VoiceLive Play Acoustic vs..... ???

[mniels]

So, I have a VoiceLive Play Acoustic that I am sort of happy with.

The vocal effects are great, as would be expected, but the guitar effects leave a little something to be desired. One thing I absolutely do not like (hate might be a bit strong of a word) is the fact that the settings are global. You just cannot change active effects on the fly. I believe (and could very well be mistaken) that it is not even an option with the Switch 3 pedal add on.

I still have one of the original VoicLive units, which users an onboard mic to determine the key, as opposed to the Play Acoustic (as well as other guitar/voice units from TC Helicon) which uses a direct signal running from the guitar pickup. This worked fine for me in the past.

So the question ism what are your opinions on the multi effect acoustic guitar floor units that are out there? After doing some research I am focused mainly on the Fishman ToneDEQ as well as the Trace Elliot Transit A. Also, to a lesser degree, the Tech 21 Acoustic Fly Rig.

Any opinions on these units or any others? I am playing primarily solo acoustic shows using a Taylor with the Expression 2 pickups.

Thanks in advance for your input!

[Captain Jim]

I don't remember where in the settings, but you have the choice to make the effects global or "scene" dependent. I don't have the Play Acoustic with me on this trip, so I can't check it out right now.

I did the update on mine this winter, and the global setting option was one of the new features. Hope that helps.

[steve_mac]

Just to confirm the above, the guitar effects are not necessarily global in the playacoustic.

[RockerDuck]

When I had the "play acoustic" , the effects were below grade, compared to the real pedals. Mine could have had a defect, but I couldn't get volume out of it, internal, global, and external volumes maxed. Even the vocal effects that were good, did not sound as good as the Harmony gt pedals.

[mniels]

Originally Posted by RockerDuck

When I had the "play acoustic" , the effects were below grade, compared to the real pedals. Mine could have had a defect, but I couldn't get volume out of it, internal, global, and external volumes maxed. Even the vocal effects that were good, did not sound as good as the Harmony gt pedals.

I think you may have had a bad unit, definitely no issues volume wise for the one I have. Never used any of the other pedals, so really couldn't comment on the quality compared to those...

[Guitaurman]

The original Play Acoustic did have the guitar effects global. There have been firmware upgrades since they first came out. All Play Acoustics are upgradable by simply using the USB port and going to their website. My guitar effects are no longer global. I now have my Play Acoustic set up so that my different scenes can have varying amounts of Body Rez, Delay, Reverb or Chorus.

There are a lot of products out there to help you achieve your own unique sound. Personally, I find the Play Acoustic to be a tool I can hardly live without. I have three P.A. systems. The Play Acoustic improves my vocals on all of them. The play acoustic subtly gives my vocals a certain increase in cutting through the mix while still sounding great. I also have a Loudbox mini. Plugging a mic into it doesn't sound so good. The guitar is fine but the vocals sound "Honky" and I can't seem to eq that sound out. If I use the Play Acoustic in front of the Mini the vocals sound nuch better. I could actually gig with it in a very small environment.

Personally, I don't use a lot of effects for my acoustic sounds. I have played with the unit though and it produces a lot of different guitar sounds. I find the Body Rez gives me a much more realistic acoustic sound. It's not perfect but it's a sound I like. I think the amount of body rez I use gets a more natural sound while still projecting and not sounding muddy. I have a scene where I use the Corona Chorus to achieve a bit of a twelve string sound. It's great for playing "Hotel California."

We all have different needs and expectations. What works for me very well may not suit you at all. A lot of guys prefer Boss units. The Play Acoustic does a lot of things and it takes time to find all the things it will do. If you keep experimenting with it you might find a lot of things that you like. I sure did.

[mniels]

Originally Posted by Guitaurman

The original Play Acoustic did have the guitar effects global. There have been firmware upgrades since they first came out. All Play Acoustics are upgradable by simply using the USB port and going to their website. My guitar effects are no longer global. I now have my Play Acoustic set up so that my different scenes can have varying amounts of Body Rez, Delay, Reverb or Chorus.

There are a lot of products out there to help you achieve your own unique sound. Personally, I find the Play Acoustic to be a tool I can hardly live without. I have three P.A. systems. The Play Acoustic improves my vocals on all of them. The play acoustic subtly gives my vocals a certain increase in cutting through the mix while still sounding great. I also have a Loudbox mini. Plugging a mic into it doesn't sound so good. The guitar is fine but the vocals sound "Honky" and I can't seem to eq that sound out. If I use the Play Acoustic in front of the Mini the vocals sound nuch better. I could actually gig with it in a very small environment.

Personally, I don't use a lot of effects for my acoustic sounds. I have played with the unit though and it produces a lot of different guitar sounds. I find the Body Rez gives me a much more realistic acoustic sound. It's not perfect but it's a sound I like. I think the amount of body rez I use gets a more natural sound while still projecting and not sounding muddy. I have a scene where I use the Corona Chorus to achieve a bit of a twelve string sound. It's great for playing "Hotel California."

