Heh folks just got one of these

Which presets do you like / use?
I play a lot of James Taylor, Eagles, some Beatles, etc

Thanks in advance

Honestly, 90 percent of the time I'm using only 3rd above or Dust Wind. For Eagles stuff, occasionally I'll do the two-part Eagles. Less can be more.

I like the Kiss setting and the Gold PC

OK, I bought one of these. Not sure if it's something I'll use a lot or not. I thought it sounded cool when I heard others using it, or the VL2, but when I hear myself it sounds a little like a gimmic.

I hooked it up to the Compact, am using the lead vocal EQ, and tinkering with other possibilities. I guess I can edit 1 through 50 for use without the T1, and use 50 throught 100 for use with the T1 when using the Model II.

I'm curious how much editing others are doing, not neccessarily particular settings, but general ideas for utilizing the many options available.

Example of something I have tried;

Edited to get a pretty good sound with Eagle 3, then edited to get the same lead sound on Eagle 2 with a different blend on the harmony. Use the 2 part on the verse and the three part on the chrous of the same song.

What are you doing with it?

O..

Hey O..

You described what I do - use different settings between verse and chorus.

I also have a 3rd-Below setting next to a 3rd-Above setting, with a 3-Part setting "outside" next to both. With this, I'll sing a verse solo, do first chorus with 3-Part, then in the next verse I'll do the first line solo, next line 3-Below, next line after that 3-Above, then back to 3-Part next chorus. This mirrors arrangements my live trio uses. Gotta concentrate though, and I SURE wish my footswitch had an LED with the patch (I use the rack VL-Pro). Sorry I don't have patch names for you - I rename them, and have long forgotten what I started with.

Thanks Mike,

This is the kind of ideas I am looking for. Most people I have heard, use their harmonies sparingly, but it is still about the same each time it is turned on.

I can see the advantage of your 4 very useable presets next to each other. Changing from a subtle background to something slightly less subtle, seems not so stark a change as going from nothing to something.

I've just got this so I'm in the early stages of understanding the editing parameters. Each effort makes the next easier.

O..

Hi Oldghm

quote:

Originally posted by Oldghm:
OK, I bought one of these. Not sure if it's something I'll use a lot or not. ...
O..

I'll be watching for your thoughts after you've had some time with this.

What's next on the list after this: A looper?

O..

A couple of examples...

MR BOJANGLES - generally verses solo, chorus 3-part harmony. But - I also add 3-part on "for drinks and tips" and "cause I drinks a bit" phrases in that verse. And later where it says "he shook his head" I do a 3rd-Above, and immediately following that "and as he shook his head" I do 3rd-Below - for no special reason, it's just the way the guys and I did it, maybe Dirt Band too, I don't remember. And then on "I heard someone ask him please, PLEASE" - I go back to solo, but 3-Part on the last PLEASE - pretty good variety.

HOTEL CALIFORNIA - again, solo verse & 3-Part on most of the chorus, but... "some dance to remember" I/we go 3rd-Above, then "some dance to forget" we fill it out with the 3rd-Below coming in for 3-Part. Kicks pretty good...

Hope this helps and is not overkill...

Harmony has ALWAYS been a big part of music, very much on my solo home recordings with primative 4-track recorders, so... it seems very natural to have it in my "solo" performing.

Have fun with it...

Best, Mike

quote:

Originally posted by ST:

What's next on the list after this: A looper?

Hi ST,

I've got an RC 50, but it is beyond my technical and musical abilities at the moment. With the expression pedel and the two extra footswitches there are 10 different things one can stomp on, and none of them ever did what I expected. I just have not been interested enough to stay with it. The manual disappeared at the same time my wife was thining out old magazines. I downloaded it but the guitar, mic, looper, computer, T1, all at the same time is too much strain.

It was raining all day here and I decided to stay in and just play with the VL4. It's fun and a very impressive piece of equipment. I was thinking I might use it at a gig where no one knows me and use a different harmony for each successive song without a break all night. I might have to pack a gun to get out, but it would be a good test to find my, or their, breaking point.

Seriously, I think it will become a valuable tool. Getting the gain right is key in making it sound natural, well almost natural. I think I can make people look around to see where the singers are.

Yea Mike, I was doing a bit like that today. I need to put the cowboy boots on, these round toed tennies keep hitting the wrong button, plus, if my leg can reach it, I can't see it over my belly, but that's another story.

It (VL4) does double duty with the Compact as I can edit the lead vocal eq and get about the same sound as I get when I use the T1 with the Compact.

O..

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Oldghm,

Hey O, I've got an RC 50 too and it's sitting around getting dusty. These ideas sound so good to me and then I find out I have to work at them.

