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  #1  
Old 01-30-2019, 09:10 AM
JackB1 JackB1 is offline
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Default TC Helicon Acoustic Play vs Boss VE-8?

These 2 seem to be the only real choices for a combo voice/guitar multi effects pedal. I will be using it live only, so I appreciate simple to use. What are some of the pros and cons of each model and if you picked one of these, how did you make your choice?
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Old 01-30-2019, 10:00 AM
AndyC AndyC is offline
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There are already plenty of threads discussing this comparison - you might want to use the search button as there is a wealth of comment already out there.

For example:

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=475862
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Old 01-31-2019, 08:17 AM
JackB1 JackB1 is offline
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Yes but I am also interested if there are any new choices available since then


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Originally Posted by AndyC View Post
There are already plenty of threads discussing this comparison - you might want to use the search button as there is a wealth of comment already out there.

For example:

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=475862
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Old 01-31-2019, 08:59 AM
AndyC AndyC is offline
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Originally Posted by JackB1 View Post
Yes but I am also interested if there are any new choices available since then
That's not what your thread title says - you are requesting a comparison between two specific products, both of which have been discussed relentlessly already on these forums.
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Old 01-31-2019, 09:04 AM
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Methos1979 Methos1979 is offline
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We use the Boss VE-8. We considered the Play Acoustic but never test drove it. For us the pros for the VE-8 over the PA were as follows:

Knobs - actual knobs for many of the features which is critical for live, on-the-fly playing. That said only a few of the many available knobs need to be and get used live but the biggest one is Notch. Different rooms, different volumes, the notch filter always needs to be tweaked, sometimes it even needs to be re-tweaked after capo changes.

Build - built like a tank and also a very good looking unit.

Battery operated - runs on 6 AA batteries. Critical for us as we use it with the Bose S1 which is can also run on battery. We love never having to worry about external power or dealing with dirty power. And of course allows us to play anywhere there are places with no power.

After that the other features we love on the VE-8 (but presumably also exist on the PA) are:

Good sounding effects - reverb on wife's vocals, chorus on the guitar. Other effects available but not used.

Decent harmonies - we don't use a ton of harmonies since we sing some of them ourselves but on the few songs we do use it, they sound good.

Looper - again, not used a bunch but works well. Does suffer from single pedal/button activation/deactivation which means you need to learn to double tap to stop/cancel which is a PITA. You can add a second pedal to basically turn it into a dual button and if I ever use it more I certainly would do that.
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Old 01-31-2019, 09:59 AM
JackB1 JackB1 is offline
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Thanks! - have read a lot of complaints about the double tap issue for stopping the looper. The solution is the extra foot pedal, but this is a careless oversight IMO.


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Originally Posted by Methos1979 View Post
We use the Boss VE-8. We considered the Play Acoustic but never test drove it. For us the pros for the VE-8 over the PA were as follows:

Knobs - actual knobs for many of the features which is critical for live, on-the-fly playing. That said only a few of the many available knobs need to be and get used live but the biggest one is Notch. Different rooms, different volumes, the notch filter always needs to be tweaked, sometimes it even needs to be re-tweaked after capo changes.

Build - built like a tank and also a very good looking unit.

Battery operated - runs on 6 AA batteries. Critical for us as we use it with the Bose S1 which is can also run on battery. We love never having to worry about external power or dealing with dirty power. And of course allows us to play anywhere there are places with no power.

After that the other features we love on the VE-8 (but presumably also exist on the PA) are:

Good sounding effects - reverb on wife's vocals, chorus on the guitar. Other effects available but not used.

Decent harmonies - we don't use a ton of harmonies since we sing some of them ourselves but on the few songs we do use it, they sound good.

Looper - again, not used a bunch but works well. Does suffer from single pedal/button activation/deactivation which means you need to learn to double tap to stop/cancel which is a PITA. You can add a second pedal to basically turn it into a dual button and if I ever use it more I certainly would do that.
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Old 02-01-2019, 08:19 PM
Long Road Home Long Road Home is offline
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Since the OP seems to be asking about other options as well... I have a Play Acoustic and a TCH Perform-VG.

