SYNTH ZONE
Visit The Bar For Casual Discussion
Page 1 of 2 1 2 >
Topic Options
#438448 - 10/03/17 06:30 PM VH2 or TC Helicon Harmony-M?
travlin'easy Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 12/08/02
Posts: 15576
Loc: Forest Hill, MD USA
Time to see how good your hearing is, or isn't. wink The following are identical songs, one recorded using the TC Helicon Harmony-M and the other directly into the PSR-S950 using the standard mic input. The mic used for both is an E-855. The only editing was to change the file from a .wav file to an MP3 using Lame and Audacity.

I must apologize for not doing this last night, but beginning about 10 pm yesterday evening, my lungs were really nasty, and they're still not great, so I have very little power in my vocals. I have nasal oxygen stuck in my nose and I had to take a shot of rescue inhaler in order to record this.

Here's the first rendition of Jimmy Buffett's Man-ana, a song that I heard for the first time about 3 weeks ago. Click Here!

Here's the second rendition: Click Here!

Now it's time for you to decide which vocal processor was used.

Good luck,

Gary cool
_________________________
PSR-S950, TC Helicon Harmony-M, Digitech VR, Samson Q7, Sennheiser E855, Custom Console, and lots of other silly stuff!

K+E=W (Knowledge Plus Experience = Wisdom.)

Top
#438449 - 10/03/17 07:00 PM Re: VH2 or TC Helicon Harmony-M? [Re: travlin'easy]
zuki Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 09/20/02
Posts: 4724
I'd say the 1st one is best
_________________________
Live: Korg PA4X/EV Everse 8s/Senn 935/K&M stand

Studio: Korg PA4X/Yamaha DGX670/Nord 6D73/Boss BR900CD/Tascam DP24SD/MTM Iloud/Sony C80/AGK 214/ATEM Mini Pro switcher/K&M stand

Top
#438450 - 10/03/17 07:24 PM Re: VH2 or TC Helicon Harmony-M? [Re: zuki]
W Tracy Parnell Offline
Member

Registered: 08/22/06
Posts: 766
Loc: NY
Agree, the first one sounds better.

Top
#438451 - 10/03/17 07:25 PM Re: VH2 or TC Helicon Harmony-M? [Re: travlin'easy]
Stephenm52 Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 04/13/05
Posts: 5126
Loc: USA
I’m with JIm on this one 1st one I thought was better. Seems 2nd had extra reverb.

Top
#438452 - 10/03/17 07:48 PM Re: VH2 or TC Helicon Harmony-M? [Re: Stephenm52]
hammer Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 01/27/08
Posts: 2403
Loc: Texas
Same here - the first one. Much cleaner.

Deane

Top
#438453 - 10/03/17 07:52 PM Re: VH2 or TC Helicon Harmony-M? [Re: travlin'easy]
travlin'easy Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 12/08/02
Posts: 15576
Loc: Forest Hill, MD USA
I'm going sailing first thing in the morning and taking my daughter's room mate with me. So, when I get back, I will tell you what the results are.

All the best,

Gary cool
_________________________
PSR-S950, TC Helicon Harmony-M, Digitech VR, Samson Q7, Sennheiser E855, Custom Console, and lots of other silly stuff!

K+E=W (Knowledge Plus Experience = Wisdom.)

Top
#438456 - 10/03/17 09:04 PM Re: VH2 or TC Helicon Harmony-M? [Re: travlin'easy]
OldNewb Offline
Member

Registered: 01/19/04
Posts: 638
Loc: Shorewood Wi. USA
Agree 1st one is a lot better.
Second one Is warbly and robotic
Jim
_________________________
Thank You
The old Newb

Top
#438458 - 10/04/17 12:40 AM Re: VH2 or TC Helicon Harmony-M? [Re: travlin'easy]
rolandfan Offline
Member

Registered: 07/29/02
Posts: 935
Loc: South Africa
The first one sounds lightyears ahead of the second one. I hope its the korg

Top
#438466 - 10/04/17 03:34 AM Re: VH2 or TC Helicon Harmony-M? [Re: rolandfan]
Fran Carango Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 05/26/99
Posts: 9673
Loc: Levittown, Pa, USA
Originally Posted By rolandfan
The first one sounds lightyears ahead of the second one. I hope its the korg







You can hope all you want... the Korg was never tested... although the harmony M is very similar to Korg's on board harmonizer..