I use a VL-4 and try to only use it for the occasional song. It does get people's attention. I've actually had people come up and ask how I was able to 'split my voice'. Had to think on that a while before answering...

Bonjour O and Wayne,

I was very much impressed by the live demonstration of the Boss RC50 at the Montreal Jazz Festival a few years back. The thing wasn't even available in Canada yet. I returned the following year with a guitarist friend who was also bowled over by what the guy was doing with this machine.

I finally bought one, unpacked it, plugged everything together and... now what? Tried a few things, practiced solos on the pre-programmed Funky blues and Rock ballad, but back it went in its box for about a year.

Then I saw a French bluesman at the Tremblant Blues Festival using a looper (although not this particular model) and it gave me some ideas. I dusted off the RC50 and tried a few things; I ended up with two compositions that I perform live (see our MySpace page - Harmonic Rain and Grove on Em).

I also use the RC50 during performances for backup drums (with Hit the road Jack, The thrill is gone, Give me one reason, Knocking on heaven's door (reggae version...) and Moonage daydream). When playing solo, I loop the rhythm guitar and try my hand at a little solo guitar on the first four songs; the Bowie song I leave to my partner.

If you want to see some impressive RC50 work, plus a REALLY great song, see Jonny Wright. For a more complicated layering and exquisite classical guitar, see Mosaic for Shadows.

But for the ultimate prize in coordination, with TWO RC50's, you have to see this: Theresa Andersson. She is unbelievable...

Have fun with the toys!

Hey JFd, I liked your compositions. Do I hear some Windham Hill influence there?

How do you figure out the timing when playing live? It seems complicated to me when I try to plug the lick into the right moment in the song.

Hi JFd,

I checked out the links, all impressive, but not my taste. I like this guy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...4iz0&feature=related

O..

A lotta uke from one guy. Goes to show you the depth of sound you can achieve.

quote:

Originally posted by captbanjo:
Hey JFd, I liked your compositions. Do I hear some Windham Hill influence there?

How do you figure out the timing when playing live? It seems complicated to me when I try to plug the lick into the right moment in the song.

Bonjour Wayne,

Thanks for the kind comments. I do enjoy William Ackerman and his acolytes. The first time I heard Ackerman was on a TV demonstration of cross-country skiing: there were 2 people skiing across a beautiful landscape and the only sound was the guitar of William Ackerman... for 30 minutes. No comments, no texts. It was magical.

As for the question of timing, the short answer is "practice, practice, practice" . But it's not much different than playing with other musicians; you start playing when your cue comes around. But from your question do I infer that you want to start a prerecorded solo during your live strumming? I go the other way around, i.e. I record live one full run of backup strumming then when it starts looping I start the solo work.

That is the reason you hear the basic guitar sequence 3 times in Harmonic Rain before I start the harmonics: the first pass is to get things rolling and steady, then I hit the Record (Start) pedal at the start of the second sequence, and at the start of the third sequence I stop the recording by stepping on the Start pedal again and try to jump into the harmonics as soon as I can.

The trick is to stop recording at the right moment so the transition from the end of the loop to the start is seamless. Starting recording the loop at the end of the first sequence allows this smooth transition as there is already music when you start the loop.

I tried the "a capella" song Babylon from Don McClean's American Pie album, and that was a challenge: one person singing a canon with the loop. I needed to use all three phrases to achieve this with an appropriate finish to the song. Haven't done it in a while, so I'll have to try it again soon, it was fun.

Experiment and have fun!

quote:

Originally posted by Oldghm:
Hi JFd,

I checked out the links, all impressive, but not my taste. I like this guy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...4iz0&feature=related

O..

Bonjour O.

Excellent performance! Simple and very well rendered; you can't help but tap your foot. I'll now have a new image in my head when I hear the word "ukelele". I used to think of Tiny Tim, then of Israel Kamakawiwoʻole as associated with ukeleles.

Thanks for the link!

Thanks JFd, for the link to "Iz". Can't believe I had never heard of him, what a beautiful voice.

O..

quote:

Thanks JFd, for the link to "Iz"

O,
Is that great or what. It taught me a whole new respect for the Ukelele that I purchased while in Hawaii a few years back.
I even went and purchased a pickup for mine and do this song at my Poolside gig's.
Simple but what expression. I heard it on our local radio station down here and searched for it. The audience loves it.

I appreciated the other guy using a looper on "Who do you love" and his multi-tracking. I just didn't care much for that tune but I do respect his timing and effort.

Israel, on the other hand has such a pleasant and meaningful ease in performing his work.

Is there a system for a karaoke singer to get such a split? Maybe play the reording through the device and have the chords selected from that?

Thanks

Does the Vocalist (the one that follows the guitar chord) have built-in reverb for the vocal?