I find the Play Acoustic to be too complicated for me (for live play), and prefer the Perform-VG, which, combined with a Switch-3 is just about perfect for my needs.

It doesn't have all the features of the Play Acoustic, but the ones that I wanted (2 and 3 part harmony, reverb, bodyrez, a little voice correction for those times that I stray) are easy enough to learn and use live.

I also like that I can use the pass-through on the Play-VG for my guitar, which allows me to use a couple of pedals (EQ, etc), bypass the guitar effects and still use the voice features (including harmonies).

Finally, it clips onto my mic stand, which is more comfortable for me (bad back and creaky knees).
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Old 02-04-2019, 10:58 AM
JackB1 JackB1 is offline
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The Perform VG looks interesting, but the absolutely necessary footswitch adds another $80 so now your up to $230 which is close to the price of a Play Acoustic or Boss VE-6.




Quote:
Originally Posted by pax238 View Post
Since the OP seems to be asking about other options as well... I have a Play Acoustic and a TCH Perform-VG.

I find the Play Acoustic to be too complicated for me (for live play), and prefer the Perform-VG, which, combined with a Switch-3 is just about perfect for my needs.

It doesn't have all the features of the Play Acoustic, but the ones that I wanted (2 and 3 part harmony, reverb, bodyrez, a little voice correction for those times that I stray) are easy enough to learn and use live.

I also like that I can use the pass-through on the Play-VG for my guitar, which allows me to use a couple of pedals (EQ, etc), bypass the guitar effects and still use the voice features (including harmonies).

Finally, it clips onto my mic stand, which is more comfortable for me (bad back and creaky knees).
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Last edited by JackB1; 02-04-2019 at 12:27 PM.
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  #9  
Old 02-05-2019, 06:59 AM
varmonter varmonter is offline
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I had a ve8 for awhile. Being a multi instrumentalist it did not
work well for me. Too many submenues. Have to bend over
too much and tweak between songs. I liked the boss effects in it
and the vocal enhancements. The harmonies
were not great. I sold it and went back to a
pedal board where everything is a foot tap away.
I find with most all in one wiz bang boxes it did some things
well and others not so well. I have not tried the PA.
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  #10  
Old 02-17-2019, 09:18 AM
Willie_D Willie_D is offline
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I've spent a few days with my new VE-8, and I have to say I like it a lot. It does everything I wanted it to do, and it does it with a minimum of tweaking.

I play a '95 Taylor 510 hog dreadnought with a MiSi under the saddle. My acoustic amp is a 30w Crate Taos in which the effects section is apparently now dead.

What I wanted: something to make my amplified guitar sound more natural. I don't need ToneDexter-level processing, just something that takes the quack out of the piezo. Replace my broken effects (not that I use much beyond a splash of reverb or delay.) Decent vocal processing with simple harmonies. Maybe a looper. Improving the guitar sound is, for me, more important than what it does to the vocals.

The Boss ticked all those boxes for me. I can get a FAR more natural sound out of my rig with the Acoustic Resonance knob. The default settings on the chorus and delays are right where I'd set them myself. Having multiple reverbs on deck is nice. The guitar processing is exactly what I wanted, and I'll use the VE-8 even when I'm playing but not singing.

As far as vocals, I like the vocal sounds I can get out of it. Truth be told I'd rather have more harmony options than what's on deck, but I guess you can't have it all. I also have a TC Helicon Harmony Singer, and it has great harmony options but truth be told it's a pain in the neck for me to set up just for harmonies. (the Taos has two channels but no XLR-in so I also have to remember a matching transformer for the XLR cable between the pedal and the amp.) I could add a BodyRez pedal and have a nice sounding rig, but it becomes a complicated setup with too many cables for me. Still, what the Boss offers is more than adequate and I haven't taken a deep dive into the manual yet.

It has a simple looper. A looper is one of those things I think I want until I get one, then I'm like "Awesome! Now, what do I do with it?" Looping a simple rhythm pattern to practice soloing over is enough for me.

