How to get vocal distortion/megaphone effect live

The Anchors · Post by **The Anchors** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 8:50 pm

Hello, helpful songfight community.

I've playing live a lot recently and I was wondering what would be the best way to get vocal distortion/a megaphone effect live.

This wouldn't be constantly used the entire time while singing, just something I could turn on and off. Is there a certain pedal I should use? Should I just bring a megaphone up there?

Thanks

Sober · Post by **Sober** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 9:06 pm

Bringing a megaphone is way more punk rock, but if you must cheat, I've seen good results with the super-cheap Boss DS-1.

Try using guitar rig's different distortion models and see if any of their copies work better.

Billy's Little Trip · Post by **Billy's Little Trip** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 9:59 pm

Ive tried to find a good megaphone sound for studio, and I have one called FULL CANADA that I think came with my Cubase. I use it in many songs for vox and bass guitar, its crazy, but still not quite a megaphone. I think Ken recommended distortion and a mono setting with bass cut and reverb. Makes sense, but Ive never tried it.
But for live distortion vox, Ive ALWAYS used a guitar distortion peddle with a strong gate setting. It works really good.

Lord of Oats · Post by **Lord of Oats** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 11:38 pm

In the studio, I have some pretty good soft simulation, and the equipment that allows you to do it live is out there too. But I don't know anything about it. The distortion pedal will produce a ton of feedback if you don't get a gate to tame it, as Chris said. I recommend just using a megaphone.

Watch the master at work.

Caravan Ray · Post by **Caravan Ray** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 1:27 am

Billy's Little Trip wrote:Ive tried to find a good megaphone sound for studio, and I have one called FULL CANADA...

Yeah - I have one of those FULL CANADA effects pedals. You can turn it down low to the Crash Test Dummies setting, then crank it up through Men Without Hats and Loverboy all the way up to Nickleback. And then of course there is the Bryan Adams pre-set.

Obviously it is not an effects pedal that gets used very often.

Billy's Little Trip · Post by **Billy's Little Trip** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:09 am

Caravan Ray wrote:
Billy's Little Trip wrote:Ive tried to find a good megaphone sound for studio, and I have one called FULL CANADA...
Yeah - I have one of those FULL CANADA effects pedals. You can turn it down low to the Crash Test Dummies setting, then crank it up through Men Without Hats and Loverboy all the way up to Nickleback. And then of course there is the Bryan Adams pre-set.

Obviously it is not an effects pedal that gets used very often.

Mine has an artist formally known as Puce setting. I only use that setting when I'm trying to get a little Pucey.

Lord of Oats · Post by **Lord of Oats** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 4:38 am

If there's a Melvin setting somewhere on there, I might be in the market for one.

Hoblit · Post by **Hoblit** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 8:04 am

Live? Like somebody already said, actual megaphone. You probably won't need to use the microphone, BUT if you do, stand way back from it. Otherwise you'll be making enemies with the sound guy.

THE RIGHT WAY? Pony up and get a vocal processor unit (usually rack mounted) and find a good setting and level that corresponds to your clean channel. Make sure you have all the settings balanced, even, and with the right amount of gain to level ratio. Otherwise you'll be making enemies with the sound guy.

Don't use a guitar pedal for this. Otherwise you'll be making enemies with the sound guy.

Rabid Garfunkel · Post by **Rabid Garfunkel** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 8:48 am

Or... get your hands on a crystal mike (usually found in the harmonica section of your musical vendor of choice). For an example, see my Clause 5 entry. That's the mike with a bit of delay and no EQing, IIRC.

ken · Post by **ken** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 9:11 am

Good Tip RG!! A harmonica mic should give you the EQ and distortion you are looking for. Also, make your own telephone mic. I can't find a how-to online, but it is really easy to attach a mic cable to an old telephone handset.

Also, I found this: http://www.ruyasonic.com/em_s_filter%20mic.htm

Ken

Post by **Spud** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 9:31 am

We use this:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=150177

There are 40 presets, and you can roll your own as well, using the 38 different effects included, which can be combined and various parameters assigned to the expression pedal.

SPUD

j$ · Post by j$ » Thu Dec 06, 2007 9:32 am

I have always found that predatohm from the ohmforce banks of filters (though a guitar distorter) has enough finesse to be able to get some really interesting effects for vocal distortion as well. it is (or certainly was) available for free from their website as a stand-alone or a VST plug in. Now I come to think of it, it flags itself as a fully-functional, time-sensitive demo, but it has no upper limit of use as it happens. I am still using it four years after I first downloaded it.

http://www.ohmforce.com I think

j$

fluffy · Post by **fluffy** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 11:13 am

If your hands are free (i.e. you're not also playing a guitar at the same time or whatever) you can just cup your hands around the mic and your mouth, and sing real loud.

Don't do this on an expensive mic that you care about.

Billy's Little Trip · Post by **Billy's Little Trip** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 2:14 pm

Lord of Oats wrote:If there's a Melvin setting somewhere on there, I might want to have sex with it.

fixed.

Hoblit · Post by **Hoblit** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 2:41 pm

PEOPLE FOCUS!

LIVE! LIVE is the question.

The harmonica mic sounds plausible...I mean if you want to really upset the sound guy an' all. I imagine that mic would be expecting a lot more volume coming at it and would get a lot of feed back if used incorrectly live on a stage because it would need to be cranked.

(Thank you Spud, I think we agree on this one)

For vocal effects on stage... ask the sound guy if they HAVE a vocal processor...SOME DO. They just might be willing to use them...if they are nice, in a good mood, not too drunk, want to be creative and... well, my point is, just maybe IF they have that available they may be willing to use them.

Otherwise you risk a lot of 'middle of the show' improvisation and the song(s) may not go the way you want them to because you are trying to solve a feedback issue in the MIDDLE of your SET. Thats never any fun.

Post by jb » Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:20 pm

isn't the megaphone effect the same as the phone effect? if so, it's just squashing some freqs.

run your mic through this: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/GE7/
turn the bottom three and the top two down the whole way. fiddle to taste.

The Anchors · Post by **The Anchors** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 9:01 pm

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Justin · Post by **Justin** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 5:58 pm

Aside from bringing a real megaphone, I'd imagine you could get a similar effect using these types of effects:

-reverb or slight delay
-eq - where you can drop the Hi's and Lo's completely and using only a specific mid-range frequency
-distortion - a touch to make the sound a bit crappy

I would also suggest the harmonica mic idea, especially a green bullet. A local band has had a lot of success with that mic, and it does give a telephoney, megaphoney like effect (making new words is fun).

Post by **Spud** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 6:41 pm

I hear blue likes the kid's robot-voice changer from radio shack, mic'd of course.

Rabid Garfunkel · Post by **Rabid Garfunkel** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 9:14 pm

Justin wrote:...I would also suggest the harmonica mic idea, especially a green bullet. A local band has had a lot of success with that mic, and it does give a telephoney, megaphoney like effect (making new words is fun).

The Crystal Shaker (on the left) is my mike o' choice for this, and it has a volume knob for managing levels on the fly. Haven't gotten it to feed back. Yet, heh.

Hoblit · Post by **Hoblit** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 10:38 pm

Rabid Garfunkel wrote:
Justin wrote:...I would also suggest the harmonica mic idea, especially a green bullet. A local band has had a lot of success with that mic, and it does give a telephoney, megaphoney like effect (making new words is fun).

The Crystal Shaker (on the left) is my mike o' choice for this, and it has a volume knob for managing levels on the fly. Haven't gotten it to feed back. Yet, heh.

groovy, tested tried and true.