work.
"81 songs and 569 posts in 4 months. You don't mess around when it comes to messing around." - fluffy
- Caravan Ray
- bono
- Posts: 8665
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 1:51 pm
- Instruments: Penis
- Recording Method: Garageband
- Submitting as: Caravan Ray,G.O.R.T.E.C,Lyricburglar,The Thugs from the Scallop Industry
- Location: Toowoomba, Queensland
- Contact:
Yeah - I have one of those FULL CANADA effects pedals. You can turn it down low to the Crash Test Dummies setting, then crank it up through Men Without Hats and Loverboy all the way up to Nickleback. And then of course there is the Bryan Adams pre-set.Billy's Little Trip wrote:Ive tried to find a good megaphone sound for studio, and I have one called FULL CANADA...
Obviously it is not an effects pedal that gets used very often.
- Billy's Little Trip
- Odie
- Posts: 12090
- Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2006 2:56 pm
- Instruments: Guitar, Bass, Vocals, Drums, Skin Flute
- Recording Method: analog to digital via Presonus FireBox, Cubase and a porn machine
- Submitting as: Billy's Little Trip, Billy and the Psychotics
- Location: Cali fucking ornia
Mine has an artist formally known as Puce setting. I only use that setting when I'm trying to get a little Pucey.Caravan Ray wrote:Yeah - I have one of those FULL CANADA effects pedals. You can turn it down low to the Crash Test Dummies setting, then crank it up through Men Without Hats and Loverboy all the way up to Nickleback. And then of course there is the Bryan Adams pre-set.Billy's Little Trip wrote:Ive tried to find a good megaphone sound for studio, and I have one called FULL CANADA...
Obviously it is not an effects pedal that gets used very often.
-
- Grok
- Posts: 1194
- Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 2:35 pm
- Location: Gainesville, Florida
-
- Stable Diffusion
- Posts: 3677
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 12:48 pm
- Pronouns: Dude or GURRRLLLL!
- Location: Charlotte, NC ... A big city on its first day at the new job.
- Contact:
Live? Like somebody already said, actual megaphone. You probably won't need to use the microphone, BUT if you do, stand way back from it. Otherwise you'll be making enemies with the sound guy.
THE RIGHT WAY? Pony up and get a vocal processor unit (usually rack mounted) and find a good setting and level that corresponds to your clean channel. Make sure you have all the settings balanced, even, and with the right amount of gain to level ratio. Otherwise you'll be making enemies with the sound guy.
Don't use a guitar pedal for this. Otherwise you'll be making enemies with the sound guy.
THE RIGHT WAY? Pony up and get a vocal processor unit (usually rack mounted) and find a good setting and level that corresponds to your clean channel. Make sure you have all the settings balanced, even, and with the right amount of gain to level ratio. Otherwise you'll be making enemies with the sound guy.
Don't use a guitar pedal for this. Otherwise you'll be making enemies with the sound guy.
- Rabid Garfunkel
- DALL-E
- Posts: 2468
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 12:43 pm
- Instruments: Absurdity
- Recording Method: iPhone, GarageBand & rando apps/toys
- Submitting as: OZYMANDIPUS, Rabid Garfunkel, Primitive Screwheads
- Pronouns: that guy
- Location: Portland, Oregon
- Contact:
- ken
- Stable Diffusion
- Posts: 3881
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 6:10 pm
- Instruments: Guitar, bass, drums, keys
- Recording Method: MOTU 828x, Cubase 10
- Submitting as: Ken's Super Duper Band 'n Stuff
- Pronouns: he/him
- Location: oakland, ca
- Contact:
Good Tip RG!! A harmonica mic should give you the EQ and distortion you are looking for. Also, make your own telephone mic. I can't find a how-to online, but it is really easy to attach a mic cable to an old telephone handset.
Also, I found this: http://www.ruyasonic.com/em_s_filter%20mic.htm
Ken
Also, I found this: http://www.ruyasonic.com/em_s_filter%20mic.htm
Ken
Ken's Super Duper Band 'n Stuff - Berkeley Social Scene - Tiny Robots - Seamus Collective - Semolina Pilchards - Cutie Pies - Explino! - Bravo Bros. - 2 from 14 - and more!
i would just like to remind everyone that Ken eats kittens - blue lang
i would just like to remind everyone that Ken eats kittens - blue lang
- Spud
- Stable Diffusion
- Posts: 4774
- Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:25 am
- Instruments: Bass, Keyboards, eHorn
- Submitting as: Octothorpe
- Pronouns: he/him
- Location: Seattle
- Contact:
We use this:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=150177
There are 40 presets, and you can roll your own as well, using the 38 different effects included, which can be combined and various parameters assigned to the expression pedal.
SPUD
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=150177
There are 40 presets, and you can roll your own as well, using the 38 different effects included, which can be combined and various parameters assigned to the expression pedal.