Of course the better version was from the Yamaha harmony... But more care was used in a better signal than the TC..

I am so glad I never had to deal with either one..
_________________________
www.francarango.com



Top
#438485 - 10/04/17 08:48 AM Re: VH2 or TC Helicon Harmony-M? [Re: travlin'easy]
DonM Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 06/25/99
Posts: 16735
Loc: Benton, LA, USA
I used the Harmony M for several years, and it is outstanding. The Yamaha harmonizer can be made to sound pretty good, with some work. The Harmony M also has the automatic voice processing that is included on the Korg.
In this demonstration it's easy to hear that the first one sounds best, for whatever reasons. smile
Part of that may be that the original voice signal on the second was much drier? Just guessing.
_________________________
DonM

Top
#438486 - 10/04/17 08:57 AM Re: VH2 or TC Helicon Harmony-M? [Re: DonM]
tony mads usa Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 01/16/02
Posts: 14376
Loc: East Greenwich RI USA
I think just about any VH can be made to sound good (except the technics, unfortunately) when using one and MAYBE two voices ... the true test comes in using IT as Uncle Dave did in his recording of "The Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" ... THAT was AMAZING !!!
_________________________
t. cool

Top
#438492 - 10/04/17 10:34 AM Re: VH2 or TC Helicon Harmony-M? [Re: travlin'easy]
jimlaing Offline
Member

Registered: 09/24/02
Posts: 581
Loc: Raleigh, NC
This reminds me that I have a TC Helicon Harmony-M that I want to sell ... I need to get it ready to sell and put it on the "For sale" part of the board (or on Ebay).

Jim
_________________________
Genos / Tyros5 / HK Lucas Nano 600 / FTB Maxx 40a / EV ZX1A / Rock'n'Roller cart / Hauptwerk virtual pipe organ / misc other audio & music toys

Top
#438493 - 10/04/17 11:13 AM Re: VH2 or TC Helicon Harmony-M? [Re: DonM]
Dnj Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 09/21/00
Posts: 43703
Originally Posted By DonM
I used the Harmony M for several years, and it is outstanding. The Yamaha harmonizer can be made to sound pretty good, with some work. The Harmony M also has the automatic voice processing that is included on the Korg.
In this demonstration it's easy to hear that the first one sounds best, for whatever reasons. smile
Part of that may be that the original voice signal on the second was much drier? Just guessing.


Its not only the great sound of the TC Helicon but more importantly the TRACKING is far Superior then anything Yamaha VH,VH2 has ever made good singers who know how to use vocal harmony all know that.
try singing from the side of the mic in real time and listen for the drop outs, warbleing, etc, etc, etc, ....


Edited by Dnj (10/04/17 12:08 PM)

Top
#438497 - 10/04/17 11:53 AM Re: VH2 or TC Helicon Harmony-M? [Re: Fran Carango]
Torch Offline
Member

Registered: 12/17/12
Posts: 770
Originally Posted By Fran Carango
Of course the better version was from the Yamaha harmony... But more care was used in a better signal than the TC..

I am so glad I never had to deal with either one..

Fran, what vocalizer do you use?

Chris
_________________________
"You Shall Know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free." John 8:32

Top
#438505 - 10/04/17 02:48 PM Re: VH2 or TC Helicon Harmony-M? [Re: Torch]
Fran Carango Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 05/26/99
Posts: 9673
Loc: Levittown, Pa, USA
Originally Posted By Torch
Originally Posted By Fran Carango
Of course the better version was from the Yamaha harmony... But more care was used in a better signal than the TC..