I'm happy with it because it addresses the things that were important to me. Setup is simple (guitar in, mic in, one cable to the amp, use the pedal as a mixer) the guitar sounds great, good vocal sounds and harmonies are right there.

In the "what were you thinking, Boss?" category: distorted vocals, telephone vocals, and a ring modulator? Maybe I haven't figured out how to use one, but who the heck needs a ring modulator on deck for an acoustic gig? The octave effect is just okay. The +1 setting is kind of psychedelic, great if you're covering Sgt. Pepper inspired stuff, but I'd rather have a more POG-like octave up that can give a reasonable 12 string simulation.

Overall, I'm happy with the unit and it meets or exceeds my expectations in nearly every respect.
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Old 07-21-2020, 11:35 AM
westernslope westernslope is offline
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Hi all I know this has been discussed ad nauseum but I just wanted to revisit. As should be expected it sounds like the guitar functions on the boss are better and the vocal on the TC. I've bought a bunch of units over the past few months just trying to find the right combo. I love that the boss can be run off batteries. Again form factor is a big deal for me. I now own a ve-5, DigiTech vocalist live Fx ( love this unit but it's big). A Yamaha AG Stomp and a zoom A1 four. All have pluses but none is perfect. I've got a Play Acoustic on the way but I'm concerned about gigability. All those hidden menus are daunting. I want to like the ve-5 and the zoom together but the vocals on the ve-5 are rather unimpressive when compared to the digitech. Any input is appreciated
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Old 07-21-2020, 04:03 PM
John Bartus John Bartus is offline
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The Play Acoustic is very gig-able -- I've been using one onstage for the past several years. It's a good all-in-one box, and it's not that difficult to program. But the best thing to do is tweak while hooked up to a PA and get everything dialed in, save your presets, and use it live like that. It's not easy to adjust on the fly.

A Switch 3 or Switch 6 is essential for using the looper. Just budget for one at the outset.

My biggest gripe is that the central rotary knob will die long before the unit does. I have had to buy a second TCPA so I can program and tweak. The good news is there's an app called VoiceSupport 2 that allows the user tisane presets and send them to multiple devices. Saved my ***** on more than one occasion.
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Old 07-21-2020, 09:47 PM
westernslope westernslope is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John Bartus View Post
The Play Acoustic is very gig-able -- I've been using one onstage for the past several years. It's a good all-in-one box, and it's not that difficult to program. But the best thing to do is tweak while hooked up to a PA and get everything dialed in, save your presets, and use it live like that. It's not easy to adjust on the fly.

A Switch 3 or Switch 6 is essential for using the looper. Just budget for one at the outset.

My biggest gripe is that the central rotary knob will die long before the unit does. I have had to buy a second TCPA so I can program and tweak. The good news is there's an app called VoiceSupport 2 that allows the user tisane presets and send them to multiple devices. Saved my ***** on more than one occasion.
Thanks for the input man I'll tell you what as far as vocals go I've been extremely impressed with the DigiTech vocalist live FX but I didn't get the one with the guitar component and I heard the guitars on that one we're garbage anyways. So hopefully this will work
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Old 07-22-2020, 01:13 AM
Marty C Marty C is online now
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I agree with John. The Play Acoustic is gig-ready. I have figured out a way to use a power cell to power my Play Acoustic so I don’t use a power cord anymore. I spent about $50.00 to achieve this.

The menus are not too much of a problem. If you figured out the Zoom A1 four, this shouldn’t be a problem. Lots of people in this forum use the Play Acoustic so you have plenty of resources if you need help. Once you get the hang of it, it’s not hard. Kind of a set it and forget it unit.

You may need to update the firmware. With the newest firmware, you can save guitar effects as well as vocal effects in each preset. There will also be a guitar delay added as well as additional looper time. If you bought it used, this may already be done. Also, I don’t think they updated the manual to show these new features.
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Old 07-22-2020, 04:51 AM
RockerDuck RockerDuck is offline
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I've owned both and gigged both. The Boss makes your guitar sound great, but the vocals not so great. The TC makes your vocals sounds great and your guitar not so great. I have moved on from both to just a mixer with effects.
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