We all have different needs and expectations. What works for me very well may not suit you at all. A lot of guys prefer Boss units. The Play Acoustic does a lot of things and it takes time to find all the things it will do. If you keep experimenting with it you might find a lot of things that you like. I sure did.

I was not aware that you could now assign scenes in that way. I did look into it a little and it looks like it involves adding additional presets, etc. I think that for me, for the sake of simplicity, it is easier just to hit the switch for chorus when I want chorus, if that makes any sense. Luckily, because I have the original VoiceLive, I still have the vocal effects.

I do like the body rez options in there, which is the only thing I would miss. However, they do make that in a separate pedal, so if I REALLY miss it, I can always add it into the effects chain if I want.

[Foss38]

Originally Posted by mniels

So, I have a VoiceLive Play Acoustic that I am sort of happy with.

The vocal effects are great, as would be expected, but the guitar effects leave a little something to be desired. One thing I absolutely do not like (hate might be a bit strong of a word) is the fact that the settings are global. You just cannot change active effects on the fly. I believe (and could very well be mistaken) that it is not even an option with the Switch 3 pedal add on.

I still have one of the original VoicLive units, which users an onboard mic to determine the key, as opposed to the Play Acoustic (as well as other guitar/voice units from TC Helicon) which uses a direct signal running from the guitar pickup. This worked fine for me in the past.

So the question ism what are your opinions on the multi effect acoustic guitar floor units that are out there? After doing some research I am focused mainly on the Fishman ToneDEQ as well as the Trace Elliot Transit A. Also, to a lesser degree, the Tech 21 Acoustic Fly Rig.

Any opinions on these units or any others? I am playing primarily solo acoustic shows using a Taylor with the Expression 2 pickups.

Thanks in advance for your input!

Been there and done that...bought and sold the T-shirt too. I've owned two VLPA's, two VL3's(which I still use for VX's) and currently using a Boss AD-10 which to my ears sounds stellar compared to TC's offerings.
My advice is to stick with what you got. Buy a switch 3 for switching FX on/off and call it a day with money in your pocket.
Otherwise, there is an AD-10 in the "for sale" section for a killer price. https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=516374

JIMHO and YMMV

[mniels]

Originally Posted by Foss38

Been there and done that...bought and sold the T-shirt too. I've owned two VLPA's, two VL3's(which I still use for VX's) and currently using a Boss AD-10 which to my ears sounds stellar compared to TC's offerings.
My advice is to stick with what you got. Buy a switch 3 for switching FX on/off and call it a day with money in your pocket.
Otherwise, there is an AD-10 in the "for sale" section for a killer price. https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=516374

JIMHO and YMMV

Thanks. The Switch 3 is definitely an option, I just need to figure out how to control the effects separately after the firmware update if I go in that direction.

The one upside to this is that I am still within the return period for the unit, so that helps a lot with the flexibility of getting the setup I want without the price being much of an issue.

[Guitaurman]

Originally Posted by mniels

I was not aware that you could now assign scenes in that way. I did look into it a little and it looks like it involves adding additional presets, etc. I think that for me, for the sake of simplicity, it is easier just to hit the switch for chorus when I want chorus, if that makes any sense. Luckily, because I have the original VoiceLive, I still have the vocal effects.

I do like the body rez options in there, which is the only thing I would miss. However, they do make that in a separate pedal, so if I REALLY miss it, I can always add it into the effects chain if I want.

You might want to make sure you have the latest firmware updates on the Play Acoustic. I gig a lot and typically only use three different presets. I just edited the existing preset that is close to what I like, and change the vocal settings to the amount and type of reverb, type and intensity of harmonies, etc. and save them. Same with the guitar settings. Since I never change the guitar effects during a song I don't need the optional pedals. I didn't try to add more presets, I just edited the existing ones. Works for me. This thing will do so many things that I'll never use but it's cool to know it's so versatile. If you take the time to experiment I think you'll find it an amazing device.

[takatsukimike]

Originally Posted by mniels

Thanks. The Switch 3 is definitely an option, I just need to figure out how to control the effects separately after the firmware update if I go in that direction.

The one upside to this is that I am still within the return period for the unit, so that helps a lot with the flexibility of getting the setup I want without the price being much of an issue.

Firstly, the firmware update is free and takes about 10 minutes, suggest you have a try of this before you start talking returns. Also, make sure your input gain settings are correct particularly on the guitar as this is important for harmony tracking.

Your options are really to either assign different guitar FX to different patches or buy the switch-3 or switch-6, or a combination. With the switch-3 and switch-6 you can choose what functions are assigned to each of the buttons.

In my case, I basically use 3 main guitar sounds from the presets "Normal", "Ballad", and "Rockabilly Slap" - "Ballad" has a subtle chorus. I use the switch 3 to control the looper (2 button looper) and guitar delay on/off, while I keep the 'hit' button for vocal harmonies. I've also copied patches so the same basic guitar sound occupies adjacent spots but with different harmony options selected, so I can keep everything the same and just add a third voice by using the up/down switches.

