Using pedals for vocals?

zepp76

I would like to try and add some effects to my vocals when I start trying to record soon, is there a way to use guitar effects, phaser and chorus etc? I have seen this but it's a bit pricey https://cusackmusic.com/products/pedal-cracker

Any other options other than that please?

Many thanks.

pintspiller

I used guitar pedals before. Seemed to work fine.

Fuengi

I've seen plenty of bands using reverb and delay pedals through the mic. 

dogload

There's no reason why you shouldn't use guitar pedals. I've used them plenty in the past; back in my old Portastudio days, my only compressor was a Boss CS-1, and my delays came from my old Arion digital delay.

Even within Cubase I often run vocals though guitar pedal and amp sims. 

It's all about what works for you and for the track, really.

zepp76

Thank you for your replies, I'm glad it's doable but how? I'm guessing I need some kind of converter from XLR to 1/4" input?

Fez

zepp76 said:

Thank you for your replies, I'm glad it's doable but how? I'm guessing I need some kind of converter from XLR to 1/4" input?

You can use a lead with XLR on one end and 1/4 inch plug at the other end. Maplin (RIP) used to sell some adaptors I guess you could look at Amazon or flea bay. 

dogload

Fez said:

zepp76 said:

Thank you for your replies, I'm glad it's doable but how? I'm guessing I need some kind of converter from XLR to 1/4" input?

You can use a lead with XLR on one end and 1/4 inch plug at the other end. Maplin (RIP) used to sell some adaptors I guess you could look at Amazon or flea bay. 

Amazon do that sort of thing for cheap.

Whistler

I would like to suggest that record the dry vocal direct to your DAW and then send the recording out through the pedal(s) and record the wet vocal on a separate track.

zepp76

Whistler said:

I would like to suggest that record the dry vocal direct to your DAW and then send the recording out through the pedal(s) and record the wet vocal on a separate track.

I'm using a Tascam 8 track recorder so I'm guessing I need some kind of DI box between the mic and recorder, I may be wrong as I'm not up to speed on these things!

meltedbuzzbox

Just use a vst innit.
It will be a lot easier and a lot less faff to manipulate your vocals post recording

Whistler

zepp76 said:

Whistler said:

I would like to suggest that record the dry vocal direct to your DAW and then send the recording out through the pedal(s) and record the wet vocal on a separate track.

I'm using a Tascam 8 track recorder so I'm guessing I need some kind of DI box between the mic and recorder, I may be wrong as I'm not up to speed on these things!

If the Tascam has an XLR input then the mic can be plugged direct into it.
If the Tascam has a balanced TRS jack socket (the manual will let you know) then a cable adapter such as this will do the trick.
If the Tascam has only an unbalanced (mono) jack socket then you may be able get away with using one of these, although one of these would be the proper technical answer.

markv

I asked a similar question a while back, although in the context of re-amping tracks recorded in the box (e.g. soft synths etc) or vocals. Similarly, I would have had to purchase some hardware in order to make it work, probably. My conclusion was that it was better value for money to spend the money on plugins. Or try free ones first, even.

57Deluxe

Try this trick:

Electro Accoustic with a Piezo, plugged into a delay pedal > amp. Shout/sing into the soundhole of said EA and listen you your voice coming back at you!

steamabacus

zepp76 said:

Whistler said:

I would like to suggest that record the dry vocal direct to your DAW and then send the recording out through the pedal(s) and record the wet vocal on a separate track.

I'm using a Tascam 8 track recorder so I'm guessing I need some kind of DI box between the mic and recorder, I may be wrong as I'm not up to speed on these things!

If the Tascam has an auxilliary send/return on the mixer channels, the simplest solution will be to place the guitar fx pedals in this auxilliary loop and mix in to taste.

This will be the equivalent of a parallell fx loop in an amplifier and so will not give you 100% wet. If you wanted that, you could take the ouput from the pedal into a second mixer channel (rather than the aux return) and record that. If you recorded BOTH the input mixer channel and the fx pedal return mixer channel as two individual tracks, you have seperate wet/dry tracks that you can later mix to taste.

pintspiller

I used to sing into my mic plugged into my Valvestate 8080 with a lineout into my fourtrack just to get the reverbb