New Vocalist VR From DigiTech
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| (Click for a close-up) |
October 2, 1999
Designed for both the studio and the stage, the new Vocalist
VR from DigiTech enables singers to quickly and easily add up to four natural-sounding
harmony vocals to their voice.
The Vocalist VR’s harmonies maintain all the characteristics of the singer’s
voice for very realistic-sounding backup vocals. The processor also allows users
to choose between Chordal or Scalic harmonies, select the key and scale, determine
whether the harmonies are below or above their voice, assign individual mix levels
for their voice and the harmonies, add warm reverbs and much more.
Six lighted Voicing switches (Bass, Lower, Low, Double, High and Higher) on
the left side of the Vocalist VR’s front panel provide a visual indication
of whether harmonies are above, below or in unison with the input voice. A simple
press of any Voicing button adds or removes that particular harmony.
Chordal harmonies follow the chord progression from a keyboard. Using this
mode, singers can be assured that their harmonies will always fit over the accompaniment.
The Vocalist VR will decipher every chord, and all inversions of chords, and produce
harmonies that fit over each chord as it is played.
Scalic harmonies follow a singer’s voice, producing harmonies based on
the selected scale, the selected interval and the position of the scale that is
being sung. As the singer changes notes, the Vocalist VR identifies the note that
is being sung, determines the position of that note in the scale and produces
the appropriate harmony for the chosen interval.
The VR enables musicians to select the key, scale type or chord from the front
panel, or from incoming MIDI notes. Singers can also switch between two assignable
keys and scales using DigiTech’s optional FS300 footswitch.
Nine reverb types are offered for each of the unit’s 50 presets. These
reverbs can add ambience to the input voice or to all harmonies. An auxiliary
input on the rear panel provides access to the reverb algorithms ala Carte.
The Vocalist VR provides full MIDI implementation, making it a breeze to control
from a MIDI computer, sequencer, computer or MIDI foot controller. The rear panel
includes separate MIDI In, Out and Thru. A MIDI split point allows singers to
select the range of MIDI notes that the VR will pay attention to. This provides
the freedom to decide whether the VR will follow a bass line or the right hand
chords.
The ‘Scale Smooth’ option enables singers to choose the way that
the VR changes harmonies. As vocalists move from one note to another, the VR can
bend between harmony notes, or wait until the singer hits the next scale tone
before changing the harmony structure.
A single knob permits users to quickly set individual levels for the harmony
voices, reverb and dry vocal. Simply pressing in on the knob will advance to the
next selection of these three levels. An LED indicates the selected level, and
rotating the knob will change values for the selected level.
In addition to including a balanced, low impedance XLR mic input on the front
panel, the 1U Vocalist VR also provides an unbalanced 1/4-inch line level input
on the rear panel, an auxiliary input for a direct feed to the reverb, separate
left/mono and right outputs with switchable -10dB/+4dB output levels, MIDI In,
Out and Thru, and the FS300 footswitch jack (for harmony bypass, reverb bypass
and alternate key/scale switching).
The Vocalist VR utilizes 16-bit A/D conversion at 44.1kHz to provide a full
20Hz to 20kHz frequency response. Signal-to-Noise is greater than 92dB (A weighted)
with a Total Harmonic Distortion of less than 0.04 percent.
For more information, visit DigiTech at www.digitech.com. | 