I am so glad I never had to deal with either one..

Fran, what vocalizer do you use?

Chris





Chris I use the G70....
_________________________
www.francarango.com



Top
#438513 - 10/04/17 07:09 PM Re: VH2 or TC Helicon Harmony-M? [Re: travlin'easy]
travlin'easy Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 12/08/02
Posts: 15576
Loc: Forest Hill, MD USA
Ok sports fans, I just returned home from a full day of sailing - fantastic weather, excellent sailing conditions, excellent company, my daughter's room mate Christine.

Now, those of you who said #1 (the first song) were correct. It was the TC Helicon Harmony-M, which I fell in love with the very first time I fired it up, though the user manual is lousy. The second song was created plugging the mic directly into the keyboard, and using the default settings, no tweaking or tuning at all. I know I could have made it sound better, but it wouldn't be a fair comparison if I did that.

I have been using an external vocal processor ever since I met Uncle Dave for the first time in a New Jersey Rib place and heard him sing. UD is a master of right hand chords to trigger the vocal harmony, thus, one of the reasons he sounds so good when singing in harmony. But, I'm still better looking then him! wink

All the best,

Gary cool
_________________________
PSR-S950, TC Helicon Harmony-M, Digitech VR, Samson Q7, Sennheiser E855, Custom Console, and lots of other silly stuff!

K+E=W (Knowledge Plus Experience = Wisdom.)

Top
#438516 - 10/04/17 08:01 PM Re: VH2 or TC Helicon Harmony-M? [Re: travlin'easy]
Fran Carango Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 05/26/99
Posts: 9673
Loc: Levittown, Pa, USA
Gary I thought for sure... you would had tuned the Yamaha to sound great...I was wrong..


I should have known better... My last PSR was the 2100 and it was terrible .. I used it on one gig .. a little old lady told me how bad it sound ... compared to how I usually sound... Lesson learned.. I got rid of it and the back up unit too..

Back then I used the Digitech workstation ex ..
_________________________
www.francarango.com



Top
#438520 - 10/05/17 12:24 AM Re: VH2 or TC Helicon Harmony-M? [Re: Fran Carango]
musicbyallen Offline
Junior Member

Registered: 11/17/12
Posts: 17
Loc: Kissimmee Florida
Hey Gary,

My observations are that the first version was a bit wetter with the
reverb that the second. Not to be critical, but just an observation.

The second version added two parts of harmony verses one part in the
first version. Again only an observation.

I have to say that the first version is much more defined and clear in
regard to the harmony.

I play an s970 on gigs and I bought a harmony M but I have never used
it playing out primarily because of the extra setup time and it never
tracked my vocals accurately but I think it needed a software update
that I could never get due to T.C. Helicons update protocol.

I don't use that as an excuse though. I just never felt the need to use harmony.

I do agree that the onboard harmony prosessor is inferior to the outboard versions.

Allen

Top
#438534 - 10/05/17 09:38 AM Re: VH2 or TC Helicon Harmony-M? [Re: travlin'easy]
travlin'easy Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 12/08/02
Posts: 15576
Loc: Forest Hill, MD USA
Allen, actually, the Harmony M was set to two part harmony, but both were set at higher, while the S-950 was at factory default, which I believe is a duo setting.

The update on the Harmony M is easily done through their site, where you can download the update and install it in a few minutes. I didn't have a problem doing this, but that was so long ago I cannot remember exactly what I did at the time.

All the best,

Gary
_________________________
PSR-S950, TC Helicon Harmony-M, Digitech VR, Samson Q7, Sennheiser E855, Custom Console, and lots of other silly stuff!

K+E=W (Knowledge Plus Experience = Wisdom.)

Top
Page 1 of 2 1 2 >

Moderator:  Admin, Diki, Kerry 



Help keep Synth Zone Online