Using The Vocoder - Electro-Harmonix VOICE BOX Quick Start Manual

VOICE MIX Knob Adjustments
7. When the Voice Box is set to one of the 6 harmony modes, the
VOICE MIX knob adjusts the mix between lower and higher
harmonies. For example, when the Voice Box is set to LOW
HARMONY mode, the VOICE MIX knob will mix between the 3rd
below your original note and the 5th below your original note.
8. Adjust the VOICE MIX knob to hear the mix of lower 3rd and
lower 5th harmonies you like best.
GENDER BENDER Knob Adjustments
9. In the 6 harmony modes, the GENDER BENDER knob controls
the timbre of the harmony voices. As you turn the GENDER
BENDER knob clockwise, the formant of the harmony voices
shifts upward or downward. The direction of the formant shift
depends on the harmony mode selected.
10. As an example, if the Voice Box is set to LOW HARMONY mode,
as you turn the GENDER BENDER knob clockwise, the formant
shifts downward, emulating the lengthening of the vocal tract.
Male singers tend to have longer vocal tracts than female
singers, so by turning the GENDER BENDER knob clockwise in
LOW HARMONY mode, you are making the harmony voices
sound more male.
11. Turning the GENDER BENDER knob counter-clockwise reduces
the formant shift, going all the way down to zero when set fully
counter-clockwise.
Adding Reverb
12. The Voice Box includes separate control for DRY or HARMONY
reverb.
13. Turn up the HARMONY knob under REVERB and you will hear
the harmony voices going through the reverb effect.
14. Turn up the DRY knob under REVERB and you will hear your dry
vocals going through the reverb effect.
15. You can apply separate amounts of reverb to your effected
vocals or dry vocals.
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USING THE VOCODER

1. Turn the MODE knob counter-clockwise until VOCODER mode is
selected.
2. Rotate DRY REVERB, HARMONY REVERB and VOICE MIX knobs
fully counter-clockwise.
3. Rotate the GENDER BENDER knob to 12 o'clock or 50%.
4. Rotate the BLEND fully clockwise so all you hear is effect.
5. You may even want to mute the output of the instrument signal,
for example turn off your guitar amp if using an amp.
6. Play a chord on your instrument then sing something. You
should hear your voice modulating the instrument. You are now
vocoding.
7. Try turning the VOICE MIX knob up to 50%. In VOCODER mode,
the VOICE MIX knob gives a treble boost up 12 o'clock. Past 12
o'clock, it will add more harmonics to your instrument,
emphasizing the most sibilant frequency ranges of the voice.
This makes it easier to obtain vocoded sounds out of dry guitar.
8. In VOCODER mode, the GENDER BENDER knob again shifts the
formant. Above 12 o'clock, the formant will shift upward (more
female). Below 12 o'clock, the formant shifts downward (more
male). At 12 o'clock there is no formant shift.
9. The BLEND knob can be used to mix in some of your dry vocal
to create interesting doubled vocal effects.
10. You can add some reverb to the vocoded signal by turning up
the HARMONY REVERB knob.
USING OCTAVES MODE
1. OCTAVES mode does not require an instrument to be played in
order for it to produce the octaves above and below your
original vocals.
2. Turn the MODE knob until OCTAVES mode is selected.
3. The VOICE MIX knob mixes between the lower and upper
octaves. Full counter-clockwise produces the lower octave and
full clockwise produces the upper octave. 12 o'clock on the
VOICE MIX knob will produce an equal mix of both octaves.
4. Turning GENDER BENDER clockwise in OCTAVES mode increases
the amount formant shift for both the upper and lower octave.
GENDER BENDER shifts the formant upward for the upper
octave and shifts it downward for the lower octave. Turning the
GENDER BENDER knob counter-clockwise will reduce the
formant shift to zero at the minimum position.
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