still ... I'm going the outboard route for the following reasons:
1) more harmonies - the VL3 has 4 parts and you can get 8 in choir/double mode
2) allows for looping onstage with no extra gear
3) best guitar effects in town
4) allows for guitar fueled harmonies without switching mics around ... one central processor
5) I want the same effects & harmonies whether I play an acoustic guitar, piano or arranger situation. I want this one little box to be my main mix ... my "go to" setup - the rest is all academic. I can play anything for bass, drums and chords if the vocals and tracks are all in order.

For small, quick jobs - the built-in harmonizer in the PA900 is more than sufficient, but if I'm bringing a guitar - I need more flexibility.

I'll be couped up the nest 3 days tweaking this new setup before I head back to the jersey Shore on Monday for it's stage debut!

Fingers crossed that I don't pull too much more hair out ... can't afford it!

http://www.tc-helicon.com/products/voicelive-3/


looks bulky big & heavy?

did you get the FREE FX150 with it?

FREE FX150

Dave doesn't care if it's big, bulky, heavy, etc..., he's a relatively young guy, or maybe he can have one of his kids be his roady.

Gary

How does it compare to VL2? Vocal efx and harmonies?

I think it's the same size as VL2..I loved my vl2 when I had it..I do wish they would make just a harmonizer, nothing else.The one where you can create all your harmonies, where you can store your own scales..

Gulp - I goofed ... missed the fine print. This unit is amazing, and sounds cleaner than previous versions, but it only allows THREE voices at once - me and 2 others!
That's a step backwards in many ways ... might not be able to justify it anymore. I'll have to see just how good the guitar sounds ...
Damn ... I was so sure I had a winner here.
My VLT2 allows FOUR voices to add to mine - I loved that, and thought the flagship would retain that feature. Sadly, they took away some to give more. I have to admit - it sounds fabulous, but it's no longer a grand slam upgrade for me .... maybe a solid double. (no pun intended!)
So ... I have 2 more days to decide if I need to need it, and then I'll concentrate on a better compromise when adding guitar vocals.
That was the main motivator.

I have an awesome pedalboard with a harmonizer and all the effects I need, but that requires a separate mic plugged it. If I daisy chain the mic ... I seem to get a doubling effect. I'll fiddle with that more tomorrow.

If you love the ease of vocals triggered by ANY source, including an acoustic instrument nearby, need great guitar effects and want to create fun loops on the fly ... it's 100% ready for ya ... if you can live with 3 voices (or the added ooomph of a doubling effect that "choir"ises it)

Why don't they make what I want????? Looks like I have the best tools available for my weird little needs already.

Restock fee on return?

I don't think so because, there actually is a problem with the unit. It has a line of dead pixels in the display, so that's reason enough for them to eat the return. I just won't replace it. I'm actually looking at the VoiceLive2 ... that has a true dedicated 4 voice (8 when doubled, or via midi notes) harmony block. I'd really like to get that back. The PA900 only gives me 3.
I want more.

I tried out the VL2 - it's a fantastic machine, Dave - you'll absolutely love it.

Gary

Ok dave...good luck

That's what I expect too, Gary. The jury is still out on whether it's a "fix" for my angst ... I'd love to have that extra voice behind me, and the guitar effects are all I'd ever need. I have simple needs for the guitar section - reverb, chorus, delay, tremolo, O/D ... bread & butter stuff like that, and they all seem to do that well.
I'll wait a few days more and see if it's really going to satisfy me ... I have to admit - the sonic clarity of the VL3 is better than my current setup - I'll have to compare specs on the VL2 - hope it's just as clean and shimmery.

STOP THE PRESSES!
There may be a way to turn on the second pair of voices in th VL3 - after reading further ... seems like I can do it with a little extra effort. Not giving up quite yet ... the VL3 has a better looper and more guitar effects ... if I can get the same number of harmonies - I think it's a done deal.
I'm getting a headache.

You know, I saw that comparison and there were still some areas of concern ... like there's no delay for guitar on the VL2 - dealbreaker for me.
The "on" buttons for the 3rd and 4th voices are just turned off ... maybe to protect the novice user from overloading his PA input if careless.
Anywho - it works as I thought, and sounds fantastic!
Whew .... had a scare there for a sec.

