Is This Possible?

[Banned]

Is it possible to run a mic through a guitar effects pedal for vocal effects? Just curious. Would it add any effect to the vocals at all?

[KeithReynolds]

yeah it would work.
The processor will add effects to anything going through the input. If you hooked a cd player and did a line out to the processor, it would add effects to that. Anything plugged into the input is processed by the processor. I dont think the guitar presets would sound too great for vocals, so you might have to spend some time creating some vox presets. Its obviously not the preferred way, but it certainly works.

[Banned]

Cool...thanks man. I appreciate the promptness.

[VENTGtr]

MMR,

If you're using it to record, be sure to listen through speaker/record a rough
try of it, etc. before putting on headphones and doing a full run through.

Often times a guitar effect, especially on vocals, is actually more pronounced
than it sounds through 'phones.

Yep. Have done it. Used flanger on vocals on a couple of songs. Worked
fine once got it all sorted out.

[LHSL]

yeah it would work.
The processor will add effects to anything going through the input. If you hooked a cd player and did a line out to the processor, it would add effects to that. Anything plugged into the input is processed by the processor. I dont think the guitar presets would sound too great for vocals, so you might have to spend some time creating some vox presets. Its obviously not the preferred way, but it certainly works.

No it will not work. Well, not very well.

A guitar pedal or processor is going to be looking for a high impedance line level signal. A microphone is a low impedance very low voltage signal.

You first need to connect the microphone to a proper pre-amp to boost the signal to line level. If the pre-amp/mixer has channel inserts, you could insert the fx pedal there, or connect it to an aux mix on the mixer and send the microphone signal to the auxiarly mix.

There are some "vocal fx units" designed for this purpose, something that the artist controls on stage. These would work and would have a pre amp built in. Typically they provide a wet and dry output (processed and unprocessed) for your PA or soundman.

[lonewolf]

There are some "vocal fx units" designed for this purpose, something that the artist controls on stage. These would work and would have a pre amp built in. Typically they provide a wet and dry output (processed and unprocessed) for your PA or soundman.

Speaking of...here is one of the better ones on the market for a deal and a half with the extra discount code. 10% more off thursday, 15% friday, 20% saturday, 25% sunday and 30% monday...if its still there...

http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/pr ... ku=183029X

[KeithReynolds]

yeah it would work.
The processor will add effects to anything going through the input. If you hooked a cd player and did a line out to the processor, it would add effects to that. Anything plugged into the input is processed by the processor. I dont think the guitar presets would sound too great for vocals, so you might have to spend some time creating some vox presets. Its obviously not the preferred way, but it certainly works.

No it will not work. Well, not very well.

Sorry to bust your bubble dude, but it does work. I ran vox through a gtr processor when i was like 16 and making home demos. It doesnt sound the best as i said, if you actually read my post. I dont answer things like this based on what i "think". If i reply to something like this its because ive either tried it or seen whatever work. Again, its not the best, but anyone who actually knows how to tweak things can make anything usable.
He wasnt asking for vocal effects to use on a million dollar record or using for 400 shows a year. He just wanted to know if it would work.

[lonewolf]

It will work much better if you connect the mic thru a passive impedance matching transformer before plugging it into a box that expects a guitar signal. Of course, an active preamp is the best way to go.

[LHSL]

Sorry to bust your bubble dude, but it does work. I ran vox through a gtr processor when i was like 16 and making home demos. It doesnt sound the best as i said, if you actually read my post. I dont answer things like this based on what i "think". If i reply to something like this its because ive either tried it or seen whatever work. Again, its not the best, but anyone who actually knows how to tweak things can make anything usable.
He wasnt asking for vocal effects to use on a million dollar record or using for 400 shows a year. He just wanted to know if it would work.

Sorry to bust YOUR bubble dude, but I clarified and said it would not work very well.

The reason it does not work well has nothing to do with the "guitar presets" not working well on a "vocal mic."

It has everything to do with what I already posted and what lonewolf mentioned. I wasn't trying to be a dick, but obviously you are, so I guess now I am too.

Connecting different types of equipment together like this that expect certain load impedances can not be "fixed" with "tweaking." It can be fixed by a matching transformer or a proper mic pre-amp. Some of the problems that one might run into plugging the mic directly into the guitar pedal include hums and buzzes and other random noises like that. Depending on what you want to do with that signal it could pose some serious problems to clean up later.

I'm not sure why you are taking offense to the correct advice and standard way of doing something.

[KeithReynolds]

Im not trying to be a dick at all . seemed like you were so i clarified.

[BloodyFingers]

It will work but it will not sound all that great.. Run it thru the insert on your mixer. Feed it from your aux out... If you plug the mic directly into it the voltage is to low and you will have alot of hiss...

[lonewolf]

It will work but it will not sound all that great.. Run it thru the insert on your mixer. Feed it from your aux out... If you plug the mic directly into it the voltage is to low and you will have alot of hiss...

Most dynamic microphones and guitars (with passive pickups) are in the same voltage range and generate around 1/4 volt, give or take, so a mic signal is strong enough for something expecting a guitar signal. Aside from balanced/unbalanced, the main difference between them is that mics have an impedance of 300 ohms and guitars have a ballpark impedance of 10-20 thousand ohms. When the load is a much larger Z that the source, you end up with less signal to the load. S/N gets shot to hell.

[LHSL]

It will work but it will not sound all that great.. Run it thru the insert on your mixer. Feed it from your aux out... If you plug the mic directly into it the voltage is to low and you will have alot of hiss...

Most dynamic microphones and guitars (with passive pickups) are in the same voltage range and generate around 1/4 volt, give or take, so a mic signal is strong enough for something expecting a guitar signal. Aside from balanced/unbalanced, the main difference between them is that mics have an impedance of 300 ohms and guitars have a ballpark impedance of 10-20 thousand ohms. When the load is a much larger Z that the source, you end up with less signal to the load. S/N gets shot to hell.

Passive guitar pickups hover around a few hundred mV or more, like you say. Microphones typically need 25dB of gain or more to get them to line level. That puts them down in the 20-40 mV range, about a 10 dB difference. Thats definitely noticable.

[lonewolf]

It will work but it will not sound all that great.. Run it thru the insert on your mixer. Feed it from your aux out... If you plug the mic directly into it the voltage is to low and you will have alot of hiss...

Most dynamic microphones and guitars (with passive pickups) are in the same voltage range and generate around 1/4 volt, give or take, so a mic signal is strong enough for something expecting a guitar signal. Aside from balanced/unbalanced, the main difference between them is that mics have an impedance of 300 ohms and guitars have a ballpark impedance of 10-20 thousand ohms. When the load is a much larger Z that the source, you end up with less signal to the load. S/N gets shot to hell.

Passive guitar pickups hover around a few hundred mV or more, like you say. Microphones typically need 25dB of gain or more to get them to line level. That puts them down in the 20-40 mV range, about a 10 dB difference. Thats definitely noticable.

That all depends on the SPL of the audio source and the sensitivity of the mic. Mics have a wider DR than is normally used and can vary from the 20-40mV range all the way up to and past 1/4 volt (-10dbu). Even a mic with a relatively low sensitivity of 4mv/Pa will get you to minus 10dbu with a 130db source. It happens inside snare drum shells all the time. Note that I used the term "range" and not "typical". The voltage output range of all but the least sensitive mics will get you to -10dbu.

But then, I suppose there aren't many screamers out there that will generate enough SPLs to push a low-sensitivity mic that far.

[Banned]

WoW! ....thanks guys. Really though, thanks.