Home › Forums › Help/Technical Questions › Voice Box / Vocoder – Mute instrument output?

Viewing 14 posts - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)
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  • December 14, 2009 at 3:33 pm #79518
    berklee
    Participant

    I just picked up the Voice Box this weekend, and one feature I really wished it had (that it doesn’t seem to) is the ability to disengage the instrument output when in Vocoder mode. So when I’m playing guitar onstage, right now it seems that the only way I can get an ‘all vocoder’ sound is to run over and turn my amp all the way down (it’s tube, so I can’t power it off).

    Am I missing something, or does that seem to be the case for anyone else as well?

    If I’m right, then I’d like to suggest that when the next version of the pedal is created, that one of the control knobs allows Vocoder mode to serve as a mix control between the microphone and the instrument output.

    December 14, 2009 at 5:21 pm #105317
    electro-melx
    Moderator

    I guess the simplest way to mute the guitar would be to put an A/B box after the instrument output (with nothing in B) then you could just mute the guitar signal whenever you wanted. Or you could just build a simple box with a switch in it to break the signal.

    December 14, 2009 at 5:36 pm #105324
    berklee
    Participant

    That’s what I’m thinking… I’ll have to rig something up. At least it confirms my suspicions – that the unit isn’t designed to do it. I’ve got a D.Loop that I’ve been meaning to put to use… :P

    It definitely would be a nice feature to include on a future version, though – it would allow users to have the capability of doing the ‘talk-box thing’ without having the sound diluted by the instrument’s dry output (probably only needed in vocoder mode only).

    December 14, 2009 at 5:40 pm #105325
    Kevin Demuth
    Member
    Quote:
    I just picked up the Voice Box this weekend, and one feature I really wished it had (that it doesn’t seem to) is the ability to disengage the instrument output when in Vocoder mode. So when I’m playing guitar onstage, right now it seems that the only way I can get an ‘all vocoder’ sound is to run over and turn my amp all the way down (it’s tube, so I can’t power it off).

    Am I missing something, or does that seem to be the case for anyone else as well?

    If I’m right, then I’d like to suggest that when the next version of the pedal is created, that one of the control knobs allows Vocoder mode to serve as a mix control between the microphone and the instrument output.

    as is the norm with such feature-packed devices such as the Voice Box, there always seems to be one feature which is omitted…
    i suppose they could have easily put a ‘guitar kill’ toggle switch on the pedal, but i guess that EHX determined that most people wouldn’t need that feature.

    Quote:
    I guess the simplest way to mute the guitar would be to put an A/B box after the instrument output (with nothing in B) then you could just mute the guitar signal whenever you wanted. Or you could just build a simple box with a switch in it to break the signal.

    …or put a (muting) tuner pedal after it.

    December 14, 2009 at 5:43 pm #105326
    electro-melx
    Moderator

    Well, I wouldn’t take my words as conformation of anything because I don’t own a voice box!

    …of course you don’t have to have anything plugged into the instument output so you can use it as you are wanting, it’s just switching from one to the other that’s problematic.

    December 14, 2009 at 5:45 pm #105327
    berklee
    Participant

    That’s a great idea, Kevin. Thanks.

    Rather than a kill though, a blend would probably be the best move. Somebody somewhere is going to want to mix the two, I’m sure. Plus, if you want the ‘vocoder-only’ sound, you could just run an all-wet mix and save it as your preset.

    December 14, 2009 at 5:58 pm #105329
    Kevin Demuth
    Member
    Quote:
    That’s a great idea, Kevin. Thanks.

    Rather than a kill though, a blend would probably be the best move. Somebody somewhere is going to want to mix the two, I’m sure. Plus, if you want the ‘vocoder-only’ sound, you could just run an all-wet mix and save it as your preset.

    :thumb: yeah, i just though it makes sense: most gigging guitarists will have a muting tuner pedal, so it makes sense to me to find another use for something you already have (rather than having to buy something else).

    the only problem i see with the blend control idea, would be that people would probably complain about ‘volume drops’…
    eg. turning up the processed/voice output will lead to the instrument signal output being attenuated…
    so what you’d really need would be a level control for each output… that would be a pretty cool idea i think, but of course that will mean that EHX would have to cut corners somewhere else to keep it in the standard 6-knob XO format – unless they changed all the controls to sliders (like on the POG).

    like i implied earlier, with such a pedal as this there are only a certain amount of features that can be packed in and there may be a compromise in deciding which ones are left out.
    but it is easy to find a solution using another piece of equipment (a mute, tuner, A/B switch etc) or… i’ve just had another though…

    if you have a volume pedal with a tuner output, you could run that before the Voice Box; with the tuner output going to the VB = foot-controlled blending! just a thought. :thumb:

    December 14, 2009 at 6:01 pm #105331
    electro-melx
    Moderator

    yeah, many ways around it like Kev said….. or if you had a cable with a ‘neutrik silent jack’ on the end you could just pull it out!! 😆

    December 14, 2009 at 6:04 pm #105332
    berklee
    Participant

    Makes sense. I use a multi-effect in front of the vb, so I wasn’t carrying a tuner around. I suppose that’ll be the next logical step though.

    December 14, 2009 at 6:10 pm #105335
    Kevin Demuth
    Member
    Quote:
    yeah, many ways around it like Kev said….. or if you had a cable with a ‘neutrik silent jack’ on the end you could just pull it out!! 😆

    i don’t know if i’ve ever said this before, but you’re a GENIUS!

    Quote:
    Makes sense. I use a multi-effect in front of the vb, so I wasn’t carrying a tuner around. I suppose that’ll be the next logical step though.

    to be honest though,
    i like the idea of you running back and forth to your amp, turning it up and down! :poke: 😆

    December 14, 2009 at 6:25 pm #105336
    berklee
    Participant

    Most people are more interested in the turning down part. :)

    December 14, 2009 at 6:27 pm #105337
    electro-melx
    Moderator
    Quote:
    i don’t know if i’ve ever said this before, but you’re a GENIUS!

    No … and think ‘bodger’ is probably nearer to the word you are looking for.

    December 14, 2009 at 6:31 pm #105338
    Kevin Demuth
    Member
    Quote:
    Quote:
    i don’t know if i’ve ever said this before, but you’re a GENIUS!

    No … and think ‘bodger’ is probably nearer to the word you are looking for.

    i’m just checking in my dictionary…

    yep. you were right. ;)

    December 14, 2009 at 8:15 pm #105343
    B.Daws
    Participant

    I guess you probably know this at this point but when I want to run it without the instrument signal I just unplug the instrument out. I know this seems very complicated and hard but it works if you are precise and meticulous.

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