Korg Forums

[DocFingers]

Does anyone know if a TC-Helicon VoiceLive Play unit can be successfully hooked up to an Oasys in order to help keep my voice on pitch and also to harmonize. If so, could you provide details as to the best way to hook it up? Thanks so much for your help.
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Doc Fingers:

"An Analog Mind Trapped in a Digital Universe"

[nitecrawler]

Doc - I don't have that model but do have the old T C Helicon HarmonyM. That unit is midi capable and hooks up with midi cables to allow for keyboard fingered harmonies. I would think yours would have the same capabilities. YMMV. Eric
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Montage M7, Pa5x76, Nautilus, PA3Xle, Oasys 76, Mini-Moog, EMU Audity 2000, Motion Sound KBR 3D amp, Presonus and Reaper DAW W/Tannoy Reveal 501A powered monitors

[Sharp]

I have a TC Helicon Voice Works Plus, but that being said, any unit with a Midi Socket would do providing you feed chords. You can't just play straight Piano and have that unit pick up what chords your playing.

Regards
Sharp.
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[DocFingers]

Thank you both for your prompt replies. As digitally challenged as I am, I think that what I am to do is dedicate one MIDI track to playing the chord voicings I want to use as harmonies, then hook up that MIDI track OUT to the VLP MIDI IN ? If so, could you provide a step by step instruction so I can wrap my analog brain around it? How do I set the Oasys and the VLP to the same MIDI channel as they suggest below?
(I've yet to have an "AHA" moment when it comes to digital recording and MIDI, and I ain't gettin' any younger )
Thank you so much for your help in understanding this.

PS Below were the answers TC-Helicon kindly provided me to the questions I had about the VLP unit:

"The first thing I would do is check here:
http://www.tc-helicon.com/products/voicelive-play-gtx/support/
...you will find the full users manual as well as a complete video manual that will help you.

1. Do I plug my mic into the mic-in port of the VLP unit and then plug the VLP mic-out port into the mic-in port on my Oasys keyboard?
A: You can hook it up this way, it will depend if you have a mixer or not (you could plug the VL Play and the Oasys into a mixer) - if you hook it up as you describe you will need to turn down the mic input on the Oasys so it doesn't distort.

2. How will theVLP unit know what chords are being played on my Oasys in order too harmonize my voice when I sing along to my pre-recorded MIDI tracks?
A:The best way is to choose a MIDI channel that has chordal information on it and send that to the VL Play - MIDI Out on your keyboard to MIDI IN on the VL Play, and make sure both units are set to the same MIDI channel.

3. Is there a way that I can use some of the VLP effects on the hundreds of MIDI sound Programs and Combinations available on the hard drive of the Oasys keyboard?

The VL PLay effects are designed for vocals and will be applied to anything coming through the vocal mic plugged into it - There is no way to apply them to MIDI signals etc.

As for general hook up - I would definitely flip through the manual and watch the videos! That should give you a good sense of what to do before the unit arrives. If you have any further questions please just let us know!

Best Regards,
TC Helicon Support"
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Doc Fingers:

"An Analog Mind Trapped in a Digital Universe"

[psionic311]

Doc, use a cable to connect your headphone out from the Oasys directly into your VoiceLive headphone/auxiliary in. You may need an adapter from Radio Shack.

The VL will hear the music coming in and harmonize your voice according to what chords you are playing on the Oasys.

[psionic311]

http://www.tc-helicon.com/download/manuals/voicelive-play/VoiceLive%20Play%20Quick%20Start%20Guide%20WEB.pdf

There's a link to a cartoon style manual to help you out. Notice step 12.

Also, note that the VL can "hear" what music is in the air, since it has built in microphones. Using them, it will listen to the chords being played and automagically harmonize your singing.

[DennyC]

That is interesting. I just found the cable and adapter. For me, the problem was that (my unit is a voice live rack) the voice live continues to change the program every time I start a sequence over and default to the first preset on the unit, and I wanted it for a specific harmony.

I did go into the settings and take away the midi change stuff, but it still does change the preset...I am ripping open the manual as we speak to try to correct that. But, if the auxiliary in on the vl rack will function with the headphone jack correctly, then I can ignore the midi data situation and free up the midi out!

I'll also give it a shot on my Kronos today!

Thanks, Denny C
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[psionic311]

Denny, sounds like you need to go to some kind of Global page and disable "accept MIDI bank/program change commands". Be sure to save it as soon as you do it so that it won't come back on when you turn it off and then back on later. A quick glance at the manual looks like you do it from the Setup Tab, MIDI > filter. Again, remember to globally save as soon as you make a change.

Of course, you could just disconnect the MIDI cable anyway, if you're going to use AUX in so your VL rack can listen that way instead of over MIDI.

From the manual:

Auxiliary input from
mp3 player can be
mixed to outputs and
be used to guide Harmony
and Hardtune.

[DocFingers]

"Doc, use a cable to connect your headphone out from the Oasys directly into your VoiceLive headphone/auxiliary in. You may need an adapter from Radio Shack.

The VL will hear the music coming in and harmonize your voice according to what chords you are playing on the Oasys."
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OK, Thanks Everyone! So, if I am understanding this correctly, the step by step instructions would be to:
1. Use a Y-connector plugged into my Oasys headphone-out on the front left side of the Oasys;
2. Plug my headphones into one female-out of the Y-connector and plug the auxiliary-in of the VLP into the other female-out of the Y;
3. Plug my mic into the mic-input of the VLP;
4. Plug the left and right outputs of the VLP into two (e.g., 1 & 2) mic- inputs on the Oasys;
5. Write a smash hit with mind-blowing harmonies

Is there anything I am missing (besides a toddler's understanding of all things digital), or anything else I should be aware of?
Thanks again, and I'll send you a link with the first song I record using this magical technology...

Best Regards,
Doc
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Doc Fingers:

"An Analog Mind Trapped in a Digital Universe"