[mniels]

Originally Posted by takatsukimike

Firstly, the firmware update is free and takes about 10 minutes, suggest you have a try of this before you start talking returns. Also, make sure your input gain settings are correct particularly on the guitar as this is important for harmony tracking.

Your options are really to either assign different guitar FX to different patches or buy the switch-3 or switch-6, or a combination. With the switch-3 and switch-6 you can choose what functions are assigned to each of the buttons.

In my case, I basically use 3 main guitar sounds from the presets "Normal", "Ballad", and "Rockabilly Slap" - "Ballad" has a subtle chorus. I use the switch 3 to control the looper (2 button looper) and guitar delay on/off, while I keep the 'hit' button for vocal harmonies. I've also copied patches so the same basic guitar sound occupies adjacent spots but with different harmony options selected, so I can keep everything the same and just add a third voice by using the up/down switches.

Just to clarify, I am trying to avoid returning the unit, and I have gotten some great input from people here. The first thing I did after opening the box was to upgrade the firmware. I was not aware that that the update enabled different options for dealing with the guitar effects, and TC certainly didn't go out of their way to make the information known, such as amending the documentation, at least none that I saw. The information that I had from TC was that guitar settings were global.

Now that I know they are not I am trying to learn more about the setup. Is it possible that I still will not like the solution? Sure. I already have another VL for harmonies, so if I like the option of another separate unit for guitar effects, then I am going to go in that direction. I have had no issues with the harmony capabilities of the unit (or any of VLs harmony boxes, for that matter.) I actually called them "great" if I am not mistaken. I do also think the guitar effects are not as good as some other options out there, so the point of this post was to get opinions on other units to see what people liked/disliked about them.

[takatsukimike]

Originally Posted by mniels

I was not aware that that the update enabled different options for dealing with the guitar effects, and TC certainly didn't go out of their way to make the information known, such as amending the documentation, at least none that I saw.

I agree, for such a useful improvement I thought they would promote it - surely it would have been a fairly simple thing to update the manual and flag the new features TCH PA webpage.

Originally Posted by mniels

I do also think the guitar effects are not as good as some other options out there, so the point of this post was to get opinions on other units to see what people liked/disliked about them.

I would agree that the TCHPA is a bit of a compromise in some areas. I needed a box on a moderate budget that did a lot of things reasonably well, and the simplicity of the setup was also a big selling point. That said I did look at other units before making my decision, so I'll share my view on those.

The Tech21 FlyRig Acoustic came the closest in terms of feature-set with good tone, in particular i LOVED the tuner, the BOSS VE-8 while having a looper available was lacking in tone for me. Digitech vocalist was poop. I didn't try the Fishman, based on not having the features I needed but I have previously owned their AFX series of pedals (reverb, chorus and delay) which were excellent.

[dcopper]

THE VE8 works without all the menus, which was a big plus for me. Easy to change some settings and plenty of memory storage to just scroll up to what you saved.
I would be interested in anyone's comparison with the PA, especially the vocal harmonizer. I have an Acoustic Singer from TC but you hear every click off the on/off switch when you use it. Stupidly annoying.
I am using the VE8 right now and it is working fine for me.
davidc

[Marty C]

I have tried a lot of pedals over the last 10 years. I started with the TC harmony G. The guitar needed some EQ so I added a Baggs Para DI. I felt I needed some more effects so I added a Boss AD5 which has reverb and chorus. I wanted presets so I replaced the Boss unit with a Zoom A2. I wanted more vocal control, so I addded the TC Create. Then I had four pedals on my board -two for vocal and two for guitar. Used this for about 3-4 years.

When TC came out with the Voicelive GTX, I was so happy. All my current needs in one box. Until the Play Acoustic came out. I was happy but missed the guitar preset changes. So I used both units together, until they did the firmware update on the Play Acoustic. Didn’t like the BodyRez for one guitar so I added a Zoom A3. Used that together with the Play Acoustic just to better eq the guitar. Had issues with so much different programming in both units using the Play Acoustic together with the Zoom A3, that I gave it all up and went direct to a small format mixer.

Now, I have the Para DI in front of the Play Acoustic to help with last minute eq.

I always liked the vocal effects in the Play Acoustic better than any others. Tried several Digitec and Boss units and still prefer the Play Acoustic. I also tried many individual guitar effects, both with and without the Play Acoustic. I could never get better effects than I was getting with the Play Acoustic alone.

I still use the Para DI before the Play Acoustic since not all environments I play in are the same. I go from small rooms to large churches to outdoor events. The Para DI gives me a few easy, last minute eq changes.

I now have a closet full of effects pedals. I never sold any of them. I guess it’s more of a museum now since many are outdated. One day they will be vintage (as will I) and I will use them again!

My input, learn to work with the Play Acoustic. As someone else said, copy the preset you like and tweak it some or add a delay or chorus. I only use about 6 of them. 1 - 10 are for one guitar, 11-20 are the same but eq for a different guitar and 21-30 for another guitar. Everything above 30 are experiments.