Using the Axe II as a Vocal Processor. ?

boltrecords

boltrecords

Fractal Fanatic
So for a while I've wanted to figure out a way to start controlling my live vocal effects. Mainly compression, reverb and delay. Properly placed vocal effects can really add a lot to a live performance vs just a dry mix. Up until this point my live vocal effects have been very inconsistent. It's pretty much in the hands of the various sound tech from venue to venue. And it's usually done on the fly and never really sounds all that great.

So I've been looking at different vocal processor options. Tc helicon, digitech vocalist live 3. Stuff like that. The main thing I'm trying to accomplish is ease of use and as little extra wires as possible. So when I looked at those particular pedal based vocal processors, it seems like a lot of added setup. Running cabling from my rack with wireless mic, all the way out to the pedalboard, then back to the rack to my in ear board. Not to mention running power adapters out by the pedal which I love not having to do with the mfc. Then I thought maybe I can just find an option that I can leave in the rack and control with the mfc midi CC messages. But I'm not sure if the mfc can run with both cat 5 to the axe as well as midi out to a separate vocal processor.

Then that got me thinking, can I just run my guitar and mic into the axe and use out 1 for guitar and out 2 for the mic. Then run a comp, delay and reverb block for some vocal effects? That way there's no extra cabling out to the front of stage and I can control vocals within each preset

Is this possible? How would I rig this? Can I just plug the mic into the 1/4" input 2 and use output 2? Is there an issue with balanced vs unbalanced at all?

Right now I run my guitar into front input and my piezo into rear input R

Has anyone tried this?


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Mic > pre > axe

I have a Presonus eureka if you want, 1 rack space. Has compression and you could free that up from the axe. Then 1/4" out to the axe.

I'm doing a similar thing but putting multiple vocals from my x32 mixer through axe delay and reverb as an insert of in/out 2. Works great and I have tap tempo delay and on/off from the MFC.
 
The first pre gets the mic to the right level for processing in the axe.

A mic pre in the mixer is what it is, but should affect the tone that much really.

Have you been running your guitar sound into the mixer's mic pre?

It doesn't matter, that's how a mixer functions if you give it an XLR cable. The important part is that your mic is getting "preamped" at the right time.
 
I just run the axe to the foh with xlr. And my wireless mic direct the same way to foh with xlr.

Why doesn't the mic need a preamp when using a pedal like the digitech vocalist? For that dont you just run the mic direct into the pedal and then out to foh?

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If you have something in your rack couldn't you just use the midi through of the axe to control it? I know with the fcb1010 you can send info to additional midi channels so you can separate them
 
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boltrecords said:
I just run the axe to the foh with xlr. And my wireless mic direct the same way to foh with xlr.

Why doesn't the mic need a preamp when using a pedal like the digitech vocalist? For that dont you just run the mic direct into the pedal and then out to foh?

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Click to expand...
Vocalist and voicelive etc have a mic pre. For the mic.
 
Is Axe FX capable of processing two instruments independently from start to end of their signal chains? If not then your vocal unit should have a MIDI IN. I think the MFC has a MIDI out. Either way I would recommend a mic pre with a compressor to send into any rack device.:)
 
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Let me know how this works out for you.
I often think of using my Axe for this.
I did pick up a used TC Helicon Voicelive 2 recently for $300, and I'll say....it's pretty awesome.
The extra cabling I don't love....but the layout works really well. Stomp box style layout....tap tempo. Not a bad unit at all.
 
Yeah i think I'm going to pass on using vocal processing if its going to add a butt load of cables and stuff. The fractal rig has really spoiled me. Lol. I don't want to add any extra cables. I may just spend more time trying to get my other vocalist to learn to sing backing vocals.

I really would like to find a rack unit that I can use my mfc to send midi messages to control the effects. Can't I just use the midi coming out of the back of the axe ? Does the axe have the capabilities of sending midi changes?


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I used a voicelive rack before my x32. Ethernet from MFC to axe, then axe midi thru to voicelive (thru turned on in I/O). It of course shares preset changes, but I could program a switch on the MFC to send a CC to just the voicelive (by not giving the switch an axe function and/or having it transmit on a different midi channel). I used the rack so I didn't have to run a long midi cable from the axe to the pedal area.

Axe midi thru should work for any other device, like I'm currently doing for the x32.
 
You could always pick up a cheap, used multi-effects processor that handles reverb, delay, compression and EQ. This would save you from dealing with routing headaches with the Axe-Fx.
 
Chris@KatsuKuriMedia said:
I used a voicelive rack before my x32. Ethernet from MFC to axe, then axe midi thru to voicelive (thru turned on in I/O). It of course shares preset changes, but I could program a switch on the MFC to send a CC to just the voicelive (by not giving the switch an axe function and/or having it transmit on a different midi channel). I used the rack so I didn't have to run a long midi cable from the axe to the pedal area.

Axe midi thru should work for any other device, like I'm currently doing for the x32.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I meant. Thanks Chris.


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i am surprised you need a mic pre to run into the axe. I thought it could handle many levels of input
 
It handles line level and instrument level. It is not designed for a microphone direct, nor should it be.

It's not an issue of quality, it's an issue of purpose; anything designed for microphones has a mic preamp. It's just how mics work.
 
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