Guitar FX on Vocals?

tigerflystudio

tigerflystudio

New member
Hi folks, I'm trying to get an overdrive / distortion effect on my vocals for live work (need to be able to turn it on/off from my position at the mic stand).

Been thinking of running the mic through a guitar FX stompbox. Anyone got any thoughts / advice which might be the best pedal to use? (Unfortunately, I don't have access to any local shops so I can't "go check them out for myself").

I'm looking to get the vocals fairly overdriven but still be able to hear the singing / lyrics clearly. Don't have a big budget.

Thanks in advance
 
You'll probably need a preamp anyway.

Mics output is Mic level, and the stompbox is expecting line level.
 
I rack-mounted f/x device (plugged though the f/x in/out of your pa system) with a remote foot pedal is probably your best bet.
 
Years ago we used to plug into delay boxes and then into our PA.You just need a mic with a 1/4 cable or an adaptor.
I can't tell you about the specifics of line level and what not,but we pulled it off without a hitch.
 
Now that I think about it,when I got my first four track cassette I did it all the time because A)I didn't know any better B)That's all the gear I had.
 
I've just been out and bought a cable - female XLR (mic end) to 1/4" mono jack.

I'm using a Shure SM58 Beta, so will that work okay with a guitar FX astompbox?

I could be very wrong here, but I thought because the mic is dynamic, it'll work ok, it just won;t be a balanced signal (like an XLR-to-XLR connection is).

Have I got this all very wrong? Help / advice urgently needed.
 
tigerflystudio said:
I've just been out and bought a cable - female XLR (mic end) to 1/4" mono jack.

I'm using a Shure SM58 Beta, so will that work okay with a guitar FX astompbox?

I could be very wrong here, but I thought because the mic is dynamic, it'll work ok, it just won;t be a balanced signal (like an XLR-to-XLR connection is).

Have I got this all very wrong? Help / advice urgently needed.
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Just try it.:rolleyes:
If it works it's one thing,whether or not it sounds good is another.

I used to use an adaptor and it worked just fine.Mind you I did it twenty+ years ago because there wasn't the plethora of cheap equipment there is now.
 
philbagg said:
Mics output is Mic level, and the stompbox is expecting line level.
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This is incorrect a guitar's output is much closer to mic level than line level so any guitar stompbox will work reasonably well. Will only work with dynamic mics though so stick with the SM58 and you're away.

The best "distortion" sound for vocals is achieved (imho) by getting a very mid-heavy signal - cutting off all the highs and lows. If you have any kind of EQ you can run after the guitar distortion you can do this...or find a guitar pedal that has seperate low-mid-high controls...or you could even try putting a wah wah in there too and moving it about to find sweet spot s...I mean its effect your looking for right?


or do what phil suggested and use a megaphone or some kind of voice-changer you can put between your mouth and the mic :cool:
 
YorkshireTrippe said:
This is incorrect a guitar's output is much closer to mic level than line level so any guitar stompbox will work reasonably well. Will only work with dynamic mics though so stick with the SM58 and you're away.
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Jeez, I'm making a right eejit of myself today :o

Thanks dude :)
 
YorkshireTrippe said:
This is incorrect a guitar's output is much closer to mic level than line level so any guitar stompbox will work reasonably well.
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How much is the difference? Am I likely to get lots of hiss / unwanted noise?

Better off running the overdrive pedal as part of the mixer's fx send/return?
 
tigerflystudio said:
How much is the difference? Am I likely to get lots of hiss / unwanted noise?

Better off running the overdrive pedal as part of the mixer's fx send/return?
Click to expand...

Well, any time you add significant gain (especially, of the clipping variety) to a signal, you're going to get more hiss and noise. In fact, this could pose serious problems with feedback, playing live - you might need to either grab a noise gate along with the pedal, or just get very good on swithcing it on and off only when the distortion effect is needed.

Since what you're looking to do here is to fuck up (not in a bad way, necessarily) your vocals here, and you aren't too concerned about "tube like response" or "sustain" or even "tone," I'd just go as cheap as you can - a Boss DS-1 can be had used for cheap, and an Ibanez TS5 would also probably work in a pinch. The former would tend to be a little crunchier, I'd think, which would probably help.

I've never tried this myself, but I suspect you're going to want to start with the gain pretty low on the pedal - you shouldn't need much to audibly change your vocals.

Re: in line from the mic to the board, or in the FX send - I have absolutely no idea, man. Buy a pedal and try it both ways.
 
Most stompboxes want to see a guitar-level input rather than line-level, so they're not well suited to be in the FX loop of a PA system.

If, as Mr. Trippe says, a mic has an output similar to that of an electric guitar, then by all means plug that SM58 into a distortion pedal and rock out.

I'd recommend a Dunlop (Arbiter) Fuzzface. :D
 
...or route the mic through something like an old cassette deck and overdrive the deck's gain.
 
acidrock said:
OR,you could buy one of many stomp boxes made for vocals and have mic inputs.;)

http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/DigiTech-Vocal-300-Vocal-Effects-Processor?sku=150177

http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Boss-VE20-Vocal-Effects-Processor?sku=583433
Click to expand...

I agree.

Or you can do like most unexperiened singers i know and buy a cheap $15 radioshack mic and hold it by the ball end while squeezing whatever dynamics it may have out of it.Plenty of distortion there.
 
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