PDF Manual of the TC Electronic VoiceWorks Plus - Direct Pro Audio

HARMONY BACKGROUND AND TIPSA Comparison of the HarmonyModesThe following table gives an overview of the plussesand minuses of each harmony mode.Harmony Mode Input Benefits ChallengesScale Set Key and Scale of song Most natural sounding with minimalinput. Can be the fastest wayto produce harmony.Chord Play chords on a MIDI keyboard Works for nearly every chordchange accompaniment.Diatonic harmony doesn't workwith all chord accompaniments.Requires that you know how tochoose Key and Scale correctlyLimited harmonic movement notalways most realistic soundingCombiSet Key and Scale then use MIDIchords where needed to correctharmony/chord change errorsOptimal blend of natural soundingScale harmonies and Chordmode arrangement flexibilityRequires that you know how tochoose Key and Scale correctlyShiftSet shift amount with the Voicingparameter or choose Shift-basedpresetEasiest to useFixed interval less useful formusical harmonyNotesPerform harmony melodies onMIDI keyboard or use MIDI trackplaybackComplex harmonies can be createdthat move independently ofsung voice melody.Requires keyboard skills. Widepannedvoices may swap sidesdue to voice allocation.Notes 4 ChannelPerform harmony melodies onfour MIDI channels/tracks using aMIDI keyboard and/or sequencerAny harmony melody can be createdfor each voice. Unique pitchbends on each channel add realism.Pan and Gender assignmentslocked to voiceMore time required to inputmelodies. Sequencing knowledgerequired.Which is the best harmony mode foryou?From the chart above you can see which harmonymode is likely to become your favorite. Shift is notdescribed as it’s not a true harmony mode.“Are Chords presets the best for me?”If you play keyboards, presets based on Chords arelikely to work best for you.You just select a preset withthe arrangement of intervals above or below yourvoice and get down to playing your instrument.All youdo when you require harmony is to un-mute theharmonies with the Harmony Mute function on yourfootswitch and then play the chords in your song.A new TC-Helicon feature has been added toVoiceWorksPlus that greatly improves Chord modeflexibility and it’s called “Improvise” mode.This is foundin the Setup menu (press the SETUP button) at menuU2 and once set, it will affect all Chord harmonypresets. Improvise mode configures Chord modepresets so that only 3 note chords will trigger a chordchange, instead of each note as is the case with“Classic” mode.This allows you to play your keyboardarrangements more naturally, allowing runs, bass riffs,and chord partials while you sing and create harmonysimultaneously.“Are Scale presets the best for me?”If you are a guitar player in a live act, Scale mode willwork best because there is no requirement forongoing musical information during the song as there iswith the MIDI modes. All you do is set the Key andScale or load a preset you’ve saved with the song’sinformation before you start your song.This only takesa moment and then you can get on with playing. Duringthe song when you need harmony, you can use theHarmony Mute button on your footswitch to turnharmonies on and off. Some songs where thecombination of vocal melody and your music mayproduce odd harmony notes may occur, but the songswhere you can create harmonies handsfree willcompletely impress your audience.“Are Combi presets for me?”For someone who uses a sequencer to help withbackup music live or to at home to record their ownmusic, Combi mode can give you the excellentcombination of natural-sounding note to note22 22