Final Verdict - vocals sound amazing ... I get all 4, and more if doubled or in choir mode.
Looper is fun and functional ...
Then, there's the reason I wanted it in the first place:
THE GUITAR:
The actual effects are wonderful, the harmonies track great but there is a teeny bit of latency in it! I just feel like I'm playing an old-school Casio Midi guitar.
Sorry Challie .... can't buddy up to that feel.
It's packed up and ready to go back.

I am resigned to the fact that the onboard is going to have to do, and when I need the guitar to trigger .... I have a workaround with my pedalboard. It's just a little trickier to plug in, but it should be fine after a little tweaking. That way I get dedicated processors for kb and gtr.
It's like Dorothy said ... " if I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own backyard"
(or studio, that is.)

Hope you guys are givin' Gary hell at the late night, double feature arranger show .... wish I could have made it.
Enjoy!

Brian ... see your PM.
(and then go buy a VL3!!!!!)

Brian ... I have a TC Nova that will be liquid as soon as I take the VL3 on the job. It's the best multi-FX unit I ever had (until the VL3), and it has some things the VL3 does not. No looper, but more effects and they are SO nice.
Check it out ... maybe I can let this one go, now that I have the newer one. I can give you the Nova AND a TC Harmony Singer for $350. That's a pretty complete unit with very few compromises. I'll even throw in the floor bag for the pedals. They stay in the bag while in use ... then just zip and carry when you're done!

Wow! Now That's a DEAL!!!!!

I have to admit ... as much as I love it for guitar- I still have issues getting my PA900 to communicate with the midi section of the VL3. It's frustrating .... should work like a charm, but "somethings" evading me .... what .... what ....

Dave

When I had the Pa600 and the Voice live Touch 2 I found the output from the headphone socket on the Pa600 into the aux input of the VLT worked really well no midi involved.

Perhaps that may solve your problem. On the older Korg keyboards Pa2x, Pa800, and the micro arranger you had to select the chord channel on the keyboard for the midi to work correctly but this did not function on the Pa600, maybe it's the same on the Pa900. I reported it to Korg but nothing changed.

Hope this helps

Col

GOT IT!!!!
Of course, it's user error, too. (doah!)
The "in depth" editing capabilities are HUMUNGUS on this unit, and you need to do some groundwork before you take it on stage.
The TC way of communicating with your source instruments has been expanded to include:
midi
guitar
audio
roomsense
and maybe more ... (I quit when I found what I needed - midi, guitar)

You cannot set a global source, unless you only use ONE trigger instrument. In my case, I will use midi, guitar, and maybe the odd track from the ipad if I'm "winging" a request that I don't know very well. EACH preset must select the source.
This is a small inconvenience in setup to produce the best possible tracking and chord recognition. I'm blown away already ... the depth of the editing, the clarity of the sound, the number of effect combos and the versitility of the looper - so cool. My guitar show has just leaped forward by a mile, and can now compete with my keyboard rig as a full sounding, versatile band emulation.
When I go out as a guitarist with a band, I will be able to pad the group with lush "ooohs and ahhhs" without bringing a lot of gear. When I do my solo thing - I can create real time backing loops as the crowd watches and hears the arrangement get fuller with each pass, and now that me and midi are pals again - my full OMB rig will sound better than ever.

Sigh .. thanx for all the suggestions - this is proof that no matter how much experience you "think" you have in this industry ... technology is changing faster than we can blink. I guess real men DO real manuals.

Cheers!

SO GLAD I got that extra hole in my head.

I'm having a ball tweaking and re-tweaking this beast! The best part is ... I have off ALL WEEKEND to customize it before taking it to work on Monday. I play, I eat, I swim ... in that endless cycle ... "life is good today, thanx Zac"
Seriously .... this is the best designed effects processor I've ever seen. I was in love with the Nova system, but this has 90% of the Nova capabilities PLUS the vocal and looping ... it's so what I was waiting for.
I'm sure, there will still be lots of quick in-out opportunities that I will just use the on board effects in the PA900 (to save time, mostly), but for anything demanding, or if I NEED the guitar .... this baby is in the mix.
I'll finalize the setup options and take some pics later this w/e ... so far all it did was add another piece on the floor under my kb - everything else is the same.
I'm a happy boy(d).

Brian - do it, do it, do it! That's GREAT news! You're gonna love the looper functions in the VL3. It's an amazing piece of gear. Even if it never did harmonies, it's a fantastic guitar processor.
I'm very happy with mine ... so happy that I'm selling my almost new TC Nova and Harmony Singer (both in a great floor bag that opens flat to use at your feet!)

WTG Bri!