SPUD
-
- Gemini
- Posts: 5348
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 11:33 am
- Instruments: Bass, keyboards, singin', guitar
- Submitting as: Johnny Cashpoint
- Location: London, Engerllaaannnddd
- Contact:
I have always found that predatohm from the ohmforce banks of filters (though a guitar distorter) has enough finesse to be able to get some really interesting effects for vocal distortion as well. it is (or certainly was) available for free from their website as a stand-alone or a VST plug in. Now I come to think of it, it flags itself as a fully-functional, time-sensitive demo, but it has no upper limit of use as it happens. I am still using it four years after I first downloaded it.
http://www.ohmforce.com I think
j$
http://www.ohmforce.com I think
j$
- Billy's Little Trip
- Odie
- Posts: 12090
- Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2006 2:56 pm
- Instruments: Guitar, Bass, Vocals, Drums, Skin Flute
- Recording Method: analog to digital via Presonus FireBox, Cubase and a porn machine
- Submitting as: Billy's Little Trip, Billy and the Psychotics
- Location: Cali fucking ornia
-
- Stable Diffusion
- Posts: 3677
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 12:48 pm
- Pronouns: Dude or GURRRLLLL!
- Location: Charlotte, NC ... A big city on its first day at the new job.
- Contact:
PEOPLE FOCUS!
LIVE! LIVE is the question.
The harmonica mic sounds plausible...I mean if you want to really upset the sound guy an' all. I imagine that mic would be expecting a lot more volume coming at it and would get a lot of feed back if used incorrectly live on a stage because it would need to be cranked.
(Thank you Spud, I think we agree on this one)
For vocal effects on stage... ask the sound guy if they HAVE a vocal processor...SOME DO. They just might be willing to use them...if they are nice, in a good mood, not too drunk, want to be creative and... well, my point is, just maybe IF they have that available they may be willing to use them.
Otherwise you risk a lot of 'middle of the show' improvisation and the song(s) may not go the way you want them to because you are trying to solve a feedback issue in the MIDDLE of your SET. Thats never any fun.
LIVE! LIVE is the question.
The harmonica mic sounds plausible...I mean if you want to really upset the sound guy an' all. I imagine that mic would be expecting a lot more volume coming at it and would get a lot of feed back if used incorrectly live on a stage because it would need to be cranked.
(Thank you Spud, I think we agree on this one)
For vocal effects on stage... ask the sound guy if they HAVE a vocal processor...SOME DO. They just might be willing to use them...if they are nice, in a good mood, not too drunk, want to be creative and... well, my point is, just maybe IF they have that available they may be willing to use them.
Otherwise you risk a lot of 'middle of the show' improvisation and the song(s) may not go the way you want them to because you are trying to solve a feedback issue in the MIDDLE of your SET. Thats never any fun.
- jb
- Stable Diffusion
- Posts: 4165
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 10:12 am
- Instruments: Guitar, Cello, Keys, Uke, Vox, Perc
- Recording Method: Logic X
- Submitting as: The John Benjamin Band
- Pronouns: he/him
- Location: WASHINGTON, DC
- Contact:
isn't the megaphone effect the same as the phone effect? if so, it's just squashing some freqs.
run your mic through this: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/GE7/
turn the bottom three and the top two down the whole way. fiddle to taste.
run your mic through this: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/GE7/
turn the bottom three and the top two down the whole way. fiddle to taste.
blippity blop ya don’t stop heyyyyyyyyy
-
- Alpaca
- Posts: 129
- Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2006 10:14 pm
Aside from bringing a real megaphone, I'd imagine you could get a similar effect using these types of effects:
-reverb or slight delay
-eq - where you can drop the Hi's and Lo's completely and using only a specific mid-range frequency
-distortion - a touch to make the sound a bit crappy
I would also suggest the harmonica mic idea, especially a green bullet. A local band has had a lot of success with that mic, and it does give a telephoney, megaphoney like effect (making new words is fun).
-reverb or slight delay
-eq - where you can drop the Hi's and Lo's completely and using only a specific mid-range frequency
-distortion - a touch to make the sound a bit crappy
I would also suggest the harmonica mic idea, especially a green bullet. A local band has had a lot of success with that mic, and it does give a telephoney, megaphoney like effect (making new words is fun).
oursongs.org - independent music community and think tank
- Rabid Garfunkel
- DALL-E
- Posts: 2468
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 12:43 pm
- Instruments: Absurdity
- Recording Method: iPhone, GarageBand & rando apps/toys
- Submitting as: OZYMANDIPUS, Rabid Garfunkel, Primitive Screwheads
- Pronouns: that guy
- Location: Portland, Oregon
- Contact:
Justin wrote:...I would also suggest the harmonica mic idea, especially a green bullet. A local band has had a lot of success with that mic, and it does give a telephoney, megaphoney like effect (making new words is fun).
The Crystal Shaker (on the left) is my mike o' choice for this, and it has a volume knob for managing levels on the fly. Haven't gotten it to feed back. Yet, heh.
-
- Stable Diffusion
- Posts: 3677
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 12:48 pm
- Pronouns: Dude or GURRRLLLL!
- Location: Charlotte, NC ... A big city on its first day at the new job.
- Contact:
groovy, tested tried and true.Rabid Garfunkel wrote:Justin wrote:...I would also suggest the harmonica mic idea, especially a green bullet. A local band has had a lot of success with that mic, and it does give a telephoney, megaphoney like effect (making new words is fun).
The Crystal Shaker (on the left) is my mike o' choice for this, and it has a volume knob for managing levels on the fly. Haven't gotten it to feed back. Yet, heh.